As tour names go, “Fuck Yeah” hits the nail on the head. What other phrase could describe a traveling underground variety show featuring the notorious stage acrobatics of Monotonix and Crystal Antlers as well as um…comedians, and…um, art installations and stuff like that. Oh yeah, did I mention that all five bands, comedians, visual artists, and organizers are traveling in the same vegetable-oil-fueled bus? Nothing smells more like summer 2008 than a vegetable-oiled bus filled with 26 guys. Actually, I don’t know if they’re all guys but whatever. The “Fuck Yeah Tour” is the traveling edition of LA’s “Fuck Yeah Fest,” a punky clusterfuck of disparate interests organized by Keith Morris (of Black Flag and the Circle Jerks) and a guy named Sean Carlson, who quite accurately predicts that the touring incarnation of his baby “is bound to be the most retarded/amazing/biggest nightmare adventure that any of us have ever gone on”—which is exactly why you need witness it. Of all the groups on the bill, Crystal Antlers (pictured) seems to be getting the most buzz: “As much as it diverges from the brain-frying aim of typical psych-rock outings,” Pitchfork wrote about their current CD (and converging with the seasonal theme of this article), “EP is an unorthodox summer record—not so much for driving to the beach as actually being in its sweltering grasp.” But it would be a big mistake to ignore the lesser known acts on the bill, who are sure to amp up the “funmosphere”: Spasmatic punky electro duo the Death Set; Brooklyn synth-punk dance rockers Team Robespierre; and Totally Michael, who has been known to divide his audience for a dance floor battle to his song “Cheerleaders Vs Drillteam.” Fuck yeah!

The Buffalo International Film Festival is co-presenting a film series in honor of Hollywood’s historically momentous year. It kicked off last week with The Wizard of Oz and wraps at the end of August with Gone With the Wind. Imagine those two epic classics in competition with each other for Best Picture at the 1939 Oscars, and you’ll have a sense of the excitement audiences were experincing during that year in cinema (GWTW won, by the way). But there were plenty other fine, if less extravagantly spectacular, films released in 1939 that were responsible for creating the general consensus among film buffs that 1939 was Hollywood’s greatest year. The series can’t show all of those great films (Stagecoach and Wuthering Heights are notably absent from the list), but the presenters have done a great job compiling a group of films that represent the importance of Hollywood’s watershed year. Frank Capra’s Mister Smith Goes to Washington, starring Jimmy Stewart (pictured) will screen tonight, followed by Boris Karloff in The Man They Could Not Hang on July 17. After that there will be a film every Thursday: The Little Princess, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Babes in Arms, Destry Rides Again, Dark Victory, and the grand finale—a “Southern Plantation BBQ Party Spectacular” and screening of Gone With the Wind. Visit buffalofilmfestival.com for details

Girls, put this on while you’re getting ready for the prom. Fathers, take note: Teenage girls in America finally have an intelligent musical role model to look up to. Sitting at her baby grand piano wearing summer dresses in colorful hues, the half-Irish, half-Japanese, California-born Marié Digby sings smooth songs about heartache and romance. She conveys genuine emotion and demonstrates musical sensitivity while strumming her acoustic guitar, playing the piano, and singing about matters of the heart. If you’re looking for a fresh, clean sound, this is it. If you are a fan of her artsy folksy interpretation of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”—last year’s YouTube phenomenon—you will be pleased to know that Hollywood Records just released her debut CD entitled Unfold. On “Say It Again,” her vocal chords do not scream powerhouse, nor do they whisper meekly. The song is a smart balance between feminine, flirty, and chic. Her songs have a nice ebb and flow and her laidback lyrics on songs like “Stupid for You” actually put you in a good mood. She might even inspire you to pick up a guitar and write a song of your own. Marié, looks like we will see you on the CD stands at Starbucks, listen to you on i-Tunes, and hear your music in every chick flick this summer. This special concert will be held in the intimate Leopard lounge at the Town Ballroom. Space is limited.

As editor and publisher of BlazeVOX books, Geoffrey Gatza has been a godsend to local authors, championing their work and providing an avenue by which their work reaches the world outside Buffalo’s tight literary ecosystem. Through BlazeVOX, Gatza—also an accomplished chef and a former Marine—has won a number of awards recognizing the imprint’s eclectic stable of talents. Gatza does his own writing too—he’s the author of five books of poetry, and his sixth, Not So Fast Robespierre, will be released later this year. This Wednesday he reads work from the new book at the Rooftop Poetry Club, which hosts Wednesday evening readings every week this month on the second-floor outdoor courtyard at Buffalo State’s Butler Library. (Gary Earl Ross kicked off the month of readings on July 2—check the Web site below for the full roster of readers.) It’s another must-do this summer: open-air poetry. Gatza will be joined by Rich Owens and Mike Sikkema. In case of rain, the reading will be held in the International Students Reading Area, on the third floor of the library.