Legendary Buffalo punk outfit the Jumpers, one of the early successes of frontman Terry Sullivan (pictured), will be heating things up again for the benefit of diehards who loved the band during its heyday, as well as for the uninitiated, who will surely benefit from the frenetic blast of homegrown rock ringing from the cranked amps of guitarists Scott Michaels (recently returned from many years in California) and Bob Kozak. Craig Meylan on bass and Roger Nicol on drums round out the sound, which is full of ragged hooks driven by an insistent beat—pounding out lyrical demands like “I Wanna Know What’s Going On.” Though they never ascended to the heights of fame they really deserved, it’s hard to point to another handful of guys who were making great original music here in Buffalo during the late 1970s/early 1980s—and are still able to deliver the goods with the raw energy, volume, and enthusiasm that might frighten many young shoegazers today. That’s all the more reason to catch this classic local band at this cool local venue.

The summer arts and crafts show season officially opens this Friday at Lockport’s 100 American Craftsmen Show. Now in its 38th year, Western New York’s longest-running craft show aims to “celebrate the art of craft” with juried exhibits in clay, fiber, glass, decorative metal, leather, paper and wood. Kitsch lovers beware—you’ll find no paint-by-number cut-outs or pre-fab décor here. Creations range from embroidered landscapes and chromosome-inspired beads to painted gourds and paper pulp sculptures, and the artisans themselves hail from across the entire northeast. Twenty-nine of the crafters are brand new this year, and a number of show favorites—including locals Cynthia Hand, Julia Skop, Kathi Roussel, Marcelo Florencio, and JoAnn Vanderheite—will be returning. Awards will be presented at 2:30pm on Saturday. The weekend will be full of musical entertainment as well, with live jazz music by Ralph Faval (Friday), the Bob Sowydra Band, the Browning Duo, and Duo II Muto (Saturday), and the Pocket Change Trio and the Mark Mazur Trio (Sunday). The Kenan Center gallery will be open to the public, and there’s also a children’s art space and a series of demonstrations for the show’s youngest attendees.

Thirteen “Buffalo gals” come out this weekend, when Pick of the Crop Dance presents Buffalo Gals Bring Home New Works. The dancers, all native Buffalonians fresh from graduating from top dancing studios across the country, return to their roots and their mentor, Pick of the Crop’s artistic director Elaine Gardner, to perform a fitting tribute to Buffalo’s rich talent. Pick of the Crop has been providing the Western New York area with concert dance performances—as well as nurturing local dancers’ creativity through Gardner’s intensive summer dance workshops—for over 25 years. This performance will showcase the performers’ technical skills as dancers and as choreographers, featuring pieces by guest choreographers Colin Connor, Patricia Farkas-Sprague, Marcus Schulkind, and Elizabeth Streb. The dancers themselves, returning to Buffalo for this show from places like Boston, LA, and New York, are Angela Buccini (pictured), Katie Dorn, Raija Gershberg, Alisa Mittin, Makenzi Rasey, Bridget Rochester, Katie Schwartz, Kirsta Sendziak, Mary Grace Sullivan, Bonnie Taylor, Molly Taylor, Brittini Whiting, and Jessica Wright.

In 1994, using only a four-track tape recorder, a guitar badly in need of tuning, and a voice with terrific range, Canadian musician Hayden recorded a self-released cassette titled In September. A year later, the artist adapted this material to release the album Everything I Hope For, a haunting and touching compilation of rock and folk. Hayden has continued to re-examine and adapt his music in ways that keep critics and listeners interested. His constant evolutions have resulted in albums that continue to surpass themselves in both sales (even though many have been self-released) and critical praise. After taking a hiatus between 1998 and 2001, Hayden released Skyscraper National Park to the delight of his incredibly loyal fans, many of whom had been waiting with bated breath for any sort of sign of re-birth from this talented musician. Recent tours through Canada, the US, and Europe have left countless venues sold out. In 2008, after a tour with artist Feist, Hayden released In Field and Town (Fat Possum), his long awaited fifth album. The album focuses on poignant lyrics and a softer acoustic sound. Buffalo will be one of the first audiences to hear songs from In Field and Town, and if past examples are any model, you should get there early because its bound to be crowded.