Editor's Pick: Steve Winwood

Friday, January 23

So, do you wanna be back in the high life again? Or do you just wanna see John Barleycorn die? If you had to decide, what’s your favorite era of Steve Winwood? The Birmingham, England native has certainly had one of rock and roll’s most interesting and enduring careers, but which part of the Winwood story do you pick as the best? Is it the teenage kid singing and playing keys with Spencer Davis Group, and lending them an unmatched soul and exuberant grit, like on the Brit soul standard bearer “Gimme Some Lovin’”? Or perhaps it’s his supergroup days with mates Eric Clapton, Rick Grech, and Ginger Baker, with whom he cut just one eponymously titled masterpiece recording. Or do you fancy best the folk-jazz-psych level of perfection he elevated to with Traffic between 1967 and 1974? Or you might be among those who dig his AOR rock, like Arc of A Diver and the ‘80s pop chart and MTV successes? Whatever the case may be, you are in luck in if you catch Winwood this Friday (Jan. 23) at Seneca Niagara Casino Theater. Winwood’s latest tour has him reaching all the way back through his more than 40-year career. There’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear a little bit of it all. (And if you’re asking me: You can’t beat Traffic and every second of the eleven minutes of “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.”)

—donny kutzbach

8pm. Tickets start at $45 at Ticketmaster locations (www.Ticketmaster.com / 852-5000). All ages, under 18 must be accompanied by an adult

Friday, January 23

Megan Callahan CD Release

The Irish Classical Theatre Company will host a release party for Megan Callahan’s independently produced album, Since The Fire. A recent transplant to Buffalo who was drawn here by the music scene and arts community, Callahan is a New Jersey-born singer-songwriter whose sound combines folk, rock, and soul. Her profound voice, acoustic guitar, poignant lyrics, and individual style are reminiscent of Buffalo’s own Ani DiFranco. Recently finishing an international tour, she has performed at such legendary venues as Bruxelle’s in Dublin, Sandy Bell’s in Edinburg, the Dublin Castle in London, and the Hideout in Paris. Callahan will perform a pre-show musical Happy Hour that will be followed by Eugene O’Neill’s comedic play, Ah, Wilderness! as a part of ICTC’s 20.20.20 (20 $20 tickets available 20 minutes before curtain).

—lindsay berman

5:30 pm. Irish Classical Theatre Company’s Chris O’Neill Lounge, 625 Main St. (853-4282 / www.irishclassicaltheatre.com). Pre-show and Play $20 at door

Friday, January 23

“O” Art Showcase

Channel your artistic spirit this Saturday and come to O Restaurant & Lounge for the First Annual Art Showcase on Saturday (Jan. 24). It’s a $10 cover at the door, but it includes complementary champagne upon arrival, complementary hors d’oeuvres, and some of Western New York’s most talented artists who will be showcasing their best work for your viewing pleasure. There’s a mixture of Patricia Schwimmer’s paintings, which accent bold and colorful depictions of inner landscapes and imagination, Dave Tarsa’s artistic work, influenced by psychic automatism and the formation of the individual subconscious, and Nathan Long’s work, defined as an abstract journey through the mind which he likes to call “art dream painting.” DJ Brandon Chase will be playing a mix of Trip Hop and Mushroom Jazz throughout the evening. Don’t miss this opportunity to support our local artists!

—agathi georgiou

8pm. O Restaurant & Lounge, 3047 Sheridan Dr. (Northtown Plaza), Amherst (332-4656 / www.orestaurantandlounge.com). $10 Movie $10/Movie & Bowling $17

Saturday, January 24

Harvest Sum Split 7” Release Party

In the ongoing music format battle for survival, vinyl is not just staying alive but thriving. According to a Computerworld piece this month, 1.88 million vinyl albums were purchased in 2008. more than in any other year since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking LP sales in 1991. Now that figure only accounts for SoundScan and so many smaller, niche vinyl sellers—like Buffalo’s recently opened Spiral Scratch—don’t even report. That’s just albums: the 7” record is still going strong, too. Indie imprint Sub Pop—who started the “singles club” almost twenty years ago—restarted their famed subscription 7” service in the last year due to demand from fans. On the local front, Queen City bands Johnny Nobody and Roger Bryan & the Orphans will issue the first split 7” single—with each band taking a side—of the Harvest Sum split series. To celebrate the release the bands will take the old small stage at Mohawk Place—a throwback move almost as classic as dropping the needle on turntable—this Saturday (Jan. 24) for an early show, followed by the Rabies, Wolf tickets, and Quartershots at 10pm.

—donny kutzbach

6pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (855-3931 / www.mohawkplace.com). $5

Saturday, January 24

Queen City Roller Girls: Borderline Brawl

In a doubleheader, local women’s roller derby league the Queen City Roller Girls will compete for glory on eight wheels. It’s the QCRG’s new All-Star Travel Team vs. Hamilton, Ontario’s EH Team, and new rookies the Alley Kats (pictured) vs. Rochester’s new Roc City Roller Derby. This is the league’s first time hosting visitors, and it’s a double whammy against two teams from either side of the border. Buffalo’s roller derby is helmed by a group of wild, sexy women ready for battle. Yet these 60 members of four ferocious home teams retain a softer side, and a portion of the proceeds from this event will go to benefit the Food Bank of WNY. This Saturday night (Jan. 24), as the ladies would say, “Be Tough, Play Rough, and Skate into Infamy!” Look out for the next match also, when last season’s champs the Devil Dollies will initiate the rookies with another brawl on Valentine’s Day.

—lindsay berman

6:30 pm. doors. Rainbow Roller Rink, 101 Oliver St, N. Tonawanda. (693-1100 / www.qcrg.net). $10 advance at rink, Village Beer Merchant, Shoe Fly, Cowpok, Terrapin Station or $15 day of.

Tuesday, January 27

Mumiy troll

Na zdoróvye! (that’s the Russian equivalent of “Cheers!”) Mumiy Troll—arguably Russia’s biggest rock band—is making a rare visit to North America and they just happen to making a stop in Buffalo. Formed in 1983 in the Siberian town of Vladivostok, Mumiy Troll kick-started the independent music scene in the then Soviet Union with a style that came to be known as “rockapops.” The formula seems to be a hyperactive combination of Western stadium rock, Eastern exuberance, and enough punk attitude and underground funk to fill it out, as exhibited on the band’s latest full-length Comrade Ambassador. Just how big is Mumiy Troll in Russia? They sell out arenas from Moscow to the Baltics. Their video “Vladivostok 2000” was the first-ever clip played on the launch of MTV Russia in 1998. Frontman Ilya Lageutenko is also an actor, whose credits include playing a vampire in the Russian blockbuster Night Watch as well as voicing the lead in the Russian version of Kung Fu Panda. On an evening (Jan. 27) when the temps are bound to make Mumiy Troll feel like they are at home in Siberia, these guys are destined to bring us an unforgettable Tuesday night.

—donny kutzbach

8pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (855-3931 / www.mohawkplace.com).

Wednesday, January 28

Trampled by Turtles

Like Charlie Parr, who performed here a couple of weeks back, Trampled By Turtles is more proof that Duluth, Minnesota is thriving with a twisted roots music scene. Like Austin’s Bad Livers before them, Trampled By Turtles offers an unusual take on bluegrass. Both smashing the boundaries and adhering to it’s traditions, this band is a foot stomping, shit kicking monster, Utilizing banjo, mandolin, and fiddle, the five piece has performed at both punk rock basement parties and music halls in major cities, gaining fans ranging in age from 18 to 80. Their most recent release, Duluth, was recorded primarily live in the studio with minimal overdubs and it mirrors the raw intensity of their live performances, which are sure to leave audiences simultaneously raising hell and crying in their beers. The band plays on Wednesday (Jan. 28). Buffalo’s own country punk traditionalists the Louisiana Purchase open the show.

—eric boucher

8pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (855-3931 / www.mohawkplace.com). $7

Wednesday, January 28

Tim & Eric

Crafting surreal situations against a purposely low budget video backdrop, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are at the forefront of comedy. Their program “Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!”—which airs on Cartoon Network’s late night Adult Swim line up—is a qualified success, gaining a fanatical cult of viewers and attracting stars like John C. Reilly to be part of the cast. “Awesome Show” is compromised of an absurd, often interconnected series of commercials, musical interludes, and bits that draw inspiration from the aesthetic of public access television, infomercials, and beyond. These are ten minute episodes crammed with the kind of comedy that either has people doubled over in laughter or scratching their heads in confusion. Those who do get Tim and Eric undoubtedly delight at characters like the white wine and shrimp craving Beaver Boys, the eczema-plagued man/child singer Casey, and Reilly’s genius portrayal as the oafish Dr. Steve Brule. Joining Heidecker and Wareheim for this tour are show regulars puppeteer David Leibe Hart and “spaghetti and meatballs” impressionist James Quall. (No word on whether the tour merchandise includes the fine products of the Cinco Corp.).

—r.t browntown

8pm. Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3800 / www.townballroom.com). $25/advance or $30/day of show at box office, Tickets.com