Remember that moment at the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indy has to pick the Holy Grail out of a sea of treasures? He picks the plainest cup in the room, and he hits the jackpot. Shows at Mohawk Place bring this scene to mind and, at its 15th Anniversary Party, you can celebrate this ordinary-looking club’s small stage, humble bar and infectious personality. It’s not flashy, just down-to-earth and full of energy, much like the bands that perform there. If you’re the kind of person that likes discovering new music before everybody else catches on, the ’Hawk is easily the best source in town. The anniversary show is jam-packed with local favorites, including The Irving Klaws, Wolf Tickets, The Missing Planes, Mark Norris and the Backpeddlers, The Old Sweethearts, The Rabies, Doombuggy and Semi-Tough. At least for a night, I’d suggest ditching the bright lights in favor of this little club off the beaten path. Take a lesson from the movie: If you’re like Dr. Elsa Schneider and value superficial things, you’ll fall into an abyss and die.

You may know Stanley Clarke as one of the most versatile, innovative and influential bassists in jazz and, along with Chick Corea, co-founder of the ground-breaking fusion group Return to Forever. Perhaps, you’ve grooved to his hit single “Lopsy Lu” or his chart-topping School Days album or to his projects with the likes of George Duke, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Stewart Copeland and many others. But did you know that Clarke invented the piccolo and tenor basses, mastered the slap funk technique, and created scores for such films as Boys N the Hood, What’s Love Got to Do With It, and Soul Food (not to mention an Emmy-nominated score for Pee Wee’s Playhouse)? These musical adventures have earned Clarke gold and platinum records, Grammy and Emmy Awards, readers’ polls, walks of fame, Rolling Stone’s first Jazzman of the Year, and Playboy’s Music Award. The Stanley Clarke Band includes Deron Johnson, piano; Mads Tolling, violin; Ronald Bruner, Jr., drums; and Ruslan Sirota, keyboards. But not, alas, Paul Reubens. Go anyway.

There are no good guys or bad guys in Gallipoli, Turkish filmmaker Tolga Ornek’s new documentary on the 1915 campaign that lasted nine months and brought the deaths of 120,000 soldiers, to no discernible result. Unlike the 1981 Peter Weir film of the same name (which co-starred a young Mel Gibson), Ornek’s film tells the story from both sides, emphasizing the extreme conditions under which men fought. Ornek spent six years researching and filming, relying primarily on the diaries and letters written by 10 soldiers (two British, three Australian, two Turks, and three from New Zealand). All suffered extreme weather and severe hardships from the ravages of disease, flies and lice. Worst of all, all were affected by the stubbornness of politicians on the other side of the world who refused to recognize that adding more troops to the situation could result in nothing but increased deaths. Narrated by Jeremy Irons and Sam Neill, Gallipoli will be screened next Wednesday at UB’s Center for the Arts. Admission is free, and Ornek will be present for a post-screening discussion.

Undergoing an extreme musical makeover from lead singer of the respected pop-rock sensation The Push Stars to an independent solo artist, Boston-based, Buffalo-born musician Chris Trapper has recently released Gone Again (Starlit Records). The album blends the songwriter’s acoustic abilities with his love for jazz. Joining the songwriter is The Wolverine Jazz Band, who help give shape to Trapper’s otherwise clean-cut sonic landscape with such instruments as the banjo, trumpet, and trombone. While struggling to create a cover to a Steely Dan song for the Me, Myself, and Irene soundtrack, Trapper remembered a street-side New Jersey jazz band from 10 years before that he thought would be perfect for the solo. He couldn’t locate the group, but he found a different jazz group for the solo and has aspired to infuse jazz into his music ever since. In the wake of Trapper’s musical conversion, he has left behind The Push Stars and The Wolverine Jazz Band to tour the Northeast as an independent soloist, hitching from one town to the next to show off his rich vocals and acoustic melodies.