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See You There!

Artvoice's weekly round-up of events to watch out for the week, including our editor's pick: Ibiza Nights at Pure Nightclub on Friday the 7th, featuring Eddie Halliwell. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our new and improved events calendar on-line for complete event listings, a location guide to find your way about the city, restaurant reviews, and more.

Ibiza Nights with Eddie Halliwell

Friday, August 7th

Belly dancers, fire breathers, contortionists and contact jugglers, these all-sound like plausible activities at a rave in Ibiza, Spain. But to finish the Ibiza experience in Buffalo, Factory Nightlife is also bringing Eddie Halliwell, who happens to hail from the opposite of a Mediterranean landscape – Manchester, England. Why a twist of limey in this Spanish sangria? Because Halliwell happens to be very, very good; so good, in fact, that he has taken up the helm of the Cream Ibiza party and its mix series from DJ god Paul Van Dyk. Though not as big, Halliwell is well along the way to obtain the prowess of Dyk, having his own weekly program on BBC Radio One, his renowned catch phase “Fire it Up,” and being the only DJ in history to win the coveted Mixmag’s ‘DJ of the Year’ vote twice. His style is straightforward, upbeat trance—so don’t expect daring blends of wayward genres. Even though he’s a bit of a traditionalist, so was Rembrandt, and Halliwell’s pull is his ridiculous skill at the turntables and his ability to light up a dance-floor. So if you are looking to get down to the work of a master while getting a taste of the madness from Ibiza, check out Pure Nightclub on Friday (August 7). Just remember to show some American hospitality and chant “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!”

Other acts include special guest Chris English (Los Angeles/Buffalo) and Factory artists Jesse Aaron, Nate Howell, Jarvis & Korey Downey, Dubbs, and Kyle Moody, with Doug E-C & Josh Santoro rocking the Rooftop Patio.

—geoff anstey

10pm. Pure, 75 W. Chippewa St. (www.purebuffalo.net)

Friday, August 7th

Eli Keszler/Ashley Paul Duo, Nola Ranallo/Steve Baczkowski Duo

Ashley Paul (pictured) and Eli Keszler’s electro-acoustic take on freely improvised music eschews the one-way, outward expressiveness of American free jazz, clearing a space for sonic exploration where noises and gestures inhabit (rather than transcend) unique aural environments. Featuring Keszler on drums, bells, bowed metal, guitar, and contact mic and Paul on reeds, electronics, and voice, the duo shapes open-field blasts of clattering noise interspersed with sustained high-pitched tones and discordant, rattling percussion. The effect is subtle and aggressive, open-ended and full of stark contrasts, filled with dark shadows and bright sonic clusters. Joining them on the bill at this Friday (August 7) is the Steve Baczkowski/Nola Ranallo duo, who are celebrating the release of their new CD, Live at Soundlab, which incorporates “elements of noise, harmony, and pensive retreat” through an equally boundary-less mix of elements that includes improvised sax, avant-garde vocals, and manipulated turntable.

—greg gannon

9pm. Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. (www.bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab). $8

Friday, August 7th

Cute is What We Aim For

On Friday night (August 7), Cute is What We Aim For, the native-to-Buffalo power-pop band, plays at the Riviera Theatre. True to their name, the band members are cute, but even more impressive than the band’s looks are their aims for this weekend’s show. Excited to give back to their hometown after enjoying success on the road, CIWWAF will donate 100% of the proceeds from Friday’s event back to the historic Riviera Theatre. Established in 1926, the Riviera is home to one of the only Mighty Wurlitzer organs in the world and acts as a time capsule to the old-time flavor of the glamorous twenties. This local venue, which supports the arts year round, is a true gem, and one we want around for years to come. Just in case you haven’t already heard them, Cute’s bubbly sounds are even more impressive than their philanthropic aims. Their musical influences include Taking Back Sunday, Blink 182, Smashing Pumpkins, Goldfinger, and Dave Matthews. A great show for a great cause—what better way to spend your Friday night?

—maggie barrett

7:30pm. Riviera Theatre, 67 Webster St., N. Tonawnada (692-2113 / www.rivieratheatre.org). $15

Saturday, August 8th

Alison Pipitone CD Release Party

Alison Pipitone is pathologically generous. She gives free rein to her faultless instinct for hook-heavy rock and roll. She pours her songs full to overflowing with playfulness, pain, and wistfulness. And no one has ever come away from one of Pipitone’s shows thinking she’d held something back. So it should surprise no one that Alison is sharing the release party for her eighth recording, Me and Miss Grimes, with a host of friends and fellow artists. A pre-party showcases work by local artists Catherine Parker, Craig LaRotunda, Scott Klaurens, Daniel Rodgers, Megan Cocoran, and Rose Bond. And opening for the Alison Pipitone Band—Patrick Shaughnessy, Jim Whitford, Graham Howes, and Natalie Howes—is Leather Garden, “a middle-school rock band playing kick-ass songs that even a middle-ager would like.” For good measure, the brilliant Stripteasers will take off (some of) their clothes. Your ticket buys you all this and a copy of the new CD.

—geoff kelly

Doors 6:30pm. Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / www.tralfmusichall.com). $20 at Tralf box office, Rust Belt Books, Buffalo Street Grill, or Ticketmaster.

Saturday, August 8th

Knuckle City Block Party

The heat took a while to reach us here on the North Coast, but it’s here now. How do I know? Because Knuckle City’s third annual “Stop the Violence and Increase the Peace” Block Party is the peak of summer. This Saturday, at the corner of Delavan and Courtland on Buffalo’s East Side, the guys who brought you Forgotten City, the film that brought Buffalo stories out of the neighborhoods and to audiences across the country, are sponsoring an all-day party featuring performances by the Ratchetville Stone Gang, talent from Checkmate and Buff City Records, MusicKnot Ent, T-Nyce, Hood Magic Productions, Kingdom Krump, the David Dancers, and many more. Food and drink is free, there’s a rap contest with a $100 prize, a dance contest, and much more. The afternoon’s host is Julian Russell, the Mayor of Delavan. The cameras will be rolling.

—geoff kelly

2-8pm. Trade Fair Plaza, at Delevan and Courtland. FREE.

Watch highlights from last year's Knuckle City Block Party on AVTV.

Sunday, August 9th

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix

Attention, Aquarians! Nearly 40 years to the day after the Woodstock Music & Art Fair on Max Yasgur’s farm, one of Woodstock’s premier “local” bands is trucking into town for a fun-filled set in Buffalo this Sunday (August 9)—assuming, I guess, that they don’t close the New York State Thruway. Professor Louie & the Crowmatix is a five-piece outfit with pretty awesome credentials. Aaron “Professor Louie” Hurwitz on keyboards and accordion, Gary Burke on drums, singer/songwriter Marie “Miss Marie” Spinoza, bassist Frank Campbell, and guitarist Josh Colow have collectively played with artists including Bob Dylan, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Graham Parker, Steve Forbert, Cindy Cashdollar, and Mercury Rev, among many others. The real treat, however—as fans up and down the Eastern Seaboard know—is the melodic, laid-back vibe they create when they play together. This Sunday (August 9) will be one of those shows that, years later, everybody in town will say they were at. Don’t be one of those pretenders.

—buck quigley

4pm. Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734 / www.sportsmenstavern.com). $15.

Thursday, August 13th

The Decemberists

The current challenge to bands of a certain stature seems to have become the so-called “rock opera.” Count the Decemberists among them with their latest concept album, The Hazards of Love (Capitol), released in March of this year. The emotive prog-rock quintet unleashed the entire 17 songs on an unsuspecting audience at last spring’s SXSW Music Festival, and this year’s Lollapalooza (on August 7) will be make it the second time the band performs all of Hazards live. When they stop in Buffalo next Thursday (August 13), the audience will be treated to a mixed set list of old favorites and new yarns, featuring mythical characters like queens of the forest, shape-shifting monsters, and the like. Though the new album features cameo roles from Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) and Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond), don’t expect those guest stars to make the show in Buffalo. The audience should be content with the presences of enigmatic singer Colin Meloy and dynamic keyboardist Jenny Conlee (who really rocks that Hammond organ). Opening the show are Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards.

—alan victor

8pm. UB Center for the Arts, Amherst Campus (645-ARTS / www.ubcfa.org). $38 at Ticketmaster