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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: Kevin Seconds, who plays the Town Ballroom on Tuesday the 25th. 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.

Kevin Seconds (Solo)

Tuesday, August 25th

American hardcore punk is coming up on 30 years old. It’s debatable exactly where the start point is but 1980 is pretty close to when it all happened. That was the year that LA’s Black Flag issued the seminal Jealous Again 12,” when Minor Threat and Bad Brains set the nations capitol ablaze, and it was also the year brothers Kevin Seconds and Steve Youth played their first show in their hometown of Reno, Nevada. Bringing breakneck-paced songs centered on Kevin Seconds’ lyrics—striving for positivity in a negative world—7 Seconds has proven one of the most influential bands to emerge in the first wave of hardcore, highlighted by albums like 1984’s The Crew and 1985’s Walk Together, Rock Together. By the late ‘80s, while many of their scene brethren had either called it quits or were mired in the same old sound, Kevin and the band proved unafraid to change and grow, showing a melodic side and pushing the boundaries that helped kickstart the emo overflow of the next decade (see records Ourselves and Soulforce Revolution) So thirty years on, while so many of that first generation of hardcore heroes have given up, given in, sold out, or simply disappeared, Kevin Seconds remains committed for life. 7 Seconds still records and tous but is currently on hiatus. Kevin Seconds is not. With acoustic guitar and a lot of songs, he is currently touring behind the 2008 release Rise Up, Insomniacs (Asian Man Records) and hosts the podcast “Pay to Strum with Kevin Seconds” on punkradiocast.com. He makes a stop this Tuesday at Town Ballroom’s Leopard Lounge where Chris Mal—singer/guitarist of Buffalo’s Wolf Tickets—opens up the show with a stripped down set of his punk rock rabblerousing.

—donny kutzbach

7pm (doors). $10/advance at Town Ballroom Box Office (open Monday-Friday 12pm-5pm) or at at Ticketmaster locations

Friday, August 21st

The Black Party w/Pete Wentz

You might know Pete Wentz from sporting accessories in a spunky black and white Gap ad campaign—or being sported as an accessory by his spunky wife, Ashlee Simpson. Well, now Wentz is on his way to Buffalo to teach you how to properly accessorize at a “black party”—by donning black everything. Wentz, one of Fall Out Boy’s formulaic front men, will be appearing at this year’s Black Party, along with Every Time I Die front man, Keith Buckley. Wentz will be spinning a DJ set at Pure Nightclub that will be sure to please the sharp dressed masses in attendance. Of course, black attire isn’t required, but encouraged—after all, it is called the Black Party. Also on the ticket are a slew of other DJs, the likes of which have often been seen on the Chippewa scene: DJ DStar, DJ Kid G., Buckwylde, Adam Curtin, and Maxwell Collins, churning out the hits for all the people and their all-black pants. Kiss 98.5’s own Shy Guy Shawn will be hosting the event live and on the air. Don’t forget your eyeliner, dancing shoes, and your ID. Ages 18+.

—ann marie awad

10pm. Pure Nightclub, 75 W. Chippewa. $15/advance; $20/at door; $30/VIP ticket

Saturday, August 22nd

The Found CD Release Party

If you ever felt there weren’t enough Steppenwolf devotees, the Found’s eponymous debut last year was the local record for you. It was packed with aggrandized blues riffs and waves of bellowing rock organ, and though it was missing the psychedelic incliniations of Steppenwolf, that was well substituted for with some messy proto-punk aggression. Less than a year afterwards, the Found returned with their bluntly titled second album, Two, which found the young band smoothing out their sound with more traditional R &B elements, while still keeping a Deep Purplish classic rock edge. Now again, less than a year after their last release, the band is releasing their third CD this Saturday (August 22). Included in this blowout will be special guests Johnny Nobody and Handsome Jack, making the gig a fine sampler of some of the best local acts in Buffalo. The show generously includes a copy of the new disc with the ten-dollar admission.

—geoff anstey

9pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (www.mohawkplace.com). $10

Sunday, August 23rd

Life is a Cabaret

BUA is seeking to make the most of its new venue on Chippewa by pursuing its long-held dream of a cabaret series. “Life is a Cabaret” kicks off this Sunday (August 23) with an evening featuring the musical talents of Kerrykate Abel, Chuck Basil, Loraine O’Donnell (below), Brian Riggs, and Marc Sacco. That’s a lot of wallop for a single line-up. Cabaret is a style of entertainment that has been notably absent from the local entertainment scene— an observation that begs the question, “What is ‘cabaret,’ in the first place?”It is a genre historically defined by the venue as much as by the entertainment itself, and usually involves patrons seated at tables who drink during a performance that can include song, comedy, dance, or even theater. In this country, however, New York style cabaret is associated with solo singers who perform a repertoire of song standards, heavy on the Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Rodgers & Hart (not Hammerstein). The emphasis is on stylish personalities and urbane sophistication. The litany of New York cabaret stars includes Julie Wilson, Bobby Short, Barbara Cook, Mabel Mercer, Nina Simone, Eartha Kitt, Peggy Lee, and Hildegarde. It’s an endangered art form, but for no good reason. Sunday’s kick-off will be followed on successive weekends by solo evenings featuring the individual artists in the line-up (accompanied by piano, of course). Clearly BUA is trying to do for local cabaret artists what it has done for its acting ensemble: Make them local stars.

—anthony chase

7pm (doors at 6:20). Buffalo United Artists, 119 W. Chippewa St. FREE admission

Thursday, August 27th

The Mayor of Strawberry Fields

Next Thursday (August 27) acquaint yourself with Gary, the self-proclaimed mayor of Strawberry Fields, the star of Torre Catalano’s new film The Mayor of Strawberry Fields. This event celebrates the talents of a Buffalo filmmaker (Catalano) and a Rochester songwriter (John Ryan). Gary’s story is a fascinating one, about a homeless man working to preserve John Lennon’s legacy. Strawberry Fields is Lennon’s memorial site in Central Park of NYC. The memorial is a black and white tile mosaic with the word “IMAGINE” in the center. Beautiful as it is, the memorial would not be the same without Gary’s daily contribution of flower petals which he distributes artfully throughout the year. From discarded flowers and bouquet makings that he finds in dumpsters around the city, Gary transforms the memorial into a colorful, lively dedication to Lennon’s vision of peace and love. This screening in Buffalo marks the world premiere of the film. After the screening, there is a Q&A session with the filmmaker and a champagne reception featuring a performance by the film’s singer/songwriter, John Ryan.

—maggie barrett

6:30pm. Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave. (878-6011 / www.yournewburchfieldpenney.com). Free.

Thursday, August 27th

Image Presents A Youth Hip-Hopera

The IMAGE in the after-school program’s name, IMAGE Urban Arts Workshop, stands for Individuals Motivated Against Gang Environments. One such individual is Eric Crittendon (above), the co-founder of this program. Crittendon says of the importance of the organization, “To stop the violence we must provide these young people with a reason to live and with things they want to do.” The organization aims to reclaim inner-city youth and provide them with inspirational activities. Its’ leaders do not rely on simple arts and crafts but aim to cultivate students’ creative abillities by introducing them to the production of artistic mediums like hip-hop, dance, and drama. Crittendon will be host to a compelling event next Thursday (August 27), entitled “The History of The Future: A Youth Hip-Hopera and Urban Arts Culture Summit,” an original multi-media performance. Other performers include Africo with Emile Latimer, Billy Drease Williams of DTR45, Zill—MC of Positivity, DJ Cutler, Blu Collar Funk, Magic and Rap by Scrooge, the Skiffle Minstrels, professor Heron Simmonds, and more.

—maggie barrett

4pm-midnight. La Luna, 42 W Chippewa St (855-1292). Free. All ages