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See You There!

Artvoice's weekly round-up of events to watch out for the week, including this week's Editors Pick: Ralph Nader at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church on Friday, October 17. As always, check our on-line events calendar for a constantly updated and comprehensive listing of what's going on!

AV Editors Pick

Friday, October 17

Ralph Nader

As the McCain-Obama slugfest continues, consumer advocate and perennial presidential candidate Ralph Nader rolls into town with a different message. He will speak about the Wall Street bailout, single-payer healthcare, the Iraq war, the environment, and the state of the presidential debates (from which he was excluded). Recently, Nader/Gonzalez released their new logo, a fusion of the stagnant donkey and elephant, and a symbol of both the promise and failure of this country: Get this, it’s the Buffalo! Ralph Nader is the only Presidential candidate who supports jail time, not bail time, for Wall Street fat cats, so come hear him speak in Buffalo!

—eddy dobosiewicz

6:30pm. Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 875 Elmwood Avenue.

Friday, October 17

“Pinktober” Fest & WNY York Women of Rock

The Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a series of concerts, the proceeds of which go to various breast cancer charities. Last week featured national acts Emerson Hart and Delta Goodrem. This Friday’s concert is all-local and all female, entitled “Western New York Women of Rock,” featuring Dee Adams & the Housecats (pictured), Wednezday Atemz (featuring Denisha Osbourne and Tomorrow Allen), Busted Stuff, and Alison Pipitone. Proceeds from this concert will benefit the Hope Chest, a local program providing a positive support group and exercise program for breast cancer survivors. Visit www.hopechestbuffalo.com for more info.

Doors at the Hard Rock open at 6pm.

7pm. Hard Rock Cafe, 333 Prospect St.,

Niagara Falls (282-0007 / www.hardrock.com). $10 at door or visit www.ticketweb.com

Friday, October 17

Laura Tsaggaris and The Art of Film: Aurora at the Albright Series Premier

Washington, D.C.-based singer/songwriter Laura Tsaggaris (pictured) will play an acoustic set at this week’s Gusto at the Gallery. Laura performs characteristically intimate shows that highlight her vocals and songwriting talent. She is currently working on her sophomore full-length, titled Keep Talking (Overtime Records). In addition to Tsaggaris’s performance at 8pm, the evening will highlight a new film series called “Aurora at the Albright,” with a 7pm screening of the 1999 film Mansfield Park, based on Jane Austin’s classic novel. Director Patricia Rozema, who recently directed the Abigail Breslin film Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, will be a special guest. A pre-film talk with Curator of Education Mariann Smith, titled “Home Décor in the English Country House,” will be held at 6pm

5-10pm. Albright Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Ave. (882.8700 / www.albrightknox.org). $4/general; FREE for AKAG members

Friday, October 17

Buffalo Indie Fest v1.0

Another musical showcase comes to Nietzsche’s, this time with a visiting group from San Francisco in addition to the homegrown talent. The idea is to highlight not only independent music here in Buffalo, but the idea of independent music in general. There will be non-stop performances all night on rotating stages, featuring Bay Area foursome LoveLikeFire (pictured) as well as local rock groups La Cacahouette, Red Tag Rummage Sale, and A Hotel Nourishing. This is the first event sponsored by Buffalo Indie Fest, and serves as a model for the following shows. There will always be one special guest from another part of the globe, which according to the website (www.buffaloindiefest.org) is meant “to highlight the fact that not only are Buffalo bands getting out there, but many bands consider Buffalo a great music town worthy of a tour stop.”

9pm. Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St (886-8539 / www.nietzsches.com). $5

Saturday, October 18

Urban Roots Harvest Festival

Urban Roots, the West Side gardening cooperative that is the first of its kind in the country, has made a big impression in just two of Buffalo’s short growing seasons. On Saturday, more than 400 members will celebrate at Urban Roots’s second annual fall festival. It begins with family activities, including pumpkin painting (11am-3pm) and a plant swap (11am-1pm), as well as workshops on pressing flowers (11am-1pm) and sunprints, whatever they might be (1-3pm). In the evening (7-10pm) there will be a reception for members and friends with music by John & Mary, a wine tatsing by Niagara Landing, and gelati from Gelato G, the co-op’s new next-door neighbor. It’s a good opportunity to learn about the terms and benefits of being a member-owner, especially since October is National Co-op Month.

—geoff kelly

Urban Roots, 428 Rhode Island Street (362-8982 / www.urbanroots.org). Free

Saturday, October 18

Howlin’ Rain

It’s October and that means it’s getting close to music geek freakout time. The debate has already begun about what records will make the cut as “best of the year.” In case you wanna play this game at home, here’s a a little tip: Think about giving Howlin’ Rain’s second album Magnificent Fiend (American/Birdman) a spin. The San Fran combo—led by Comets of Fire guitarist/singer Ethan Miller—has perfected a psyched-out stew of heavy soul, hard rockin’ boogie, and virtuosic West Coast rock vintage that puts together the sonic imprints of ‘70s staples like Humble Pie, Traffic, and Spirit with inspired vigor and freshness. It’s no surprise that I am craving hearing Magnificent Fiend as a long-player because, with the obvious stylistic touchstones, the album’s superlative production and mix, and the even eight tracks, putting this on two sides of black vinyl is a no-brainer. Hear Howlin’ Rain play selections from it live when the band comes to Buffalo this Saturday to support the Black Crowes at a sold out at Town Ballroom.

—donny kutzbach

8pm. The Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / www.townballroom.com). SOLD OUT

Saturday, October 18

Babik’s CD Release Show

Babik, the Buffalo based gypsy jazz band, will be holding the CD release party for their second album American Gypsy this Saturday at the Tralf. This 13-track album is different from their first, Pronounced: Bah-beek, in that all the tracks were recorded in studio. The band will perform all of the songs on the new CD, some of them for the first time, in addition to some of their old favorites. Joining Babik on stage will be Bulgarian accordion champion Vladimir Mollov, the clarinetist Brian Bauer, percussionist Dave Phillips, and vocalist Heather Hodson. Babik has enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years and rarely leave audience members disappointed. It would be wise to pick your tickets up early as their last CD release party, which was also held at the Tralf, sold out. Doors open at 7pm.

—justin sondel

8pm. Tralf Music Hall 622 Main St. (852-2860 / www.tralfmusichall.com). $20/advance at box office, Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com / 852-5000) or $23/day of show

Monday, October 20

Telepath

Telepath, the electronic/downtempo band based out of Philadelphia (by way of Asheville, NC), comes to Club Infinity this week. This three-piece band blends a variety of multi-national forms of music in a unique and funky style. The band, made up of a keyboard, a bass guitar, and drums, uses self-made samples with Indian and Arabic singers and Afrobeat-influenced horn lines to create a multi-layered sound. Telepath has recently wrapped up a summer tour where they shared the stage with the likes of Sound Tribe Sector 9, the Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Widespread Panic, and Phil Lesh. Telepath also, along with the Toots & the Maytails, will participate in a December tour of Jamaica which has been dubbed the ”Caribbean Holidaze Tour.” Telepath is touring in an effort to promote their recently released second album Contact, the follow up to their well-received debut album Fire One.

—justin sondel

8pm. Club Infinity, 8166 Main St., Williamsville (565-0110 / www.clubinfinitylive.com).

Wednesday, October 22

JJ Grey & Mofro

From the north Florida/southern Georgia region that was the cradle of southern rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers, come Jacksonville natives JJ Grey and his tough band, Mofro. Grey’s music is definitely more on the swampy funk side than those stadium acts were, as evidenced by their most recent and strongest release to date, Orange Blossoms (Alligator). You don’t find a lot of artists who list George Jones and Sly Stone as influences, but Grey does, and when you mix in blues masters like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters along with soul king Otis Redding, you start to get an idea of the sound they’re cranking out. Horn players Dennis Marion and Art Edmaiston punctuate the smoldering grooves laid down by guitarist Daryl Hance, drummer Anthony Cole, and organist Adam Scone—who rips up a solo on the bouncy “Ybor City,” a tribute to the rehabbed, wild party section of old Tampa, Florida—where Cuban immigrants used to roll thick cigars in factories adorned with beautiful wrought iron balconies. (Think Chippewa on steroids.)

—buck quigley

9pm. Club Infinity, 8166 Main St., Williamsville (565-0110 / www.clubinfinitylive.com) $15

Thursday, October 23

Mad professor

Neil Frazer is not nuts, nor does he have a PhD—unless on the job training counts toward a doctorate in music engineering. The Guyana native helped spearhead dub production into the digital age, combining traditional reggae with hi-tech remixing techniques to create one of modern music’s most innovative genres. His past work with masters like Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sly & Robbie, and Jah Shaka, in addition to artists ranging from Sade to Massive Attack, has cemented his reputation in the industry. Starting out as a service technician (after emigrating to London at the age of thirteen), Frazer became known as “the Mad Professor” due to his obvious skill and fascination with electronic gadgetry. These proclivities led him to open his own recording studio, Ariwa, which Melody Maker has called “the biggest black-owned studio complex in Britain.” He has remixed tracks by artists as disparate as the Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Perry Farrell, Rancid, and Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki. Joining him at Soundlab next Thursday are DJ Universal and Big Basha.

—k. o’day

9pm. Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. www.bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab). Tickets at www.ticketweb.com