Al Gritzmacher's Blogosphere

Let’s hear it for the Summer of 2010, it’s not gone yet, but it’s getting close. School is just around the corner for those young enough and things are winding down. Labor Day is only a couple weeks away. Thursday at the Square and the Molson Canal Concerts are done, but a few good shows are left and a couple festivals to finish things off with a bang.

From Big Sugar

Last week’s Canal Concert with Big Sugar was, in my opinion, the best of the season. I was happy with the opening acts, but Big Sugar stole the show with a outstanding set. As I warned you, they were LOUD! but gave a great performance with songs representing all of their catalog. They really fed off the audience’s energy and fed it back in a long show going to at least 10:30pm.

The attendance was somewhat lower than the previous week. I don’t know why, maybe weather uncertainties, or other events, but a very respectable sized crowd nonetheless. It was a fitting turnout for the band without being excessively crowded and I got some good photos. I put my earplugs in and moved up as people were moving back because of the loudness!

Here’s next week’s lineup:

Monday: Artpark - Sara Evans, Amanda Nagurney
Tuesday: Artpark - The Trews, Aqueos
Tuesday: Gateway Harbor - No Excuses, Hit N Run
Friday: Artpark Main Stage ($) - Bachman-Turner
Friday: Pine Ave. Pavillion - Amanda Nagurney, Mason-Dixon Band
        (7-9pm Niagara Falls)
Friday-Saturday-Sunday: Hamburg Fairgrounds - Buffalo Irish Festival
Saturday: Ulrich City Center (Lockport) - NYS Rock & Blues Fest -
       Savoy Brown, Square Circle Triangle, Terranova Band, Wanted By The FBI,
       Flyin' Blind Blues Band, more
Saturday-Sunday: Elmwood Ave. Festival of the Arts - 3 stages, over 20 bands
       each day! Plus the festival!

Continue Reading…

Boy, I’m late getting started on this, even by Al time, so here’s the schedule, you pick your own best show. (I know, that’s what you do anyway, I just try to give you a little more info to do that each week.)

[Left: Jeremy Hoyle Band/Strictly Hip at Finnans in 2006]

Tuesday: Artpark: Foreginer, Free Henry!
Wednesday: Artpark: Sloan, David Nolf
Wednesday: Gateway Harbor: Dreamland and That ’80s Hair Band
Friday: Gateway Harbor: Bleeding Hearts
Friday: Canal Concerts Lockport: Big Sugar,  Johnny Nobody,
                          Beggar's Best, Jeremy Hoyle Band 
Saturday: Amherst Scottish Festival (Amherst Museum):
     ($10 admission to festival)
     Penny Whiskey, Celtic Circle Ceilidh Band, Stone Row,
     Harpbeat, Hobson's Choice,  Step in Time, more

Continue Reading…

Last week’s shows were pretty much can’t miss. Hope you got out and attended those you wanted to. I had a great time at the Lockport Canal Concert again seeing my old friends Free Henry. I got there too late to hear Bearhunter, but talked with them at the merch booth and picked up a couple CDs. Automaton was a pleasant surprise and I hope to see more of them.

Anyway, here’s what’s on tap for this week:

Tuesday: Artpark (outdoor) George Thorogood & The Destroyers,
                      Tom Hambridge & the Rattlesnakes
Wednesday: Gateway Harbor - Wide Right, Boogie Monsters
Wednesday: Artpark - John Browns Body, Little Mountain Band
Thursday: Lafayette Square - Robert Randolph & the Family Band
Friday: Lockport Canal Concert - Rik Emmett, Wanted by The FBI,
            Friendly Fire
Friday: Gateway Harbor - Widow Maker (probably not the Dee Snider band!)
Saturday: Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor ($) - OAR, Citizen Cope
Saturday: Hard Rock NF - Lou Gramm, Free Henry, McCarthyism and eXit!
Sunday: Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor ($) - Slightly Stoopid,
             Cypress Hill

Continue Reading…

Bandanas are indespensible.

They’re a scarf, a hat, a personal cooling device, a neck protector in hot sun. They’re a washcloth, a towel, a cleaning rag. You can wear one by itself, or under another hat.

I used to think they were not cool. Something only a hick farmer would wear. (No farmers aren’t hicks, or not cool, either. That’s just the stereotype.) So I never had any.

But this year our robotics team used them as a fashion accessory to help make our team stand out and issued us each two, one red one and one blue one, to be used to show which alliance our team was currently on. If that doesn’t mean a thing to you, that’s okay, just know that I ended up with two of them after the competitions were over.

I started carrying one with me on my bike this summer. I perspire a lot and it’s been a hot, muggy summer so far. Having it handy to wipe the sweat out of my eyes has been indispensable. Recently, on a ride, my bandana got so soaked with sweat that I decided to rinse it out in the restroom at a park we stopped in. Not only did it feel great to wipe my face with the cool cloth, when I was done and had rinsed it again, I put it around my neck. Instant air-conditioning! The more I rode, the more it cooled me!

I’ve tried sweat bands before, but they are only so effective. Once they get soaked, rinsing them leaves them yukky and they loose their elasticity. Don’t rinse them out and after a while they are disgusting. Bandanas are much better than a terry sweat band. And you don’t need to buy wrist bands either. Just wrap a bandana twice around your arm and tie. Voi-la!

They’ve been so handy, I think I’ll pick up some more. I just hope someone doesn’t think I’m in a gang or something. What color should I get so that no one thinks I’m a Crip or a Blood?

Three Dog Night at the Lockport Canal Concert last week

Tuesday: Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Maria Aurigema (Artpark)
Wednesday: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (Artpark)
Thursday: Flaming Lips (Artpark Mainstage $)
Thursday: G. Love & Special Sauce with Rogue Wave (Lafayette Square)
Friday: Blues Traveller w/ Free Henry, Automaton, Bearhunter (Lockport Canal Concert)
Friday: Celtic Women (Artpark Mainstage $)
Saturday: Soul Asylum with The Incurables, DoDriver and A Potter’s Field (Hard Rock NF)

Continue Reading…

Call the boss, take some time off work, you won’t want to limit yourself to one or two shows this week. Let’s see what’s coming:

Tuesday: Artpark - Derek Trucks/Susan Tedeschi, Matt Schofield
Wednesday: Gateway Harbor - The Soul Barons, The Diva Show
Wednesday: Artpark - Matthew Good, Rob Falgiano Band
Thursday: Lafayette Square - Umphree's McGee, Tea Leaf Green
Friday: Buffalo Harbor - Crowded House, Lawerence Arabia
Friday: Lockport Canal Concert - Three Dog Night,  Leroy Townes,
            Rob Falgiano
Saturday: Buffalo Harbor - Eileen Ivers, Cherish The Ladies
Saturday: Hard Rock NF - BPO Plays Pink Floyd, Scott Celani
Saturday: Artpark - Great Big Sea (mainstage)

Several of these events have changed since first announced,
possibly due to touring schedule conflicts. This is as up-to-date as
I can find out.

Let’s look at this weeks shows… Continue Reading…

Okay, if you were in any doubt about it being summer concert season, it’s now in full swing with the Independance Day holiday behind us and the rest of the season ahead. What’s on this weeks slate?

[Left: Amanda Nagurney]

Tues. - Artpark - The Guess Who, Son of the Sun
Wed. -  Gateway Harbor - Wanted Dead or Alive and Beatle Magic
Thurs. - Lafayette Square - Ozomatli, Rebelution
Fri. - Lockport Canal Concert - Gretchen Wilson,  Bareback Jack,
                     Amanada Nagurney
Fri. - Gateway Harbor - Shadows Motown Review with
                     Barbara St. Clair & Billy McEwan
Sat. - Hard Rock Cafe - The English Beat, with Giant Panda
                     Guerilla Dub Squad and Floozie

Great holiday weekend, now it’s time to get to business. Let’s run through the who’s-who of the week: Continue Reading…