Category: PostEvents

After its initial WNY site didn’t work out, EcoVerde Organics LLC (EVO) has opened a new food scraps collection service and compost operation at 396 Wright Road, Akron.

EVO is in the business of collecting food scraps other organic wastes so that they do not end up in landfills. It is said that “wasted food comprises over 20% of municipal solid waste sent for disposal.”

Not only is that a waste of food and a waste of space, the decomposing foods release gases (including methane) that adversely affect the climate.

The compost generated by EcoVerde eventually makes its way back to gardens and farm crops, which builds healthy soil. It also helps to curb the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which are harmful to the planet. These are the same fertilizers and pesticides that end up in fresh water ecosystems after rainstorms.

Assets of this new collection service and compost operation include:

Better operating space Is a NYSDEC registered facilityIs convenient to the Buffalo, Niagara and Rochester markets, located just ten minutes from the Pembroke exit of the NYS ThruwayHas building spaceRetains a larger open area than its first siteNow accepts food waste, yard waste, and manure from haulers with any type of truckProcesses larger quantities of material to serve a broader market

“We are excited to get back to our primary focus: producing quality soil amendments like compost that improve soil health, reduce nutrient run-off that causes algal blooms in our waterways, and divert waste from disposal to create valuable products,” said EVO Chief, Warren Emblidge, who founded the business in East Aurora in 2017.

EVO’s new facilities will allow for an even broader reach of compostables (food scraps, select animal manure, and yard waste) from restaurants schools, landscapers, horse boarders, farms, etc. It also helps to facilitate the growth in scraps and compost due to The NYS Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law that went into effect in January, 2022. This law followed in the footsteps of the NYS Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Act, which was signed into law in December, 2021. Together, these laws help to benefit the planet, while providing for valuable upcycled and recycled compost to farmers.

This law requires businesses and institutions that generate an annual average of two tons or more of wasted food per week to donate excess edible food and recycle remaining food scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycler.

For farmers, this is also welcome news, as they will have another resource when it comes to obtaining compost that is beneficial to their crops. Otherwise, they might have to resort to synthetic fertilizers, which have become very problematic. It’s a wonder that the harmful alternatives have not been outlawed, as we are seeing the systematic eradication of pollinators, as well as the proliferation of non-organic crops that are not as healthy for consumption.

Compost improves soil structure and water holding capacity as well as supports life of microorganisms that release nutrients in plant-available forms.

As a way to help with the increase of scrap collections, EVO offers food scraps totes for recycling. The compost facility processes these food scraps with wood chips, leaves, and manure into “future soil.” EVO has established a partnership with Casella Waste Systems, which is a waste hauler in the region.

“We have past customers who have patiently waited for EcoVerde’s compost and are excited to know we are back in production so they can get locally made, quality compost again,” said Katy Duggan, EVO’s Assistant Chief. “Our team is excited to be able to serve their needs.” 

Get connected: EcoVerde Organics

The EVO team may be reached at (716) 209-3166×1 or info@ecoverdecompost.com.

EVO will celebrate the opening of its new facility on Saturday, August 20, 2022 from 9:30am – 11:30am, with an Open House for neighbors, local leaders, and others who helped the EVO team achieve this goal.

The post EcoVerde Organics restarts its food scraps collection service and compost operations appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

When I told Jay McCarthy, owner of The Place Restaurant, that I was thinking about getting scratch bagels to my Sunday market, he said, “Why don’t you talk to Scot Logan?” My response was, “Isn’t Scot a commercial pilot?”

It turns out that, during the pandemic, our mutual friend/acquaintance – Scot Logan – changed his career path. Yes, I was familiar with Logan’s Bagels, but I was not aware that Scot was the person behind the operation.

When I spoke to Scot earlier today, he had his hands full, with 100 pounds of dough. I was curious to hear how he had transitioned from being a pilot to bagel purveyor. He told me that he had been flying commercial planes for 14 years, based out of Florida. He moved back to Buffalo in 2016, upon realizing an opportunity to sell and broker jets. The new job allowed him to spend time at home with his young family instead of constantly flying the friendly skies.

“Then the pandemic hit,” said Scot. “They told me that I would have to go back to flying the planes full time, and I turned the offer down. The pandemic was a time when people were cooking at home. They were also baking bread at home, which led to a scarcity of flour.”

Not deterred, Scot decided to try his hand at making bagels. He started baking out of his house. Pretty soon, word was out that Scot’s bagels were really good. When he wasn’t baking, he was learning about bagels. That’s when he came across an article in the New York Times about Beth George, a bagel consultant out of New Jersey. Scot figured that if he was truly going to make the best bagels, then he should get to know Beth.

Up until that time, he had been talking to, and getting feedback from, Jay Langfelder, owner of Jay’s Artisan Pizza, as well as Robbie Gianadda at Flat #12 Mushrooms. It was Robbie who suggested that he move his operation out of his home, and into one of the kitchens on Chandler Street (also home to Flat #12).

By that time, he had retained the consulting services of Beth George, who began to teach him the ins and outs of running a successful bagel business. He figured that that would yield quicker results that sifting through 8 million YouTube videos, looking for the occasional ‘diamond in the rough.’

For Scot, the biggest challenge was creating a dough that was healthier than that of the typical bagel – one that wouldn’t “Sit in your stomach like a brick.”

He decided to go down the sourdough route, which would be more digestible. The science of the fermentation also meant that the enzymes and the prebiotics would result in “good bacteria in the belly.” Scot also sourced the best flour that he could find (unbleached and unbromated), tracked down the Cadillac of high power mixers, and began to crank out bagels that he says, rival the best that NYC has to offer. In fact, some of his best repeat customers live in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Long Island. Another one of his biggest fans is a bigwig Boston-Buffalo businessman who has Logan’s Bagels flown down to one of his residences in Palm Beach.

With culinary friends in Buffalo, and Beth helping from afar, Scot began to piece all of the bagel bites together. The result was a bagel that had people talking, ordering, eating, and reordering.

To get people’s hands on the bagels, Scot has set up an online ordering system that is very efficient. Due to the format of the fermentation technique, then the boiling and baking, it takes about four days to make a batch of bagels – they are boiled and baked on Fridays, and freshly ready for pick-up.

With orders in hand, Scot starts the process on a Monday, to ensure that the bagels are ready for customers by the weekend. His timing for pick-ups has been so precise that the bagels are out of the oven, into the bags, and into the hands of the customers all within a ten minute span of time.

“A lot of customers can’t wait, and they rip open the bags as soon as they get them,” said Scot [laughing]. “It’s a long and intimate process. There is a whole crew of regulars that come in every week. I’ve gotten to know them so well that they have become my friends. I also have a lot of people that come in that typically have issues with sensitivity. Even people with sensitivity to gluten tell me that they are OK eating these bagels. They’re also vegan. During the pandemic I had lines down the hallway.”

Scot told me that he would probably never have a traditional brick and mortar retail store, because the current system works so well.

“We won’t leave Chandler Street,” said Scot. “The financials are working well. I listen to my colleagues who warn me about the headaches, and costs and the hours associated with the retail stores – people are happy to come pick up their orders at Chandler, so I’m not changing the system. If anything, I might add a delivery service this fall.”

Retail is one thing. Wholesale accounts are another. Currently, Scot sells to Ashker’s in Niagara Falls and on Amherst Street. He also sells to Ellicottville Brewing, Kornerstone Coffee in Larkinville, and Emily’s in Black Rock, among a number of other accounts. He’s always looking to add wholesale accounts, for anyone that is looking to source high quality bagels for their business.

Aside from wholesale accounts, Scot is seeing an uptick in businesses requesting bagels for their employees, whether it’s for a breakfast meeting, or for a function.

“I love it when we get weekly repeat orders from local businesses,” Scot told me. “Instead of Taco Tuesdays, it’s like Bagel Thursdays [laughing].”

After 2+ years in business, Scot is very happy with the direction that everything is going. He’s in the process of hiring a couple of workers, so that he can spend some more time with his family. And sometimes, he brings a kid or two along with him to work. Family means the world to him, but so does his love for feeding Buffalo the best bagels that he can possibly make.

From his high flying days, to riding the wave of the pandemic, to being happily grounded in Buffalo, Scot has managed to live a well balanced life. His latest accomplishment – Logan’s Bagels – is a testament to his fortitude, as well as a lust for life. And what would life be without an amazingly fresh bagel once in a while?

Logan’s Bagels | 27 Chandler Street | Buffalo, NY 14207 | (716) 783-0837 | Order online, choose a time, and pick-up Friday through Sunday | Plain cream cheese available – specialty cream cheeses down the road | Iced coffee in summer and hot coffee in winter | Bagels range from jalapeño cheddar to rosemary and sea salt | Inquire about wholesale or office orders

Lead image: Photo by Mario Puzo

The post Onward and Upward @ Logan’s Bagels appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

I feel that I’m pretty good at training my dogs. It came natural to me. At the same, there are dogs that are easier to train, and others that are more difficult. Sometimes a dog is mostly fine, but has a couple of quirks.

That’s the situation that I have found myself in as of late. My female dog Matouk had a bad experience at the dog park, with some aggressive dogs that wouldn’t let her pass through the sally port, upon attempting to enter the park. We finally gave up and walked away, but the experience was somewhat traumatic for her, and she started getting snippy with other dogs, unfortunately.

After attempting the curb her new behavioral problem myself, to no avail, I finally turned to Kimberly Ocasio at Kim’s K9 Buffalo (dog training and advocacy).

Before we even began a training session, Kim came to my house for a free consultation, which I thought was great. She wanted to meet both of my dogs, to see how they were behaving at home, and to get to know Matouk’s personality. Within half an hour, I had a clicker in one hand, as I was learning how to diffuse MAtouk’s anxiety on walks.

I found it curious when Kim told me that Matouk’s issue was more about excitability than aggression. She suggested that we have a different type of relationship when we head out on a walk, and that I had to become more of a “believable leader.”

During our walks, Matouk was merely working, by signaling that there was danger, and then protecting her pack. By working with a different lead, and being more of a leader, I would signal to her that that’s my job, not hers. After testing the theory out, while out on a walk with Kim, I immediately understood that I was being too lax with her. I was giving her full control, because that’s what makes her happy… or so I thought. Before long, we were breezing right past “danger,” and our walk became less stressful for both of us.

That was the first step. Our next step was joining the free weekly socialization class and pack walk, which is held on Bidwell Parkway. I was a little nervous about getting Matouk interacting with numerous dogs, but my nervousness soon became a sense of calm, as I immediately saw that each dog and owner(s) was assigned to a respective traffic cone. No danger here.

During the socialization class, Kim would ask each of the owners to accomplish a task with his or her respective dog. With clicker (and treats) in hand, Matouk and I made our rounds around the ring, testing our comfortability with the other dogs, many of which had little quirks of their own – aggressive tendencies or overly-submissive tendencies, or even a dog didn’t do well around kids. Matouk passed with flying colors.

It was at that point that I realized that she only needed a little guidance, as did I. It’s no fun having a dog that can’t play nice with other dogs. It’s a very limiting existence.

From there, we all went on a pack walk, which was also beneficial. It was so nice walking with a bunch of other dogs, for the first time in a long time. Eventually, Matouk understood that this was natural. I felt more comfortable on the walk, and so did she.

Kim started the pack walks because not everyone can afford training. Someone might get a rescue dog, and learn pretty quickly that they’ve got a problem on their hands. One of Kim’s goals is to keep the dogs out of the shelters. It all starts with a phone conversation, which is when she can determine the next course of action for the dog. For some dogs, it’s an introduction to the pack walk. Or an at-home consultation. Either way, it’s an enlightening experience. It was for me, and for Matouk.

“Matouk can read your energy more than you know,” said Kim. “If you’re nervous because she’s already excited before she even walks out the door, then you’re not off to a good start. If a dog is charging the door to get out, or into the car, then you’ve got to diffuse that. It’s going to translate to the walk, or to the car ride. People love getting their dogs excited for the walks. They get them all jazzed up, and then their state of mind is all revved up. At that point, they’re already overly-excited and you’ve lost them. It’s all the little things that we don’t tend to think about. You have to tighten up her boundaries. You have got to become the believable leader, by advocating for her. Excitement and anxiety is linear – it can be hard to tell the difference.”

Guilty as charged. I’ve always gotten my dogs excited for their walks. For Matouk, that wasn’t the best idea. Now, we chill out before a walk. It’s part of learning threshold manners. It makes a big difference.

Kim first got into all of this training when she found herself with a very difficult dog of her own. After taking the dog to a trainer that came highly recommended, she was not impressed with the type of training. That was when she began to study dog behavior, psychology, training, and correction, with stress on the dog and the human. She began to work with local rescues, worked with trainers, and found mentors online, who stepped up and answered all of her questions. Eventually, word got out, and more and more people began asking Kim to help them with their dogs. That’s when she decided to start Kim’s K9 Buffalo.

“I decided that I could really help dogs,” said Kim. “Every dog is different. Nothing is cookie cutter. People tend to humanize the dogs. It’s never the dogs [laughing]. So many of the dogs have the run of the house. In their natural state, they have to earn their food and attention. There is a balanced place for them in the home. Dogs want to be told what to do. We need to honor the dogs instead of treating them like humans. Once this happens, people notice a shift in the household. It can be life changing for the dog, and for the human.”

Kim told me that she lives for dog psychology. Whether she’s working with a dog that hates skateboards, or the garbage truck, there are ways to curb their “reactiveness.”

“All dogs are amazing,” said Kim. “I invite people out to my free pack walks, or for a free consultation. I do this because I believe in the dogs. I am a dog owner, and a dog lover. I want to see people have better relationships with their dogs. It’s a funny business model… my goal is to have people not need me anymore. But they are always invited on the pack walks, no matter whether a dog (current or former client) needs it or not.”

In my opinion, most dogs should participate in the occasional pack walk, especially if/when the owner realizes that the dog park might not be the best place for them. The pack walks are a way for the dog to be socialized, without all of the doggone excitement.

Kim’s K9 Buffalo

716-566-8790

Balanced dog training and coaching
•Private training
•Community Pack Walks (see schedule on Instagram, and on Facebook)
•Group socialization classes

The post Kim’s K9 Buffalo appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

On July 20th, HANSA workspace introduced Matthew Digati as its new artist-in-residence as he showcased highlights of his work including Buffalo’s impressive architecture and his experiences from travels abroad. Matthew’s photography rose to prominence organically via his @BuffaloHomes Instagram account.

Captivated by the special homes and unique architecture that lined the streets of Buffalo, he began posting them from his iPhone. When Step Out Buffalo ran an article including @BuffaloHomes as one of the top Instagram accounts to follow in WNY, his profile quickly grew and his once-passion evolved into a full-time profession.

Today, Matthew’s impressive portfolio includes prominent locations throughout Buffalo, including the preservationist efforts at the Darwin Martin House and Graycliff Estate, the adaptive reuse project of a circa 1973 industrial warehouse into HANSA workspace, and newly built Gates-Lancaster Townhomes in the historic Gates Circle district.

In addition to his ability to showcase Buffalo at its best, Matthew combines his passion for travel and photography to introduce viewers to new experiences while inspiring empathy across cultures. In 2017, Matthew visited Myanmar after it opened to tourists for the first time amid the Rohingya genocide. The impressive aluminum prints displayed at the HANSA workspace gallery bring to life shots of young smiling Mandalay monks, a street soccer game, and bright colors donning buildings and clothes.

“The local Burmese people wanted to showcase the best of their country to international visitors in spite of the government atrocities sanctioned against its own people.” Matthew shared with the HANSA audience. He recalled the jovial spirit and kindness embodied by everyone he encountered. From watching soccer games and sharing meals with newly acquainted friends, to exploring temples and roads not travelled by foreigners in ages, Matthew’s work offers a window into Burmese life.

 The exhibit will be on display throughout the summer, with all pieces available for purchase.  To schedule a free tour of the Matthew Digati exhibit at HANSA, Buffalo’s all-inclusive flexible office and modern coworking center, use this link: HANSA – Artist In Residence Tour

To see more of Matthew’s work, visit digatiphotography.com and follow @BuffaloHomes on Instagram.

The post HANSA Presents Artist-in-Residence Matthew Digati appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

If you’re a fan of Kurt Vonnegut (he was a fan of G.B. Shaw) you will like this play.

THE BASICS:  TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD, a later-in-life play by the Nobel Prize-winning George Bernard Shaw, directed by Sanjay Talwar, is at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre (“behind” the larger Festival Theatre), part of Shawfest in Niagara-on-the-Lake where it’s in repertory through October 8.  Visit shawfest.com or call 1-800-511-7429.  Spacious lounge, snacks, hot and cold beverages available, including wine and beer. 

Runtime: Three hours with two intermissions.

THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD, written when Shaw was 76 years old, lets George Bernard Shaw turn the world upside down to show us different points of view on a number of topics, every one of which is (unfortunately) still relevant today, exactly 90 years after the play was written.  Topics such as vaccinations, the role of the military, the role of women, of religion, as well as ideas such as Atheism and Socialism and Class Structure, all have their moment in the spotlight.  Fortunately, in true Shaw fashion, there is plenty of humor to more than sweeten the lectures.  And, typical of Shawfest in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the costumes, the set, the actors, and the direction create the gold standard for our region.    

THE PLAYERS, THE PLAY, AND THE PRODUCTION:  

Act I: An upper-class woman in the prime of life, Miss Mopply, lies languishing in her sick bed, as bored as the idle rich could possibly be. She is fussed over by her overattentive mom, causing her to be sicker than she should be, at least according to a talking Microbe, who tells us that the patient is now making him sick.  [Now that’s a switch!]  When it develops that Susan, the temp nurse mom has hired, is actually a jewel thief, Miss Mopply immediately perks up, hops out of bed, and exercising her just discovered ability to do something with her life, suggests that she, and the nurse, and the nurse’s boyfriend steal as much as they can, including the pearl necklace, sell it, and then run off.  And they should pretend that she, Miss Mopply, has been kidnapped for ransom. The Microbe wraps up Act I by telling us: “The play is now virtually over, but the characters will discuss it at great length for two acts more. The exit doors are all in order.”   

Act II: The three, now in disguises, arrive at a British fort in an unidentified jungle with Susan the jewel thief/nurse posing as a Countess traveling with her brother and her maid (actually Miss Mopply who occasionally has to help Susan get away with the upper-class nuances of being a Countess).  So, nothing is as it seems in this play. Proof of that is the very British Colonel Tallboys who has all but ceded his control of the situation in the jungle to Private Meeks, who is more than talented to keep things humming along. 

Act III: As promised by The Microbe at the end of Act I, much more discussion ensues.  Let me give you one small example: the scene where the father of one of the thieves appears and confronts his son, Aubrey, about stealing the pearl necklace (back in Act I). The son says his dad is making a fuss about nothing.  The Elder says: “Do you call the theft of a pearl necklace nothing?” To which Aubrey replies: “Less than nothing, compared to the things I have done with your approval. I was hardly more than a boy when I first dropped a bomb on a sleeping village.” And so it goes.  I’ve read that novelist Kurt Vonnegut held Shaw up as one of his heroes and said that Shaw was an enormous influence.  I believe it.  I like reading Kurt Vonnegut and also hearing him speak on issues.  If you do too, I guarantee that you will like this play.

Back to Shaw, the writer:  After some particularly unhappy reviews following the American tour of this play in the 1930s, Shaw felt that he should include a lengthy preamble to the printed version of the play.  He asked: “Where, then, was the offense that so exceedingly disgruntled these unhappy persons [the theater audience and critics]? I think it must have been the main gist and moral of the play, which is not, as usual, that our social system is unjust to the poor, but that it is cruel to the rich.”  Okay, that’s different. 

And he continues: “My play is a story of three reckless young people who come into possession of, for the moment, unlimited riches, and set out to have a thoroughly good time with all the modern machinery of pleasure to aid them. The result is that they get nothing for their money but a multitude of worries and a maddening dissatisfaction.”

So, get ready to have this play challenge some of your established beliefs.  All of those things we are advised to avoid discussing at the dinner table – sex, politics, and religion – they’re all there in this play.  And many more “hot button” topics as well.  One publicity tagline for this play is: “A fantasia to take you around the world in 80 ideas per minute.”

What makes Shawfest productions so good?  One thing is lavish rehearsals and a long preview period.  TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD started previewing on May 18 and had 6 preview performances (3 per week) before officially opening on May 29.  Most local Buffalo theaters have one preview and then a run of three to four weeks.  TOO TRUE runs through October 8, a little over four months.  

Of course, it’s good to see many of our favorite Shawfest actors back on stage after a two year pandemic hiatus.  Travis Seetoo (8th season at Shawfest) is The Microbe, Donna Soares (2nd) is The Patient, Jenny Wright (26th) is her mother, Graeme Somerville (20th) is The Burglar, Marla McLean (16) is The Nurse, Neil Barclay (32) is Colonel Tallboys while Jonathan Tan (12) plays Private Meeks (a role written by Shaw to resemble his friend T.E. Lawrence, as in “Lawrence of Arabia”).  The scenes with Barclay and Tan as Tallboys and Meeks alone are worth the price of admission.  Rounding out the cast are Martin Happner (17) as The Doctor (and others) and Patrick Galligan (19) as The Elder.  That is one heckuvan experienced crew.

The Jackie Maxwell Theatre on the Shawfest campus is sort of their “black box” theater, where they put on some of the edgier more thought-provoking plays as opposed to plays that are more traditionally for entertainment.  It’s a theater in the round with no bad seats, great acoustics, and four entrances for the actors so things keep moving.  

Let’s wrap up with a discussion of an elephant in the room:  Getting into Canada.  It’s as easy as it’s ever been.  I’ve done it successfully four times so far just this past month.  Only one thing has changed and that’s downloading and filling out the Canadian ARRIVECAN app.  It’s available for iOS (The App Store), Android (Google Play), and online on the web here.

It’s free and secure and easy.  You only need to set it up once.  And then sometime during the three days before you show up, you’ll add a few more pieces of information.  And, by the way, while you’re encouraged to print or snap a screenshot of the QR code that’s generated in advance of each trip, nobody ever asked to see mine or anyone else’s in the car.  (I’m guessing that the customs agent enters your passport number and that links them to your ARRIVECAN app.)  Whatever.  Just do it.

*HERD OF BUFFALO (Notes on the Rating System)

ONE BUFFALO: This means trouble. A dreadful play, a highly flawed production, or both. Unless there is some really compelling reason for you to attend (i.e. you are the parent of someone who is in it), give this show a wide berth.

TWO BUFFALOS: Passable, but no great shakes. Either the production is pretty far off base, or the play itself is problematic. Unless you are the sort of person who’s happy just going to the theater, you might look around for something else.

THREE BUFFALOS: I still have my issues, but this is a pretty darn good night at the theater. If you don’t go in with huge expectations, you will probably be pleased.

FOUR BUFFALOS: Both the production and the play are of high caliber. If the genre/content are up your alley, I would make a real effort to attend.

FIVE BUFFALOS: Truly superb–a rare rating. Comedies that leave you weak with laughter, dramas that really touch the heart. Provided that this is the kind of show you like, you’d be a fool to miss it!

The post TOO TRUE TO BE GOOD offers G.B. Shaw yet another platform to express his (then and now) cantankerous views while engaging the audience in laughter.   appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

At a press conference at The Buffalo History Museum, an official announced was made that signaled the 2022 inductees into The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. This is a special year for the organization that is celebrating 40 years of recognizing the musicians who have held this city up on a musical pedestal. Each year, the best of the best are acknowledged for their commitment to Buffalo’s stellar music scene.

The inductees will officially enter the “Hall of Fame” during the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that will take place at Seneca One Tower on October 12, 2022 and a live concert performance on October 13, 2022 at The Cove Seafood & Banquets. 

BMHOF Executive Board Member Carolyn Moser will serve as Chairperson of the 2022 Induction Ceremony and the Press Conference Event. 

BMHOF President Anthony Casuccio, Vice President Tom Lorentz along with the members of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Board of Trustees will also be in attendance.

2022 Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:

Darrell Nutt – the “GO-TO” drummer for touring, recording and sampling with over 110 Spotify Discography tracks to his name. He has received numerous international awards and has performed, composed, mixed, engineered and acted for TV, Video, Film and Podcasts.

Robby Takac –  Bass player and one of the founding members of international recording artists, The Goo Goo Dolls. In 2003 he formed Good Charamel records focusing on local talent, and is the founder of the Music Is Art Festival which supports a multitude of programs, concerts and events. He is an “International Ambassador” for Western New York.

The Dooleys –  A band whose three-part harmony and acoustic guitars became a regional draw. They appeared on the bill at the “No Greater Love” tribute to American and British hostages in Washington DC which was broadcast live worldwide. Their mission of community service includes donating their time to Musicians for Kids, Kids Escaping Drugs and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

George Caldwell – A 1996 Grammy winning Pianist, He has recorded, performed and conducted around the world in major jazz festivals. He has shared the stage with internationally-known singers and band leaders including The Duke Ellington Orchestra. 

James “Jim” Sweet – He is most recognized for his solid bass playing and in the pocket guitar licks. His musical endeavors include: The Stone City Band, The Ghost Riders, The Twang Gang, Doug Yeomans “Hero’s and Friends” He is a resident performer at the legendary Sportsmen’s Tavern.

Jim Pendolino – 40 + years on the business side of music – he has worked with The Allman Brothers Band, Peter Gabriel, REM, The Hanson Brothers, The Spice Girls, Madonna, Cher, The Radio City Rockettes, 
Ziegfield Follies, Fox TV’s “So You Think You Can Dance”, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Disney on Ice, The Monkees and Journey and many more.

Mark Custom Recording Service, Inc. – A Globally acclaimed recording studio and music service considered to be America’s premier recording service for live performance groups. Their list of musical icons that have recorded in their studio include: The Goo Goo Dolls, Rick James, Spyro Gyra, Roy Clark, Dizzy Gillespie,10,000 Maniacs, Richie Havens, Ginger Baker, Denny Laine, Kurt Vonequet, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and countless others.

Nolan Bruce Allen – Known as New York’s King of Western Swing for his true and genuine Western Swing style is a Lifetime Member of the Academy of Western Artists and a Lifetime Member of The International Western Music Association. He has opened and played with Country greats such as Hank Thompson, Flatt & Scruggs, Johnny Paycheck, Stonewall Jackson, Little Jimmy Dickens, Ernest Tubb, and Tex Ritter.

Richard Americo Bono – A band leader and trumpet player noted for his fine leads and exceptional high register. He performed with the top band leaders in the WNY area including Whitey Kaufman, Eddie Peabody, Vince Lopez and the Paul Whitman Orchestra with Jimmy Dorsey and Bing Crosby. He was music director for The Buffalo Broadcasting Corporation and backed artists like Martha Raye, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, and Sophie Tucker.

Sujeet Desai – An internationally known multi-instrumental musician born with Down syndrome. He is winner of President’s awards of three countries and featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, aired on National TV shows including “the View”. “20/20”, “Oprah Winfrey”. He was honored by NDSS as National spokesperson for Down syndrome. Sujeet is also an Ambassador of Down Syndrome International (DSI) based in London, Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GDSF) from Denver ,CO. New York Best Buddies International.

Tanya Diona – A recording artist, songwriter, actress, vocal producer, and award-winning vocalist. Her credits include Showtime at the Apollo, NBC’s The Singing Bee, the 2008 Democratic National Convention, 
ABC’s Neighborhood Ball, Europe’s Save the World Awards, Fox’s American Idol, the Grammy Awards, and the Oscars. She has sung behind renowned artists like Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow, BeBe Winans, Beyonce, 
Boyz II Men, Carrie Underwood, Deborah Harry, Dionne Warwick, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, Tim McGraw.

Terrie George – A versatile and powerful vocalist who has shared the stage with Buffalo Music Hall of Fame musicians including Doug Yeomans, Billy McEwen, Barbara St Clair, Joe Madison, Mike Caputy, Dolly Durante, Jesse Galante, The Scinta’s, and countless others. She has opened for music legends Alabama, Lawrence Welk, Pat Benatar, REO Speed Wagon and Fleetwood Mac, and arranged and sang back-up vocals for Grammy Award winner and BMHOF Inductee Tom Hambridge.

Will Schulmeister  – A multi award winning Western New York drummer – originator of the popular Xerstick, a weighted Drumstick. His Blues Rock Band “Wanted by the FBI” recorded three songs played today on fifty-five thousand AMI juke boxes in the USA. He opened for many national artists including “Molly Hatchet” “Montgomery Gentry”, “Jared Neman”, “Josh Thompson”, and “Devon Allman”. Will and his wife Debbie are passionate about their non-profit – WNY Drummers for Homeless People, Inc. 

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We censor sex, not killing

Hypocrisy in your face, bawdy sex farce, and excess, as in excessively long sections, and excessively drawn-out ideas. If this sounds appealing, then the latest entry from Romania’s fertile alt-cinema, which earned Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, may be for you.

“Bad Luck Banging” (the Romanian title is more explicit and would be censored in the U.S.) comes in three distinct, labeled parts—a common cinematic device these days. Part 1, “One-way street” (once the somewhat censored sex acts are dispensed with) features the protagonist, Emi, a professionally dressed woman on a mission, walking the streets of Bucharest, Romania’s capital city of 2 million. These walks, in which she crosses busy intersections at least 6 times, foreground a decadent capitalist cityscape—cacophonous, unkempt, unpleasant and difficult. 

Foul-mouthed men blocking crosswalks with their oversize vehicles incur Emi’s anger, as she traverses the uncivil urban streets.

Emi’s attempts to chastise men parking their large vehicles so they block crosswalks (an indication of her attention to civil order and law) result in F-word responses. An older woman uses the C-word, gratuitously. An ad on a billboard says, “I like it deep.” A mix of perverse sexuality and intolerance fill the air.

The “dirty words” that permeate the city’s public space are part of director Radu Jude’s comparison of sex (good) to current and past social values and behavior (bad). He’s questioning what is in fact “dirty” as Emi, whom we now know is a grade-school teacher, meets with her headmistress to discuss the explicit sex tape, made with Emi’s husband and somehow (maybe by Emi herself) uploaded to the Internet.

Part 2 is titled “A short dictionary of anecdotes, signs and wonders,” a phrase that obscures this section’s didacticism and ideological focus. A multitude of short takes with labels such as “War,” “Kitchen,” “Jesus,” and “Poet,” assail Romania’s Fascist past as well as its macho, racist, hypocritical present. There are old photos of aboriginals posed with their colonizers, a video of former Communist President Ceausescu’s enormous palace, now a tourist site. Under “Church,” nuns sing of allegiance to the Fascists; under “Kitchen,” the slogan is “where women belong.” “Children” are presented as tools of authoritarian parents. Even Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 horse film, last seen in “Nope,” shows up. Like Parts 1 and 3, Part 2 is over-the-top. And it lasts a long, long time.

Loathed former Communist President Ceausescu’s enormous palace is now a tourist site, as revealed in a brief episode in the multitudinous “signs and wonders” of lengthy Part 2.

Part 3 is yet another type of filmmaking, more typical, set in the school courtyard where parents gather to hear out the students’ sex-tape instructor/“porn teacher.” Emi is strong in defense of sexuality, privacy, and the right of adults to post on adult sites. The parents are equally vigorous in their criticism of her, although a few offer support with lengthy philosophical statements and quotations, drawn from their smart phones. The meeting devolves into shouting, verbal attacks (“kikes,” “gypsies”) and praise for a white-washed Romanian nationalism. Even Holocaust denial.

Katia Pascariu, whose screen bio is limited, is a self-confident Emi, and Claudia Ieremia the even-tempered headmistress. Character actors round out the cast, including Nicodim Ungureanu, the most accomplished of the bunch, as the Fascist military man. But the film is Emi’s, and Pascariu is up to the task. She can display power simply in her way of walking through Bucharest in Part 1, and express determination to defend herself through her eyes above the mask in Part 3.

Emi wouldn’t stand a chance in the U.S. today. The social media would erupt in condemnation, and she’d be fired without a hearing. Yet the polarization, moral extremism, and lack of civility as they are offered up here are clearly present in the U.S. in other forms: attacks on Critical Race Theory, laws mandating the teaching of only “positive” U.S. history, irritation with accommodating trans people, and book banning, not to mention the unyielding hostility of the anti-abortion contingent. 

Emi (Katia Pascariu) is a professional woman on a mission on the streets of cacophonous Bucharest.

Jude, who started as an assistant to some of Romania’s most prominent New Wave directors, knows how to use their techniques of neo-realism (Emi walking through Bucharest), farce (Parts 2 and 3), and unrelenting attacks on Fascism and neo-Fascism. Like his mentors (and like the Italian neo-realists after World War II who didn’t have studios and filmed on the streets of Rome), he uses what’s at hand—in this case the streets and the spaces available under the Covid restrictions during which he filmed. Emi and the parents meet in the courtyard because they must gather outside. Everyone is masked, giving the encounter an eerie overlay of stifled truth. The dysfunctional sex-obsessed society of Part I, where one simply observes Bucharest (and don’t think Bucharest is different from much of the urban U.S.), is the same society that is moralistic in Part 3, the two parts book-ending the killing, war and dictatorship that is literally on parade in Part 2.

Because of its exploration of current topics, its willingness to posit sexuality as an ultimate good (shades of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in their “bed-in for peace”), and its unrelenting attack on totalitarianism, clearly on the rise today, “Bad Luck Banging” is a worthy vehicle of social and political analysis. Its excesses and unsubtle, unrelenting didacticism make it less enjoyable to watch.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc)

Date: 2021

Stars: 2.5 (out of 4)

Director: Radu Jude

Starring: Katia Pascariu, Claudia Ieremia, Nicodim Ungureanu

Countries: Romania (filmed in Bucharest), Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Languages: Romanian, English, Czech, French, Russian, subtitled in English

Runtime: 106 minutes, although some U.S. screenings have had 20 minutes cut (for a total of 86 minutes), likely not the “excessive” parts we would cut

Awards: 4 wins, including the Berlin Golden Bear (Best Film) at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival, and 16 nominations

Availability: Hulu, AppleTV, Disney (improbably), DirectTV, Vudu and Microsoft; see JustWatch here

Lead image: masked and convening a meeting outside in a courtyard (per Covid protocols), the headmistress (Claudia Ieremia) attempts to give Emi (Katia Pascariu), seated at the table, a chance to defend herself against the parents’ outrage at her sex-tape.

See all Five Cent Cine reviews by 2 Film Critics

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As a way to address food insecurity, Buffalo-based hospitality and entertainment company, Delaware North, has made a monumental donation of $250,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo. The funds are being directed to the “Nourishing Our Future” program that will provide for the delivery of more than 100,000 meals annually to Boys & Girls Clubhouses across Buffalo. The funding for the program will:

Provide better quality and more nutritious food to 500 children who attend Boys and Girls Clubs summer camps and 2,000 children who attend after-school programs each yearEnable the purchase of a catering van to deliver nutritious meals cooked in a central commissary to six clubhouses and one school site across the city, including the club site at the Eggertsville Youth and Community Center in AmherstAllow for the staffing required to the delivery of mealsHelp to cover additional healthy foods for the Boys & Girls Clubs’ pantry

As a way to further their commitment to the Nourishing Our Future program, Delaware North will also assist with culinary leadership that will help to transform the Boys & Girls Clubs’ food program. This will be accomplished with the guidance of Steve Forman, who is the Regional Executive Chef for Delaware North Sportservice. Forman will begin by efficiently setting up the Club’s kitchen, while reviewing and redesigning menus, which will transform the dated food program into a something that is more desirable for the youth, with more thoughtful meals that are conducive to their diets.

“Nourishing Our Future” commitment includes the purchase of van to deliver nutritious meals to 2,500 children at seven urban Boys and Girls Clubs.

And finally, Delaware North will “leverage the strength of its national purchasing relationships,” which will enable the Club to upgrade its own commissary equipment.

“We jumped at the chance to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo to launch ‘Nourishing Our Future,’” said Lou Jacobs, CEO, Delaware North. “Providing access to nutritious meals is a critical element in the clubs’ work to provide an enriching, safe space for our community’s youth, and Delaware North is honored to launch this latest initiative in our longstanding partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Buffalo.”

“We are honored and humbled to partner with Delaware North on this important project,” said Shari McDonough, CEO, Boys & Girls Club. “It is always a challenge to feed our young people, but to add the expertise and knowledge of the Delaware North associates and Chef Steve, we now know that our kids will have even more delicious and nutritious menu items delivered to them fresh and hot each day while they are safe and happy at the Boys & Girls Clubs.”

The Nourishing our Future van is expected to deliver more than 100,000 meals annually to Boys & Girls Clubhouses across Buffalo.

“The Jacobs family and Delaware North have done so much for our community by investing in outstanding organizations serving our youth,” said New York State Senator Tim Kennedy. “The Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo is a strong pillar in our community, and I’m grateful they’ve launched this new partnership with Delaware North to help feed children in our community.”

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Open Workshops and Master Classes include Irish Music, Song, and Dance

Looking to unleash your inner Irish-ness? If that’s the case, then South Buffalo Roots makes it easy, as the group hosts the second annual South Buffalo Irish Festival Culture Circle (Fáinne Cultúrtha).

On Friday, August 26, from 4pm to midnight, the community is invited to partake in open workshops and master classes dedicated to Irish music, song, and dance. The event centers around “free cultural workshops, trivia, showcases, and jam sessions with festival main stage performers, culminating in a performance by The Spain Brothers and an open traditional Irish music session.”

The festival expands its cultural offerings in a commitment to providing an even deeper connection between the South Buffalo community and its Irish roots.

“We are thrilled to celebrate our South Buffalo Irish community more than ever this year by inviting our friends, family, and neighbors to explore our history and common culture through our new Culture Circle workshops,” said Kathleen Sullivan, President of South Buffalo Roots. “It’s a welcome addition to the South Buffalo Irish Festival, a day where we have always enjoyed bringing the South Buffalo community together while showcasing our unique heritage.”

The Culture Circle is the official kick off to the South Buffalo Irish Festival, held the next day.

Have you ever thought about playing the fiddle? Do you love Irish ballads? Have you wanted to try out a new dance routine? Well, you can do all of that, and more at this one stop shop for all things pertaining to Irish heritage. And if that’s not enough, the following day is the South Buffalo Irish Festival:

South Buffalo Roots presents the South Buffalo Irish Festival on Saturday, August 27 from 11:00am-10:30pm in Cazenovia Park. The free event showcases some of the top performers in the Irish music world including The Prodigals, The Drowsy Lads, and Kilrush along with beloved local bands including Crikwater, McCarthyizm, John Dady & Friends, Whiskey Thief, The Spain Brothers, Tom Keefer & Celtic Cross, The Blarney Bunch, Owen Ó Súilleabháin, Greater Buffalo Firefighters Pipes & Drums and the Rince na Tiarna School of Irish Dance. For more information, please visit www.southbuffaloirishfestival.org.

South Buffalo Irish Festival Culture Circle (Fáinne Cultúrtha) presented by South Buffalo Roots

Friday, August 26, 2022 from 4:00pm-12:00am

Buffalo Irish Center | 245 Abbott Rd | Buffalo, NY

FREE

The event is kid and family friendly, and open to all levels of skill and experience

www.southbuffaloirishfestival.org/copy-of-festival-kick-off 

Program

Sean Nós Singing Circle

Owen Ó Súilleabháin, song leader 4:00pm, GAAA Library

Come and learn to sing a song in the Sean Nós style of Irish traditional music with singer, composer, and storyteller, Owen Ó Súilleabháin.

Beginner Fiddle Workshop

Charlie Coughlin, fiddle 4:00pm, Claddagh Room

What’s the difference between the violin and the fiddle? It’s all in the way you play it! Learn the fundamentals of basic bowings and ornamentation in the Irish style with Crikwater fiddle player Charlie Coughlin.

Intro to Irish Solo & Ceili Dancing 1

Katie Cunningham (TCRG) & Glenna Rankin 5:00pm, BIC Dance Studio, 2nd Floor

Ceili dancing is one of the oldest dance traditions in Ireland. Like contra or even square dancing, the social aspect of this group dance is just as important as the footwork. Bring a friend or make a new one with this introduction to solo and ceili dancing led by Katie Cunningham and Glenna Rankin of the Rince na Tiarna Adult Irish Dance team. No prior dance experience required.

Upstate Crossroads: Fiddle Music from Upstate New York

Tim Ball, fiddle & Max Newman, guitar 5:00pm, GAAA Library

Tim Ball explores the Celtic roots of fiddle music in upstate New York, from old-time square dance tunes to the intricate Sligo/New York style of Irish-American fiddle playing. Open to musicians and non-musicians alike!

Tunes & Ballads Workshop

John Dady, guitar/vocals & John Ryan, tin whistle/button accordion 5:00pm, Claddagh Room

Rochester-based musicians John Dady and John Ryan explore the intersection between Irish tunes and ballads. Open to musicians and non-musicians alike!

Intro to Irish Solo & Ceili Dancing 2

Katie Cunningham (TCRG) & Glenna Rankin 6:00pm, BIC Dance Studio, 2nd Floor

Ceili dancing is one of the oldest dance traditions in Ireland. Like contra or even square dancing, the social aspect of this group dance is just as important as the footwork. Bring a friend or make a new one with this introduction to solo and ceili dancing led by Katie Cunningham and Glenna Rankin of the Rince na Tiarna Adult Irish Dance team. No prior dance experience required.

Irish Music for Classical Players

Leah Rankin, cello 6:00pm, GAAA Library

You’ve practiced, practiced, and practiced but the tune still doesn’t sound Irish! It’s time to take that hard-earned classical technique and turn it loose Irish style with classical-turned-trad cellist, Leah Rankin. Open to all instruments, ages, and skill levels.

Intro to Irish Accompaniment

Matt Sperber, guitar 6:00pm, Claddagh Room

Crikwater guitar player Matt Sperber teaches simple harmony and backing rhythms that will allow you to accompany any Irish tune.

South Buffalo Irish Trivia with TE Caulfield

TE Caulfield, host 7:00pm, Claddagh Room

Learn some fun facts about South Buffalo’s fascinating Irish history as you test your knowledge with a game of South Buffalo Irish Trivia, hosted by South Buffalo’s own TE Caulfield!

The Spain Brothers

8:00pm, BIC Pub

Enjoy a performance of traditional and contemporary Irish folk songs by Liam and Mickey Spain.

Traditional Irish Music Session

9:00pm, BIC Pub

Put what you learned in today’s music and dance workshops into practice with a traditional Irish music session, open to all ages and levels.

*Program subject to change. For the most up-to-date schedule of events, please visit www.southbuffaloirishfestival.org.

Artists

About Owen Ó Súilleabháin

Eoin “Owen” Ó Súilleabháin is a singer, composer and storyteller with a deep-rooted belief in the creative power of art. Music, one might say, runs in his blood. Owen’s mother Noírín Ni Riain is a leading sacred singer and theologian, and his father Mícheál is a pioneering national composer and founder of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. Along with his brother Mícheál ‘Moley’, Owen writes songs that aspire to “lift and apprentice the human heart to generosity and gratitude”, and has released five albums of both ancient and contemporary music, the latest released by Sounds True, called Fields Of Grace – Celtic Meditation Music from the Heart of Ireland.

About John Dady

Originally from Rochester, NY, John Dady and his brother, Joe Dady, have shared their unique variety of Celtic and American folk music in diverse venues around the country and abroad for more than forty years.

Self-styled singers, multi-instrumentalist musicians and composers, John and Joe possessed a solid command of many folk instruments including, but not limited to guitar, pennywhistle, fiddle,

banjo, octave mandolin, harmonica, uilleann pipes, bodhran and ukulele. Their wide repertoire ranges from Irish Traditional and Irish and American Folk to original and contemporary Folk, Bluegrass, and Acoustic Blues. Always at ease with their audiences, they had a knack for finding humor in the moment and sharing it spontaneously.

In May of 2019, Joe lost his battle with leukemia. John continues to carry on the music, performing solo or with a number of close friends. In 2020, the Dady brothers were inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

About John Michael Ryan

Growing up in the busy Irish music community in Rochester, New York, John Michael Ryan cut his teeth as a young teenager playing tin whistle and bodhran in the city’s many traditional jam sessions, absorbing countless tunes from Clareman Martin O’Keefe (fiddle), Kerry’s Jim Finucane (button accordion), and Galawayman Brian Clancy (whistle, sean nos singing)

This devotion to the old tunes and regional styles of playing carried over once John picked up the button accordion at the age of 17. Since then he has shared the stage with such Irish legends as Kevin Burke, Oisin Mac Diarmada and the Scahill and Howley Brothers (of We Banjo 3 fame). He can be found performing with John Dady, as well as sessions all over the region.

Rince na Tiarna Adult Irish Dance Team

Katie Cunningham (TCRG) has been Irish step dancing and teaching adults competitive and non-competitive Irish dance since 1980. Her dancers, including Glenna Rankin, have gone on to win gold at the Mid Atlantic Oireachtas in both solos and team dances as well as countless top placements at the North American Irish Dance Championships. Adult Irish dancers range in age from 18-65 with various levels of experience, some having danced since childhood and others learning to Irish dance for the first time. With a shared love for Irish culture and tradition, Katie and her team of adult Irish dancers joined the Rince na Tiarna School of Irish Dance in 2022. RNT promotes a welcoming, accepting community for dancers of all levels with classes that are composed of both competitive and noncompetitive dancers and offer both solo and ceili (group) dancing. Find out more on Facebook at @RNTIrishDance and @RNTadultirishdance, and online at www.irishdancewny.com.

About Tim Ball & Max Newman

After 20 years performing in Celtic and contra dance bands and a lifetime of playing traditional fiddle music, Tim Ball takes center stage with his upcoming solo release Upstate Crossroads. His playing breathes new life into nearly-forgotten tunes and old favorites from all corners of New York State, drawing repertoire and inspiration from the surrounding Irish-American, New England, Canadian, and Bluegrass traditions. From these deep roots in dance tunes and folk songs, Tim’s music tells stories about hard work, immigration, community, and simple pleasures.

Max Newman will join Tim for the South Buffalo Irish Festival, playing guitar, piano, and mandolin. A member of the nationally-known contra dance band Stringrays, Max’s playing is refreshing, fun, and creative, and has allowed him to collaborate with a great variety of traditional musicians. He’s made several albums with the Stringrays and others, and has also been profiled in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. When not on the road, Max can often be found at his local contra dance in Concord, Massachusetts.

About Charlie Coughlin

With a brand new expression and expansion of folk music, Charlie Coughlin brings new life to old music and old sounds to new tunes. Born in Buffalo, New York, Charlie grew up playing violin and Irish fiddle from a young age. He now draws inspiration from the folk tales of Irish tradition, Old-time, and modern artists such as Kishi Bashi and Arcade Fire to create new Post-Trad/Indie Folk music.

Charlie Coughlin has played the fiddle/violin for over 10 years. He also sings in the sean nós Irish style and plays various other instruments including guitar, mandolin, button accordion, and whistle. As a solo artist and with groups like The Brothers Blue, Crikwater, and more, he has played venues and festivals including the Town Ballroom, Sportsmans Tavern, Duende at Silo City, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Old Tone festival, An Beal Bocht, Folkfaces Fest, the Buffalo Irish Festival, the South Buffalo Irish Festival, the Hornell Irish Festival, and other great locations and festivals. He has also taught master classes at SUNY Plattsburgh, Honeoye Highschool, the South Buffalo Music school, and more.

About Matt Sperber

Matthew Sperber has been instructing guitar in the Buffalo area since 2005 and is currently on the faculty at The Castellani-Andriaccio Guitar Studios in Snyder, NY where he teaches students of all ages in Suzuki and traditional guitar methods. He attended SUNY University at Buffalo where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music History in 2006 and a Master of Music in Guitar Performance in February 2010. There, he studied under world-renowned guitarist and teacher, Joanne Castellani. Matthew is guitarist and singer in Western New York’s premier Irish group, Crikwater. In addition he is a part of the group, Normal St. Entrance with members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Amy Licata and Brett Shurtliffe. They have performed on multiple occasions with the orchestra and were featured on the PBS special, “Live at the Kate” with Owen and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin.

About Leah Rankin

Having recently relocated back to her hometown of Buffalo, NY from New York City, Leah Rankin is one of the leading cellists playing traditional Irish music today. Since studying cello performance with Alan Harris at the Eastman School of Music, and with renowned Celtic cellist Natalie Haas, she has played alongside some of the most reputable musicians in the Irish music world and has appeared on close to a dozen albums in a variety of genres. Notable live performances include The Ferryman on Broadway, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Irish Arts Center, The American Irish Historical Society, NYC Irish American Writers & Artists Salon, NYC Tartan Week, BB King Blues Club, Rockwood Music Hall, Fairport Music Festival, Dublin Irish Festival, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and all three stages at Carnegie Hall where she worked for nearly eight years.

About TE Caulfield

Thomas E. Caulfield is a lifelong South Buffalo resident and a charter member of the South Buffalo Irish Festival — formerly South Buffalo Irish Feis. He earned an MA in Irish Studies with a concentration in Political Conflict and a doctorate in Public Administration completing a dissertation in non-violent resistance in nationalist Northern Ireland during the Troubles. After a career working in both corporate America and local government, he keeps occupied working as a volunteer for various non-profit organizations. He is quick to acknowledge the joy of sharing an appreciation of Irish language, music, and culture with his wife, Nancy, his two children, Liam and Lauren, and the community at-large.

About The Spain Brothers

Liam and Mickey Spain are second generation singer / songwriters from the mill town of Manchester, NH. They grew up in a household steeped in folk music and musicians. Their father, Mike Spain, was a well known folk singer performing Irish and American Folk songs throughout the New England area. Mike, not only inspired the boys to perform, but he introduced them to the work of a myriad of artists, and educated them on the folk song tradition and its importance in society. The brothers have recorded with folk icons such as Tom Paxton, Noel Paul Stookey, Roger McGuinn, Dave Mallett and Bill Staines to name a few, and host an annual concert held in Liam and Mickey’s hometown called the NH Folk Extravaganza. Find out more about The Spain Brothers at www.spainbrothers.com.

Photo courtesy South Buffalo Roots

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