When Pigs Fly: An 8-Act Tribute to Pink Floyd

Saturday, November 7th

On Saturday (Nov. 7), Artvoice is presenting a Jeff Garbaz production, in tribute to Pink Floyd and the best in audio-visual psychedelia. You don’t have to be an afficionado to know that Floyd was seriously into pigs, and featured inflatable, custom-designed porcines as props at their live shows dating back to the mid-seventies. The first Pink Floyd pig was reportedly named “Algie” and designed by Roger Waters himself for the cover of the 1977 album Animals. Reflecting Orwellian themes during the heyday of punk rock’s reign, Animals has often been tagged by rock historians as the band’s “forgotten” album, though its iconoclastic status is indisputable today. Perhaps such a deep dive into symbolism and psychedelia (the song “Dogs” on the album is 17 actual minutes long—basically the entire A Side) wasn’t easy to recieve in the Sex Pistols-enthralled culture of late 70s Britain. But the album is largely dedicated to pigs with three songs out of its five titled on that subject (Waters’s Orwell-inspired political comentary is quite fitting in these late aughties, no?), with the other two songs being the aforementioned “Dogs” and the 10-minute “Sheep.” Still, don’t expect any 10-20 minute overtures from the bands playing on Saturday night. The set list will be more in keeping with the kind of Floyd you don’t have to lay down in a dark room all alone to listen to. Garbaz’s head-spinning visual FX and set design will be accompanied by choice covers from local bands Appestra, Cowboys of Scotland, Peaunut Brittle Satellite, the Project, Relics of WNY, Rogue Science, Stu Fuchs, and the Vegetable Men. And even if you think you’ve heard it all before, just show up to see some pigs fly.

—k. o’day

Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St / 8pm / $6 / 886-8539 / www.nietzsches.com

Thursday, November 5th

Fire Under The Snow

Fire Under the Snow tells the remarkable story of Palden Gyatso, a Buddhist monk whose life tracks the modern history of Tibet: Born in 1933, Palden entered a monastery at the age of four. In 1959, after the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, he was arrested and spent the next 33 years in prison, undergoing brutal torture and re-education. Throughout, he maintained his Buddhist discipline. Released in 1992, he made his way to Dharamsala, India, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile. His autobiography is the basis for the film, which makes its Buffalo premiere next Thursday (Nov. 5), sponsored by the UB Asian Studies Program and the UB Law School’s Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy. All proceeds benefit the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharamsala.

—geoff kelly

Market Arcade Film & Arts CEntre, 629 Main St. / 7:30pm / $10 / 855-3022

Friday, November 6th

College St. Gallery Coop 1st Anniversary Party

Each month for the past year 15-20 local and regional artists have exhibited their work at the College Street Gallery (which recently celebrated its 12-year anniversary), and it’s time to celebrate. The Coop’s first anniversary celebration will be held during Allentown’s monthly First Friday Gallery Walk on Friday (Nov. 6). Besides College Street, participating galleries this month include Allen Street Hardware, Betty’s Restaurant, Buffalo Big Print, El Buen Amigo, El Museo, Hallwalls, Hero Design Studio, Indigo, Kepa3, Merge Restaurant, Sp@ce 224, Starlight Studio, Studio Hart, and Sugar City. Venues are scattered throughout the Elmwood/Allen area, all the way to Tupper and Delaware (where Hallwalls is, at Babeville). Back to College Street, where this month’s exhibitors number 18, the reception goes on from 5-10 pm and it’s as good a place (or better) as any to start.

—alan victor

College Street Gallery (and surrounding areas), 244 Allen St. / 5-10pm / 856-2839 / www.allentown.org

Sunday, November 8th

Ryan Miller's Catwalk for Charity IV

This Sunday (Nov. 8) Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller hosts his fourth annual Catwalk for Charity event to benefit his Steadfast Foundation. Those who have been fortunate enough to attend one of these bashes (starting at Babeville in 2007) know that Miller and friends throw a great party: top-shelf booze, an incredible spread, world class DJs, and a long list of local celebrities mingling with the crowd—, including many Sabres. Last February Miller brought the event to the Town Ballroom, deciding on a fitting theme: “When you hear about the notorious history of the Town Ballroom, it was only natural that we would be going with a Roaring 20s, prohibition, speakeasy theme.” This year the theme is “Rebels with a Cause: A Fabulous 50’s Party!” with 50s style costumes and music, but more contemporary food and drink. Visit www.thesteadfastfoundation.com for tickets.

—justin sondel

Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. / 6pm / Ages 21+ / 852-3900 / www.townballroom.com

Sunday, November 8th

Connecticut Street City Kitty

It may not be “kitten season” yet, but it’s definitely time for last season’s batch of cuties to get spayed or neutered, in order to ward off an even bigger kitty explosion come spring. This semi-annual fundraiser helps “build the kitty for the kitties,” meaning proceeds benefit City Kitty, basically a one-woman cat rescue mission in the form of Robin Johnson. As owner of Vilardo Printing, Johnson’s business is located at 326 Connecticut St., where has has been tending to neighborhood strays since 2001. While the cats/kittens come in various stages of disease or neglect, at about 6-7 months old nearly all of them need to be spayed or neutered, which is the biggest cost of care for these “outdoor pets,” far surpassing medicine and flea control in expense. With approximately five cats that need “fixing” at any given time, its time for a fundraiser to help with costs. This one is at Nietzsche’s on Sunday afternoon (Nov. 8), from 2-7pm. Music provided by All Of Them Witches, Bev Beverly, Fouren, Odiorne, and Wooden Waves on the front stage; on the back stage we’ll get Rose Bond, Susan Peters, Kathy Puleo, and Liz Abbott.

—alan victor

Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St. / 2-7pm / $10 donation plus cat food appreciated / 886-8539 / www.nietzsches.com

Monday, November 9th

Reverend Peyton & His Big Damn Band

The Reverend Peyton returns, this time to Babeville’s Ninth Ward on Monday (Nov. 9) night, with his “Big Damn Band” in tow. Though neither as decorously named as their more country-western leaning colleague Mr Lovett with his “Large Band” (see below), nor anywhere near as large, at least not in number, the Rev. Peyton and co. can blues rock southern style with the best. The fingerpicking Peyton is joined by his washboard playing wife Breezy and his drumming brother Jayme to complete the down home picture. But they give it a punk rock twist, not just with the musical kicks but in lyrical attitude (“Walmart Killed the Country Store.”), getting as big a sound out of an acoustic trio as any even relatively large or big damn band. Funny, energetic, rousing blues with usually just acoustic guitar, washboard, and drums on hand. It’s a pretty big damn feat. Opening is Buffalo’s own down home trio, the pscho-rocka-punka-billy Irving Klaws.

—alan victor

Ninth Ward at Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave. / 7pm (doors) / $10 (box office, Tickets.com, Tops Markets) / 852-3835 / www.babevillebuffalo.com

Thursday, November 12th

Lyle Lovett & His Large Band

When Lyle Lovett played at the UB Center for the Arts in February of last year on a solo acoustic bill with John Hiatt, audience members were treated to a bare-bones display of his songwriting skill, not to mention his laconic sense of humor. This time around, expect similarly entertaining between-song banter but with the added 180-proof kick of the swinging group of musicians known as His Large Band. Lovett is touring in support of his latest release Natural Forces (Curb/Lost Highway). The record features four new originals and a beautiful selection of seven songs by fellow Texas songwriters including Eric Taylor, Vince Bell, Townes Van Zandt, and former Texas A&M roommate Robert Earl Keen. While his style has branched out over the years to include jazz, pop, and swing, this show really represents another chance to experience all that country music can be in the hands of an articulate artist with a distinctive voice, who also appreciates a well-made, nicely fitted suit...

—alan victor

UB Center for the Arts, Amherst Campus / 8pm / $48.50-$53.50 / 645-ARTS / www.ubcfa.org