Emmy-nominated, multi-platinum selling musician and composer Ben Folds announced the return of his popular Paper Airplane Request Tour, performing solo shows across the U.S. including a stop this fall at The University at Buffalo Center for the Arts on Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets for this show go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024 at ubcfa.org, Ticketmaster or in person at the Center for the Arts Ticket Office. Please visit benfolds.com for more information. “We are off to a great start for fall 2024 with presenting Ben Folds,” said Jamie Enser, CFA Execut ..read more

For the first time in years, a commercial space at a prominent downtown corner is available for lease.  The TGI Fridays restaurant space located in the Holiday Inn Express & Suites at the northeast corner of Main and Chippewa Streets is on the market. A closing date for the restaurant has not been announced. From the listing: Former 9,648 restaurant with 156 seats. The restaurant has a separate entrance to the street and is also connected to a 146- room Holiday Inn Express & Suites. The restaurant has multiple indoor seating areas, outdoor patio seating, and a large u-shaped bar ..read more

I used to have a reactive dog. I still do. But I used to too. While trying out a little Mitch Hedberg humor, I must say that there’s nothing overly funny about having a dog that is easily stressed or overwhelmed when in public settings. The reason that I chose the Hedberg line, is that it’s true. I’ve had a couple of dogs in my life that didn’t get along great with other dogs… and I still have one. When choosing a puppy, or even saving a rescue dog, you never know exactly what sort of temperament that puppy/dog will one day have. While I would never go back in time and reverse my decisions to ..read more

THE BASICS:  THE A.I. AT DELPHI, a new play by Bella Poynton, directed by Jeffrey Coyle, presented by First Look Buffalo, starring: Melinda Capeles, Lisa Ludwig, Jon May, and Anthony J. Grande. 4/26 – 5/19,  Fri – Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00, (Extra matinee Saturday, May 4th at 2:00) at Canterbury Woods Performing Arts Center 705 Renaissance Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 (716) 771-6358 firstlookbuffalo.com RUNTIME: 1 Hour 40 Minutes with one intermission THUMBNAIL SKETCH:  From the playwright: “Iz is an A.I., invented by the intelligence engineer Pythia, her ‘mother.’  As the ..read more

Voters yesterday chose a new representative for the 26th Congressional District, State Senator Tim Kennedy.  With nearly all votes counted Kennedy’s margin of victory was 75 percent to 25 percent for his Republican opponent, West Seneca Supervisor Gary Dickson.  Kennedy’s victory in Erie County with 80 percent of the vote was larger than in Niagara County (55 percent).  More than 100,000 votes were cast.  The registered voter turnout was 22 percent. The turnout in the special election was significantly lower than the numbers in the two most recent elections for that seat wh ..read more

Tim Sniffen, playwright and author of Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf, playing Alleyway Theatre from April 26 – May 18, grew up telling funny stories to his family members.  “I would do a lot of trying to entertain them, especially at dinner…I loved trying to make the adults in the room laugh, and when I was a kid, it was all adults.”  Sniffen eventually took that love of humor and storytelling to Chicago’s famed Second City comedy school. The experience was one that taught him a lot about the art of storytelling, and listening to audience feedback.  “Any like bits of ..read more

If you don’t have brunch plans yet, we want to encourage you to make them.  May seems like the month for brunches, and many restaurants are creating special menus for Cinco De Mayo.  Mother’s Day is the following week, which for many, is celebrated with a traditional brunch.  The week after is college graduation… and what better way to honor the occasion with eggs benedict and endless mimosas? Play your cards right and you could be in brunch all month long.   For those looking to expand their activities beyond brunch, we have you covered.  With this guide, you can ..read more

Interactive, Multimedia Exhibits at the Longshed Building will be the Starting Point for Visitors During 2025 Erie Canal Bicentennial Commemoration In order to greet visitors to Buffalo’s celebration of the Erie Canal Bicentennial, Governor Hochul has announced that there will be new interactive, multimedia exhibits installed at the Longshed* building at Canalside. As Buffalo continues to embrace and celebrate its waters, for the first time in generations, there is a renewed and very palpable vibrancy emerging. To accentuate that vibrancy, the collection of exhibits – “Waterway of Ch ..read more

In 1983, Reading Rainbow was launched, setting the stage for it to become the most successful PBS children’s series in television history. What many people might not know is that the show – hosted by LeVar Burton for more than 20 years – was created by Tony Buttino Sr. and his colleagues at WNED-TV, the public television station in Buffalo. The iconic children’s series, which managed to nab national and international awards including 26 Emmys and a Peabody Award, went on to attract a whopping 6.5 million young viewers at the peak of its 26-year run. If you grew up on Reading Rainbow… this boo ..read more

Every year, the Lunenfeld Beautification Grant program, named for Garden Walk Buffalo’s founder Marvin Lunenfeld, allocates grants to worthy community gardens so that they can get better footholds within their respective neighborhoods. In 2024, Gardens Buffalo Niagara (GBN) has announced that there are 26 awardees that will benefit from the $20,000 beautification grant, which was established in 2004. Since that time, over $160,000 has been issued, contributing to more than 270 garden enhancement efforts – all of which must be visible from the street and publicly accessible. Citywide proje ..read more