We are starting a newsletter, and this is a call for interviews, reviews of music or art, local activism, show reviews, cartoons, small illustrations, poetry, short fiction but not flash fiction, and short serial fiction. Please keep all submissions to a paragraph or two, around 150 to 200…
Writer/Artist friends of Buffalo! Submit!
PORTLAND — I help lead one of America’s cities – Portland, Oregon. It is known for being a well-planned city. It’s not. At least, not as well as we want it to be. And not as well-planned as every American city must be.
When I talk about planning, I’m not just referencing plotting spots on a map where new bikeways will run, or where new business districts will pop up. Instead, I’m talking about how to understand the specific and real human challenges we face, and then how to establish priorities that are shared by community members and government. This is what creates a real playbook to guide future decisions.
(Source: mayorsamadams.com)
“Construction has been underway for some time on this public park over a highway in Dallas, TX of all places. The arts district with the city’s finest museums, concert hall, new opera hall, et all will now be walkable for the thousands of residents residing in “Uptown” who would traditionally have to drive across the highway to cover the short distance to the arts district. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodall_Rodgers_Park”
(Thanks to HandMeDowns for the submission!)
Dallas did it, so why not here? #firstpersontomakeafootballjokegetsfacepunched
German Autobahn to be covered with giant public park:
This solution could be adapted to so many urban highways in the US it makes my skull hurt.
German Autobahn to be covered with giant public park
即將用大型公園覆蓋的德國高速公路。
What if the 198 became a park again, Buffalo?
(Source: urbalize)
I made it to the Return to Forever and Zappa Plays Zappa show on Monday. An audience member got some decent video, except for the back of some heads, which I assume have eaten Lenny White. Full article over on Buffalo Spree or here.
I’ve begun a stint as a bi-weekly blogger about music for Buffalo Spree. I am satisfied with my first update, though I feel this is still a shot over the bow of what I really want to write. So stay tuned, won’t you? Also, one of these days I’ll explain exactly how much I get lost in everything Okkervil River does, and hopefully not to Will Sheff’s face. Read the rest of the article here.
And watch the video for “Tin Man” by Future Islands, and the video for Titus Andronicus’ “No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future”, both of which should give you a great idea of what to expect from these bands.
If I was a girl, I think that would be my Derby name. Cause at the very least I’d want to be part of a the fantastic, powerful, and what appeared to be fun-loving group of girls that make up the Queen City Roller Girls, Buffalo’s own 5-team Roller Derby League. I think that name might be a little obvious. Or at least trite.
Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking in a match, where the Devil Dollies put the hurt on the Nickel City Knockouts 116 to 94. I had a great good time, and got spotted with some friends at the event. I had never been to a Derby before Saturday, and the only preconceptions I brought in was that girls were going to be knocking into girls on rollerskates. Met and exceeded. Then, at the half, bread was tossed out to the audience. I still don’t know what the hell that was all about, but hell it seemed like fun. Next time I’m gonna catch me one of those. What a great way to spend a few hours on a Saturday night, with $3.00 beers, and not a bad seat in the house; you’re in by 7:30 and out by 10. I’ll be there again.
Maybe someone can make up a game where you can find your Derby name like you find your porn name, or who you’re supposed to marry or something. Well kiss my grits. I love you internet, especially when you talk derby to me. I’d better see you there on the 30th.
A friend of mine came up from Pittsburgh this past weekend, and we spent Saturday running around town, eating, drinking, and catching this band Crappy Dracula. Their website reads with a little pretension, even after you’ve seen them live. As I suspect is the case with most bands, they were much better than their website. I suggest navigating over to their MySpace page if you have a moment and get a listen. They’re at once hilarious (a little too much I suspect for most folks), and equally sad, angry, and depressed at the same time. They reminded me ever so slightly of Kurt Vonnegut, if he never picked dead bodies out of Dresden and grew up listening to power pop and punk in the suburbs. So basically they reminded me of a slightly more death obsessed and funny Green Day. Did I mention they’re good, and that I had a fantastic time at the show? I just did. It only cost $5 and it went to Sugar City. That’s winning.
(Edit: Although Sugar City itself doesn’t seem to be on the winning side of the City.)
