With just a passing glance at this crew, one might expect them to burst out with a chorus of “I’m a lumberjack and I’m okay,” but what comes out instead is more like pure magic. This kind of symphonic indie rock is probably reaching the height of its popularity, with bands like the Flaming Lips setting the standard for the mainstream, and Built to Spill can take much of the credit for that. The band was formed in 1992 by Doug Martsch (formerly of the Seattle band Treepeople), in Boise, Idaho. Comparable but more recognizable bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie have cited both Built to Spill and Treepeople as major influences, anointing Martsch as a kind of godfather to this still somewhat peculiar sort of music. Martsch originally started the project with the idea of an ever-changing lineup of musicians, with himself as the only constant. A nice idea, but nevertheless the glory of playing the field was ruined by good chemistry —which is what Martsch has found with colleagues Brett Nelson, Scott Plouf, and Jim Roth, who have been permanent members of the band since 1999. The release last April of You In Reverse (Warner Bros.) should cement the ties that bind these four musicians; by and large, each wrote his own part for the album. The result is just spectacular.

Sports crazes are often as fad-tastic and fickle as the professional athletes who we temporarily worship. Let’s face it, most folks are fairweather fans, at best. Cases in point: the Lance-induced cycling craze, Mia Hamm and women’s soccer and, of course, the four-year cycle of figure skating interest (who really cares during the other three?). In a sense, the story is the same for hockey locally: since going to the conference finals last season, for instance, the Sabres have already sold nearly as many tickets as last year…and the season hasn’t even started yet. In another sense, however, hockey is the gritty kind of sport that this city has always identified with. After all, an informal poll shows that the most popular Sabre ever was not some glossy superstar, but Rob Ray, the hard working, hard-hitting everyman of pro hockey. All of this is why the Albright-Knox is hosting Youth Hockey Night this Friday, as part of its free Gusto at the Gallery series. Events for the evening include an exhibition of hockey memorabilia from Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame, an outdoor tailgate party (read “carnival”), a screening of Disney’s D2: The Mighty Ducks, a screening of CBC’s doc series Hockey: A People’s History, a lecture by artist Mark Rothko, a lecture by Jay Bylsma, father of former-NHLer Dan Bylsma and a tour of hockey-related artwork with AKAG Director Louis Grachos.

What do veggie porn, go-go dancing, Niagara Falls, peep torture, Costa Verde, wrestling and abandoned houses have in common? I haven’t a clue, but you can find out Friday, when Squeaky Wheel takes its act outdoors for its first annual outdoor Silent/Sound Screening. The above subjects will all be addressed in various videos and films that will be projected onto a huge screen on the side of 712 Main Street (Squeaky’s building), and which will be scored by live bands. The media come from local artists—including Ron Ehmke, Jax Deluca and Meg Knowles, among others—as well as national artists. The screening accompanies an open house at Squeaky Wheel, and indoor screenings of last year’s Portraits of Main Street documentaries begin at 6. The Portraits of Main Steet series was filmed by the 2005 class of the Buffalo Youth Media Institute, and each portrait focuses on a different aspect of our city’s troubled main thoroughfare, from graffiti and vacancy issues to Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the Anchor Bar. The evening should prove to be both entertaining and engaging.

If you think Garden Walk is fun because it affords a glimpse into strangers’ backyards, go out for this tour of kitchens, where people will not only invite you into their homes, they’ll even share their recipes with you. Twenty of the most fabulous kitchens the stylish Elmwood Village neighborhood contains are on display, some designed by well-known architects or interior designers, and some built by the creative homeowners themselves. You’ll see a variety of styles, from French provincial and “Arts and Crafts” to thoroughly high-tech modernity. And some kitchens boast the environmentally friendly renewable materials we’d all aspire to use for flooring and cabinets, if only we could. But that’s why, at each home, gracious hosts and volunteer docents will be available to answer questions about materials, design and cost-efficiency, and also hand out a booklet of favorite recipes made in those very kitchens. The tour starts at Buffalo Seminary (where maps will be provided) and leads through some of our city’s finest neighborhoods: Bidwell/Chapin, Ashland/Norwood and Bryant/Summer areas are all covered, as are Lafayette, West Ferry, Oakland Place and others.