http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from MikeKamo on MyBuffalo Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:44:24 GMT Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:44:24 GMT buffmail@buffnews.com (MyBuffaloDotCom) buffmail@buffnews.com (MyBuffaloDotCom) KickApps Feed Builder 2010-07-01T21:44:24Z 33 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=85283&sortType=recent 0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_A-Starry-Night-in-the-Garden/BLOG/2423163/85283.html Around for over a century, the often overlooked Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens hosted its annual summer-time event this Wednesday night. The party in the plants is always a big draw for Western New Yorkers and this year was no exception.[image]Sponsored by local radio station Star 102.5, general admission to Starry Night in the Garden cost $40, while VIP passes went for $100. The general admission got guests into the event and allowed them to sample food and drinks from vendors, but the VIP tickets upped the ante: the extra sixty bucks blessed the party-goers private seating, catered food and wine, front stage access and a chance to meet with the bands. The event, which ran from 6-9 p.m., had four musical guests to entertain the enormous crowd. First [image]on stage was singer Melanie Fiona, who was reminiscent of the great Erykah Badu. Fiona was a refreshing surprise and won the crowd over with her beautiful voice and inspiring sound. Alex Band of “The Calling” fame and singer Serena Ryder were also on the bill, which was headlined by multi-platinum rock group Collective Soul. Collective Soul, who came to prominence in the mid-nineties, has had seven albums over the span of two decades, but its smash hit “Shine” is the group’s best known single. Held inside and on the grounds of the Gardens, the park was clouded with guests, all there to enjoy the bands that played throughout the evening… and the food and drink. “The bands are great, but the draw is definitely the food,” remarked (with food and beer in hand, of course) Buffalo-native Fred Anso. “It’s the second year I’ve come out to the Garden-fest; it’s always a real enjoyable time.” I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to cover this event. The amount of food and drink available was astounding. Among the 30+ tents, was The Hard Rock Café, which had workers dishing out apple cobbler and mini barbeque pulled pork sandwiches, while Capelli’s Pizzeria had hot slices [image]of pepperoni pizza. For dessert, The Melting Pot had chocolate fondue for visitors to dip fresh strawberries into and Anderson’s Frozen Custard was serving up bowls of the good stuff. With all that food, there would have to be something to drink, right? Dundee beer and the Ellicottville Brewing Company were handing out samples of their Summer Ales and India Pale Ales, but the fan favorite was the EBC Blue Berry, a blueberry golden wheat beer which was served up with fresh blueberries in the glass. “I thought it was excellent,” said party-goer Ashley Ringer. “I thought the blueberries at the bottom of the glass made the beer that much better.” There were also several wineries on hand (Vizcarra Vineyards, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards among others), sampling everything from Riesling to Pinot Grigio. For the younger crowd, Glaceau Vitamin Water had free samples and Tim Horton’s had Iced Cappuccinos and hot coffee to go around. My personal favorite stop, besides the EBC tent of course, was Krolick’s Bar-B-Q, which offered delicious pieces of grilled chicken. “This is our second year here,” said Stan Krolick, owner of the Arcade restaurant. “We’ve gotten a lot of customers and everybody seems to be walking away happy.” What began as a cloudy day in Buffalo ended with a starry night, and “heaven let the light shine down” on south side Erie County Botanical Gardens. Around for over a century, the often overlooked Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens hosted its annual summer-time event this Wednesday night. The party in the plants is always a big draw for Western New Yorkers and this year was no exception.[image]Sponsored by local radio station Star 102.5, general admission to Starry Night in the Garden cost $40, while VIP passes went for $100. The general admission got guests into the event and allowed them to sample food and drinks from vendors, but the VIP tickets upped the ante: the extra sixty bucks blessed the party-goers private seating, catered food and wine, front stage access and a chance to meet with the bands. The event, which ran from 6-9 p.m., had four musical guests to entertain the enormous crowd. First [image]on stage was singer Melanie Fiona, who was reminiscent of the great Erykah Badu. Fiona was a refreshing surprise and won the crowd over with her beautiful voice and inspiring sound. Alex Band of “The Calling” fame and singer Serena Ryder were also on the bill, which was headlined by multi-platinum rock group Collective Soul. Collective Soul, who came to prominence in the mid-nineties, has had seven albums over the span of two decades, but its smash hit “Shine” is the group’s best known single. Held inside and on the grounds of the Gardens, the park was clouded with guests, all there to enjoy the bands that played throughout the evening… and the food and drink. “The bands are great, but the draw is definitely the food,” remarked (with food and beer in hand, of course) Buffalo-native Fred Anso. “It’s the second year I’ve come out to the Garden-fest; it’s always a real enjoyable time.” I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to cover this event. The amount of food and drink available was astounding. Among the 30+ tents, was The Hard Rock Café, which had workers dishing out apple cobbler and mini barbeque pulled pork sandwiches, while Capelli’s Pizzeria had hot slices [image]of pepperoni pizza. For dessert, The Melting Pot had chocolate fondue for visitors to dip fresh strawberries into and Anderson’s Frozen Custard was serving up bowls of the good stuff. With all that food, there would have to be something to drink, right? Dundee beer and the Ellicottville Brewing Company were handing out samples of their Summer Ales and India Pale Ales, but the fan favorite was the EBC Blue Berry, a blueberry golden wheat beer which was served up with fresh blueberries in the glass. “I thought it was excellent,” said party-goer Ashley Ringer. “I thought the blueberries at the bottom of the glass made the beer that much better.” There were also several wineries on hand (Vizcarra Vineyards, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards among others), sampling everything from Riesling to Pinot Grigio. For the younger crowd, Glaceau Vitamin Water had free samples and Tim Horton’s had Iced Cappuccinos and hot coffee to go around. My personal favorite stop, besides the EBC tent of course, was Krolick’s Bar-B-Q, which offered delicious pieces of grilled chicken. “This is our second year here,” said Stan Krolick, owner of the Arcade restaurant. “We’ve gotten a lot of customers and everybody seems to be walking away happy.” What began as a cloudy day in Buffalo ended with a starry night, and “heaven let the light shine down” on south side Erie County Botanical Gardens. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:44:24 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_A-Starry-Night-in-the-Garden/BLOG/2423163/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-07-01T21:44:24Z Articles MyBuffalo Around for over a century, the often overlooked Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens hosted its annual summer-time event this Wednesday night. The party in the plants is always a big draw for Western New Yorkers and this year was no exception.[image]Sponsored by local radio station Star 102.5, general admission to Starry Night in the Garden cost $40, while VIP passes went for $100. The general admission got guests into the event and allowed them to sample food and drinks from vendors, but the VIP tickets upped the ante: the extra sixty bucks blessed the party-goers private seating, catered food and wine, front stage access and a chance to meet with the bands. The event, which ran from 6-9 p.m., had four musical guests to entertain the enormous crowd. First [image]on stage was singer Melanie Fiona, who was reminiscent of the great Erykah Badu. Fiona was a refreshing surprise and won the crowd over with her beautiful voice and inspiring sound. Alex Band of “The Calling” fame and singer Serena Ryder were also on the bill, which was headlined by multi-platinum rock group Collective Soul. Collective Soul, who came to prominence in the mid-nineties, has had seven albums over the span of two decades, but its smash hit “Shine” is the group’s best known single. Held inside and on the grounds of the Gardens, the park was clouded with guests, all there to enjoy the bands that played throughout the evening… and the food and drink. “The bands are great, but the draw is definitely the food,” remarked (with food and beer in hand, of course) Buffalo-native Fred Anso. “It’s the second year I’ve come out to the Garden-fest; it’s always a real enjoyable time.” I’ll be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into when I signed up to cover this event. The amount of food and drink available was astounding. Among the 30+ tents, was The Hard Rock Café, which had workers dishing out apple cobbler and mini barbeque pulled pork sandwiches, while Capelli’s Pizzeria had hot slices [image]of pepperoni pizza. For dessert, The Melting Pot had chocolate fondue for visitors to dip fresh strawberries into and Anderson’s Frozen Custard was serving up bowls of the good stuff. With all that food, there would have to be something to drink, right? Dundee beer and the Ellicottville Brewing Company were handing out samples of their Summer Ales and India Pale Ales, but the fan favorite was the EBC Blue Berry, a blueberry golden wheat beer which was served up with fresh blueberries in the glass. “I thought it was excellent,” said party-goer Ashley Ringer. “I thought the blueberries at the bottom of the glass made the beer that much better.” There were also several wineries on hand (Vizcarra Vineyards, Arrowhead Spring Vineyards among others), sampling everything from Riesling to Pinot Grigio. For the younger crowd, Glaceau Vitamin Water had free samples and Tim Horton’s had Iced Cappuccinos and hot coffee to go around. My personal favorite stop, besides the EBC tent of course, was Krolick’s Bar-B-Q, which offered delicious pieces of grilled chicken. “This is our second year here,” said Stan Krolick, owner of the Arcade restaurant. “We’ve gotten a lot of customers and everybody seems to be walking away happy.” What began as a cloudy day in Buffalo ended with a starry night, and “heaven let the light shine down” on south side Erie County Botanical Gardens. 102.5, and, articles, beer, botancial, buffalo, cafe, collective, county, erie, flowers, food, gardens, hard, plants, rock, soul, star, the nonadult false A Starry Night in the Garden text blog 102.5,and,articles,beer,botancial,buffalo,cafe,collective,county,erie,flowers,food,gardens,hard,plants,rock,soul,star,the 110 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 Articles 0 2423163 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Bunny-The-Bear-Ferocious-Live/BLOG/2418436/85283.html “So what genre would you put yourself into?” I asked The Bunny, one-of-two lead singers of local band The Bunny The Bear. “Reverse-cowgirl-core,” he fired back at me, seemingly annoyed by the question. But while he took my question as a joke, he was actually being truthful in a way: it’s really [image]impossible to stick TBTB in a genre. They’re metal. They’re hardcore. They’re rock. They’re a bit emo, and everything else in between. The Bunny and The Bear, who get their names from the masks they wear on stage, are responsible for the vocals of the band, with The Bunny screaming and The Bear singing; they each play their parts well. One of the draws of TBTB is that the majority of its songs include screaming, an essential part to hardcore and metal music, and singing, which can draw the rocker crowd. And believe me when I say it, The Bunny can SCREAM and The Bear can SING. The rest of the group consists of Brian Dietz on drums, Chris “Chiggs” Cole on rhythm guitar, Derek Anthony on bass guitar, and Erik Kogut on lead guitar; The Bunny does all of the keyboard and piano arrangement on the songs. I caught the band at a recent show at The Moose Lodge in North Tonawanda, a [image]relatively small and sweltering venue for a rock show. The headline act of the show, TBTB was joined by Noah’s Ark, Weapon X, and Dead by Dawn, all local metal and rock bands. The crowd was into the other groups, but it was clear who they all came to see. “We haven’t played in two months,” explained Dietz on the June 26 show. “This is the first show that will start our mini-tour, which is going through Pennsylvania and down to Virginia Beach.” “This is our first show back, so I’m excited to just get up there and start playing again,” added Chiggs. To make clear why the group is so appealing, I went to the TBTB fans. “They have such a refreshing sound, breaking the mold for what popular music is in America today,” commented rock-music buff Nick Wisniewski. “Everyone is sick of these cookie cutter rock groups with no talent - you can really tell that TBTB is full of talented guys that love what they’re doing. People can get into that no matter what they [image]listen to.” The talent of the group is unquestionable if you’ve heard its music- seeing the band live boosts its image ten-fold. I can’t really explain the show in words. I left absolutely drenched in sweat and amazed at how good a band can be in person. The energy of the group was so high, it was almost scary. The Bunny was on the stage for a total of maybe ten seconds - he was[image] manic, spending the rest of the time jumping every which way, sprawling across the floor, and running out in to the crowd in an attempt to get the fans fired up, all the while making them a part of the show. “They have a high energy sound, but where they really explode is in person,” explained TBTB junkie Tom Pearce. “They put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen; full of energy and they always seem to take it up a notch on stage.” If you have the chance, head to the next TBTB show on July 30th at Positive Approach on Elmwood- a talented group like this won’t stay local for long. For more The Bunny The Bear, checkout their myspace page right here The video below is for the TBTB single April 11 “So what genre would you put yourself into?” I asked The Bunny, one-of-two lead singers of local band The Bunny The Bear. “Reverse-cowgirl-core,” he fired back at me, seemingly annoyed by the question. But while he took my question as a joke, he was actually being truthful in a way: it’s really [image]impossible to stick TBTB in a genre. They’re metal. They’re hardcore. They’re rock. They’re a bit emo, and everything else in between. The Bunny and The Bear, who get their names from the masks they wear on stage, are responsible for the vocals of the band, with The Bunny screaming and The Bear singing; they each play their parts well. One of the draws of TBTB is that the majority of its songs include screaming, an essential part to hardcore and metal music, and singing, which can draw the rocker crowd. And believe me when I say it, The Bunny can SCREAM and The Bear can SING. The rest of the group consists of Brian Dietz on drums, Chris “Chiggs” Cole on rhythm guitar, Derek Anthony on bass guitar, and Erik Kogut on lead guitar; The Bunny does all of the keyboard and piano arrangement on the songs. I caught the band at a recent show at The Moose Lodge in North Tonawanda, a [image]relatively small and sweltering venue for a rock show. The headline act of the show, TBTB was joined by Noah’s Ark, Weapon X, and Dead by Dawn, all local metal and rock bands. The crowd was into the other groups, but it was clear who they all came to see. “We haven’t played in two months,” explained Dietz on the June 26 show. “This is the first show that will start our mini-tour, which is going through Pennsylvania and down to Virginia Beach.” “This is our first show back, so I’m excited to just get up there and start playing again,” added Chiggs. To make clear why the group is so appealing, I went to the TBTB fans. “They have such a refreshing sound, breaking the mold for what popular music is in America today,” commented rock-music buff Nick Wisniewski. “Everyone is sick of these cookie cutter rock groups with no talent - you can really tell that TBTB is full of talented guys that love what they’re doing. People can get into that no matter what they [image]listen to.” The talent of the group is unquestionable if you’ve heard its music- seeing the band live boosts its image ten-fold. I can’t really explain the show in words. I left absolutely drenched in sweat and amazed at how good a band can be in person. The energy of the group was so high, it was almost scary. The Bunny was on the stage for a total of maybe ten seconds - he was[image] manic, spending the rest of the time jumping every which way, sprawling across the floor, and running out in to the crowd in an attempt to get the fans fired up, all the while making them a part of the show. “They have a high energy sound, but where they really explode is in person,” explained TBTB junkie Tom Pearce. “They put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen; full of energy and they always seem to take it up a notch on stage.” If you have the chance, head to the next TBTB show on July 30th at Positive Approach on Elmwood- a talented group like this won’t stay local for long. For more The Bunny The Bear, checkout their myspace page right here The video below is for the TBTB single April 11 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:24:11 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Bunny-The-Bear-Ferocious-Live/BLOG/2418436/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-06-30T00:24:11Z Articles MyBuffalo “So what genre would you put yourself into?” I asked The Bunny, one-of-two lead singers of local band The Bunny The Bear. “Reverse-cowgirl-core,” he fired back at me, seemingly annoyed by the question. But while he took my question as a joke, he was actually being truthful in a way: it’s really [image]impossible to stick TBTB in a genre. They’re metal. They’re hardcore. They’re rock. They’re a bit emo, and everything else in between. The Bunny and The Bear, who get their names from the masks they wear on stage, are responsible for the vocals of the band, with The Bunny screaming and The Bear singing; they each play their parts well. One of the draws of TBTB is that the majority of its songs include screaming, an essential part to hardcore and metal music, and singing, which can draw the rocker crowd. And believe me when I say it, The Bunny can SCREAM and The Bear can SING. The rest of the group consists of Brian Dietz on drums, Chris “Chiggs” Cole on rhythm guitar, Derek Anthony on bass guitar, and Erik Kogut on lead guitar; The Bunny does all of the keyboard and piano arrangement on the songs. I caught the band at a recent show at The Moose Lodge in North Tonawanda, a [image]relatively small and sweltering venue for a rock show. The headline act of the show, TBTB was joined by Noah’s Ark, Weapon X, and Dead by Dawn, all local metal and rock bands. The crowd was into the other groups, but it was clear who they all came to see. “We haven’t played in two months,” explained Dietz on the June 26 show. “This is the first show that will start our mini-tour, which is going through Pennsylvania and down to Virginia Beach.” “This is our first show back, so I’m excited to just get up there and start playing again,” added Chiggs. To make clear why the group is so appealing, I went to the TBTB fans. “They have such a refreshing sound, breaking the mold for what popular music is in America today,” commented rock-music buff Nick Wisniewski. “Everyone is sick of these cookie cutter rock groups with no talent - you can really tell that TBTB is full of talented guys that love what they’re doing. People can get into that no matter what they [image]listen to.” The talent of the group is unquestionable if you’ve heard its music- seeing the band live boosts its image ten-fold. I can’t really explain the show in words. I left absolutely drenched in sweat and amazed at how good a band can be in person. The energy of the group was so high, it was almost scary. The Bunny was on the stage for a total of maybe ten seconds - he was[image] manic, spending the rest of the time jumping every which way, sprawling across the floor, and running out in to the crowd in an attempt to get the fans fired up, all the while making them a part of the show. “They have a high energy sound, but where they really explode is in person,” explained TBTB junkie Tom Pearce. “They put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen; full of energy and they always seem to take it up a notch on stage.” If you have the chance, head to the next TBTB show on July 30th at Positive Approach on Elmwood- a talented group like this won’t stay local for long. For more The Bunny The Bear, checkout their myspace page right here The video below is for the TBTB single April 11 alternative, articles, band, bear, buffalo, bunny, drums, emo, guitar, hard, indie, lodge, metal, moose, north, rock, singing, the, tonawanda nonadult false The Bunny The Bear: Ferocious Live text blog alternative,articles,band,bear,buffalo,bunny,drums,emo,guitar,hard,indie,lodge,metal,moose,north,rock,singing,the,tonawanda 565 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 2418436 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_NARCh-Tourney-Attracts-Regions-Best/BLOG/2386780/85283.html As any area native can tell you, the Western New York and southern Ontario region is a hotbed for hockey. With the big league connection with the Sabres, all of the OHL teams from WNY to Toronto, and the high school and college level competition, we should be vying for the “Hockeytown USA” title. But now we can also add another branch of the sport to our resume: roller [image]hockey. The North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh), which has been a staple of the roller hockey world for more than a decade, held a qualifying tournament for the 2010 final, set to take place later this summer in sunny San Jose, at the Amherst Pepsi Center this weekend. “NARCh was established in 1994 and has grown significantly over the years,” explained NARCh representative Doug Jones. “We had over 400 teams at the last final held in San Jose [in 2008], and this year should be no different.” To anyone unfamiliar with the sport (which is most likely you!), this land-based take on hockey is fairly simple. Standard roller hockey games pit two teams against each other for varying lengths of time per game; some leagues have three periods of 15 minutes, while the weekend tournament had two periods of 17 minutes. Five players from each team, four skaters and a goalie, are on the rink at a time. “4-on-4 lets the play open up,” explains Eric Haak, President and CEO of the Buffalo Wings, the WNY connection to the roller hockey world. “There’s no offside rule and no icing. This gives players a big advantage to score some goals.”[image] Roller hockey is light on the hitting, but high on the scoring. “I have two sons who play, and they enjoy it more than ice hockey,” said Gina Smith, Youth League Director for the Buffalo Wings. Roller is more fast-paced than ice hockey, which means prime opportunities for goals. In the few games I was able to catch this weekend, 6-2 and 6-6 were the final tallies, a standard finish in the sport. The weekend tournament brought players from all over the east coast to the region for one of the NARCh Northeast qualifiers. “The teams that place at the end of the weekend will be playing in the NARCh finals, which this year take place back in San Jose,” said Jones.  Among the teams in the tournament were the Mississauga Mission Rattlers, the Hamilton Power Bladers, the Toronto Thunderhawks and several (and I do mean several) line-ups of the Buffalo Wings. “The tournament goes from 14 and under teams all the way to adult, and the [Buffalo] Wings have teams in almost every category,” said [image]Haak. Luckily, our hometown Wings were able to dominate at the tourney, winning the Bantam Gold, Squirt Gold, and most notably, the Jr./Men’s Platinum categories. A vastly popular sport in the hockey community (local boy and Detroit Red Wings goaltender Tom McCollum is an ex-Buffalo Wing), tournaments like this one will only help the sport grow in popularity. So if you're tired of freezing your butt off in an ice hockey rink or frozen pond, strap on your inline skates and give roller hockey a shot. More information on NARCh at www.narch.com More information on the Buffalo Wings at www.buffalowingshockey.com As any area native can tell you, the Western New York and southern Ontario region is a hotbed for hockey. With the big league connection with the Sabres, all of the OHL teams from WNY to Toronto, and the high school and college level competition, we should be vying for the “Hockeytown USA” title. But now we can also add another branch of the sport to our resume: roller [image]hockey. The North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh), which has been a staple of the roller hockey world for more than a decade, held a qualifying tournament for the 2010 final, set to take place later this summer in sunny San Jose, at the Amherst Pepsi Center this weekend. “NARCh was established in 1994 and has grown significantly over the years,” explained NARCh representative Doug Jones. “We had over 400 teams at the last final held in San Jose [in 2008], and this year should be no different.” To anyone unfamiliar with the sport (which is most likely you!), this land-based take on hockey is fairly simple. Standard roller hockey games pit two teams against each other for varying lengths of time per game; some leagues have three periods of 15 minutes, while the weekend tournament had two periods of 17 minutes. Five players from each team, four skaters and a goalie, are on the rink at a time. “4-on-4 lets the play open up,” explains Eric Haak, President and CEO of the Buffalo Wings, the WNY connection to the roller hockey world. “There’s no offside rule and no icing. This gives players a big advantage to score some goals.”[image] Roller hockey is light on the hitting, but high on the scoring. “I have two sons who play, and they enjoy it more than ice hockey,” said Gina Smith, Youth League Director for the Buffalo Wings. Roller is more fast-paced than ice hockey, which means prime opportunities for goals. In the few games I was able to catch this weekend, 6-2 and 6-6 were the final tallies, a standard finish in the sport. The weekend tournament brought players from all over the east coast to the region for one of the NARCh Northeast qualifiers. “The teams that place at the end of the weekend will be playing in the NARCh finals, which this year take place back in San Jose,” said Jones.  Among the teams in the tournament were the Mississauga Mission Rattlers, the Hamilton Power Bladers, the Toronto Thunderhawks and several (and I do mean several) line-ups of the Buffalo Wings. “The tournament goes from 14 and under teams all the way to adult, and the [Buffalo] Wings have teams in almost every category,” said [image]Haak. Luckily, our hometown Wings were able to dominate at the tourney, winning the Bantam Gold, Squirt Gold, and most notably, the Jr./Men’s Platinum categories. A vastly popular sport in the hockey community (local boy and Detroit Red Wings goaltender Tom McCollum is an ex-Buffalo Wing), tournaments like this one will only help the sport grow in popularity. So if you're tired of freezing your butt off in an ice hockey rink or frozen pond, strap on your inline skates and give roller hockey a shot. More information on NARCh at www.narch.com More information on the Buffalo Wings at www.buffalowingshockey.com Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:41:05 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_NARCh-Tourney-Attracts-Regions-Best/BLOG/2386780/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-06-09T19:41:05Z Articles MyBuffalo As any area native can tell you, the Western New York and southern Ontario region is a hotbed for hockey. With the big league connection with the Sabres, all of the OHL teams from WNY to Toronto, and the high school and college level competition, we should be vying for the “Hockeytown USA” title. But now we can also add another branch of the sport to our resume: roller [image]hockey. The North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh), which has been a staple of the roller hockey world for more than a decade, held a qualifying tournament for the 2010 final, set to take place later this summer in sunny San Jose, at the Amherst Pepsi Center this weekend. “NARCh was established in 1994 and has grown significantly over the years,” explained NARCh representative Doug Jones. “We had over 400 teams at the last final held in San Jose [in 2008], and this year should be no different.” To anyone unfamiliar with the sport (which is most likely you!), this land-based take on hockey is fairly simple. Standard roller hockey games pit two teams against each other for varying lengths of time per game; some leagues have three periods of 15 minutes, while the weekend tournament had two periods of 17 minutes. Five players from each team, four skaters and a goalie, are on the rink at a time. “4-on-4 lets the play open up,” explains Eric Haak, President and CEO of the Buffalo Wings, the WNY connection to the roller hockey world. “There’s no offside rule and no icing. This gives players a big advantage to score some goals.”[image] Roller hockey is light on the hitting, but high on the scoring. “I have two sons who play, and they enjoy it more than ice hockey,” said Gina Smith, Youth League Director for the Buffalo Wings. Roller is more fast-paced than ice hockey, which means prime opportunities for goals. In the few games I was able to catch this weekend, 6-2 and 6-6 were the final tallies, a standard finish in the sport. The weekend tournament brought players from all over the east coast to the region for one of the NARCh Northeast qualifiers. “The teams that place at the end of the weekend will be playing in the NARCh finals, which this year take place back in San Jose,” said Jones.  Among the teams in the tournament were the Mississauga Mission Rattlers, the Hamilton Power Bladers, the Toronto Thunderhawks and several (and I do mean several) line-ups of the Buffalo Wings. “The tournament goes from 14 and under teams all the way to adult, and the [Buffalo] Wings have teams in almost every category,” said [image]Haak. Luckily, our hometown Wings were able to dominate at the tourney, winning the Bantam Gold, Squirt Gold, and most notably, the Jr./Men’s Platinum categories. A vastly popular sport in the hockey community (local boy and Detroit Red Wings goaltender Tom McCollum is an ex-Buffalo Wing), tournaments like this one will only help the sport grow in popularity. So if you're tired of freezing your butt off in an ice hockey rink or frozen pond, strap on your inline skates and give roller hockey a shot. More information on NARCh at www.narch.com More information on the Buffalo Wings at www.buffalowingshockey.com american, amherst, articles, buffalo, center, championships, hockey, ice, narch, north, pepsi, roller, wings nonadult false NARCh Tourney Attracts Region’s Best text blog american,amherst,articles,buffalo,center,championships,hockey,ice,narch,north,pepsi,roller,wings 189 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 2386780 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Lions-Tigers-and-Bison-oh-my-The-Buffalo-Zoo-celebrates-135-years/BLOG/2352019/85283.html What do chicken wings, Tops Markets and Ralph Wilson have in common? They’re all staples of [image]Buffalo, and none of them are as old as the Buffalo Zoo. Well, except for maybe Ralph… Saturday marked the 135th anniversary of the opening of the zoo, and the day’s festivities were grand. The birthday celebration was an event filled day for animal lovers from all around Western New York. Game booths, geared at the younger crowd, were set up in [image]various lawn locations throughout the zoo grounds; visitors were able to play games, get their faces painted and have other animal related fun. “It’s a fun thing to bring the kids to,” said Sandra Daly of Buffalo. “They just love the animals, but today there’s so much more to do- it’s really great.” Various tents were filled with Victorian-era crafts, complete with actors in full Victorian dress. Sea Lion shows took place throughout the day, while knowledgeable zoo-keepers were at various exhibits around the park giving guests a more in-depth experience by discussing gorillas,[image] reptiles, and rainforest and farm animals. Zoo-keepers were also on hand to meet with guests at the brand new Delta Sonic Heritage Farm. The Heritage Farm is a recreation of a 1850s farmstead complete with a barn, a working vegetable garden and, in WNY tradition, a replica of an Erie Canal lock. Domestic animals like cattle and chickens top off the old-time experience. “It’s a great experience for guests because it lets them interact with animals and teaches them about the past,” said Jennifer Fields, Public Relations Coordinator for the Buffalo Zoo. The birthday was also a chance for the Zoo to unveil its new playground, a fan favorite for younger guests. The multiple-story playground, which is fittingly “barn-yard” themed, was built in partnership with Fisher-Price. Additionally, the zoo also had a special treat for Saturday’s guests, an appearance by Animal Exploration host [image]Jarod Miller. Miller, who recently shot an episode of his program at the Buffalo Zoo, spoke with guests and allowed an advanced screening of his latest episode. “I’m a native of Buffalo, I grew up here going to this zoo, so it was a real treat for me to do a show here,” said Miller on his latest episode, which features a look at every aspect of the zoo, from the gorilla pen to the Rainforest exhibit. It certainly seems obvious why the Buffalo Zoo has been around for over a century. The beautiful, historic buildings house hundreds of animals for visitors to glimpse, from the polar bears to the two-toed sloths. Fun for everyone, and with a rich history to boot, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Buffalo Zoo celebrated another century of animal entertainment. You can catch Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller at 7 a.m. Saturday’s on NYOLearn more about the Buffalo Zoo at Buffalozoo.org What do chicken wings, Tops Markets and Ralph Wilson have in common? They’re all staples of [image]Buffalo, and none of them are as old as the Buffalo Zoo. Well, except for maybe Ralph… Saturday marked the 135th anniversary of the opening of the zoo, and the day’s festivities were grand. The birthday celebration was an event filled day for animal lovers from all around Western New York. Game booths, geared at the younger crowd, were set up in [image]various lawn locations throughout the zoo grounds; visitors were able to play games, get their faces painted and have other animal related fun. “It’s a fun thing to bring the kids to,” said Sandra Daly of Buffalo. “They just love the animals, but today there’s so much more to do- it’s really great.” Various tents were filled with Victorian-era crafts, complete with actors in full Victorian dress. Sea Lion shows took place throughout the day, while knowledgeable zoo-keepers were at various exhibits around the park giving guests a more in-depth experience by discussing gorillas,[image] reptiles, and rainforest and farm animals. Zoo-keepers were also on hand to meet with guests at the brand new Delta Sonic Heritage Farm. The Heritage Farm is a recreation of a 1850s farmstead complete with a barn, a working vegetable garden and, in WNY tradition, a replica of an Erie Canal lock. Domestic animals like cattle and chickens top off the old-time experience. “It’s a great experience for guests because it lets them interact with animals and teaches them about the past,” said Jennifer Fields, Public Relations Coordinator for the Buffalo Zoo. The birthday was also a chance for the Zoo to unveil its new playground, a fan favorite for younger guests. The multiple-story playground, which is fittingly “barn-yard” themed, was built in partnership with Fisher-Price. Additionally, the zoo also had a special treat for Saturday’s guests, an appearance by Animal Exploration host [image]Jarod Miller. Miller, who recently shot an episode of his program at the Buffalo Zoo, spoke with guests and allowed an advanced screening of his latest episode. “I’m a native of Buffalo, I grew up here going to this zoo, so it was a real treat for me to do a show here,” said Miller on his latest episode, which features a look at every aspect of the zoo, from the gorilla pen to the Rainforest exhibit. It certainly seems obvious why the Buffalo Zoo has been around for over a century. The beautiful, historic buildings house hundreds of animals for visitors to glimpse, from the polar bears to the two-toed sloths. Fun for everyone, and with a rich history to boot, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Buffalo Zoo celebrated another century of animal entertainment. You can catch Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller at 7 a.m. Saturday’s on NYOLearn more about the Buffalo Zoo at Buffalozoo.org Tue, 25 May 2010 03:46:19 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Lions-Tigers-and-Bison-oh-my-The-Buffalo-Zoo-celebrates-135-years/BLOG/2352019/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-05-25T03:46:19Z Articles MyBuffalo What do chicken wings, Tops Markets and Ralph Wilson have in common? They’re all staples of [image]Buffalo, and none of them are as old as the Buffalo Zoo. Well, except for maybe Ralph… Saturday marked the 135th anniversary of the opening of the zoo, and the day’s festivities were grand. The birthday celebration was an event filled day for animal lovers from all around Western New York. Game booths, geared at the younger crowd, were set up in [image]various lawn locations throughout the zoo grounds; visitors were able to play games, get their faces painted and have other animal related fun. “It’s a fun thing to bring the kids to,” said Sandra Daly of Buffalo. “They just love the animals, but today there’s so much more to do- it’s really great.” Various tents were filled with Victorian-era crafts, complete with actors in full Victorian dress. Sea Lion shows took place throughout the day, while knowledgeable zoo-keepers were at various exhibits around the park giving guests a more in-depth experience by discussing gorillas,[image] reptiles, and rainforest and farm animals. Zoo-keepers were also on hand to meet with guests at the brand new Delta Sonic Heritage Farm. The Heritage Farm is a recreation of a 1850s farmstead complete with a barn, a working vegetable garden and, in WNY tradition, a replica of an Erie Canal lock. Domestic animals like cattle and chickens top off the old-time experience. “It’s a great experience for guests because it lets them interact with animals and teaches them about the past,” said Jennifer Fields, Public Relations Coordinator for the Buffalo Zoo. The birthday was also a chance for the Zoo to unveil its new playground, a fan favorite for younger guests. The multiple-story playground, which is fittingly “barn-yard” themed, was built in partnership with Fisher-Price. Additionally, the zoo also had a special treat for Saturday’s guests, an appearance by Animal Exploration host [image]Jarod Miller. Miller, who recently shot an episode of his program at the Buffalo Zoo, spoke with guests and allowed an advanced screening of his latest episode. “I’m a native of Buffalo, I grew up here going to this zoo, so it was a real treat for me to do a show here,” said Miller on his latest episode, which features a look at every aspect of the zoo, from the gorilla pen to the Rainforest exhibit. It certainly seems obvious why the Buffalo Zoo has been around for over a century. The beautiful, historic buildings house hundreds of animals for visitors to glimpse, from the polar bears to the two-toed sloths. Fun for everyone, and with a rich history to boot, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Buffalo Zoo celebrated another century of animal entertainment. You can catch Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller at 7 a.m. Saturday’s on NYOLearn more about the Buffalo Zoo at Buffalozoo.org 135, animal, animals, articles, bears, birthday, buffalo, celebration, exploration, jarod, miller, ralph, wilson, zoo nonadult false Lions, Tigers and Bison, oh my! The Buffalo Zoo celebrates 135 years text blog 135,animal,animals,articles,bears,birthday,buffalo,celebration,exploration,jarod,miller,ralph,wilson,zoo 229 1 4.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 2352019 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Iron-Man-2-Rourke-Downey-dazzle-audiences/BLOG/2335704/85283.html “It’s good to be back!” declared Robert Downey Jr. to a sea of fans. He was, of course, acting as[image] Tony Stark, the billionaire weapons designer/super hero that (some say) revived Downey’s acting career. Either way, he couldn’t be more right- it IS good to have him back!The much hyped Iron Man 2 opened this weekend and I was lucky enough to grab a ticket to the midnight showing on opening day. In fact, all my friends had tickets as well. And so did an entire sold-out theater worth of Iron Man fans. Good to be back indeed.Iron Man 2, the sequel to the blockbuster smash hit Iron Man released in 2008, follows billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) - whose character is a mix between the eccentric, the brilliant and the flamboyant – and his exploits as superhero Iron Man. He’s again joined by his beautiful assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who tries (most of the time unsuccessfully) to keep Stark in line. Don Cheadle has taken over Terrence Howard’s role as Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, and even gets to don an Iron Man-type suit and fight back-to-back with Stark himself.The villains this time around are Ivan Vanko/Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), both of whom have it out for Stark. Vanko is played brilliantly by Rourke and, despite his lack of screen-time for the better part of the film, commands the audience’s attention. A mad [image]Russian scientist covered in tattoos, Vanko has developed his own type of Iron Man weapon, with his power coming from super-charged whips that hang from his wrists.The character of Justin Hammer is a different story all together. Smart, powerful and wealthy, Hammer sees Stark as a business world foe. When he discovers Vanko has discovered the secret of Stark’s weapon and has developed his own, he looks at this as an opportunity. He wants his own army of Iron Men to sell on the black-market and will stop at nothing to get it.While it’s gotten mixed reviews –the overall star rating has been 2 and critics have called the sequel “weak” and “unspectacular” - the film does what it should for an audience: entertain. In fact, the general consensus from the group I went with to see the show was positive; [image]the film got a loud ovation at the end from the entire house and there was applause scattered throughout the film.A lot of hype surrounded this movie, so that may be one reason why it fell short for some viewers. Rourke and Downey play characters that are incredibly well acted, but Rouke’s lack of screen-time was a disappointment. The fight scenes, while epic and fun to watch, always seemed one-sided; we all knew who was going to win.While it was full of laughs and action, the most exciting parts were hints at future movies. Thor’s Hammer plays a role in Iron Man 2, as does the shield of Captain America, which hint at the upcoming Avengers flick due in 2012.It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait nearly two more years for Tony Stark to be back. It was worth the wait the first two times, who knows what the third will bring. “It’s good to be back!” declared Robert Downey Jr. to a sea of fans. He was, of course, acting as[image] Tony Stark, the billionaire weapons designer/super hero that (some say) revived Downey’s acting career. Either way, he couldn’t be more right- it IS good to have him back!The much hyped Iron Man 2 opened this weekend and I was lucky enough to grab a ticket to the midnight showing on opening day. In fact, all my friends had tickets as well. And so did an entire sold-out theater worth of Iron Man fans. Good to be back indeed.Iron Man 2, the sequel to the blockbuster smash hit Iron Man released in 2008, follows billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) - whose character is a mix between the eccentric, the brilliant and the flamboyant – and his exploits as superhero Iron Man. He’s again joined by his beautiful assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who tries (most of the time unsuccessfully) to keep Stark in line. Don Cheadle has taken over Terrence Howard’s role as Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, and even gets to don an Iron Man-type suit and fight back-to-back with Stark himself.The villains this time around are Ivan Vanko/Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), both of whom have it out for Stark. Vanko is played brilliantly by Rourke and, despite his lack of screen-time for the better part of the film, commands the audience’s attention. A mad [image]Russian scientist covered in tattoos, Vanko has developed his own type of Iron Man weapon, with his power coming from super-charged whips that hang from his wrists.The character of Justin Hammer is a different story all together. Smart, powerful and wealthy, Hammer sees Stark as a business world foe. When he discovers Vanko has discovered the secret of Stark’s weapon and has developed his own, he looks at this as an opportunity. He wants his own army of Iron Men to sell on the black-market and will stop at nothing to get it.While it’s gotten mixed reviews –the overall star rating has been 2 and critics have called the sequel “weak” and “unspectacular” - the film does what it should for an audience: entertain. In fact, the general consensus from the group I went with to see the show was positive; [image]the film got a loud ovation at the end from the entire house and there was applause scattered throughout the film.A lot of hype surrounded this movie, so that may be one reason why it fell short for some viewers. Rourke and Downey play characters that are incredibly well acted, but Rouke’s lack of screen-time was a disappointment. The fight scenes, while epic and fun to watch, always seemed one-sided; we all knew who was going to win.While it was full of laughs and action, the most exciting parts were hints at future movies. Thor’s Hammer plays a role in Iron Man 2, as does the shield of Captain America, which hint at the upcoming Avengers flick due in 2012.It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait nearly two more years for Tony Stark to be back. It was worth the wait the first two times, who knows what the third will bring. Wed, 12 May 2010 20:45:30 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Iron-Man-2-Rourke-Downey-dazzle-audiences/BLOG/2335704/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-05-12T20:45:30Z Articles MyBuffalo “It’s good to be back!” declared Robert Downey Jr. to a sea of fans. He was, of course, acting as[image] Tony Stark, the billionaire weapons designer/super hero that (some say) revived Downey’s acting career. Either way, he couldn’t be more right- it IS good to have him back!The much hyped Iron Man 2 opened this weekend and I was lucky enough to grab a ticket to the midnight showing on opening day. In fact, all my friends had tickets as well. And so did an entire sold-out theater worth of Iron Man fans. Good to be back indeed.Iron Man 2, the sequel to the blockbuster smash hit Iron Man released in 2008, follows billionaire playboy Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) - whose character is a mix between the eccentric, the brilliant and the flamboyant – and his exploits as superhero Iron Man. He’s again joined by his beautiful assistant, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), who tries (most of the time unsuccessfully) to keep Stark in line. Don Cheadle has taken over Terrence Howard’s role as Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, and even gets to don an Iron Man-type suit and fight back-to-back with Stark himself.The villains this time around are Ivan Vanko/Whiplash (Mickey Rourke) and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), both of whom have it out for Stark. Vanko is played brilliantly by Rourke and, despite his lack of screen-time for the better part of the film, commands the audience’s attention. A mad [image]Russian scientist covered in tattoos, Vanko has developed his own type of Iron Man weapon, with his power coming from super-charged whips that hang from his wrists.The character of Justin Hammer is a different story all together. Smart, powerful and wealthy, Hammer sees Stark as a business world foe. When he discovers Vanko has discovered the secret of Stark’s weapon and has developed his own, he looks at this as an opportunity. He wants his own army of Iron Men to sell on the black-market and will stop at nothing to get it.While it’s gotten mixed reviews –the overall star rating has been 2 and critics have called the sequel “weak” and “unspectacular” - the film does what it should for an audience: entertain. In fact, the general consensus from the group I went with to see the show was positive; [image]the film got a loud ovation at the end from the entire house and there was applause scattered throughout the film.A lot of hype surrounded this movie, so that may be one reason why it fell short for some viewers. Rourke and Downey play characters that are incredibly well acted, but Rouke’s lack of screen-time was a disappointment. The fight scenes, while epic and fun to watch, always seemed one-sided; we all knew who was going to win.While it was full of laughs and action, the most exciting parts were hints at future movies. Thor’s Hammer plays a role in Iron Man 2, as does the shield of Captain America, which hint at the upcoming Avengers flick due in 2012.It’s a shame that we’ll have to wait nearly two more years for Tony Stark to be back. It was worth the wait the first two times, who knows what the third will bring. 2, articles, downey, film, iron, jr., man, mickey, movies, robert, rourke, superhero nonadult false Iron Man 2: Rourke, Downey dazzle audiences text blog 2,articles,downey,film,iron,jr.,man,mickey,movies,robert,rourke,superhero 248 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 2335704 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Chili-Fest-heats-up-WNY/BLOG/2298886/85283.html A heat wave has swept over Buffalo! And no, I’m not talking about the unseasonably warm weather. I’m talking about ground beef, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and onions, maybe a few handfuls [image]of spices… you know, chili! People Inc., the largest not-for-profit organization in Western New York, along with D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub hosted the first annual Buffalo Chili Fest on Sunday, and boy was the competition hot. Twenty local restaurants, including the Buffalo Chophouse, DiCamillo’s Bakery, Pizza Junction, and Texas Roadhouse brought their best batches of blistering hot chili for hundreds of Western New Yorkers to taste and judge. My friend Joe Jakubaszek (local chef and chili extraordinaire) and I browsed the tables and had heaping bowls of the best local chili (not to mention beer) that the region has to offer. Some of the top tables included the Army Aviation Association, whose take on a sweet chili brought some sugar to the palate. Another came from Chris’s Steer and Beer, which boasted a chili with “no water, just Guinness.” My personal favorite was from the Riverstone Grill of Grand Island. The Grill’s take on the dish was something out of the ordinary, but absolutely delicious. The recipe included pulled pork, prime rib, cilantro, and tomatoes and was topped off with lime juice. “The citrus from the lime was a great twist on the whole idea of chili,” commented Jakubaszek, and I couldn’t agree more. While there wasn’t much heat, the lime was an unexpected taste and won me over – the Riverstone got my vote as the best dish hands down. And there wasn’t just chili at the D’Arcy McGee’s hosted fest. The local band November 11, fronted by Buffalo Chili Fest creator Jim Breidenstein, performed classic tunes to get the crowd moving. Face painting and a puppet show performed by the internationally acclaimed “Kids on the Block” puppet theater entertained the younger chili fans. The Labatt Blue Light girls were on hand, dispensing cold Blue Light beer to the thankful crowd - a cold beer was the perfect way to put out the mouthful of flames, and D’Arcy McGee’s had plenty to go around. [image]All proceeds from the fest went to People Inc., a Western New York staple for the past 40 years. Senior housing, programs and transportation for the disabled of our region are just a few of the services provided by this great organization. “The chili fest event will definitely generate some more attention for People Inc.,” commented Reid Dunlavey, Research Specialist at People Inc.’s Museum of Disability History. When all was said and done (and tasted) Chili Chili Bing Bang, one of the sweeter chilies at the fest (lots of onion and molasses/brown sugar flavor made it a real crowd pleaser), took home the top vote for Best Chili. Potter’s Field, with its generous spoonfuls of meat, took second place while Riverstone Grill placed third. If you weren’t able to catch it this time around, don’t worry - the future is bright for this kind of fundraiser for People Inc. “Jim (Breidenstein) is calling this the ‘First Annual Chili Fest’ so expect to see more in the future,” said Denise Paszkiewicz, Director of People Inc. “We had a great turn out this year and the family-friendly atmosphere is a definite draw. D’Arcy McGee’s has been great and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.” If you missed it, fear not! You can get all of the great tasting chilies right here in Western New York! More info on People Inc. at people-inc.org More info on the chili fest and competitors at buffalochilifest.com A heat wave has swept over Buffalo! And no, I’m not talking about the unseasonably warm weather. I’m talking about ground beef, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and onions, maybe a few handfuls [image]of spices… you know, chili! People Inc., the largest not-for-profit organization in Western New York, along with D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub hosted the first annual Buffalo Chili Fest on Sunday, and boy was the competition hot. Twenty local restaurants, including the Buffalo Chophouse, DiCamillo’s Bakery, Pizza Junction, and Texas Roadhouse brought their best batches of blistering hot chili for hundreds of Western New Yorkers to taste and judge. My friend Joe Jakubaszek (local chef and chili extraordinaire) and I browsed the tables and had heaping bowls of the best local chili (not to mention beer) that the region has to offer. Some of the top tables included the Army Aviation Association, whose take on a sweet chili brought some sugar to the palate. Another came from Chris’s Steer and Beer, which boasted a chili with “no water, just Guinness.” My personal favorite was from the Riverstone Grill of Grand Island. The Grill’s take on the dish was something out of the ordinary, but absolutely delicious. The recipe included pulled pork, prime rib, cilantro, and tomatoes and was topped off with lime juice. “The citrus from the lime was a great twist on the whole idea of chili,” commented Jakubaszek, and I couldn’t agree more. While there wasn’t much heat, the lime was an unexpected taste and won me over – the Riverstone got my vote as the best dish hands down. And there wasn’t just chili at the D’Arcy McGee’s hosted fest. The local band November 11, fronted by Buffalo Chili Fest creator Jim Breidenstein, performed classic tunes to get the crowd moving. Face painting and a puppet show performed by the internationally acclaimed “Kids on the Block” puppet theater entertained the younger chili fans. The Labatt Blue Light girls were on hand, dispensing cold Blue Light beer to the thankful crowd - a cold beer was the perfect way to put out the mouthful of flames, and D’Arcy McGee’s had plenty to go around. [image]All proceeds from the fest went to People Inc., a Western New York staple for the past 40 years. Senior housing, programs and transportation for the disabled of our region are just a few of the services provided by this great organization. “The chili fest event will definitely generate some more attention for People Inc.,” commented Reid Dunlavey, Research Specialist at People Inc.’s Museum of Disability History. When all was said and done (and tasted) Chili Chili Bing Bang, one of the sweeter chilies at the fest (lots of onion and molasses/brown sugar flavor made it a real crowd pleaser), took home the top vote for Best Chili. Potter’s Field, with its generous spoonfuls of meat, took second place while Riverstone Grill placed third. If you weren’t able to catch it this time around, don’t worry - the future is bright for this kind of fundraiser for People Inc. “Jim (Breidenstein) is calling this the ‘First Annual Chili Fest’ so expect to see more in the future,” said Denise Paszkiewicz, Director of People Inc. “We had a great turn out this year and the family-friendly atmosphere is a definite draw. D’Arcy McGee’s has been great and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.” If you missed it, fear not! You can get all of the great tasting chilies right here in Western New York! More info on People Inc. at people-inc.org More info on the chili fest and competitors at buffalochilifest.com Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:51:22 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Chili-Fest-heats-up-WNY/BLOG/2298886/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-04-14T08:51:22Z Articles MyBuffalo A heat wave has swept over Buffalo! And no, I’m not talking about the unseasonably warm weather. I’m talking about ground beef, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes and onions, maybe a few handfuls [image]of spices… you know, chili! People Inc., the largest not-for-profit organization in Western New York, along with D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub hosted the first annual Buffalo Chili Fest on Sunday, and boy was the competition hot. Twenty local restaurants, including the Buffalo Chophouse, DiCamillo’s Bakery, Pizza Junction, and Texas Roadhouse brought their best batches of blistering hot chili for hundreds of Western New Yorkers to taste and judge. My friend Joe Jakubaszek (local chef and chili extraordinaire) and I browsed the tables and had heaping bowls of the best local chili (not to mention beer) that the region has to offer. Some of the top tables included the Army Aviation Association, whose take on a sweet chili brought some sugar to the palate. Another came from Chris’s Steer and Beer, which boasted a chili with “no water, just Guinness.” My personal favorite was from the Riverstone Grill of Grand Island. The Grill’s take on the dish was something out of the ordinary, but absolutely delicious. The recipe included pulled pork, prime rib, cilantro, and tomatoes and was topped off with lime juice. “The citrus from the lime was a great twist on the whole idea of chili,” commented Jakubaszek, and I couldn’t agree more. While there wasn’t much heat, the lime was an unexpected taste and won me over – the Riverstone got my vote as the best dish hands down. And there wasn’t just chili at the D’Arcy McGee’s hosted fest. The local band November 11, fronted by Buffalo Chili Fest creator Jim Breidenstein, performed classic tunes to get the crowd moving. Face painting and a puppet show performed by the internationally acclaimed “Kids on the Block” puppet theater entertained the younger chili fans. The Labatt Blue Light girls were on hand, dispensing cold Blue Light beer to the thankful crowd - a cold beer was the perfect way to put out the mouthful of flames, and D’Arcy McGee’s had plenty to go around. [image]All proceeds from the fest went to People Inc., a Western New York staple for the past 40 years. Senior housing, programs and transportation for the disabled of our region are just a few of the services provided by this great organization. “The chili fest event will definitely generate some more attention for People Inc.,” commented Reid Dunlavey, Research Specialist at People Inc.’s Museum of Disability History. When all was said and done (and tasted) Chili Chili Bing Bang, one of the sweeter chilies at the fest (lots of onion and molasses/brown sugar flavor made it a real crowd pleaser), took home the top vote for Best Chili. Potter’s Field, with its generous spoonfuls of meat, took second place while Riverstone Grill placed third. If you weren’t able to catch it this time around, don’t worry - the future is bright for this kind of fundraiser for People Inc. “Jim (Breidenstein) is calling this the ‘First Annual Chili Fest’ so expect to see more in the future,” said Denise Paszkiewicz, Director of People Inc. “We had a great turn out this year and the family-friendly atmosphere is a definite draw. D’Arcy McGee’s has been great and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.” If you missed it, fear not! You can get all of the great tasting chilies right here in Western New York! More info on People Inc. at people-inc.org More info on the chili fest and competitors at buffalochilifest.com articles, beer, blue, buffalo, chili, d'arcy, fest, grill, inc., mcgee's, people, riverstone nonadult false Chili Fest heats up WNY text blog articles,beer,blue,buffalo,chili,d'arcy,fest,grill,inc.,mcgee's,people,riverstone 199 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 2298886 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_SABAH-Athletes-Lace-Up/BLOG/1930309/85283.html Maybe you know someone who has children with special needs. They could have hearing or vision [image]problems. Perhaps they were born with a form of autism. If so, there’s an excellent chance that they’ve been involved in a great local organization known as SABAH. Skating Athletes Bold at Heart (SABAH), a Western New York staple for more than a decade, is an ice skating program for individuals with special needs. The organization will be hosting its annual Ice Celebration, this year known as SABAH’s Got Talent, on March 28 at the HSBC Arena. SABAH’s goal is to encourage development within the special needs community through therapeutic ice skating. Volunteers assist members of the organization by supporting the skaters, helping them feel confident in [image]themselves and, more importantly, have a fun time doing it. One of the organization’s newest events pairs SABAH athletes with local high school and area hockey players, where they get a chance to hone their ice hockey skills in a fun and neutering atmosphere. The weekly hockey clinic, which takes place each Tuesday night at Riverside’s Bud Bakewell Arena, is a change of pace from normal SABAH skating. “The clinic is about teaching our guys hockey skills and working together,” said SABAH Executive Director Shelia O’Brien. “It’s an opportunity for our kids to play hockey, which is something they usually don’t get to do. They’re participating and it’s great that local athletes can come and interact with people who have special needs.” Some of the skills practiced at Tuesday’s clinic included passing and shooting, but the main focus was skating. “I don’t know who had more fun- our guys, or theirs,” said Williamsville East hockey Head Coach Mike Torrillo, who, along with some of his high school skaters, helped out at Tuesday’s clinic. “It was great to see how excited kids can be with small things, like just skating. After awhile, you take it for granted and it’s nice to see our guys having fun and getting to teach a little bit.”[image] With ages ranging from 5 to 65, SABAH is an organization for anyone. Athletes in the club face conditions like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cancer among other challenges, but it doesn’t stop them from taking to the ice and enjoying life. Buffalo Sabres forward Mike Grier is a spokesperson for SABAH, and recently hosted a Skate-A-Thon with fellow Sabres Steve Montador and Derek Roy. The event rose over $12,000 for the club and gave SABAH athletes a chance to skate with some of their hockey heroes. All proceeds from fundraisers go to the main annual event, which is always held at the HSBC Arena. This year’s show will have a ten dollar ticket price, which will go to support SABAH, its various programs and all future events. The March 28 program will consist of over 600 skaters and 400 volunteers, who will help with costume changes and any other aspects of the show that may need assistance. “It’s a huge deal for them,” said O’Brien. “This is their day. It’s what they’ve been working so hard for.” If you have a chance, head down to HSBC Arena on the 28th and watch what some local athletes with special needs can pull off with hard work and a little help from their friends. More information on SABAH at sabahinc.org Maybe you know someone who has children with special needs. They could have hearing or vision [image]problems. Perhaps they were born with a form of autism. If so, there’s an excellent chance that they’ve been involved in a great local organization known as SABAH. Skating Athletes Bold at Heart (SABAH), a Western New York staple for more than a decade, is an ice skating program for individuals with special needs. The organization will be hosting its annual Ice Celebration, this year known as SABAH’s Got Talent, on March 28 at the HSBC Arena. SABAH’s goal is to encourage development within the special needs community through therapeutic ice skating. Volunteers assist members of the organization by supporting the skaters, helping them feel confident in [image]themselves and, more importantly, have a fun time doing it. One of the organization’s newest events pairs SABAH athletes with local high school and area hockey players, where they get a chance to hone their ice hockey skills in a fun and neutering atmosphere. The weekly hockey clinic, which takes place each Tuesday night at Riverside’s Bud Bakewell Arena, is a change of pace from normal SABAH skating. “The clinic is about teaching our guys hockey skills and working together,” said SABAH Executive Director Shelia O’Brien. “It’s an opportunity for our kids to play hockey, which is something they usually don’t get to do. They’re participating and it’s great that local athletes can come and interact with people who have special needs.” Some of the skills practiced at Tuesday’s clinic included passing and shooting, but the main focus was skating. “I don’t know who had more fun- our guys, or theirs,” said Williamsville East hockey Head Coach Mike Torrillo, who, along with some of his high school skaters, helped out at Tuesday’s clinic. “It was great to see how excited kids can be with small things, like just skating. After awhile, you take it for granted and it’s nice to see our guys having fun and getting to teach a little bit.”[image] With ages ranging from 5 to 65, SABAH is an organization for anyone. Athletes in the club face conditions like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cancer among other challenges, but it doesn’t stop them from taking to the ice and enjoying life. Buffalo Sabres forward Mike Grier is a spokesperson for SABAH, and recently hosted a Skate-A-Thon with fellow Sabres Steve Montador and Derek Roy. The event rose over $12,000 for the club and gave SABAH athletes a chance to skate with some of their hockey heroes. All proceeds from fundraisers go to the main annual event, which is always held at the HSBC Arena. This year’s show will have a ten dollar ticket price, which will go to support SABAH, its various programs and all future events. The March 28 program will consist of over 600 skaters and 400 volunteers, who will help with costume changes and any other aspects of the show that may need assistance. “It’s a huge deal for them,” said O’Brien. “This is their day. It’s what they’ve been working so hard for.” If you have a chance, head down to HSBC Arena on the 28th and watch what some local athletes with special needs can pull off with hard work and a little help from their friends. More information on SABAH at sabahinc.org Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:04:45 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_SABAH-Athletes-Lace-Up/BLOG/1930309/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-03-04T04:04:45Z Articles MyBuffalo Maybe you know someone who has children with special needs. They could have hearing or vision [image]problems. Perhaps they were born with a form of autism. If so, there’s an excellent chance that they’ve been involved in a great local organization known as SABAH. Skating Athletes Bold at Heart (SABAH), a Western New York staple for more than a decade, is an ice skating program for individuals with special needs. The organization will be hosting its annual Ice Celebration, this year known as SABAH’s Got Talent, on March 28 at the HSBC Arena. SABAH’s goal is to encourage development within the special needs community through therapeutic ice skating. Volunteers assist members of the organization by supporting the skaters, helping them feel confident in [image]themselves and, more importantly, have a fun time doing it. One of the organization’s newest events pairs SABAH athletes with local high school and area hockey players, where they get a chance to hone their ice hockey skills in a fun and neutering atmosphere. The weekly hockey clinic, which takes place each Tuesday night at Riverside’s Bud Bakewell Arena, is a change of pace from normal SABAH skating. “The clinic is about teaching our guys hockey skills and working together,” said SABAH Executive Director Shelia O’Brien. “It’s an opportunity for our kids to play hockey, which is something they usually don’t get to do. They’re participating and it’s great that local athletes can come and interact with people who have special needs.” Some of the skills practiced at Tuesday’s clinic included passing and shooting, but the main focus was skating. “I don’t know who had more fun- our guys, or theirs,” said Williamsville East hockey Head Coach Mike Torrillo, who, along with some of his high school skaters, helped out at Tuesday’s clinic. “It was great to see how excited kids can be with small things, like just skating. After awhile, you take it for granted and it’s nice to see our guys having fun and getting to teach a little bit.”[image] With ages ranging from 5 to 65, SABAH is an organization for anyone. Athletes in the club face conditions like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cancer among other challenges, but it doesn’t stop them from taking to the ice and enjoying life. Buffalo Sabres forward Mike Grier is a spokesperson for SABAH, and recently hosted a Skate-A-Thon with fellow Sabres Steve Montador and Derek Roy. The event rose over $12,000 for the club and gave SABAH athletes a chance to skate with some of their hockey heroes. All proceeds from fundraisers go to the main annual event, which is always held at the HSBC Arena. This year’s show will have a ten dollar ticket price, which will go to support SABAH, its various programs and all future events. The March 28 program will consist of over 600 skaters and 400 volunteers, who will help with costume changes and any other aspects of the show that may need assistance. “It’s a huge deal for them,” said O’Brien. “This is their day. It’s what they’ve been working so hard for.” If you have a chance, head down to HSBC Arena on the 28th and watch what some local athletes with special needs can pull off with hard work and a little help from their friends. More information on SABAH at sabahinc.org arena, articles, at, athletes, bakewell, bold, bud, buffalo, heart, hsbc, riverside, sabah, skating nonadult false SABAH Athletes Lace Up text blog arena,articles,at,athletes,bakewell,bold,bud,buffalo,heart,hsbc,riverside,sabah,skating 321 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1930309 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Labatt-Pond-Hockey-Tourney-Returns/BLOG/1926485/85283.html Detroit may be known as “Hockey Town, USA,” but it’s no secret that Buffalo is a hotbed for the [image]coolest sport on ice. That just might be why hundreds of people from Western New York and around the country descended upon the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo on Saturday.  While Buffalo Sabres goaltender and Team USA golden boy Ryan Miller and Head Coach Lindy Ruff were off in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics, Labatt USA hosted its third annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament. The weekend tourney consisted of 112 teams separated into 14 divisions. Over 700 players signed up for the event, which was played on eight man-made rinks. “It’s a great way to spend a weekend,” said John Edro, a member of a six-man team from Amherst. “We get to compete in a fun atmosphere and have a few beers along the way. It’s great.” In just its third year, the tourney has grown significantly. One-hundred and twelve teams took the ice on Saturday, nearly 100 more than its first year back in 2008. “I didn’t hear about the whole tournament until a few months ago,” said Jack Bergman, a competitor from Pennsylvania. “I was pretty excited, so I got some guys together and we signed up. It’s old school pond hockey, like when we were young; it’s fun that we get to relive those days.” Hundreds of spectators, many of whom visited the first annual Power Keg Festival held a few blocks away, came to cheer on the players and visit the beer tents. “If there’s one thing that somebody from Buffalo loves, it’s hockey and Labatt Blue,” commented Cristie Phillips of Buffalo. Teams with names like the Buffalo Wings, The Ryan Miller Rebels and Lindy’s Ruffs Moustache laced up their skates and lifted their sticks… along with a few frosty Labatt Blues, of course. The games were played in traditional pond hockey fashion: four skaters per side, no goalies, and nets just six inches above the ice and six feet wide. The winners of each of the 14 divisions will go on to the championship round on Sunday to determine the winner. Unfortunately, division finals were unable to be played when the remainder of the tournament was cancelled due to weather conditions –  Mother Nature finally decided to cut Western New York a break and give us a little sunshine. With temperatures in the mid to high 30s, the ice became unstable and, more importantly, unsafe. Sunday’s events were called off and teams were given an option of a prorated refund or merchandise, reported The Buffalo News. While it’s a disappointment that the tournament couldn’t be concluded, there was plenty of fun to be had at Saturday’s event.  “This is my second year of playing, and it’s even better than the last time,” said Eric Franklin of Dunkirk. “With Olympic hockey heating up, Ryan Miller and the US doing so well, it certainly got everyone amped up to play. It’s going to be a great time, win or lose.” While the weather may have put a damper on things, one thing is certain: Buffalo is a drinking town with a hockey problem. Well, more like hockey obsession. Detroit may be known as “Hockey Town, USA,” but it’s no secret that Buffalo is a hotbed for the [image]coolest sport on ice. That just might be why hundreds of people from Western New York and around the country descended upon the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo on Saturday.  While Buffalo Sabres goaltender and Team USA golden boy Ryan Miller and Head Coach Lindy Ruff were off in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics, Labatt USA hosted its third annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament. The weekend tourney consisted of 112 teams separated into 14 divisions. Over 700 players signed up for the event, which was played on eight man-made rinks. “It’s a great way to spend a weekend,” said John Edro, a member of a six-man team from Amherst. “We get to compete in a fun atmosphere and have a few beers along the way. It’s great.” In just its third year, the tourney has grown significantly. One-hundred and twelve teams took the ice on Saturday, nearly 100 more than its first year back in 2008. “I didn’t hear about the whole tournament until a few months ago,” said Jack Bergman, a competitor from Pennsylvania. “I was pretty excited, so I got some guys together and we signed up. It’s old school pond hockey, like when we were young; it’s fun that we get to relive those days.” Hundreds of spectators, many of whom visited the first annual Power Keg Festival held a few blocks away, came to cheer on the players and visit the beer tents. “If there’s one thing that somebody from Buffalo loves, it’s hockey and Labatt Blue,” commented Cristie Phillips of Buffalo. Teams with names like the Buffalo Wings, The Ryan Miller Rebels and Lindy’s Ruffs Moustache laced up their skates and lifted their sticks… along with a few frosty Labatt Blues, of course. The games were played in traditional pond hockey fashion: four skaters per side, no goalies, and nets just six inches above the ice and six feet wide. The winners of each of the 14 divisions will go on to the championship round on Sunday to determine the winner. Unfortunately, division finals were unable to be played when the remainder of the tournament was cancelled due to weather conditions –  Mother Nature finally decided to cut Western New York a break and give us a little sunshine. With temperatures in the mid to high 30s, the ice became unstable and, more importantly, unsafe. Sunday’s events were called off and teams were given an option of a prorated refund or merchandise, reported The Buffalo News. While it’s a disappointment that the tournament couldn’t be concluded, there was plenty of fun to be had at Saturday’s event.  “This is my second year of playing, and it’s even better than the last time,” said Eric Franklin of Dunkirk. “With Olympic hockey heating up, Ryan Miller and the US doing so well, it certainly got everyone amped up to play. It’s going to be a great time, win or lose.” While the weather may have put a damper on things, one thing is certain: Buffalo is a drinking town with a hockey problem. Well, more like hockey obsession. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:21:54 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Labatt-Pond-Hockey-Tourney-Returns/BLOG/1926485/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-03-02T02:21:54Z Articles MyBuffalo Detroit may be known as “Hockey Town, USA,” but it’s no secret that Buffalo is a hotbed for the [image]coolest sport on ice. That just might be why hundreds of people from Western New York and around the country descended upon the Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo on Saturday.  While Buffalo Sabres goaltender and Team USA golden boy Ryan Miller and Head Coach Lindy Ruff were off in Vancouver at the Winter Olympics, Labatt USA hosted its third annual Labatt Blue Buffalo Pond Hockey Tournament. The weekend tourney consisted of 112 teams separated into 14 divisions. Over 700 players signed up for the event, which was played on eight man-made rinks. “It’s a great way to spend a weekend,” said John Edro, a member of a six-man team from Amherst. “We get to compete in a fun atmosphere and have a few beers along the way. It’s great.” In just its third year, the tourney has grown significantly. One-hundred and twelve teams took the ice on Saturday, nearly 100 more than its first year back in 2008. “I didn’t hear about the whole tournament until a few months ago,” said Jack Bergman, a competitor from Pennsylvania. “I was pretty excited, so I got some guys together and we signed up. It’s old school pond hockey, like when we were young; it’s fun that we get to relive those days.” Hundreds of spectators, many of whom visited the first annual Power Keg Festival held a few blocks away, came to cheer on the players and visit the beer tents. “If there’s one thing that somebody from Buffalo loves, it’s hockey and Labatt Blue,” commented Cristie Phillips of Buffalo. Teams with names like the Buffalo Wings, The Ryan Miller Rebels and Lindy’s Ruffs Moustache laced up their skates and lifted their sticks… along with a few frosty Labatt Blues, of course. The games were played in traditional pond hockey fashion: four skaters per side, no goalies, and nets just six inches above the ice and six feet wide. The winners of each of the 14 divisions will go on to the championship round on Sunday to determine the winner. Unfortunately, division finals were unable to be played when the remainder of the tournament was cancelled due to weather conditions –  Mother Nature finally decided to cut Western New York a break and give us a little sunshine. With temperatures in the mid to high 30s, the ice became unstable and, more importantly, unsafe. Sunday’s events were called off and teams were given an option of a prorated refund or merchandise, reported The Buffalo News. While it’s a disappointment that the tournament couldn’t be concluded, there was plenty of fun to be had at Saturday’s event.  “This is my second year of playing, and it’s even better than the last time,” said Eric Franklin of Dunkirk. “With Olympic hockey heating up, Ryan Miller and the US doing so well, it certainly got everyone amped up to play. It’s going to be a great time, win or lose.” While the weather may have put a damper on things, one thing is certain: Buffalo is a drinking town with a hockey problem. Well, more like hockey obsession. articles, beer, blue, buffalo, hockey, labatt, pond, tournament, usa nonadult false Labatt Pond Hockey Tourney Returns! text blog articles,beer,blue,buffalo,hockey,labatt,pond,tournament,usa 194 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1926485 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Modern-Warfare-2-tournament-draws-gamers/BLOG/1878153/85283.html My girlfriend hates it. Your girlfriend hates it. Their friends hate it. Moms across the country are up [image]in arms. Hillary Clinton must be furious. No, I’m not talking about the latest album from artists like Marilyn Manson or 50 Cent. I’m talking about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and where do I even begin?The latest first-person-shooter masterpiece from game developer Infinity Ward and publisher Activision, Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) has taken high school and college aged males by storm. Kids across the country log more hours daily playing MW2 than they do doing… well, anything else.“I sometimes get four or five hours of sleep a night,” said Nate Martin, one of the guys that I met at a local MW2 tournament on Wednesday night. “It’s certainly an addiction.”Don’t see the big deal? Gamers do.MW2 has sold over seven million copies since its November 2009 release: 4.7 million copies on the Xbox 360 and another 2.5 million on the PlayStation 3. In the first 24 hours of its release, four million units were sold in the United States and U.K., with revenue of first day sales set at $310 million; the revenue to date is over one billion dollars.The sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, MW2 is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and a third Modern Warfare is expected by next December. It has a standard campaign (here’s the story, now go play through all these plots twists till you beat the game), but the true success comes from the multiplayer mode.“The draw of the game is the online multiplayer,” said MW2 fan Steve Boyle. “There are so many things you can do- upgrade and unlock weapons, constantly level up; you’ll never get bored because there’s always something else to do.”To show how obsessive it really is, one of the guys on my friends list has logged over 11 DAYS worth of multiplayer play. I myself have over three days of game play, and I’m near the bottom of that list, which is over 30 people.Wednesday’s MW2 tournament, hosted by Cyber-Sports (cyber-sportz.com) creator Madd Matt, was held at Buffalo Wild Wings in Amherst. The weekly tournament was standard two-versus-two fashion with a five dollar buy in, with matches going best of three. If your team is defeated in the first round, you get another chance in the “loser’s bracket.”“Sometimes it takes awhile for games that we host to catch on,” said Madd Matt. “We started MW2 four weeks ago and each week more and more guys show up.”I, along with one of my better MW2 friends, entered the tournament with the rest of the 16 man crowd, and… got absolutely destroyed. We won one of five games, with three of our losses coming against a fellow losing bracket team. We had no chance at the $80 in prize money, which was in the form of Wild Wings gift cards. Disappointing to say the least, but it was enjoyable to play in that live of an atmosphere.“Tournaments are fun because with online play, you lost the social aspect of the game,” explained Madd Matt. “Sure, you can talk to other guys with the headset, but at tournaments you get a chance to see who you play.”I’ll have to bring my A-game at next week's outing, which means I’ll draw just a little bit closer to my friend with the 11 days worth of play. I guess I can see why my girlfriend is so mad. My girlfriend hates it. Your girlfriend hates it. Their friends hate it. Moms across the country are up [image]in arms. Hillary Clinton must be furious. No, I’m not talking about the latest album from artists like Marilyn Manson or 50 Cent. I’m talking about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and where do I even begin?The latest first-person-shooter masterpiece from game developer Infinity Ward and publisher Activision, Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) has taken high school and college aged males by storm. Kids across the country log more hours daily playing MW2 than they do doing… well, anything else.“I sometimes get four or five hours of sleep a night,” said Nate Martin, one of the guys that I met at a local MW2 tournament on Wednesday night. “It’s certainly an addiction.”Don’t see the big deal? Gamers do.MW2 has sold over seven million copies since its November 2009 release: 4.7 million copies on the Xbox 360 and another 2.5 million on the PlayStation 3. In the first 24 hours of its release, four million units were sold in the United States and U.K., with revenue of first day sales set at $310 million; the revenue to date is over one billion dollars.The sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, MW2 is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and a third Modern Warfare is expected by next December. It has a standard campaign (here’s the story, now go play through all these plots twists till you beat the game), but the true success comes from the multiplayer mode.“The draw of the game is the online multiplayer,” said MW2 fan Steve Boyle. “There are so many things you can do- upgrade and unlock weapons, constantly level up; you’ll never get bored because there’s always something else to do.”To show how obsessive it really is, one of the guys on my friends list has logged over 11 DAYS worth of multiplayer play. I myself have over three days of game play, and I’m near the bottom of that list, which is over 30 people.Wednesday’s MW2 tournament, hosted by Cyber-Sports (cyber-sportz.com) creator Madd Matt, was held at Buffalo Wild Wings in Amherst. The weekly tournament was standard two-versus-two fashion with a five dollar buy in, with matches going best of three. If your team is defeated in the first round, you get another chance in the “loser’s bracket.”“Sometimes it takes awhile for games that we host to catch on,” said Madd Matt. “We started MW2 four weeks ago and each week more and more guys show up.”I, along with one of my better MW2 friends, entered the tournament with the rest of the 16 man crowd, and… got absolutely destroyed. We won one of five games, with three of our losses coming against a fellow losing bracket team. We had no chance at the $80 in prize money, which was in the form of Wild Wings gift cards. Disappointing to say the least, but it was enjoyable to play in that live of an atmosphere.“Tournaments are fun because with online play, you lost the social aspect of the game,” explained Madd Matt. “Sure, you can talk to other guys with the headset, but at tournaments you get a chance to see who you play.”I’ll have to bring my A-game at next week's outing, which means I’ll draw just a little bit closer to my friend with the 11 days worth of play. I guess I can see why my girlfriend is so mad. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:55:11 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Modern-Warfare-2-tournament-draws-gamers/BLOG/1878153/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-02-20T01:55:11Z Articles MyBuffalo My girlfriend hates it. Your girlfriend hates it. Their friends hate it. Moms across the country are up [image]in arms. Hillary Clinton must be furious. No, I’m not talking about the latest album from artists like Marilyn Manson or 50 Cent. I’m talking about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and where do I even begin?The latest first-person-shooter masterpiece from game developer Infinity Ward and publisher Activision, Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) has taken high school and college aged males by storm. Kids across the country log more hours daily playing MW2 than they do doing… well, anything else.“I sometimes get four or five hours of sleep a night,” said Nate Martin, one of the guys that I met at a local MW2 tournament on Wednesday night. “It’s certainly an addiction.”Don’t see the big deal? Gamers do.MW2 has sold over seven million copies since its November 2009 release: 4.7 million copies on the Xbox 360 and another 2.5 million on the PlayStation 3. In the first 24 hours of its release, four million units were sold in the United States and U.K., with revenue of first day sales set at $310 million; the revenue to date is over one billion dollars.The sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, MW2 is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and a third Modern Warfare is expected by next December. It has a standard campaign (here’s the story, now go play through all these plots twists till you beat the game), but the true success comes from the multiplayer mode.“The draw of the game is the online multiplayer,” said MW2 fan Steve Boyle. “There are so many things you can do- upgrade and unlock weapons, constantly level up; you’ll never get bored because there’s always something else to do.”To show how obsessive it really is, one of the guys on my friends list has logged over 11 DAYS worth of multiplayer play. I myself have over three days of game play, and I’m near the bottom of that list, which is over 30 people.Wednesday’s MW2 tournament, hosted by Cyber-Sports (cyber-sportz.com) creator Madd Matt, was held at Buffalo Wild Wings in Amherst. The weekly tournament was standard two-versus-two fashion with a five dollar buy in, with matches going best of three. If your team is defeated in the first round, you get another chance in the “loser’s bracket.”“Sometimes it takes awhile for games that we host to catch on,” said Madd Matt. “We started MW2 four weeks ago and each week more and more guys show up.”I, along with one of my better MW2 friends, entered the tournament with the rest of the 16 man crowd, and… got absolutely destroyed. We won one of five games, with three of our losses coming against a fellow losing bracket team. We had no chance at the $80 in prize money, which was in the form of Wild Wings gift cards. Disappointing to say the least, but it was enjoyable to play in that live of an atmosphere.“Tournaments are fun because with online play, you lost the social aspect of the game,” explained Madd Matt. “Sure, you can talk to other guys with the headset, but at tournaments you get a chance to see who you play.”I’ll have to bring my A-game at next week's outing, which means I’ll draw just a little bit closer to my friend with the 11 days worth of play. I guess I can see why my girlfriend is so mad. 2, articles, buffalo, call, duty:, games, madd, matt, modern, of, tournament, video, warfare, wild, wings nonadult false Modern Warfare 2 tournament draws gamers text blog 2,articles,buffalo,call,duty:,games,madd,matt,modern,of,tournament,video,warfare,wild,wings 443 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 4 Articles 1 1878153 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Aldens-Winter-Fest-celebrates-the-season/BLOG/1865299/85283.html Despite the fact that temperatures haven’t been above freezing in over two weeks, the town of [image]Alden has something to celebrate: it’s annual Winter Fest.The fest, held mainly in Alden Town Park, kicked off on Friday with a list of activities so long, most would find it difficult not to keep warm. Sleigh rides, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ice skating, hockey, Kan Jam tournaments- there was something for everyone, both young and old.“It’s fun to get the kids out of the house,” said Alden resident Lizzie Thomas. “Sometimes it gets hard to plan for them and the Winter Fest is always full of fun stuff for them to do. It’s a nice break.” The festival began on Friday with a barrage of activities including Newfoundland dog sled rides, ice skating, karaoke, moonlight cross country [image]skiing and a giant bonfire. The local community center held an art and crafts exhibition, which showcased the talents of local painters, stained glass artists, and wood sculptors.“It’s nice that we have this cold weather,” said festival enthusiast Jim Donovan. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have much to celebrate!”Saturday was the main day for the Winter Fest, beginning with a pancake breakfast at the Alden Presbyterian Church. The Alden Art Club sponsored an art show, spaghetti dinner and Valentine Teen Dance at the Alden Christian Theater Societies Beacon Café on Church Street. There was also a Winter Fest Market Place at the American Legion Hall. Local artists and retailers set up tables full of crafts, jams, wine and [image]other handmade goodies for the public to peruse.“This is the first year we’ve hosted the Market Place,” said Nancy Hughes, President of the Alden Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone seems to enjoy it and it gives local artists a chance to sell some of the products.”One of the tables, a Chateau Buffalo distributor, sold port wine and hard cider, a local favorite. “The cider is unbelievable,” said one satisfied customer.Other events included Bingo, a 5K Race, a chili and soup cook-off, wine and chocolate tasting, the annual Snowball Dance held at Alden Village Hall, [image]and a tug-of-war contest.The tug-of-war was one of the most amusing events, drawing a crowd of around sixty spectators and participants. In standard tug-of-war fashion, the contest pitted two teams of five against each other to see who could pull the flag over the designated line in the ground. Teams took the liberty to dress as unusual as possible, with one team wearing nothing but cut-off denim shorts.All in all, the Winter Fest was an enjoyable experience and gave individuals a chance to get outside and (for once) celebrate the cold months we get in Western New York.“The Winter Fest has something for everybody, which is something that we try and do each and every year,” said Hughes. “This year has been our biggest turnout ever and it’s nice that the community can work together and organize something like this for everyone.” Despite the fact that temperatures haven’t been above freezing in over two weeks, the town of [image]Alden has something to celebrate: it’s annual Winter Fest.The fest, held mainly in Alden Town Park, kicked off on Friday with a list of activities so long, most would find it difficult not to keep warm. Sleigh rides, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ice skating, hockey, Kan Jam tournaments- there was something for everyone, both young and old.“It’s fun to get the kids out of the house,” said Alden resident Lizzie Thomas. “Sometimes it gets hard to plan for them and the Winter Fest is always full of fun stuff for them to do. It’s a nice break.” The festival began on Friday with a barrage of activities including Newfoundland dog sled rides, ice skating, karaoke, moonlight cross country [image]skiing and a giant bonfire. The local community center held an art and crafts exhibition, which showcased the talents of local painters, stained glass artists, and wood sculptors.“It’s nice that we have this cold weather,” said festival enthusiast Jim Donovan. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have much to celebrate!”Saturday was the main day for the Winter Fest, beginning with a pancake breakfast at the Alden Presbyterian Church. The Alden Art Club sponsored an art show, spaghetti dinner and Valentine Teen Dance at the Alden Christian Theater Societies Beacon Café on Church Street. There was also a Winter Fest Market Place at the American Legion Hall. Local artists and retailers set up tables full of crafts, jams, wine and [image]other handmade goodies for the public to peruse.“This is the first year we’ve hosted the Market Place,” said Nancy Hughes, President of the Alden Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone seems to enjoy it and it gives local artists a chance to sell some of the products.”One of the tables, a Chateau Buffalo distributor, sold port wine and hard cider, a local favorite. “The cider is unbelievable,” said one satisfied customer.Other events included Bingo, a 5K Race, a chili and soup cook-off, wine and chocolate tasting, the annual Snowball Dance held at Alden Village Hall, [image]and a tug-of-war contest.The tug-of-war was one of the most amusing events, drawing a crowd of around sixty spectators and participants. In standard tug-of-war fashion, the contest pitted two teams of five against each other to see who could pull the flag over the designated line in the ground. Teams took the liberty to dress as unusual as possible, with one team wearing nothing but cut-off denim shorts.All in all, the Winter Fest was an enjoyable experience and gave individuals a chance to get outside and (for once) celebrate the cold months we get in Western New York.“The Winter Fest has something for everybody, which is something that we try and do each and every year,” said Hughes. “This year has been our biggest turnout ever and it’s nice that the community can work together and organize something like this for everyone.” Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:45:55 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Aldens-Winter-Fest-celebrates-the-season/BLOG/1865299/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-02-16T02:45:55Z Articles MyBuffalo Despite the fact that temperatures haven’t been above freezing in over two weeks, the town of [image]Alden has something to celebrate: it’s annual Winter Fest.The fest, held mainly in Alden Town Park, kicked off on Friday with a list of activities so long, most would find it difficult not to keep warm. Sleigh rides, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ice skating, hockey, Kan Jam tournaments- there was something for everyone, both young and old.“It’s fun to get the kids out of the house,” said Alden resident Lizzie Thomas. “Sometimes it gets hard to plan for them and the Winter Fest is always full of fun stuff for them to do. It’s a nice break.” The festival began on Friday with a barrage of activities including Newfoundland dog sled rides, ice skating, karaoke, moonlight cross country [image]skiing and a giant bonfire. The local community center held an art and crafts exhibition, which showcased the talents of local painters, stained glass artists, and wood sculptors.“It’s nice that we have this cold weather,” said festival enthusiast Jim Donovan. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have much to celebrate!”Saturday was the main day for the Winter Fest, beginning with a pancake breakfast at the Alden Presbyterian Church. The Alden Art Club sponsored an art show, spaghetti dinner and Valentine Teen Dance at the Alden Christian Theater Societies Beacon Café on Church Street. There was also a Winter Fest Market Place at the American Legion Hall. Local artists and retailers set up tables full of crafts, jams, wine and [image]other handmade goodies for the public to peruse.“This is the first year we’ve hosted the Market Place,” said Nancy Hughes, President of the Alden Chamber of Commerce. “Everyone seems to enjoy it and it gives local artists a chance to sell some of the products.”One of the tables, a Chateau Buffalo distributor, sold port wine and hard cider, a local favorite. “The cider is unbelievable,” said one satisfied customer.Other events included Bingo, a 5K Race, a chili and soup cook-off, wine and chocolate tasting, the annual Snowball Dance held at Alden Village Hall, [image]and a tug-of-war contest.The tug-of-war was one of the most amusing events, drawing a crowd of around sixty spectators and participants. In standard tug-of-war fashion, the contest pitted two teams of five against each other to see who could pull the flag over the designated line in the ground. Teams took the liberty to dress as unusual as possible, with one team wearing nothing but cut-off denim shorts.All in all, the Winter Fest was an enjoyable experience and gave individuals a chance to get outside and (for once) celebrate the cold months we get in Western New York.“The Winter Fest has something for everybody, which is something that we try and do each and every year,” said Hughes. “This year has been our biggest turnout ever and it’s nice that the community can work together and organize something like this for everyone.” alden, articles, fest, ice, of, ride, skating, sleigh, snow, snowmobile, town, winter nonadult false Alden’s Winter Fest celebrates the season text blog alden,articles,fest,ice,of,ride,skating,sleigh,snow,snowmobile,town,winter 184 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1865299 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Youth-hockey-clinic-gives-youngsters-big-league-look/BLOG/1825183/85283.html They took to the ice with sharpened blades and taped sticks, the crowd cheering them on. They had[image] been waiting for this day for weeks- it’s hard to believe they even slept the night before. Moments like this are rare and few will ever experience it.The most interesting part? None of them were over four feet tall…The Buffalo Sabres, as they have been for the past few months, opened the doors to the HSBC Arena on Sunday to host a Youth Hockey Clinic for squirt-aged (10 and younger) hockey players. The main objective of these workshops is to instruct the skaters on how to improve their on-ice skills, and what better way than with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and an NHL great to lead them?“The main goal of the clinic today is to get [the [image]kids] on the ice to skate, let them see the big building, and practice in a structured environment,” said Coach Grant Ledyard who headed Sunday’s event at the HSBC Arena. On top of being the Director of Youth Hockey Development for the Buffalo Sabres, Ledyard is an 18 year NHL veteran and current head coach of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OPJHL). A journeyman for the majority of his professional hockey career, Ledyard suited up for nine different NHL squads, including Buffalo and Dallas.Each of Sunday’s hour-long youth hockey clinics focused strongly on the fundamentals of skating. “Repitition, when you’re teaching, is the main thing,” said Coach Ledyard. “It’s the over-and-over thing with skating: the more they do it, the more it sticks [image]and the better they’ll be in the long run.”Ledyard, along with Jr. Sabres assistant coach Cory Mickey and a few of the squads finest, had the squirts running drills as fast as their legs could carry them. A slew of blue-line drills had them honing their skating abilities, but the coaches didn’t shy away from the various aspects of puck handling. The skating heavy practice gave time for the few goaltenders on hand to get one-on-one instruction and plenty of puck action.The Buffalo Sabres, who continually give back to the community (just look at Ryan Millers Cat Walk for Charity, Jersey Auctions, Aces and Blades, etc.), gave back big with Sunday’s clinics. “It’s great that the kids could come out and have an experience like this,” said one [image]parent. “They may never have another opportunity to skate in this arena, and to experience something so fun at this age… this is where their hockey idols play!”“It kind of puts everything into perspective for us,” said one Jr. Sabre. “We have pressures from the season and worry about doing good- sometimes you don’t get to look at the other half of things. Helping these kids shows that it’s not all about being competitive and playing hockey- it’s about relationships that you get from the game. I think it’s pretty cool.”So what did some of the participants think?“AWESOME!” replied one out of breath skater, which seemed to be the general consensus of the day, and it didn’t just stop with the squirts.“To dream about playing on that ice, in front of a crowd… that’s a serious goal for these guys,” explained Assistant Coach Cory Mickey. “We’re fortunate enough to be a part of this.”A dream realized for the lucky few, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and the children they instructed on Sunday will be chasing that dream until it’s a reality. They took to the ice with sharpened blades and taped sticks, the crowd cheering them on. They had[image] been waiting for this day for weeks- it’s hard to believe they even slept the night before. Moments like this are rare and few will ever experience it.The most interesting part? None of them were over four feet tall…The Buffalo Sabres, as they have been for the past few months, opened the doors to the HSBC Arena on Sunday to host a Youth Hockey Clinic for squirt-aged (10 and younger) hockey players. The main objective of these workshops is to instruct the skaters on how to improve their on-ice skills, and what better way than with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and an NHL great to lead them?“The main goal of the clinic today is to get [the [image]kids] on the ice to skate, let them see the big building, and practice in a structured environment,” said Coach Grant Ledyard who headed Sunday’s event at the HSBC Arena. On top of being the Director of Youth Hockey Development for the Buffalo Sabres, Ledyard is an 18 year NHL veteran and current head coach of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OPJHL). A journeyman for the majority of his professional hockey career, Ledyard suited up for nine different NHL squads, including Buffalo and Dallas.Each of Sunday’s hour-long youth hockey clinics focused strongly on the fundamentals of skating. “Repitition, when you’re teaching, is the main thing,” said Coach Ledyard. “It’s the over-and-over thing with skating: the more they do it, the more it sticks [image]and the better they’ll be in the long run.”Ledyard, along with Jr. Sabres assistant coach Cory Mickey and a few of the squads finest, had the squirts running drills as fast as their legs could carry them. A slew of blue-line drills had them honing their skating abilities, but the coaches didn’t shy away from the various aspects of puck handling. The skating heavy practice gave time for the few goaltenders on hand to get one-on-one instruction and plenty of puck action.The Buffalo Sabres, who continually give back to the community (just look at Ryan Millers Cat Walk for Charity, Jersey Auctions, Aces and Blades, etc.), gave back big with Sunday’s clinics. “It’s great that the kids could come out and have an experience like this,” said one [image]parent. “They may never have another opportunity to skate in this arena, and to experience something so fun at this age… this is where their hockey idols play!”“It kind of puts everything into perspective for us,” said one Jr. Sabre. “We have pressures from the season and worry about doing good- sometimes you don’t get to look at the other half of things. Helping these kids shows that it’s not all about being competitive and playing hockey- it’s about relationships that you get from the game. I think it’s pretty cool.”So what did some of the participants think?“AWESOME!” replied one out of breath skater, which seemed to be the general consensus of the day, and it didn’t just stop with the squirts.“To dream about playing on that ice, in front of a crowd… that’s a serious goal for these guys,” explained Assistant Coach Cory Mickey. “We’re fortunate enough to be a part of this.”A dream realized for the lucky few, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and the children they instructed on Sunday will be chasing that dream until it’s a reality. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:11:17 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Youth-hockey-clinic-gives-youngsters-big-league-look/BLOG/1825183/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-02-09T21:11:17Z Articles MyBuffalo They took to the ice with sharpened blades and taped sticks, the crowd cheering them on. They had[image] been waiting for this day for weeks- it’s hard to believe they even slept the night before. Moments like this are rare and few will ever experience it.The most interesting part? None of them were over four feet tall…The Buffalo Sabres, as they have been for the past few months, opened the doors to the HSBC Arena on Sunday to host a Youth Hockey Clinic for squirt-aged (10 and younger) hockey players. The main objective of these workshops is to instruct the skaters on how to improve their on-ice skills, and what better way than with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and an NHL great to lead them?“The main goal of the clinic today is to get [the [image]kids] on the ice to skate, let them see the big building, and practice in a structured environment,” said Coach Grant Ledyard who headed Sunday’s event at the HSBC Arena. On top of being the Director of Youth Hockey Development for the Buffalo Sabres, Ledyard is an 18 year NHL veteran and current head coach of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OPJHL). A journeyman for the majority of his professional hockey career, Ledyard suited up for nine different NHL squads, including Buffalo and Dallas.Each of Sunday’s hour-long youth hockey clinics focused strongly on the fundamentals of skating. “Repitition, when you’re teaching, is the main thing,” said Coach Ledyard. “It’s the over-and-over thing with skating: the more they do it, the more it sticks [image]and the better they’ll be in the long run.”Ledyard, along with Jr. Sabres assistant coach Cory Mickey and a few of the squads finest, had the squirts running drills as fast as their legs could carry them. A slew of blue-line drills had them honing their skating abilities, but the coaches didn’t shy away from the various aspects of puck handling. The skating heavy practice gave time for the few goaltenders on hand to get one-on-one instruction and plenty of puck action.The Buffalo Sabres, who continually give back to the community (just look at Ryan Millers Cat Walk for Charity, Jersey Auctions, Aces and Blades, etc.), gave back big with Sunday’s clinics. “It’s great that the kids could come out and have an experience like this,” said one [image]parent. “They may never have another opportunity to skate in this arena, and to experience something so fun at this age… this is where their hockey idols play!”“It kind of puts everything into perspective for us,” said one Jr. Sabre. “We have pressures from the season and worry about doing good- sometimes you don’t get to look at the other half of things. Helping these kids shows that it’s not all about being competitive and playing hockey- it’s about relationships that you get from the game. I think it’s pretty cool.”So what did some of the participants think?“AWESOME!” replied one out of breath skater, which seemed to be the general consensus of the day, and it didn’t just stop with the squirts.“To dream about playing on that ice, in front of a crowd… that’s a serious goal for these guys,” explained Assistant Coach Cory Mickey. “We’re fortunate enough to be a part of this.”A dream realized for the lucky few, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and the children they instructed on Sunday will be chasing that dream until it’s a reality. arena, articles, buffalo, clinic, cory, grant, hockey, hsbc, ledyard, mickey, sabres, youth nonadult false Youth hockey clinic gives youngsters big league look text blog arena,articles,buffalo,clinic,cory,grant,hockey,hsbc,ledyard,mickey,sabres,youth 392 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1825183 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-dudes-abide-Lebowski-Fest-2010/BLOG/1742681/85283.html The Cohen brothers film The Big Lebowski has a cult following similar to movies like Dazed & Confused or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Die-hard fans can quote you every line from the film in their sleep and they tend to drink white Russians exclusively (with the exception of the occasional cold one every now and then). So what’s a Lebowski fan, also known as a Lebowski Achiever, to do in between [image]random showings of the movie on Comedy Central and HBO?The Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda has just the remedy: Lebowski Fest.“[The Fest] was an idea that my son and a couple of his friends had,” explains Riviera Theatre executive director Frank Cannata. “I had never seen it before and when I did I never thought it would be this big cult following. We did it last year and the [Buffalo News] Gusto put it on their front cover- we ended up with hundreds and hundreds of people, way beyond what we could possibly imagine.”The Riviera received a similar turn out this year, with a nearly packed house showing up to watch the Dude (or his Dudeness, which ever you prefer), Walter and Donny drink some cold ones and contemplate life with participating in their favorite past-time: bowling.[image]“We’re expecting about 800 people this year,” said Cannata, whose Fest is similar to others all around the country. “We’re a bit more prepared this time- last year we went through about 35 gallons of milk for white Russians.” 35 gallons seems a bit much, but the general consensus of the evening was that the film was best viewed with the beverage. “Is there any other way to watch it?” remarked Lebowski enthusiast Sean Lampkin.The film follows Jeffery Lebowski a.k.a. The Dude (Jeff Bridges), an unemployed booze hound who loves to bowl. When some hit men mistake him as another, wealthier Jeffery Lebowski, the Dude finds himself in the middle of a plot full of ransom, dream sequences full of song and dance, white Russians and missing rugs that really tied the room together[image]The Riviera’s doors opened up at 6:30 p.m. and fans flooded in from far and wide. “We came all the way from Rochester,” laughed one movie goer. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to see this movie on the big screen for anything.”Devotees were treated to a stocked bar with all the essentials, as well as live comedy from local comedians before the show started. At 8:00 p.m. the film was fired up to a barrage of cheers. The cheers continued when the Dude first made his appearance, and they continued when the rest of the main cast was introduced- especially when bowling phenom and sexual predator Jesus Quintana graced the screen.After the show, fans were able to go to the Tonawanda Bowling Center to roll for two hours of open bowling. “It was a great time,” said Lebowski fan Ben Moskal. “With the white Russians and open bowling after, it really made the Fest a fun experience. The Dude certainly would have abided.”Who knows what’s in store for the Riviera’s next Lebowski Fest, but you can be sure that fans from far and wide will not be out of their element. The Cohen brothers film The Big Lebowski has a cult following similar to movies like Dazed & Confused or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Die-hard fans can quote you every line from the film in their sleep and they tend to drink white Russians exclusively (with the exception of the occasional cold one every now and then). So what’s a Lebowski fan, also known as a Lebowski Achiever, to do in between [image]random showings of the movie on Comedy Central and HBO?The Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda has just the remedy: Lebowski Fest.“[The Fest] was an idea that my son and a couple of his friends had,” explains Riviera Theatre executive director Frank Cannata. “I had never seen it before and when I did I never thought it would be this big cult following. We did it last year and the [Buffalo News] Gusto put it on their front cover- we ended up with hundreds and hundreds of people, way beyond what we could possibly imagine.”The Riviera received a similar turn out this year, with a nearly packed house showing up to watch the Dude (or his Dudeness, which ever you prefer), Walter and Donny drink some cold ones and contemplate life with participating in their favorite past-time: bowling.[image]“We’re expecting about 800 people this year,” said Cannata, whose Fest is similar to others all around the country. “We’re a bit more prepared this time- last year we went through about 35 gallons of milk for white Russians.” 35 gallons seems a bit much, but the general consensus of the evening was that the film was best viewed with the beverage. “Is there any other way to watch it?” remarked Lebowski enthusiast Sean Lampkin.The film follows Jeffery Lebowski a.k.a. The Dude (Jeff Bridges), an unemployed booze hound who loves to bowl. When some hit men mistake him as another, wealthier Jeffery Lebowski, the Dude finds himself in the middle of a plot full of ransom, dream sequences full of song and dance, white Russians and missing rugs that really tied the room together[image]The Riviera’s doors opened up at 6:30 p.m. and fans flooded in from far and wide. “We came all the way from Rochester,” laughed one movie goer. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to see this movie on the big screen for anything.”Devotees were treated to a stocked bar with all the essentials, as well as live comedy from local comedians before the show started. At 8:00 p.m. the film was fired up to a barrage of cheers. The cheers continued when the Dude first made his appearance, and they continued when the rest of the main cast was introduced- especially when bowling phenom and sexual predator Jesus Quintana graced the screen.After the show, fans were able to go to the Tonawanda Bowling Center to roll for two hours of open bowling. “It was a great time,” said Lebowski fan Ben Moskal. “With the white Russians and open bowling after, it really made the Fest a fun experience. The Dude certainly would have abided.”Who knows what’s in store for the Riviera’s next Lebowski Fest, but you can be sure that fans from far and wide will not be out of their element. Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:49:14 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-dudes-abide-Lebowski-Fest-2010/BLOG/1742681/85283.html MikeKamo 2010-01-18T18:49:14Z Articles MyBuffalo The Cohen brothers film The Big Lebowski has a cult following similar to movies like Dazed & Confused or The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Die-hard fans can quote you every line from the film in their sleep and they tend to drink white Russians exclusively (with the exception of the occasional cold one every now and then). So what’s a Lebowski fan, also known as a Lebowski Achiever, to do in between [image]random showings of the movie on Comedy Central and HBO?The Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda has just the remedy: Lebowski Fest.“[The Fest] was an idea that my son and a couple of his friends had,” explains Riviera Theatre executive director Frank Cannata. “I had never seen it before and when I did I never thought it would be this big cult following. We did it last year and the [Buffalo News] Gusto put it on their front cover- we ended up with hundreds and hundreds of people, way beyond what we could possibly imagine.”The Riviera received a similar turn out this year, with a nearly packed house showing up to watch the Dude (or his Dudeness, which ever you prefer), Walter and Donny drink some cold ones and contemplate life with participating in their favorite past-time: bowling.[image]“We’re expecting about 800 people this year,” said Cannata, whose Fest is similar to others all around the country. “We’re a bit more prepared this time- last year we went through about 35 gallons of milk for white Russians.” 35 gallons seems a bit much, but the general consensus of the evening was that the film was best viewed with the beverage. “Is there any other way to watch it?” remarked Lebowski enthusiast Sean Lampkin.The film follows Jeffery Lebowski a.k.a. The Dude (Jeff Bridges), an unemployed booze hound who loves to bowl. When some hit men mistake him as another, wealthier Jeffery Lebowski, the Dude finds himself in the middle of a plot full of ransom, dream sequences full of song and dance, white Russians and missing rugs that really tied the room together[image]The Riviera’s doors opened up at 6:30 p.m. and fans flooded in from far and wide. “We came all the way from Rochester,” laughed one movie goer. “I wouldn’t miss the chance to see this movie on the big screen for anything.”Devotees were treated to a stocked bar with all the essentials, as well as live comedy from local comedians before the show started. At 8:00 p.m. the film was fired up to a barrage of cheers. The cheers continued when the Dude first made his appearance, and they continued when the rest of the main cast was introduced- especially when bowling phenom and sexual predator Jesus Quintana graced the screen.After the show, fans were able to go to the Tonawanda Bowling Center to roll for two hours of open bowling. “It was a great time,” said Lebowski fan Ben Moskal. “With the white Russians and open bowling after, it really made the Fest a fun experience. The Dude certainly would have abided.”Who knows what’s in store for the Riviera’s next Lebowski Fest, but you can be sure that fans from far and wide will not be out of their element. articles, big, bridges, brothers, canatta, cohen, dude, frank, jeff, lebowski, riviera, the, theatre nonadult false The dudes abide - Lebowski Fest 2010 text blog articles,big,bridges,brothers,canatta,cohen,dude,frank,jeff,lebowski,riviera,the,theatre 615 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1742681 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Tyrone-Maclin-keeps-em-laughin/BLOG/1549804/85283.html With comedy shows in Buffalo on the rise, Tyrone Maclin is a name that is as vital to local standup [image]as Jack Daniel’s is to the whiskey game.While it’s not a secret that standup comedy shows are tough to come by in the Queen City area, Maclin is setting out to change all that, one show at a time.Maclin, who hosts an all black comedy showcase featured every Wednesday at Jazzy’s bar on Genesee Street, presents the some of the most talented and hilarious comics from the Western New York region. Men and women, young and old, the comics perform hilarious sets and always draw a wanting crowd.But as rare as a local comedy show can be, Maclin put his own spin on it and puts on a standup act which features nearly all black comics from anywhere between Buffalo and Rochester.“It’s about filling that void,” said Maclin, when asked about why he puts on his weekly comedy show, better known as The Re-Up Comedy Showcase. “It’s all about Buffalo, and bringing out the funny people from the area. Comics in general don’t get much of a chance, so being able to feature mostly black comics is a great thing.”[image]The hype man’s show comprises of local up-and-comers, including funny female Raven, Killer Will, Big Steaks, and a duo from Rochester, G Funk and Zack Johnson, better known as Funny 4 Money.“It’s great that Ty (Maclin) puts on these shows,” said Johnson. “It gives us new guys a chance to do our thing, but also receive feedback from everybody else that’s out here doing it. Jazzy’s is always a good time every week and it’s great that we have an opportunity like this to come out to.”A recent installment of the Re-Up Comedy Showcase allowed over 15 local funnymen and women show their stuff in front of a crowd of more than 50. Local rapper Superlative T.E.S.T. was also on hand to perform original jams at the end of the show. “We come every week,” said one audience member. “We get to see all these comics perform and it’s only $5. What [image]else would you rather do on a Wednesday?”Raven, another performer from Maclin’s wide array of standup comedians, has only been doing her comedy in front of an audience for a few months.  “I love it,” said Raven, when asked about the experience of getting up on stage. “Everyone showed so much love, and since it’s a local thing, we had a lot of support from family and friends. The region has a lot of funny people to offer- we need more comedy shows!” From the signs of Maclin’s successful weekly showcase, it’s apparent that Buffalo has the comedy bug once again. More and more bars are hosting Open Mic Nights, and if our home grown comics go out and do their thing, we may have a full blown standup epidemic on our hands. With comedy shows in Buffalo on the rise, Tyrone Maclin is a name that is as vital to local standup [image]as Jack Daniel’s is to the whiskey game.While it’s not a secret that standup comedy shows are tough to come by in the Queen City area, Maclin is setting out to change all that, one show at a time.Maclin, who hosts an all black comedy showcase featured every Wednesday at Jazzy’s bar on Genesee Street, presents the some of the most talented and hilarious comics from the Western New York region. Men and women, young and old, the comics perform hilarious sets and always draw a wanting crowd.But as rare as a local comedy show can be, Maclin put his own spin on it and puts on a standup act which features nearly all black comics from anywhere between Buffalo and Rochester.“It’s about filling that void,” said Maclin, when asked about why he puts on his weekly comedy show, better known as The Re-Up Comedy Showcase. “It’s all about Buffalo, and bringing out the funny people from the area. Comics in general don’t get much of a chance, so being able to feature mostly black comics is a great thing.”[image]The hype man’s show comprises of local up-and-comers, including funny female Raven, Killer Will, Big Steaks, and a duo from Rochester, G Funk and Zack Johnson, better known as Funny 4 Money.“It’s great that Ty (Maclin) puts on these shows,” said Johnson. “It gives us new guys a chance to do our thing, but also receive feedback from everybody else that’s out here doing it. Jazzy’s is always a good time every week and it’s great that we have an opportunity like this to come out to.”A recent installment of the Re-Up Comedy Showcase allowed over 15 local funnymen and women show their stuff in front of a crowd of more than 50. Local rapper Superlative T.E.S.T. was also on hand to perform original jams at the end of the show. “We come every week,” said one audience member. “We get to see all these comics perform and it’s only $5. What [image]else would you rather do on a Wednesday?”Raven, another performer from Maclin’s wide array of standup comedians, has only been doing her comedy in front of an audience for a few months.  “I love it,” said Raven, when asked about the experience of getting up on stage. “Everyone showed so much love, and since it’s a local thing, we had a lot of support from family and friends. The region has a lot of funny people to offer- we need more comedy shows!” From the signs of Maclin’s successful weekly showcase, it’s apparent that Buffalo has the comedy bug once again. More and more bars are hosting Open Mic Nights, and if our home grown comics go out and do their thing, we may have a full blown standup epidemic on our hands. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:10:47 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Tyrone-Maclin-keeps-em-laughin/BLOG/1549804/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-12-08T20:10:47Z Articles MyBuffalo With comedy shows in Buffalo on the rise, Tyrone Maclin is a name that is as vital to local standup [image]as Jack Daniel’s is to the whiskey game.While it’s not a secret that standup comedy shows are tough to come by in the Queen City area, Maclin is setting out to change all that, one show at a time.Maclin, who hosts an all black comedy showcase featured every Wednesday at Jazzy’s bar on Genesee Street, presents the some of the most talented and hilarious comics from the Western New York region. Men and women, young and old, the comics perform hilarious sets and always draw a wanting crowd.But as rare as a local comedy show can be, Maclin put his own spin on it and puts on a standup act which features nearly all black comics from anywhere between Buffalo and Rochester.“It’s about filling that void,” said Maclin, when asked about why he puts on his weekly comedy show, better known as The Re-Up Comedy Showcase. “It’s all about Buffalo, and bringing out the funny people from the area. Comics in general don’t get much of a chance, so being able to feature mostly black comics is a great thing.”[image]The hype man’s show comprises of local up-and-comers, including funny female Raven, Killer Will, Big Steaks, and a duo from Rochester, G Funk and Zack Johnson, better known as Funny 4 Money.“It’s great that Ty (Maclin) puts on these shows,” said Johnson. “It gives us new guys a chance to do our thing, but also receive feedback from everybody else that’s out here doing it. Jazzy’s is always a good time every week and it’s great that we have an opportunity like this to come out to.”A recent installment of the Re-Up Comedy Showcase allowed over 15 local funnymen and women show their stuff in front of a crowd of more than 50. Local rapper Superlative T.E.S.T. was also on hand to perform original jams at the end of the show. “We come every week,” said one audience member. “We get to see all these comics perform and it’s only $5. What [image]else would you rather do on a Wednesday?”Raven, another performer from Maclin’s wide array of standup comedians, has only been doing her comedy in front of an audience for a few months.  “I love it,” said Raven, when asked about the experience of getting up on stage. “Everyone showed so much love, and since it’s a local thing, we had a lot of support from family and friends. The region has a lot of funny people to offer- we need more comedy shows!” From the signs of Maclin’s successful weekly showcase, it’s apparent that Buffalo has the comedy bug once again. More and more bars are hosting Open Mic Nights, and if our home grown comics go out and do their thing, we may have a full blown standup epidemic on our hands. articles, buffalo, comedy, jazzy's, maclin, re-up, showcase, standup, tyrone nonadult false Tyrone Maclin keeps ‘em laughin’ text blog articles,buffalo,comedy,jazzy's,maclin,re-up,showcase,standup,tyrone 334 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1549804 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Rogues-of-Radio-will-make-you-laugh-whether-you-like-it-or-not/BLOG/1544612/85283.html We’ve all heard urban legends before. The Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, a comedy show in Buffalo….Well, that last one might not be such a myth anymore.If you’ve been lucky enough to find a standup comedy show in the Buffalo area in the past year or so, you may have had the chance to see some of the funniest guys in Western New York.Chris Gullo, Mike Cline and Patrick Higgins, known around Buffalo State College and the local comedy scene as the Rogues of Radio, are regulars to open mic nights and bars on Allen Street. A group of college buddies, the trio banded together for one thing: to bringing their comedy to the masses.Broadway Joe’s, Nietzsche’s and, most recently Staples, the Rogues play wherever they can. That is, [image]if they can.“I was doing shows very sporadically, because there really wasn’t much of a scene,” explains Gullo. “Nietzsche’s was the only spot really, but it’s been getting better.” “The whole scene kind of died for a while,” adds Higgins. “But recently, Buffalo has had a very good scene for open mic nights.”A growing scene thanks in part to the Gullo/Cline/Higgins troupe and their fellow funnymen, like comedians Brandon Trusso and Tyrone Maclin.Trusso, a comic from the Los Angeles area, performs his own brand of Dane Cook-esque comedy alongside Gullo and gang. “He’s one of the reasons why we’ve been successful,” said Higgins about Trusso. “He used his networking skills – alongside fellow comic Rick Matthews – and brought all of these great comics together. Now the clubs actually want these types of shows.”Another major component in the Buffalo comedy machine is Maclin. The comic/hype man hosts a weekly comedy show, The Re-Up Comedy Showcase, at Jazzy’s each Wednesday night. The Genesee Street bar is the stage for Maclins all black comedy show, which features some of the funniest black comedians from the Buffalo and Rochester areas.The real start of it all, for the Rogues at least, was Buffalo State College and the schools radio station, 91.3 WBNY.“We do the Patrick Higgins Show on Monday nights,” said Higgins. “Cline is on most of the time and Gullo is on occasionally, and we bring our comedy there. It’s a nice atmosphere, but we like the bar scene more.” Growing by leaps and bounds, and with no signs of slowing, it looks like the Buffalo comedy myth will be a thing of the past.“Not only are there lot’s of comics in the area, but there’s lots of great comics,” said Gullo. On the night I hit the Staples show, there were three other comedy shows taking place on Allen Street. “Buffalo is hungry for comedy,” added Higgins.With plenty of comics ready to dish out the funny, it’s a good thing Nickel City has an appetite for it. We’ve all heard urban legends before. The Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, a comedy show in Buffalo….Well, that last one might not be such a myth anymore.If you’ve been lucky enough to find a standup comedy show in the Buffalo area in the past year or so, you may have had the chance to see some of the funniest guys in Western New York.Chris Gullo, Mike Cline and Patrick Higgins, known around Buffalo State College and the local comedy scene as the Rogues of Radio, are regulars to open mic nights and bars on Allen Street. A group of college buddies, the trio banded together for one thing: to bringing their comedy to the masses.Broadway Joe’s, Nietzsche’s and, most recently Staples, the Rogues play wherever they can. That is, [image]if they can.“I was doing shows very sporadically, because there really wasn’t much of a scene,” explains Gullo. “Nietzsche’s was the only spot really, but it’s been getting better.” “The whole scene kind of died for a while,” adds Higgins. “But recently, Buffalo has had a very good scene for open mic nights.”A growing scene thanks in part to the Gullo/Cline/Higgins troupe and their fellow funnymen, like comedians Brandon Trusso and Tyrone Maclin.Trusso, a comic from the Los Angeles area, performs his own brand of Dane Cook-esque comedy alongside Gullo and gang. “He’s one of the reasons why we’ve been successful,” said Higgins about Trusso. “He used his networking skills – alongside fellow comic Rick Matthews – and brought all of these great comics together. Now the clubs actually want these types of shows.”Another major component in the Buffalo comedy machine is Maclin. The comic/hype man hosts a weekly comedy show, The Re-Up Comedy Showcase, at Jazzy’s each Wednesday night. The Genesee Street bar is the stage for Maclins all black comedy show, which features some of the funniest black comedians from the Buffalo and Rochester areas.The real start of it all, for the Rogues at least, was Buffalo State College and the schools radio station, 91.3 WBNY.“We do the Patrick Higgins Show on Monday nights,” said Higgins. “Cline is on most of the time and Gullo is on occasionally, and we bring our comedy there. It’s a nice atmosphere, but we like the bar scene more.” Growing by leaps and bounds, and with no signs of slowing, it looks like the Buffalo comedy myth will be a thing of the past.“Not only are there lot’s of comics in the area, but there’s lots of great comics,” said Gullo. On the night I hit the Staples show, there were three other comedy shows taking place on Allen Street. “Buffalo is hungry for comedy,” added Higgins.With plenty of comics ready to dish out the funny, it’s a good thing Nickel City has an appetite for it. Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:22:56 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Rogues-of-Radio-will-make-you-laugh-whether-you-like-it-or-not/BLOG/1544612/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-12-06T06:22:56Z MyBuffalo We’ve all heard urban legends before. The Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, a comedy show in Buffalo….Well, that last one might not be such a myth anymore.If you’ve been lucky enough to find a standup comedy show in the Buffalo area in the past year or so, you may have had the chance to see some of the funniest guys in Western New York.Chris Gullo, Mike Cline and Patrick Higgins, known around Buffalo State College and the local comedy scene as the Rogues of Radio, are regulars to open mic nights and bars on Allen Street. A group of college buddies, the trio banded together for one thing: to bringing their comedy to the masses.Broadway Joe’s, Nietzsche’s and, most recently Staples, the Rogues play wherever they can. That is, [image]if they can.“I was doing shows very sporadically, because there really wasn’t much of a scene,” explains Gullo. “Nietzsche’s was the only spot really, but it’s been getting better.” “The whole scene kind of died for a while,” adds Higgins. “But recently, Buffalo has had a very good scene for open mic nights.”A growing scene thanks in part to the Gullo/Cline/Higgins troupe and their fellow funnymen, like comedians Brandon Trusso and Tyrone Maclin.Trusso, a comic from the Los Angeles area, performs his own brand of Dane Cook-esque comedy alongside Gullo and gang. “He’s one of the reasons why we’ve been successful,” said Higgins about Trusso. “He used his networking skills – alongside fellow comic Rick Matthews – and brought all of these great comics together. Now the clubs actually want these types of shows.”Another major component in the Buffalo comedy machine is Maclin. The comic/hype man hosts a weekly comedy show, The Re-Up Comedy Showcase, at Jazzy’s each Wednesday night. The Genesee Street bar is the stage for Maclins all black comedy show, which features some of the funniest black comedians from the Buffalo and Rochester areas.The real start of it all, for the Rogues at least, was Buffalo State College and the schools radio station, 91.3 WBNY.“We do the Patrick Higgins Show on Monday nights,” said Higgins. “Cline is on most of the time and Gullo is on occasionally, and we bring our comedy there. It’s a nice atmosphere, but we like the bar scene more.” Growing by leaps and bounds, and with no signs of slowing, it looks like the Buffalo comedy myth will be a thing of the past.“Not only are there lot’s of comics in the area, but there’s lots of great comics,” said Gullo. On the night I hit the Staples show, there were three other comedy shows taking place on Allen Street. “Buffalo is hungry for comedy,” added Higgins.With plenty of comics ready to dish out the funny, it’s a good thing Nickel City has an appetite for it. buffalo, comedy, of, radio, rogues nonadult false The Rogues of Radio will make you laugh (whether you like it or not!) text blog buffalo,comedy,of,radio,rogues 323 10 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 1544612 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Pre-Thanksgiving-madness-invades-Chippewa/BLOG/1528101/85283.html Droves of college aged partiers? Check. Hundreds of law enforcement officers? Check. Gallons of booze and dozens of bars? That’s a big 10-4..No, I’m not talking about New Years Eve or even St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the night before Thanksgiving and it’s the biggest party night of the year for college students, whether you like it or not.“I’m out to get drunk and have a good time with my friends,” said Amber Douglas from Amherst. “I’ve been away at UMass for school and I want to get back together with everyone from home. It’s time to party!”Chippewa Street can be a crazy place on Friday and Saturday nights, regardless of what month it is. But the final Wednesday of November puts all those Fridays and Saturdays to shame.What’s the appeal of drinking the night before Thanksgiving? “Tradition,” “Catching up,” “Partying hard,” “Getting’ drunk!” were just some of the responses I received, but the real draw is the utter chaos. People love mayhem (not $15 dollar covers at bars) and they are willing to go out of their way to see some.The night for girls is to go out and look good with their friends, while guys like to go out and look at the girls. Add alcohol to the mix and a heavy police presence and it’s a recipe for (possibly) disaster.People are home from school and want to catch up with old friends. While they’ve been unable to drink legally for the past few college semesters, they’re finally 21 and decide that the stories they’ve been hearing about the infamous night before turkey day are just too appealing to pass up.Let’s see what all the fuss is about, shall we?My friends and I, a seriously hard partying crowd, decided to take the smart route and rent a bus for the night. We all met at my girlfriend’s apartment for a pre-party party. Plenty of drinks were on hand, including Riot Punch, and when midnight rolled around it was time to head for the bus and boogie on to downtown Buffalo.Bringing drinks on the bus was probably the best decision, since the cost of beers down on the Chip strip were absolutely outlandish. Besides expensive covers, six dollars for bottled Labatt Blue Light (Blue Light!!) was not out of the ordinary.Fights. Crowded Bars. Drunks. Cops. More fights. More cops. More drinks. “Why did I bother coming down here?” I asked myself and several others were doing the same thing.“It took me twenty minutes to get in to the bar,” recalled one party-goer. “Then it took another ten just to reach the bar and another ten to get a drink. One drink!”It was the same no matter what bar one decided to head to, but all-in-all it was a nice, drunk time with my closest friends. What more could one ask for? Droves of college aged partiers? Check. Hundreds of law enforcement officers? Check. Gallons of booze and dozens of bars? That’s a big 10-4..No, I’m not talking about New Years Eve or even St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the night before Thanksgiving and it’s the biggest party night of the year for college students, whether you like it or not.“I’m out to get drunk and have a good time with my friends,” said Amber Douglas from Amherst. “I’ve been away at UMass for school and I want to get back together with everyone from home. It’s time to party!”Chippewa Street can be a crazy place on Friday and Saturday nights, regardless of what month it is. But the final Wednesday of November puts all those Fridays and Saturdays to shame.What’s the appeal of drinking the night before Thanksgiving? “Tradition,” “Catching up,” “Partying hard,” “Getting’ drunk!” were just some of the responses I received, but the real draw is the utter chaos. People love mayhem (not $15 dollar covers at bars) and they are willing to go out of their way to see some.The night for girls is to go out and look good with their friends, while guys like to go out and look at the girls. Add alcohol to the mix and a heavy police presence and it’s a recipe for (possibly) disaster.People are home from school and want to catch up with old friends. While they’ve been unable to drink legally for the past few college semesters, they’re finally 21 and decide that the stories they’ve been hearing about the infamous night before turkey day are just too appealing to pass up.Let’s see what all the fuss is about, shall we?My friends and I, a seriously hard partying crowd, decided to take the smart route and rent a bus for the night. We all met at my girlfriend’s apartment for a pre-party party. Plenty of drinks were on hand, including Riot Punch, and when midnight rolled around it was time to head for the bus and boogie on to downtown Buffalo.Bringing drinks on the bus was probably the best decision, since the cost of beers down on the Chip strip were absolutely outlandish. Besides expensive covers, six dollars for bottled Labatt Blue Light (Blue Light!!) was not out of the ordinary.Fights. Crowded Bars. Drunks. Cops. More fights. More cops. More drinks. “Why did I bother coming down here?” I asked myself and several others were doing the same thing.“It took me twenty minutes to get in to the bar,” recalled one party-goer. “Then it took another ten just to reach the bar and another ten to get a drink. One drink!”It was the same no matter what bar one decided to head to, but all-in-all it was a nice, drunk time with my closest friends. What more could one ask for? Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:07:22 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Pre-Thanksgiving-madness-invades-Chippewa/BLOG/1528101/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-29T02:07:22Z MyBuffalo Droves of college aged partiers? Check. Hundreds of law enforcement officers? Check. Gallons of booze and dozens of bars? That’s a big 10-4..No, I’m not talking about New Years Eve or even St. Patrick’s Day. It’s the night before Thanksgiving and it’s the biggest party night of the year for college students, whether you like it or not.“I’m out to get drunk and have a good time with my friends,” said Amber Douglas from Amherst. “I’ve been away at UMass for school and I want to get back together with everyone from home. It’s time to party!”Chippewa Street can be a crazy place on Friday and Saturday nights, regardless of what month it is. But the final Wednesday of November puts all those Fridays and Saturdays to shame.What’s the appeal of drinking the night before Thanksgiving? “Tradition,” “Catching up,” “Partying hard,” “Getting’ drunk!” were just some of the responses I received, but the real draw is the utter chaos. People love mayhem (not $15 dollar covers at bars) and they are willing to go out of their way to see some.The night for girls is to go out and look good with their friends, while guys like to go out and look at the girls. Add alcohol to the mix and a heavy police presence and it’s a recipe for (possibly) disaster.People are home from school and want to catch up with old friends. While they’ve been unable to drink legally for the past few college semesters, they’re finally 21 and decide that the stories they’ve been hearing about the infamous night before turkey day are just too appealing to pass up.Let’s see what all the fuss is about, shall we?My friends and I, a seriously hard partying crowd, decided to take the smart route and rent a bus for the night. We all met at my girlfriend’s apartment for a pre-party party. Plenty of drinks were on hand, including Riot Punch, and when midnight rolled around it was time to head for the bus and boogie on to downtown Buffalo.Bringing drinks on the bus was probably the best decision, since the cost of beers down on the Chip strip were absolutely outlandish. Besides expensive covers, six dollars for bottled Labatt Blue Light (Blue Light!!) was not out of the ordinary.Fights. Crowded Bars. Drunks. Cops. More fights. More cops. More drinks. “Why did I bother coming down here?” I asked myself and several others were doing the same thing.“It took me twenty minutes to get in to the bar,” recalled one party-goer. “Then it took another ten just to reach the bar and another ten to get a drink. One drink!”It was the same no matter what bar one decided to head to, but all-in-all it was a nice, drunk time with my closest friends. What more could one ask for? chippewa, drunks, thanksgiving nonadult false Pre-Thanksgiving madness invades Chippewa text blog chippewa,drunks,thanksgiving 185 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1528101 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Black-Friday-hits-WNY/BLOG/1528040/85283.html “I love it more than Thanksgiving,” said Sasha Goran of Wheatfield. “So do I!” added her daughter, Jackie.They must have been talking about Christmas, right? Easter? They certainly had to be talking about some other national holiday, New Years Eve perhaps?“Black Friday is my favorite day of the year,” explained Sasha, and she wasn’t the only one. Many [image]of the people I spoke with in the wee hours of Friday morning (and some very late on Thursday) agreed- Black Friday is one of the most exciting days of the year.A monument to consumerism, Black Friday gives shoppers a chance to catch amazing deals on the entire spectrum of products that malls and retail stores have to offer. I, like Sasha and so many others, chose to head to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls first because they opened their doors at eleven- nearly five to eight hours earlier than many other places. Most stores didn’t open at the Outlets until the usual midnight, but that didn’t stop the early arrival of willing shoppers.Juicy Couture, Coach, and Pacific Sunwear seemed to be the spots with the hottest deals on Friday, with lines more than one hundred deep an hour before the gates went up.“I’ve been at the mall since ten,” said one woman, waiting to get her hands on a severely marked down Coach hand bag. [image]Ten seems a bit much, considering the store didn’t open until midnight, but the five A.M. opening at Best Buy drew out shoppers nearly seven hours before hand.“I’m looking for a new flat screen TV,” said one man, waiting near the front of the Best Buy line. “If you don’t get here early, you’ll miss the deals.”Early or not, the day revolved around shopping for Western New Yorkers and yes, even Canadian shoppers. “We came from Toronto,” said one shopper at the Fashion Outlets. “The deals are great and we just don’t have some of these stores over where we live. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it.”But one thing most early bird shoppers never think of is the fact that other people actually have to work. “We had to be here at 11:00 tonight,” said Stephanie, an employee at the Converse store at the Fashion Outlets. “I’m stuck here until seven in the morning. I’m full of turkey, all I want to do is go to sleep but I’m stuck here in this chaos.”Chaotic or not, it doesn’t stop or even slow the hordes of those looking for good deals on the busiest shopping day of the year. Cheap flat screen televisions, high definition cameras, video games –clothes! You name it, it was on sale Friday and the masses were out to get their hands on it.Despite the epic lines, hours of waiting, flocks of shoppers, traffic... you know what? I think next year I’ll just skip all the craziness and do my shopping on the Internet. “I love it more than Thanksgiving,” said Sasha Goran of Wheatfield. “So do I!” added her daughter, Jackie.They must have been talking about Christmas, right? Easter? They certainly had to be talking about some other national holiday, New Years Eve perhaps?“Black Friday is my favorite day of the year,” explained Sasha, and she wasn’t the only one. Many [image]of the people I spoke with in the wee hours of Friday morning (and some very late on Thursday) agreed- Black Friday is one of the most exciting days of the year.A monument to consumerism, Black Friday gives shoppers a chance to catch amazing deals on the entire spectrum of products that malls and retail stores have to offer. I, like Sasha and so many others, chose to head to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls first because they opened their doors at eleven- nearly five to eight hours earlier than many other places. Most stores didn’t open at the Outlets until the usual midnight, but that didn’t stop the early arrival of willing shoppers.Juicy Couture, Coach, and Pacific Sunwear seemed to be the spots with the hottest deals on Friday, with lines more than one hundred deep an hour before the gates went up.“I’ve been at the mall since ten,” said one woman, waiting to get her hands on a severely marked down Coach hand bag. [image]Ten seems a bit much, considering the store didn’t open until midnight, but the five A.M. opening at Best Buy drew out shoppers nearly seven hours before hand.“I’m looking for a new flat screen TV,” said one man, waiting near the front of the Best Buy line. “If you don’t get here early, you’ll miss the deals.”Early or not, the day revolved around shopping for Western New Yorkers and yes, even Canadian shoppers. “We came from Toronto,” said one shopper at the Fashion Outlets. “The deals are great and we just don’t have some of these stores over where we live. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it.”But one thing most early bird shoppers never think of is the fact that other people actually have to work. “We had to be here at 11:00 tonight,” said Stephanie, an employee at the Converse store at the Fashion Outlets. “I’m stuck here until seven in the morning. I’m full of turkey, all I want to do is go to sleep but I’m stuck here in this chaos.”Chaotic or not, it doesn’t stop or even slow the hordes of those looking for good deals on the busiest shopping day of the year. Cheap flat screen televisions, high definition cameras, video games –clothes! You name it, it was on sale Friday and the masses were out to get their hands on it.Despite the epic lines, hours of waiting, flocks of shoppers, traffic... you know what? I think next year I’ll just skip all the craziness and do my shopping on the Internet. Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:28:56 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Black-Friday-hits-WNY/BLOG/1528040/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-29T01:28:56Z MyBuffalo “I love it more than Thanksgiving,” said Sasha Goran of Wheatfield. “So do I!” added her daughter, Jackie.They must have been talking about Christmas, right? Easter? They certainly had to be talking about some other national holiday, New Years Eve perhaps?“Black Friday is my favorite day of the year,” explained Sasha, and she wasn’t the only one. Many [image]of the people I spoke with in the wee hours of Friday morning (and some very late on Thursday) agreed- Black Friday is one of the most exciting days of the year.A monument to consumerism, Black Friday gives shoppers a chance to catch amazing deals on the entire spectrum of products that malls and retail stores have to offer. I, like Sasha and so many others, chose to head to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls first because they opened their doors at eleven- nearly five to eight hours earlier than many other places. Most stores didn’t open at the Outlets until the usual midnight, but that didn’t stop the early arrival of willing shoppers.Juicy Couture, Coach, and Pacific Sunwear seemed to be the spots with the hottest deals on Friday, with lines more than one hundred deep an hour before the gates went up.“I’ve been at the mall since ten,” said one woman, waiting to get her hands on a severely marked down Coach hand bag. [image]Ten seems a bit much, considering the store didn’t open until midnight, but the five A.M. opening at Best Buy drew out shoppers nearly seven hours before hand.“I’m looking for a new flat screen TV,” said one man, waiting near the front of the Best Buy line. “If you don’t get here early, you’ll miss the deals.”Early or not, the day revolved around shopping for Western New Yorkers and yes, even Canadian shoppers. “We came from Toronto,” said one shopper at the Fashion Outlets. “The deals are great and we just don’t have some of these stores over where we live. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it.”But one thing most early bird shoppers never think of is the fact that other people actually have to work. “We had to be here at 11:00 tonight,” said Stephanie, an employee at the Converse store at the Fashion Outlets. “I’m stuck here until seven in the morning. I’m full of turkey, all I want to do is go to sleep but I’m stuck here in this chaos.”Chaotic or not, it doesn’t stop or even slow the hordes of those looking for good deals on the busiest shopping day of the year. Cheap flat screen televisions, high definition cameras, video games –clothes! You name it, it was on sale Friday and the masses were out to get their hands on it.Despite the epic lines, hours of waiting, flocks of shoppers, traffic... you know what? I think next year I’ll just skip all the craziness and do my shopping on the Internet. best, black, buy, coach, fashion, friday, outlets, pacific, sunwear nonadult false Black Friday hits WNY text blog best,black,buy,coach,fashion,friday,outlets,pacific,sunwear 248 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1528040 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Iglesias-and-crew-come-to-NU/BLOG/1522116/85283.html Comedian Gabriel Iglesias flew into western New York on Wednesday for a pair of college shows at UB and Niagara University.[image]“I really don’t do a lot of college shows, which is unfortunate because I have a big college following,” said Iglesias on his two recent performances. The funnyman has been playing the comedy club and theater circuit for the better part of the last seven years. “I perform everywhere,” he added.The comic has been featured on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, Jimmey Kimmel Live and has rocked three specials on Comedy Central. His second special, “Hot & Fluffy,” sold 300,000 copies on DVD, officially making him a platinum selling artist.A Mexican-American comedian, Iglesias is known for his original brand of comedy that focuses strongly on his weight and his ethnicity. One of his most popular jokes is about “The Five Levels of Fatness.” He jokes that the levels are “Big, Healthy, Husky, Fluffy and DAMN! I’m still Fulffy” He recently added a sixth level to the joke, “Oh, HELL no!”Iglesias has been in the comedy game for years, first coming to light when he appeared on Comedy Central Presents back in the early 2000s. “I’m a lot less silly now,” said Iglesias on his current act. “You mature and my show has done that. It’s evolved to where I talk about my real life. At first it was about making funny noises and doing sound effects, but now it’s a lot more personal.”In his latest tour, he’s been promoting his newest special, called “I’m not fat… I’m Fluffy,” which will be broadcast December 4th on Comedy Central. The Niagara show on Friday night featured a lot of jokes from his new special, but he [image]added in a lot of old jokes that veteran fans could enjoy.“It was the first time I’ve seen him live,” said NU student Sarah Rifler. “I loved his act and the fact that he told some of his best old jokes made it so much better.”The comic performed with three of his close friends, Alfred Robles, Noe Gonzalez and the hype man for the NU show, Martin Moreno. The four comedians will be on tour in 2010 thanks in part to Comedy Central. The 50 city tour will be fittingly called “The Fluffyshop Tour,” named after Iglesias’ merchandise website, fluffyshop.com.After the NU show, all four comedians stuck around to take pictures with fans. “It’s cool, I get to meet everyone after the show,” said Iglesias. “I hang out and stick around and take pictures with everybody. It’s a fun time and everyone can get their pictures for free if they hit up my myspace page.”Going on eight years on the road, any comic should be tired of being away from home. “I love it,” said Iglesias. “Vacation for me is when I’m home for a week. But after a few days, I get that feeling like ‘Man, I want to be back out there doing my thing’ you know?”Lucky for us, 2010 will be the year of Fluffy. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias flew into western New York on Wednesday for a pair of college shows at UB and Niagara University.[image]“I really don’t do a lot of college shows, which is unfortunate because I have a big college following,” said Iglesias on his two recent performances. The funnyman has been playing the comedy club and theater circuit for the better part of the last seven years. “I perform everywhere,” he added.The comic has been featured on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, Jimmey Kimmel Live and has rocked three specials on Comedy Central. His second special, “Hot & Fluffy,” sold 300,000 copies on DVD, officially making him a platinum selling artist.A Mexican-American comedian, Iglesias is known for his original brand of comedy that focuses strongly on his weight and his ethnicity. One of his most popular jokes is about “The Five Levels of Fatness.” He jokes that the levels are “Big, Healthy, Husky, Fluffy and DAMN! I’m still Fulffy” He recently added a sixth level to the joke, “Oh, HELL no!”Iglesias has been in the comedy game for years, first coming to light when he appeared on Comedy Central Presents back in the early 2000s. “I’m a lot less silly now,” said Iglesias on his current act. “You mature and my show has done that. It’s evolved to where I talk about my real life. At first it was about making funny noises and doing sound effects, but now it’s a lot more personal.”In his latest tour, he’s been promoting his newest special, called “I’m not fat… I’m Fluffy,” which will be broadcast December 4th on Comedy Central. The Niagara show on Friday night featured a lot of jokes from his new special, but he [image]added in a lot of old jokes that veteran fans could enjoy.“It was the first time I’ve seen him live,” said NU student Sarah Rifler. “I loved his act and the fact that he told some of his best old jokes made it so much better.”The comic performed with three of his close friends, Alfred Robles, Noe Gonzalez and the hype man for the NU show, Martin Moreno. The four comedians will be on tour in 2010 thanks in part to Comedy Central. The 50 city tour will be fittingly called “The Fluffyshop Tour,” named after Iglesias’ merchandise website, fluffyshop.com.After the NU show, all four comedians stuck around to take pictures with fans. “It’s cool, I get to meet everyone after the show,” said Iglesias. “I hang out and stick around and take pictures with everybody. It’s a fun time and everyone can get their pictures for free if they hit up my myspace page.”Going on eight years on the road, any comic should be tired of being away from home. “I love it,” said Iglesias. “Vacation for me is when I’m home for a week. But after a few days, I get that feeling like ‘Man, I want to be back out there doing my thing’ you know?”Lucky for us, 2010 will be the year of Fluffy. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:18:55 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Iglesias-and-crew-come-to-NU/BLOG/1522116/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-25T21:18:55Z MyBuffalo Comedian Gabriel Iglesias flew into western New York on Wednesday for a pair of college shows at UB and Niagara University.[image]“I really don’t do a lot of college shows, which is unfortunate because I have a big college following,” said Iglesias on his two recent performances. The funnyman has been playing the comedy club and theater circuit for the better part of the last seven years. “I perform everywhere,” he added.The comic has been featured on The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, Jimmey Kimmel Live and has rocked three specials on Comedy Central. His second special, “Hot & Fluffy,” sold 300,000 copies on DVD, officially making him a platinum selling artist.A Mexican-American comedian, Iglesias is known for his original brand of comedy that focuses strongly on his weight and his ethnicity. One of his most popular jokes is about “The Five Levels of Fatness.” He jokes that the levels are “Big, Healthy, Husky, Fluffy and DAMN! I’m still Fulffy” He recently added a sixth level to the joke, “Oh, HELL no!”Iglesias has been in the comedy game for years, first coming to light when he appeared on Comedy Central Presents back in the early 2000s. “I’m a lot less silly now,” said Iglesias on his current act. “You mature and my show has done that. It’s evolved to where I talk about my real life. At first it was about making funny noises and doing sound effects, but now it’s a lot more personal.”In his latest tour, he’s been promoting his newest special, called “I’m not fat… I’m Fluffy,” which will be broadcast December 4th on Comedy Central. The Niagara show on Friday night featured a lot of jokes from his new special, but he [image]added in a lot of old jokes that veteran fans could enjoy.“It was the first time I’ve seen him live,” said NU student Sarah Rifler. “I loved his act and the fact that he told some of his best old jokes made it so much better.”The comic performed with three of his close friends, Alfred Robles, Noe Gonzalez and the hype man for the NU show, Martin Moreno. The four comedians will be on tour in 2010 thanks in part to Comedy Central. The 50 city tour will be fittingly called “The Fluffyshop Tour,” named after Iglesias’ merchandise website, fluffyshop.com.After the NU show, all four comedians stuck around to take pictures with fans. “It’s cool, I get to meet everyone after the show,” said Iglesias. “I hang out and stick around and take pictures with everybody. It’s a fun time and everyone can get their pictures for free if they hit up my myspace page.”Going on eight years on the road, any comic should be tired of being away from home. “I love it,” said Iglesias. “Vacation for me is when I’m home for a week. But after a few days, I get that feeling like ‘Man, I want to be back out there doing my thing’ you know?”Lucky for us, 2010 will be the year of Fluffy. comedian, gabriel, iglesias, niagara, university nonadult false Iglesias and crew come to NU text blog comedian,gabriel,iglesias,niagara,university 344 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1522116 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Daniel-Tosh-brings-the-funny-to-UB/BLOG/1504866/85283.html “Not many of you may know this… but I’m terrible live,” said comedian Daniel Tosh, greeting a packed UB center for the performing arts. The humorist is the host of Tosh.0, the hottest new show on Comedy Central. The show follows in [image]the footsteps of the popular E! Networks program, The Soup, which is hosted by funnyman Joel McHale. The Soup takes a look at outrageous events that have happened on television in the past week, from reality TV to talk shows, and McHale delivers a killer joke- two for the price of one!Tosh.0 puts a spin on this concept and looks at hilarious clips from popular internet sites. Past episodes have featured a clip of a cheerleader getting trampled by a football team after she got too close to the banner they were charging through, and “caught on candid camera” type show clips where the joke goes horribly wrong.The comic delivers witty comments on each video, much to the delight of the audience, but the main draw for viewers isn’t just the funny clips- he has a humor similar to that of comedian Jim Gaffigan, from the jokes right down to the delivery, but puts his own twist on it that is both original and hilarious.[image]The Thursday night show, headlined by Tosh, also featured comedian Matt Fulchiron as the opening act. Fulchiron, a comic from LA, brought some west coast flavor to the UB North Campus. “I thought he was great,” said UB freshman Dan Kozlowski. “Not as good as Tosh, but I liked his jokes and the way he talked.” Fulchiron spoke with, simply put, urban vernacular not typically associated with white comics from California. “He spoke like a gangster!” added one concert-goer.After a quick fifteen minute set, Fulchiron departed and Tosh took the stage. A roaring crowd greeted Tosh, and when one female fan declared her love for him, he responded right in step. “I have no feelings for you whatsoever,” he remarked, while the crowd went crazy.With jokes ranging from what would happen if Brad Pitt and David Beckham had a baby, to how to handle a girlfriend who takes too long to get ready when going out a night (“tell her she looks gross so you can just stay home and play video games”), to the Winter Olympics (“all we are doing is seeing what country can slide the fastest”), Tosh played off the college atmosphere with killer jokes and a highly polished delivery. “I thought he was great,” said concert-goer Nick Sodaro. “His humor on his show is much different than his standup comedy. Tosh.0 is still great, but he’s a lot funnier live.” While the television program boarders on PG- well, maybe PG-13- Tosh’s standup is a no holds barred laugh riot perfect for a college crowd. He throws in pop culture references that older audience members may appreciate more than the younger crowd, but he excels at making the house laugh, and that’s the most important thing for any comedian.While Tosh’s standup didn’t feature video clips of cheerleaders getting trampled, he rolled over the audience with his barrage of side-splitting jokes. “Not many of you may know this… but I’m terrible live,” said comedian Daniel Tosh, greeting a packed UB center for the performing arts. The humorist is the host of Tosh.0, the hottest new show on Comedy Central. The show follows in [image]the footsteps of the popular E! Networks program, The Soup, which is hosted by funnyman Joel McHale. The Soup takes a look at outrageous events that have happened on television in the past week, from reality TV to talk shows, and McHale delivers a killer joke- two for the price of one!Tosh.0 puts a spin on this concept and looks at hilarious clips from popular internet sites. Past episodes have featured a clip of a cheerleader getting trampled by a football team after she got too close to the banner they were charging through, and “caught on candid camera” type show clips where the joke goes horribly wrong.The comic delivers witty comments on each video, much to the delight of the audience, but the main draw for viewers isn’t just the funny clips- he has a humor similar to that of comedian Jim Gaffigan, from the jokes right down to the delivery, but puts his own twist on it that is both original and hilarious.[image]The Thursday night show, headlined by Tosh, also featured comedian Matt Fulchiron as the opening act. Fulchiron, a comic from LA, brought some west coast flavor to the UB North Campus. “I thought he was great,” said UB freshman Dan Kozlowski. “Not as good as Tosh, but I liked his jokes and the way he talked.” Fulchiron spoke with, simply put, urban vernacular not typically associated with white comics from California. “He spoke like a gangster!” added one concert-goer.After a quick fifteen minute set, Fulchiron departed and Tosh took the stage. A roaring crowd greeted Tosh, and when one female fan declared her love for him, he responded right in step. “I have no feelings for you whatsoever,” he remarked, while the crowd went crazy.With jokes ranging from what would happen if Brad Pitt and David Beckham had a baby, to how to handle a girlfriend who takes too long to get ready when going out a night (“tell her she looks gross so you can just stay home and play video games”), to the Winter Olympics (“all we are doing is seeing what country can slide the fastest”), Tosh played off the college atmosphere with killer jokes and a highly polished delivery. “I thought he was great,” said concert-goer Nick Sodaro. “His humor on his show is much different than his standup comedy. Tosh.0 is still great, but he’s a lot funnier live.” While the television program boarders on PG- well, maybe PG-13- Tosh’s standup is a no holds barred laugh riot perfect for a college crowd. He throws in pop culture references that older audience members may appreciate more than the younger crowd, but he excels at making the house laugh, and that’s the most important thing for any comedian.While Tosh’s standup didn’t feature video clips of cheerleaders getting trampled, he rolled over the audience with his barrage of side-splitting jokes. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:50:17 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Daniel-Tosh-brings-the-funny-to-UB/BLOG/1504866/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-20T21:50:17Z Articles MyBuffalo “Not many of you may know this… but I’m terrible live,” said comedian Daniel Tosh, greeting a packed UB center for the performing arts. The humorist is the host of Tosh.0, the hottest new show on Comedy Central. The show follows in [image]the footsteps of the popular E! Networks program, The Soup, which is hosted by funnyman Joel McHale. The Soup takes a look at outrageous events that have happened on television in the past week, from reality TV to talk shows, and McHale delivers a killer joke- two for the price of one!Tosh.0 puts a spin on this concept and looks at hilarious clips from popular internet sites. Past episodes have featured a clip of a cheerleader getting trampled by a football team after she got too close to the banner they were charging through, and “caught on candid camera” type show clips where the joke goes horribly wrong.The comic delivers witty comments on each video, much to the delight of the audience, but the main draw for viewers isn’t just the funny clips- he has a humor similar to that of comedian Jim Gaffigan, from the jokes right down to the delivery, but puts his own twist on it that is both original and hilarious.[image]The Thursday night show, headlined by Tosh, also featured comedian Matt Fulchiron as the opening act. Fulchiron, a comic from LA, brought some west coast flavor to the UB North Campus. “I thought he was great,” said UB freshman Dan Kozlowski. “Not as good as Tosh, but I liked his jokes and the way he talked.” Fulchiron spoke with, simply put, urban vernacular not typically associated with white comics from California. “He spoke like a gangster!” added one concert-goer.After a quick fifteen minute set, Fulchiron departed and Tosh took the stage. A roaring crowd greeted Tosh, and when one female fan declared her love for him, he responded right in step. “I have no feelings for you whatsoever,” he remarked, while the crowd went crazy.With jokes ranging from what would happen if Brad Pitt and David Beckham had a baby, to how to handle a girlfriend who takes too long to get ready when going out a night (“tell her she looks gross so you can just stay home and play video games”), to the Winter Olympics (“all we are doing is seeing what country can slide the fastest”), Tosh played off the college atmosphere with killer jokes and a highly polished delivery. “I thought he was great,” said concert-goer Nick Sodaro. “His humor on his show is much different than his standup comedy. Tosh.0 is still great, but he’s a lot funnier live.” While the television program boarders on PG- well, maybe PG-13- Tosh’s standup is a no holds barred laugh riot perfect for a college crowd. He throws in pop culture references that older audience members may appreciate more than the younger crowd, but he excels at making the house laugh, and that’s the most important thing for any comedian.While Tosh’s standup didn’t feature video clips of cheerleaders getting trampled, he rolled over the audience with his barrage of side-splitting jokes. articles, arts, center, daniel, for, fulchiron, matt, performing, the, tosh, ub nonadult false Daniel Tosh brings the funny to UB text blog articles,arts,center,daniel,for,fulchiron,matt,performing,the,tosh,ub 218 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 Articles 0 1504866 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Lights-come-on-at-the-Soundlab/BLOG/1500508/85283.html The Beatles had the Cavern Club. Buffalo has the Soundlab. At the corner of Swan and Pearl in downtown Buffalo, you’ll find one of the areas hottest venues to[image] catch a concert, whether it’s rock, folk, electronic, punk… well, you get the idea. Tucked away in the basement of the Dun Building, one can stumble across a brick lined cellar transformed into a bar/showcase for hot new acts that seemingly always push the status quo. “It’s an awesome place to see a show,” said concert-goer Carolyn Funke. “They always have a band that seems to push a certain genre, and I think Buffalo needs something like that.” Past acts have included folk music trio Paul’s Grandfather, an all female crew from the Fredonia area who play all original folk songs. “It’s kind of like if Dylan met up with Ben Harper- for that newer type of edge- but it was in the form of a all lady trio,” said local folk musician Andy Krzystek. [image]A great spot indeed, but that is if you can find it. “Unless you’re looking for it- you’re actually there to catch a show- you’ll never see it,” said concert-goer Ben Moskal. “It’s a shame because it’s such a rad place to drink and watch a band.” The opening act on Friday night was Wooden Waves, a homegrown electronic/experimental band. Members of folk/surf inspired band, Sleeping Kings of Iona, and a couple local solo musicians make up the six man/one woman band. “They’re a lot of fun,” said concert-goer Stephanie Hitchcock. “They’re high energy and you’ll see that tonight!” Wooden Waves, which at first glance appears to be a standard bass-guitar-drums band, includes a xylophone player, a lead singer who uses effects on his microphone to wrap his voice into such a way that the lyrics are distorted into echoes, and a computer whiz that projects live video mixes on a screen behind the band. Cutting edge to say the least, Waves delivers candy for the ears and eyes.[image] An unknown delay with The Lights allowed Waves to entertain a sparse Soundlab crowd (the popular Canadian band Lights was advertised, but The Lights that played Friday are from Brooklyn- a mix-up that had disappointed fans turning back at the entrance) for nearly an hour. The Waves set ended and The Lights took the stage. Pumping out hit tunes like War Theme and Fire Night, new and old fans alike were treated to an excellent set from the female trio. “They rock,” said concert-goer Ashley Ringer. “They bring some serious girl power to the stage and they have some killer songs. I love it!” With a little luck (they already have the talent), The Lights may take a page from The Beatles and turn their Friday night set at the Soundlab into what the quartet from Liverpool did with their spot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had the Cavern Club. Buffalo has the Soundlab. At the corner of Swan and Pearl in downtown Buffalo, you’ll find one of the areas hottest venues to[image] catch a concert, whether it’s rock, folk, electronic, punk… well, you get the idea. Tucked away in the basement of the Dun Building, one can stumble across a brick lined cellar transformed into a bar/showcase for hot new acts that seemingly always push the status quo. “It’s an awesome place to see a show,” said concert-goer Carolyn Funke. “They always have a band that seems to push a certain genre, and I think Buffalo needs something like that.” Past acts have included folk music trio Paul’s Grandfather, an all female crew from the Fredonia area who play all original folk songs. “It’s kind of like if Dylan met up with Ben Harper- for that newer type of edge- but it was in the form of a all lady trio,” said local folk musician Andy Krzystek. [image]A great spot indeed, but that is if you can find it. “Unless you’re looking for it- you’re actually there to catch a show- you’ll never see it,” said concert-goer Ben Moskal. “It’s a shame because it’s such a rad place to drink and watch a band.” The opening act on Friday night was Wooden Waves, a homegrown electronic/experimental band. Members of folk/surf inspired band, Sleeping Kings of Iona, and a couple local solo musicians make up the six man/one woman band. “They’re a lot of fun,” said concert-goer Stephanie Hitchcock. “They’re high energy and you’ll see that tonight!” Wooden Waves, which at first glance appears to be a standard bass-guitar-drums band, includes a xylophone player, a lead singer who uses effects on his microphone to wrap his voice into such a way that the lyrics are distorted into echoes, and a computer whiz that projects live video mixes on a screen behind the band. Cutting edge to say the least, Waves delivers candy for the ears and eyes.[image] An unknown delay with The Lights allowed Waves to entertain a sparse Soundlab crowd (the popular Canadian band Lights was advertised, but The Lights that played Friday are from Brooklyn- a mix-up that had disappointed fans turning back at the entrance) for nearly an hour. The Waves set ended and The Lights took the stage. Pumping out hit tunes like War Theme and Fire Night, new and old fans alike were treated to an excellent set from the female trio. “They rock,” said concert-goer Ashley Ringer. “They bring some serious girl power to the stage and they have some killer songs. I love it!” With a little luck (they already have the talent), The Lights may take a page from The Beatles and turn their Friday night set at the Soundlab into what the quartet from Liverpool did with their spot at the Cavern Club. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:08:06 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_The-Lights-come-on-at-the-Soundlab/BLOG/1500508/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-18T05:08:06Z MyBuffalo The Beatles had the Cavern Club. Buffalo has the Soundlab. At the corner of Swan and Pearl in downtown Buffalo, you’ll find one of the areas hottest venues to[image] catch a concert, whether it’s rock, folk, electronic, punk… well, you get the idea. Tucked away in the basement of the Dun Building, one can stumble across a brick lined cellar transformed into a bar/showcase for hot new acts that seemingly always push the status quo. “It’s an awesome place to see a show,” said concert-goer Carolyn Funke. “They always have a band that seems to push a certain genre, and I think Buffalo needs something like that.” Past acts have included folk music trio Paul’s Grandfather, an all female crew from the Fredonia area who play all original folk songs. “It’s kind of like if Dylan met up with Ben Harper- for that newer type of edge- but it was in the form of a all lady trio,” said local folk musician Andy Krzystek. [image]A great spot indeed, but that is if you can find it. “Unless you’re looking for it- you’re actually there to catch a show- you’ll never see it,” said concert-goer Ben Moskal. “It’s a shame because it’s such a rad place to drink and watch a band.” The opening act on Friday night was Wooden Waves, a homegrown electronic/experimental band. Members of folk/surf inspired band, Sleeping Kings of Iona, and a couple local solo musicians make up the six man/one woman band. “They’re a lot of fun,” said concert-goer Stephanie Hitchcock. “They’re high energy and you’ll see that tonight!” Wooden Waves, which at first glance appears to be a standard bass-guitar-drums band, includes a xylophone player, a lead singer who uses effects on his microphone to wrap his voice into such a way that the lyrics are distorted into echoes, and a computer whiz that projects live video mixes on a screen behind the band. Cutting edge to say the least, Waves delivers candy for the ears and eyes.[image] An unknown delay with The Lights allowed Waves to entertain a sparse Soundlab crowd (the popular Canadian band Lights was advertised, but The Lights that played Friday are from Brooklyn- a mix-up that had disappointed fans turning back at the entrance) for nearly an hour. The Waves set ended and The Lights took the stage. Pumping out hit tunes like War Theme and Fire Night, new and old fans alike were treated to an excellent set from the female trio. “They rock,” said concert-goer Ashley Ringer. “They bring some serious girl power to the stage and they have some killer songs. I love it!” With a little luck (they already have the talent), The Lights may take a page from The Beatles and turn their Friday night set at the Soundlab into what the quartet from Liverpool did with their spot at the Cavern Club. lights, soundlab, the, waves, wooden nonadult false The Lights come on at the Soundlab text blog lights,soundlab,the,waves,wooden 264 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1500508 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Miller-Klear-rock-Live-Music-Series/BLOG/1484727/85283.html Niagara University’s Live Music series never fails to draw an ambitious crowd, and Friday night was no exception.[image]Local rock band Klear, the headline act of the night, drew fans from far and wide to the lower level of the Gallagher Center, where $5 got you through the door for a night of solid tunes. Leather jackets and band t-shirts were the dress of choice for audience members who were there for one reason and one reason alone: to rock out to classic-sounding jams provided by Bruce Wojick and his established crew of first-rate musicians.The opening act of the night, Michael Miller, travelled all the way from sunny California to play original tunes for a ready Niagara crowd.Miller, with only his guitar and a microphone, began with “Love I Know” off of his most recent album, I Made You Up. Other songs from his new album included the title track “I Made You Up” and “Tipsy,” but he didn’t shy away from his older material- “Mary”, which appeared in the episode of the Gilmore Girls.Miller, who has a kind of Wallflowers-Tom Petty-folk pop vibe to his work, is the kind of guy who enjoys playing colleges. “It was a [image]great venue,” said Miller on Niagara. “I like playing colleges because the crowd seems hungrier for music. They seem more open to cool stuff and I’m all about getting out and getting heard.”Miller’s was selling his latest album on a pay-what-you-can basis. “I’m trying to win over some converts at these shows,” explained Miller. “It’s been an experiment, but at the end of the night I want the crowd to leave with my album. I’d rather have people pay five dollars and have the album than not have it at all.”While he’s a fairly popular artist and has had a successful music career, Miller didn’t get much love from the older Niagara, Klear-ready crowd. “Because I don’t have the backing of my band- the show is all acoustic- I have a bit of a load to carry alone,” explained Miller. “Because it’s stripped down, people are forced to listen more closely, and some people don’t like that sort of thing.”It was clear that the audience was there for one thing: Bruce Wojick and Klear. “They’re my favorite band,” said Jill from Amherst. “They rock and the always put on a great show!”After a standing ovation as they took the stage, the band dove right into hits like “Superman,” [image]“Firefly,” and “Makin Noise.” “We’re trying to hit you guys with some of the old and some of the new,” shouted front man Wojick. “Gotta give the fans what they want!”Klear rocked the crowd for nearly two full hours, pumping out as much as they could fit in their NU set. Wojick ended the night with a crowd-pleasing rendition of the Ray Charles classic “Georgia On My Mind.” Accompanied by a keyboardist and a saxophone player, the crowd hummed along as Wojick belted out the striking lyrics.Whether you lean more towards the classic rock sound of Klear, or the folk pop jams of Michael Miller, Niagara’s Live Music Series was a spot to hear some great tunes at a great price.For more information on Klear, check out myspace.com/klearbandFor more information on Michael Miller, check out michaelmillercrusade.com Niagara University’s Live Music series never fails to draw an ambitious crowd, and Friday night was no exception.[image]Local rock band Klear, the headline act of the night, drew fans from far and wide to the lower level of the Gallagher Center, where $5 got you through the door for a night of solid tunes. Leather jackets and band t-shirts were the dress of choice for audience members who were there for one reason and one reason alone: to rock out to classic-sounding jams provided by Bruce Wojick and his established crew of first-rate musicians.The opening act of the night, Michael Miller, travelled all the way from sunny California to play original tunes for a ready Niagara crowd.Miller, with only his guitar and a microphone, began with “Love I Know” off of his most recent album, I Made You Up. Other songs from his new album included the title track “I Made You Up” and “Tipsy,” but he didn’t shy away from his older material- “Mary”, which appeared in the episode of the Gilmore Girls.Miller, who has a kind of Wallflowers-Tom Petty-folk pop vibe to his work, is the kind of guy who enjoys playing colleges. “It was a [image]great venue,” said Miller on Niagara. “I like playing colleges because the crowd seems hungrier for music. They seem more open to cool stuff and I’m all about getting out and getting heard.”Miller’s was selling his latest album on a pay-what-you-can basis. “I’m trying to win over some converts at these shows,” explained Miller. “It’s been an experiment, but at the end of the night I want the crowd to leave with my album. I’d rather have people pay five dollars and have the album than not have it at all.”While he’s a fairly popular artist and has had a successful music career, Miller didn’t get much love from the older Niagara, Klear-ready crowd. “Because I don’t have the backing of my band- the show is all acoustic- I have a bit of a load to carry alone,” explained Miller. “Because it’s stripped down, people are forced to listen more closely, and some people don’t like that sort of thing.”It was clear that the audience was there for one thing: Bruce Wojick and Klear. “They’re my favorite band,” said Jill from Amherst. “They rock and the always put on a great show!”After a standing ovation as they took the stage, the band dove right into hits like “Superman,” [image]“Firefly,” and “Makin Noise.” “We’re trying to hit you guys with some of the old and some of the new,” shouted front man Wojick. “Gotta give the fans what they want!”Klear rocked the crowd for nearly two full hours, pumping out as much as they could fit in their NU set. Wojick ended the night with a crowd-pleasing rendition of the Ray Charles classic “Georgia On My Mind.” Accompanied by a keyboardist and a saxophone player, the crowd hummed along as Wojick belted out the striking lyrics.Whether you lean more towards the classic rock sound of Klear, or the folk pop jams of Michael Miller, Niagara’s Live Music Series was a spot to hear some great tunes at a great price.For more information on Klear, check out myspace.com/klearbandFor more information on Michael Miller, check out michaelmillercrusade.com Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:46:53 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Miller-Klear-rock-Live-Music-Series/BLOG/1484727/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-11T01:46:53Z MyBuffalo Niagara University’s Live Music series never fails to draw an ambitious crowd, and Friday night was no exception.[image]Local rock band Klear, the headline act of the night, drew fans from far and wide to the lower level of the Gallagher Center, where $5 got you through the door for a night of solid tunes. Leather jackets and band t-shirts were the dress of choice for audience members who were there for one reason and one reason alone: to rock out to classic-sounding jams provided by Bruce Wojick and his established crew of first-rate musicians.The opening act of the night, Michael Miller, travelled all the way from sunny California to play original tunes for a ready Niagara crowd.Miller, with only his guitar and a microphone, began with “Love I Know” off of his most recent album, I Made You Up. Other songs from his new album included the title track “I Made You Up” and “Tipsy,” but he didn’t shy away from his older material- “Mary”, which appeared in the episode of the Gilmore Girls.Miller, who has a kind of Wallflowers-Tom Petty-folk pop vibe to his work, is the kind of guy who enjoys playing colleges. “It was a [image]great venue,” said Miller on Niagara. “I like playing colleges because the crowd seems hungrier for music. They seem more open to cool stuff and I’m all about getting out and getting heard.”Miller’s was selling his latest album on a pay-what-you-can basis. “I’m trying to win over some converts at these shows,” explained Miller. “It’s been an experiment, but at the end of the night I want the crowd to leave with my album. I’d rather have people pay five dollars and have the album than not have it at all.”While he’s a fairly popular artist and has had a successful music career, Miller didn’t get much love from the older Niagara, Klear-ready crowd. “Because I don’t have the backing of my band- the show is all acoustic- I have a bit of a load to carry alone,” explained Miller. “Because it’s stripped down, people are forced to listen more closely, and some people don’t like that sort of thing.”It was clear that the audience was there for one thing: Bruce Wojick and Klear. “They’re my favorite band,” said Jill from Amherst. “They rock and the always put on a great show!”After a standing ovation as they took the stage, the band dove right into hits like “Superman,” [image]“Firefly,” and “Makin Noise.” “We’re trying to hit you guys with some of the old and some of the new,” shouted front man Wojick. “Gotta give the fans what they want!”Klear rocked the crowd for nearly two full hours, pumping out as much as they could fit in their NU set. Wojick ended the night with a crowd-pleasing rendition of the Ray Charles classic “Georgia On My Mind.” Accompanied by a keyboardist and a saxophone player, the crowd hummed along as Wojick belted out the striking lyrics.Whether you lean more towards the classic rock sound of Klear, or the folk pop jams of Michael Miller, Niagara’s Live Music Series was a spot to hear some great tunes at a great price.For more information on Klear, check out myspace.com/klearbandFor more information on Michael Miller, check out michaelmillercrusade.com klear, live, michael, miller, music, niagara, series, university nonadult false Miller, Klear rock Live Music Series text blog klear,live,michael,miller,music,niagara,series,university 217 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1484727 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Open-Mic-Night-gives-students-chance-to-shine/BLOG/1460994/85283.html Whether you’re a seasoned musician or only the type that keeps your singing to the privacy of the [image]shower, Niagara University’s Open Mic Night was the spot to be on Wednesday.Niagara, the Campus Programming Board and Barnes & Noble Bookstore gave students with a more creative, musical side to show their stuff in front of their peers. Acts of all sorts took to the stage to sing and perform renditions of their favorite songs or original works, rocking a packed house in the lower level of the Gallagher Center.All acts were vying for first place in the competition, which would yield the winner $500; second and third place received $300 and $200 respectively. Mandolin players, full bands, a cappella singers, and performers singing to a track dazzled the audience, who let them know just how they felt.“It was a great show,” said NU theater major Eric Madia. “We got to see our friends sing in front of a crowd, so that was just awesome.”One act performed a crowd pleasing version of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” while another singer, David Loss of the local North Tonawanda jam band Aqueous, had the audience singing along to The Beatles’ “Dear [image]Prudence” and “I’m Yours” by reggae-rock artist Jason Mraz.“He was just great,” said Danielle Smith about Loss. “The crowd was so in to it, even I was singing along.”Brent Feuz and Shawn McDonell, two parts of the local band Woodland, performed an original song, “Devil’s Fire.”“It was a great crowd tonight,” said Feuz. “This is my third open mic night at Niagara, and it definitely seemed like everyone was really in to it.” “It’s great because it’s free, and that brings them out,” added McDonell.Another duo, equipped with a piano and a microphone, sang a heartwarming duet that the crowd loved. "Steve wrote this for me for Valentine's Day," said Ashley Serwon, talking about her piano player boyfriend Steven Gryhalla."It was a fun time," said Gryhalla. "It gives students a chance to showcase their hidden talents." "It was a fun experience," added Serwon.“This is one of the best attended events that we have each year,” said assistant director of campus [image]activities Bill Newton. “We had a wide variety of acts and it’s fun to see people come out and support their friends.A group of energetic girls wrapped up the night with their own version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," which, as any college aged person can tell you, is their favorite song to sing at karaoke. "I love this song!" said one audience member, who, along with most of the crowd, sang every single word along with the onstage act.To show you how diverse that acts were, a skilled pair of jugglers who showed off their skills on time to a beat ended up taking the first place prize. “They rocked!” said one audience member.While there were a few participants that may not have gotten the singing approval of Mariah Carey, the crowd cheered just the same. Niagara's Open Mic Night was an evening full of talented singers and acts, resulting in a smashing success. Whether you’re a seasoned musician or only the type that keeps your singing to the privacy of the [image]shower, Niagara University’s Open Mic Night was the spot to be on Wednesday.Niagara, the Campus Programming Board and Barnes & Noble Bookstore gave students with a more creative, musical side to show their stuff in front of their peers. Acts of all sorts took to the stage to sing and perform renditions of their favorite songs or original works, rocking a packed house in the lower level of the Gallagher Center.All acts were vying for first place in the competition, which would yield the winner $500; second and third place received $300 and $200 respectively. Mandolin players, full bands, a cappella singers, and performers singing to a track dazzled the audience, who let them know just how they felt.“It was a great show,” said NU theater major Eric Madia. “We got to see our friends sing in front of a crowd, so that was just awesome.”One act performed a crowd pleasing version of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” while another singer, David Loss of the local North Tonawanda jam band Aqueous, had the audience singing along to The Beatles’ “Dear [image]Prudence” and “I’m Yours” by reggae-rock artist Jason Mraz.“He was just great,” said Danielle Smith about Loss. “The crowd was so in to it, even I was singing along.”Brent Feuz and Shawn McDonell, two parts of the local band Woodland, performed an original song, “Devil’s Fire.”“It was a great crowd tonight,” said Feuz. “This is my third open mic night at Niagara, and it definitely seemed like everyone was really in to it.” “It’s great because it’s free, and that brings them out,” added McDonell.Another duo, equipped with a piano and a microphone, sang a heartwarming duet that the crowd loved. "Steve wrote this for me for Valentine's Day," said Ashley Serwon, talking about her piano player boyfriend Steven Gryhalla."It was a fun time," said Gryhalla. "It gives students a chance to showcase their hidden talents." "It was a fun experience," added Serwon.“This is one of the best attended events that we have each year,” said assistant director of campus [image]activities Bill Newton. “We had a wide variety of acts and it’s fun to see people come out and support their friends.A group of energetic girls wrapped up the night with their own version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," which, as any college aged person can tell you, is their favorite song to sing at karaoke. "I love this song!" said one audience member, who, along with most of the crowd, sang every single word along with the onstage act.To show you how diverse that acts were, a skilled pair of jugglers who showed off their skills on time to a beat ended up taking the first place prize. “They rocked!” said one audience member.While there were a few participants that may not have gotten the singing approval of Mariah Carey, the crowd cheered just the same. Niagara's Open Mic Night was an evening full of talented singers and acts, resulting in a smashing success. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:25:46 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Open-Mic-Night-gives-students-chance-to-shine/BLOG/1460994/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-05T17:25:46Z MyBuffalo Whether you’re a seasoned musician or only the type that keeps your singing to the privacy of the [image]shower, Niagara University’s Open Mic Night was the spot to be on Wednesday.Niagara, the Campus Programming Board and Barnes & Noble Bookstore gave students with a more creative, musical side to show their stuff in front of their peers. Acts of all sorts took to the stage to sing and perform renditions of their favorite songs or original works, rocking a packed house in the lower level of the Gallagher Center.All acts were vying for first place in the competition, which would yield the winner $500; second and third place received $300 and $200 respectively. Mandolin players, full bands, a cappella singers, and performers singing to a track dazzled the audience, who let them know just how they felt.“It was a great show,” said NU theater major Eric Madia. “We got to see our friends sing in front of a crowd, so that was just awesome.”One act performed a crowd pleasing version of Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” while another singer, David Loss of the local North Tonawanda jam band Aqueous, had the audience singing along to The Beatles’ “Dear [image]Prudence” and “I’m Yours” by reggae-rock artist Jason Mraz.“He was just great,” said Danielle Smith about Loss. “The crowd was so in to it, even I was singing along.”Brent Feuz and Shawn McDonell, two parts of the local band Woodland, performed an original song, “Devil’s Fire.”“It was a great crowd tonight,” said Feuz. “This is my third open mic night at Niagara, and it definitely seemed like everyone was really in to it.” “It’s great because it’s free, and that brings them out,” added McDonell.Another duo, equipped with a piano and a microphone, sang a heartwarming duet that the crowd loved. "Steve wrote this for me for Valentine's Day," said Ashley Serwon, talking about her piano player boyfriend Steven Gryhalla."It was a fun time," said Gryhalla. "It gives students a chance to showcase their hidden talents." "It was a fun experience," added Serwon.“This is one of the best attended events that we have each year,” said assistant director of campus [image]activities Bill Newton. “We had a wide variety of acts and it’s fun to see people come out and support their friends.A group of energetic girls wrapped up the night with their own version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," which, as any college aged person can tell you, is their favorite song to sing at karaoke. "I love this song!" said one audience member, who, along with most of the crowd, sang every single word along with the onstage act.To show you how diverse that acts were, a skilled pair of jugglers who showed off their skills on time to a beat ended up taking the first place prize. “They rocked!” said one audience member.While there were a few participants that may not have gotten the singing approval of Mariah Carey, the crowd cheered just the same. Niagara's Open Mic Night was an evening full of talented singers and acts, resulting in a smashing success. aqueous, david, loss, mic, niagara, night, open, university nonadult false Open Mic Night gives students chance to shine text blog aqueous,david,loss,mic,niagara,night,open,university 277 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1460994 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Allentown-Pub-Crawl-is-terrifying-fun/BLOG/1457658/85283.html Just as the city was gearing up for Halloween weekend, Mason Winfield was getting ready for his[image][image]annual Haunted Pub Crawl of Allentown.“Absolutely nothing paranormal happened tonight, except for maybe people having a good time,” said author and tour guide Winfield.The crawl started at Cozumel, a Mexican themed restaurant and bar a block from Allentown, and not a place one generally thinks of as being[image] haunted. But once the stories started, the true nature of the old building on Elmwood was revealed.“Oh yeah, Angelo. He’s real,” said Cozumel owner Bobby, talking about the house-ghost. “I knew it when we were first moving in. I have a nightly routine, where I turn off all the lights and switches and then lock the door. I’m locking the door, and all the lights are back on. That’s when I knew the stories were true.” The festivities began at seven, with a Halloween themed round of trivia known fittingly as the 13 Mystical Questions of Halloween. A correct answer got you a shirt, although a lot more than 13 shirts were given out. “Who feels like they’ve been neglected with questions tonight?” said Winfield, aching to give out another free shirt.The group left the haunted bar and continued along to North St., where the first of several local ghost stories were told. This one in particular was about local architect E.B. Green. Apparently, the [image]infamous Green is known for having structures that are haunted, and the house at the corner of Elmwood and North is no exception.“I liked learning about all of these local ghost stories,” said crawler Andy Krzystek. “I thought this pub crawl was going to be about drinking and costumes, but instead of just that, we got to learn about the history of Buffalo and the Allentown district.”After a quick stop at a Park street house formerly inhabited by author Anna Katherine Green Park, a residence which claims to host the spirit of a little old lady, the next stop on the tour was Frizzy’s on Allen. After our thirsts were quenched, Winfield told an old Celtic myth (Halloween is a Celtic holiday after all) before moving on to the next bar. “I’ve got hundreds of these stories,” said Winfield, who I must be inclined to believe; he’s the author of eight books on the subject and conducts tours on a regular basis in Saratoga Springs, Canandaigua and other destinations in WNY.[image]“I saw a tour of theirs in Saratoga Springs,” said Amy, a fellow tour-goer from Amherst. “They’re always such a fun time, and going on one so close to Halloween can’t help but put you in the spirit.”After checking out the Allendale Theater, the tour ended at The Bend, a bar across the street from Nietzsche’s . Winfield wrapped up the night with a story about a witch and a sorcerer, much to the delight of the crowd. “I love this story!” yelled one excited crawler.A little more than 40 people showed up for the Allentown crawl, including a group of paranormal enthusiasts known as the Eastern Paranormal Society. “A week ago, we had 110 people show up- we can’t let them get that big anymore!” said Winfield on the group Thursday evening. Expect to be a part of a smaller, more intimate group if you plan on attending any of the future Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc. tours.“The pub crawl is basically story telling, walking around, having some safe fun and getting into the tradition,” added Winfield. A few days before the chaotic weekend that is Halloween, what more could you ask for? Just as the city was gearing up for Halloween weekend, Mason Winfield was getting ready for his[image][image]annual Haunted Pub Crawl of Allentown.“Absolutely nothing paranormal happened tonight, except for maybe people having a good time,” said author and tour guide Winfield.The crawl started at Cozumel, a Mexican themed restaurant and bar a block from Allentown, and not a place one generally thinks of as being[image] haunted. But once the stories started, the true nature of the old building on Elmwood was revealed.“Oh yeah, Angelo. He’s real,” said Cozumel owner Bobby, talking about the house-ghost. “I knew it when we were first moving in. I have a nightly routine, where I turn off all the lights and switches and then lock the door. I’m locking the door, and all the lights are back on. That’s when I knew the stories were true.” The festivities began at seven, with a Halloween themed round of trivia known fittingly as the 13 Mystical Questions of Halloween. A correct answer got you a shirt, although a lot more than 13 shirts were given out. “Who feels like they’ve been neglected with questions tonight?” said Winfield, aching to give out another free shirt.The group left the haunted bar and continued along to North St., where the first of several local ghost stories were told. This one in particular was about local architect E.B. Green. Apparently, the [image]infamous Green is known for having structures that are haunted, and the house at the corner of Elmwood and North is no exception.“I liked learning about all of these local ghost stories,” said crawler Andy Krzystek. “I thought this pub crawl was going to be about drinking and costumes, but instead of just that, we got to learn about the history of Buffalo and the Allentown district.”After a quick stop at a Park street house formerly inhabited by author Anna Katherine Green Park, a residence which claims to host the spirit of a little old lady, the next stop on the tour was Frizzy’s on Allen. After our thirsts were quenched, Winfield told an old Celtic myth (Halloween is a Celtic holiday after all) before moving on to the next bar. “I’ve got hundreds of these stories,” said Winfield, who I must be inclined to believe; he’s the author of eight books on the subject and conducts tours on a regular basis in Saratoga Springs, Canandaigua and other destinations in WNY.[image]“I saw a tour of theirs in Saratoga Springs,” said Amy, a fellow tour-goer from Amherst. “They’re always such a fun time, and going on one so close to Halloween can’t help but put you in the spirit.”After checking out the Allendale Theater, the tour ended at The Bend, a bar across the street from Nietzsche’s . Winfield wrapped up the night with a story about a witch and a sorcerer, much to the delight of the crowd. “I love this story!” yelled one excited crawler.A little more than 40 people showed up for the Allentown crawl, including a group of paranormal enthusiasts known as the Eastern Paranormal Society. “A week ago, we had 110 people show up- we can’t let them get that big anymore!” said Winfield on the group Thursday evening. Expect to be a part of a smaller, more intimate group if you plan on attending any of the future Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc. tours.“The pub crawl is basically story telling, walking around, having some safe fun and getting into the tradition,” added Winfield. A few days before the chaotic weekend that is Halloween, what more could you ask for? Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:28:51 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Allentown-Pub-Crawl-is-terrifying-fun/BLOG/1457658/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-03T19:28:51Z MyBuffalo Just as the city was gearing up for Halloween weekend, Mason Winfield was getting ready for his[image][image]annual Haunted Pub Crawl of Allentown.“Absolutely nothing paranormal happened tonight, except for maybe people having a good time,” said author and tour guide Winfield.The crawl started at Cozumel, a Mexican themed restaurant and bar a block from Allentown, and not a place one generally thinks of as being[image] haunted. But once the stories started, the true nature of the old building on Elmwood was revealed.“Oh yeah, Angelo. He’s real,” said Cozumel owner Bobby, talking about the house-ghost. “I knew it when we were first moving in. I have a nightly routine, where I turn off all the lights and switches and then lock the door. I’m locking the door, and all the lights are back on. That’s when I knew the stories were true.” The festivities began at seven, with a Halloween themed round of trivia known fittingly as the 13 Mystical Questions of Halloween. A correct answer got you a shirt, although a lot more than 13 shirts were given out. “Who feels like they’ve been neglected with questions tonight?” said Winfield, aching to give out another free shirt.The group left the haunted bar and continued along to North St., where the first of several local ghost stories were told. This one in particular was about local architect E.B. Green. Apparently, the [image]infamous Green is known for having structures that are haunted, and the house at the corner of Elmwood and North is no exception.“I liked learning about all of these local ghost stories,” said crawler Andy Krzystek. “I thought this pub crawl was going to be about drinking and costumes, but instead of just that, we got to learn about the history of Buffalo and the Allentown district.”After a quick stop at a Park street house formerly inhabited by author Anna Katherine Green Park, a residence which claims to host the spirit of a little old lady, the next stop on the tour was Frizzy’s on Allen. After our thirsts were quenched, Winfield told an old Celtic myth (Halloween is a Celtic holiday after all) before moving on to the next bar. “I’ve got hundreds of these stories,” said Winfield, who I must be inclined to believe; he’s the author of eight books on the subject and conducts tours on a regular basis in Saratoga Springs, Canandaigua and other destinations in WNY.[image]“I saw a tour of theirs in Saratoga Springs,” said Amy, a fellow tour-goer from Amherst. “They’re always such a fun time, and going on one so close to Halloween can’t help but put you in the spirit.”After checking out the Allendale Theater, the tour ended at The Bend, a bar across the street from Nietzsche’s . Winfield wrapped up the night with a story about a witch and a sorcerer, much to the delight of the crowd. “I love this story!” yelled one excited crawler.A little more than 40 people showed up for the Allentown crawl, including a group of paranormal enthusiasts known as the Eastern Paranormal Society. “A week ago, we had 110 people show up- we can’t let them get that big anymore!” said Winfield on the group Thursday evening. Expect to be a part of a smaller, more intimate group if you plan on attending any of the future Haunted History Ghost Walks, Inc. tours.“The pub crawl is basically story telling, walking around, having some safe fun and getting into the tradition,” added Winfield. A few days before the chaotic weekend that is Halloween, what more could you ask for? allentown, buffalo, crawl, ghost, haunted, mason, pub, winfield nonadult false Allentown Pub Crawl is terrifying fun text blog allentown,buffalo,crawl,ghost,haunted,mason,pub,winfield 378 1 5.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1457658 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Murderball-enlightens-students-about-disabilities/BLOG/1456434/85283.html Wednesday night marked Niagara’s second installment of the Diversity Movie Series, a three part run of films that embrace and teach about diversity and culture. The show of the evening was the 2005 documentary Murderball, a film about quadriplegic rugby players.The film, directed by Henry Rubin and Dana Shapiro, follows the US national quadriplegic rugby team and is essentially about two things: telling the story of the disabled athletes featured in the film, and showing the ongoing rivalry between the US and Canadian national teams.Well, rivalry may be a bit of an understatement.The deep seeded loathing between the two clubs goes back to 1996, when former US star player [image]Joe Soares was cut from the squad. After unsuccessfully taking the team to court for a forced position on the squad, Soares jumped ship and joined up with Team Canada, filling the head coach position. The sentiment is identical between all current US players: Joe is a traitor. As one US player put it “How’s it feel to betray your country, Benedict Arnold?”“I hated him,” said one movie-goer at the conclusion of the film. “He acted like an ass the whole time!”As the film progresses, we are introduced to members of Team USA, all men who are quadriplegics due to accidents (drunk driving, falls off balconies) or childhood illnesses (polio). They talk, frankly I might add, about their day-to-day lives, how they deal with their injuries, their love life, how they deal with the public, and, of course, their passion for the sport of murderball.“A lot of us have a certain mindset about disabled persons,” said NU assistant professor Dr. Kalen Churcher. “We want to feel bad for them, but the guys in the movie take that idea and say “Don’t feel bad, we live normal lives.” They’re not looking for sympathies.”The never sympathetic Joe eventually leads Team Canada to a decisive victory over the US at the World Championship in Sweden, but the US counters with a win of its own (making them the number one seeded team) only months before the Paralympic Games. Team Canada goes on to defeat the US (damn!) in the semi-final round at the Games, but, and how’s this for a plot twist, New Zealand ends up taking home the gold medal. While it’s true that the film is about quad-rugby, it’s essentially about the players and how their accidents have affected them. One member of the US squad, and the poster boy for the film, Mark Zupan said that “I’ve done more in the wheelchair than I ever did out of it.”While the cameras try and show the sport of murderball, they unveil a story about normal men who don’t let the handicaps drag them down. “It was mind blowing,” said Niagara senior Amanda Ryan. “They had that much passion, even after their accidents. It was amazing.”“The athletes in the film don’t want to lose who they were before the accident, so they compete in this great game,” said NU junior Matt. “They still have that competitive drive, and they won’t let their wheelchair slow them down.”A great way to draw attention to National Disability Awareness Month, the showing of Murderball enlightens and entertains its viewers in a way that no other film like it can. Wednesday night marked Niagara’s second installment of the Diversity Movie Series, a three part run of films that embrace and teach about diversity and culture. The show of the evening was the 2005 documentary Murderball, a film about quadriplegic rugby players.The film, directed by Henry Rubin and Dana Shapiro, follows the US national quadriplegic rugby team and is essentially about two things: telling the story of the disabled athletes featured in the film, and showing the ongoing rivalry between the US and Canadian national teams.Well, rivalry may be a bit of an understatement.The deep seeded loathing between the two clubs goes back to 1996, when former US star player [image]Joe Soares was cut from the squad. After unsuccessfully taking the team to court for a forced position on the squad, Soares jumped ship and joined up with Team Canada, filling the head coach position. The sentiment is identical between all current US players: Joe is a traitor. As one US player put it “How’s it feel to betray your country, Benedict Arnold?”“I hated him,” said one movie-goer at the conclusion of the film. “He acted like an ass the whole time!”As the film progresses, we are introduced to members of Team USA, all men who are quadriplegics due to accidents (drunk driving, falls off balconies) or childhood illnesses (polio). They talk, frankly I might add, about their day-to-day lives, how they deal with their injuries, their love life, how they deal with the public, and, of course, their passion for the sport of murderball.“A lot of us have a certain mindset about disabled persons,” said NU assistant professor Dr. Kalen Churcher. “We want to feel bad for them, but the guys in the movie take that idea and say “Don’t feel bad, we live normal lives.” They’re not looking for sympathies.”The never sympathetic Joe eventually leads Team Canada to a decisive victory over the US at the World Championship in Sweden, but the US counters with a win of its own (making them the number one seeded team) only months before the Paralympic Games. Team Canada goes on to defeat the US (damn!) in the semi-final round at the Games, but, and how’s this for a plot twist, New Zealand ends up taking home the gold medal. While it’s true that the film is about quad-rugby, it’s essentially about the players and how their accidents have affected them. One member of the US squad, and the poster boy for the film, Mark Zupan said that “I’ve done more in the wheelchair than I ever did out of it.”While the cameras try and show the sport of murderball, they unveil a story about normal men who don’t let the handicaps drag them down. “It was mind blowing,” said Niagara senior Amanda Ryan. “They had that much passion, even after their accidents. It was amazing.”“The athletes in the film don’t want to lose who they were before the accident, so they compete in this great game,” said NU junior Matt. “They still have that competitive drive, and they won’t let their wheelchair slow them down.”A great way to draw attention to National Disability Awareness Month, the showing of Murderball enlightens and entertains its viewers in a way that no other film like it can. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:00:19 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Murderball-enlightens-students-about-disabilities/BLOG/1456434/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-11-03T02:00:19Z MyBuffalo Wednesday night marked Niagara’s second installment of the Diversity Movie Series, a three part run of films that embrace and teach about diversity and culture. The show of the evening was the 2005 documentary Murderball, a film about quadriplegic rugby players.The film, directed by Henry Rubin and Dana Shapiro, follows the US national quadriplegic rugby team and is essentially about two things: telling the story of the disabled athletes featured in the film, and showing the ongoing rivalry between the US and Canadian national teams.Well, rivalry may be a bit of an understatement.The deep seeded loathing between the two clubs goes back to 1996, when former US star player [image]Joe Soares was cut from the squad. After unsuccessfully taking the team to court for a forced position on the squad, Soares jumped ship and joined up with Team Canada, filling the head coach position. The sentiment is identical between all current US players: Joe is a traitor. As one US player put it “How’s it feel to betray your country, Benedict Arnold?”“I hated him,” said one movie-goer at the conclusion of the film. “He acted like an ass the whole time!”As the film progresses, we are introduced to members of Team USA, all men who are quadriplegics due to accidents (drunk driving, falls off balconies) or childhood illnesses (polio). They talk, frankly I might add, about their day-to-day lives, how they deal with their injuries, their love life, how they deal with the public, and, of course, their passion for the sport of murderball.“A lot of us have a certain mindset about disabled persons,” said NU assistant professor Dr. Kalen Churcher. “We want to feel bad for them, but the guys in the movie take that idea and say “Don’t feel bad, we live normal lives.” They’re not looking for sympathies.”The never sympathetic Joe eventually leads Team Canada to a decisive victory over the US at the World Championship in Sweden, but the US counters with a win of its own (making them the number one seeded team) only months before the Paralympic Games. Team Canada goes on to defeat the US (damn!) in the semi-final round at the Games, but, and how’s this for a plot twist, New Zealand ends up taking home the gold medal. While it’s true that the film is about quad-rugby, it’s essentially about the players and how their accidents have affected them. One member of the US squad, and the poster boy for the film, Mark Zupan said that “I’ve done more in the wheelchair than I ever did out of it.”While the cameras try and show the sport of murderball, they unveil a story about normal men who don’t let the handicaps drag them down. “It was mind blowing,” said Niagara senior Amanda Ryan. “They had that much passion, even after their accidents. It was amazing.”“The athletes in the film don’t want to lose who they were before the accident, so they compete in this great game,” said NU junior Matt. “They still have that competitive drive, and they won’t let their wheelchair slow them down.”A great way to draw attention to National Disability Awareness Month, the showing of Murderball enlightens and entertains its viewers in a way that no other film like it can. murderball, niagara, university nonadult false Murderball enlightens students about disabilities text blog murderball,niagara,university 156 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1456434 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Niagara-shows-off-the-goods/BLOG/1447042/85283.html In the midst of Niagara University’s 54th Annual Family Weekend, NU faculty and staff [image]welcomed prospective students and their families to come and see what the school has to offer. The campus was groomed, the leaves raked, and tables and chairs flooded the halls. I even think I detected that “new school” smell… On a rainy Saturday afternoon, the campus atop Mont Eagle Ridge opened its doors to hundreds of high school students from around the state, country and all corners of Canada. Founded in 1856 as a seminary for Vincentian priests, Niagara is a school rich on heritage and community service. [image]“A lot of my classes require community service,” said Niagara senior Ashley Ringer. “But I was already really involved in my community before I decided to come here [to Niagara], so that is just kind of an added bonus for me.” While one of Niagara’s goals is to get students involved in the community (NU was founded by those who follow the teachings of St. Vincent de Paul –service of the poor, equality), it also offers 50 different academic programs and his five major colleges of study: Business, Education, Arts and Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Nursing. With arguably one of the best Hospitality and Tourism Management programs in the Northeast, it is a major draw for applicants. “I want to one day have a job in the hotel industry,” said Caitlin Stracamore, a student from the Williamsville school district. “Now that I know what kind of stuff is offered here [at Niagara], it’s definitely on the top of my list of schools.” Niagara also offers a gang of clubs and groups: a radio station (WNIA), a finance club, and the Niagara University Marketing Association to name a few. For athletic applicants, NU offers a Division I sports program and a well of club sports and intramural activities that jocks can tap. “I guess you could say that the intramural stuff allowed me to branch out,” said senior Kevin Hooks. “I got to be competitive [image] and meet new friends, and have a fun time doing it.” With less than 4,000 students enrolled each semester, Niagara offers small class sizes and one-on-one attention between faculty and students. “I’d say a serious draw to NU would be the size,” said associate professor Dr. Wendy Duignan. “Classes are small and I’ve always believed that leads to a better learning experience.” Niagara is a great choice for those looking for careers in the education, business, communications or tourism field. A great campus community, full of rich, Vincentian ideals makes NU’s students well rounded and ready for anything. “Niagara seems like a pretty cool place,” said Mitch Carpentier, a high-schooler from Ontario, Canada. “I want to get into teaching and I’m psyched that they offer an Education program. My dad went here and now I’m going to follow in his footsteps.” In the midst of Niagara University’s 54th Annual Family Weekend, NU faculty and staff [image]welcomed prospective students and their families to come and see what the school has to offer. The campus was groomed, the leaves raked, and tables and chairs flooded the halls. I even think I detected that “new school” smell… On a rainy Saturday afternoon, the campus atop Mont Eagle Ridge opened its doors to hundreds of high school students from around the state, country and all corners of Canada. Founded in 1856 as a seminary for Vincentian priests, Niagara is a school rich on heritage and community service. [image]“A lot of my classes require community service,” said Niagara senior Ashley Ringer. “But I was already really involved in my community before I decided to come here [to Niagara], so that is just kind of an added bonus for me.” While one of Niagara’s goals is to get students involved in the community (NU was founded by those who follow the teachings of St. Vincent de Paul –service of the poor, equality), it also offers 50 different academic programs and his five major colleges of study: Business, Education, Arts and Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Nursing. With arguably one of the best Hospitality and Tourism Management programs in the Northeast, it is a major draw for applicants. “I want to one day have a job in the hotel industry,” said Caitlin Stracamore, a student from the Williamsville school district. “Now that I know what kind of stuff is offered here [at Niagara], it’s definitely on the top of my list of schools.” Niagara also offers a gang of clubs and groups: a radio station (WNIA), a finance club, and the Niagara University Marketing Association to name a few. For athletic applicants, NU offers a Division I sports program and a well of club sports and intramural activities that jocks can tap. “I guess you could say that the intramural stuff allowed me to branch out,” said senior Kevin Hooks. “I got to be competitive [image] and meet new friends, and have a fun time doing it.” With less than 4,000 students enrolled each semester, Niagara offers small class sizes and one-on-one attention between faculty and students. “I’d say a serious draw to NU would be the size,” said associate professor Dr. Wendy Duignan. “Classes are small and I’ve always believed that leads to a better learning experience.” Niagara is a great choice for those looking for careers in the education, business, communications or tourism field. A great campus community, full of rich, Vincentian ideals makes NU’s students well rounded and ready for anything. “Niagara seems like a pretty cool place,” said Mitch Carpentier, a high-schooler from Ontario, Canada. “I want to get into teaching and I’m psyched that they offer an Education program. My dad went here and now I’m going to follow in his footsteps.” Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:38:42 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_Niagara-shows-off-the-goods/BLOG/1447042/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-10-29T20:38:42Z MyBuffalo In the midst of Niagara University’s 54th Annual Family Weekend, NU faculty and staff [image]welcomed prospective students and their families to come and see what the school has to offer. The campus was groomed, the leaves raked, and tables and chairs flooded the halls. I even think I detected that “new school” smell… On a rainy Saturday afternoon, the campus atop Mont Eagle Ridge opened its doors to hundreds of high school students from around the state, country and all corners of Canada. Founded in 1856 as a seminary for Vincentian priests, Niagara is a school rich on heritage and community service. [image]“A lot of my classes require community service,” said Niagara senior Ashley Ringer. “But I was already really involved in my community before I decided to come here [to Niagara], so that is just kind of an added bonus for me.” While one of Niagara’s goals is to get students involved in the community (NU was founded by those who follow the teachings of St. Vincent de Paul –service of the poor, equality), it also offers 50 different academic programs and his five major colleges of study: Business, Education, Arts and Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management and Nursing. With arguably one of the best Hospitality and Tourism Management programs in the Northeast, it is a major draw for applicants. “I want to one day have a job in the hotel industry,” said Caitlin Stracamore, a student from the Williamsville school district. “Now that I know what kind of stuff is offered here [at Niagara], it’s definitely on the top of my list of schools.” Niagara also offers a gang of clubs and groups: a radio station (WNIA), a finance club, and the Niagara University Marketing Association to name a few. For athletic applicants, NU offers a Division I sports program and a well of club sports and intramural activities that jocks can tap. “I guess you could say that the intramural stuff allowed me to branch out,” said senior Kevin Hooks. “I got to be competitive [image] and meet new friends, and have a fun time doing it.” With less than 4,000 students enrolled each semester, Niagara offers small class sizes and one-on-one attention between faculty and students. “I’d say a serious draw to NU would be the size,” said associate professor Dr. Wendy Duignan. “Classes are small and I’ve always believed that leads to a better learning experience.” Niagara is a great choice for those looking for careers in the education, business, communications or tourism field. A great campus community, full of rich, Vincentian ideals makes NU’s students well rounded and ready for anything. “Niagara seems like a pretty cool place,” said Mitch Carpentier, a high-schooler from Ontario, Canada. “I want to get into teaching and I’m psyched that they offer an Education program. My dad went here and now I’m going to follow in his footsteps.” niagara, university nonadult false Niagara shows off the goods text blog niagara,university 187 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1447042 12612969 One of the regulars 6560 http://www.mybuffalo.com/_NU-volleyball-nets-success/BLOG/1441875/85283.html Oh what a difference a year can make.[image]Last season, the Niagara University women’s volleyball program was, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely terrible. A relatively young team (six freshmen and four sophomores), they posted a 6-24 overall record in 2008, and sat at second from the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 4-14 league record.Enter 2009.A more mature, capable, and harmonized team caught the MAAC volleyball world off guard. Niagara currently sits at 17-7 overall, nearly tripling its wins from last season. In fact, they had the same amount of wins by game ten this season as they did all of last.The Purple Eagles are currently 10-3 in the MAAC, good enough for second overall, just behind last seasons league champ, Fairfield.“It’s a big step up from last season,” said team co-captain Shannon Ryan. “We’ve really come together as a team and we came into the season prepared.”The squad has taken down conference foes like Iona, Siena and Marist, but Fairfield still has NU’s number- the Purple Eagles faltered and were ultimately defeated at each of their meetings with the league leader this season.[image]So why the sudden change? Why is everything clicking so perfectly for the girls this season?“We really wanted to prove that we could compete in this conference, and we worked really hard to do so,” said Hannah Hendrick. Hendrick, who has been having a stellar year of her own, is just one of Niagara’s offensive weapons that help rack up the wins. She has 18 double-doubles (and counting) on the season and is relentless in the kills category.“She’s an all around player,” said Niagara head coach Susan Clements on Hendrick. “She’s a go-to player for us, we put that pressure on her to be someone we’re looking for to get it done. She stepped up into that role just fine.”Niagara also has a unique opportunity this season: setting a new school record for wins in a season. The current win record is 19, which was set in 1993 under NU’s winningest head coach Barb Green. With 17 wins already in the bag and five games left, all against softer opponents, the Purple Eagles have a real chance to [image]rewrite the record book.However, setting a new record isn’t something that’s on the mind of the club. “I don’t think any of us even knew what the record is,” said Ryan. “Our goal is to go to the conference championship,” added Hendrick.The way the Purple Eagles are playing in ’09, the MAAC title game is something that is not out of [image]reach. Continued success and an elite level of play from Hendrick, Ryan and the rest of the team can only mean good things.“We’re winning and they’re working hard,” said Clements. “I think we’ve just grown up. They’ve come together as a team and our leaders are starting to step up- they have confidence.”A lot can happen over the course of a year, and no one knows that better than the Niagara University women’s volleyball team. Oh what a difference a year can make.[image]Last season, the Niagara University women’s volleyball program was, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely terrible. A relatively young team (six freshmen and four sophomores), they posted a 6-24 overall record in 2008, and sat at second from the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 4-14 league record.Enter 2009.A more mature, capable, and harmonized team caught the MAAC volleyball world off guard. Niagara currently sits at 17-7 overall, nearly tripling its wins from last season. In fact, they had the same amount of wins by game ten this season as they did all of last.The Purple Eagles are currently 10-3 in the MAAC, good enough for second overall, just behind last seasons league champ, Fairfield.“It’s a big step up from last season,” said team co-captain Shannon Ryan. “We’ve really come together as a team and we came into the season prepared.”The squad has taken down conference foes like Iona, Siena and Marist, but Fairfield still has NU’s number- the Purple Eagles faltered and were ultimately defeated at each of their meetings with the league leader this season.[image]So why the sudden change? Why is everything clicking so perfectly for the girls this season?“We really wanted to prove that we could compete in this conference, and we worked really hard to do so,” said Hannah Hendrick. Hendrick, who has been having a stellar year of her own, is just one of Niagara’s offensive weapons that help rack up the wins. She has 18 double-doubles (and counting) on the season and is relentless in the kills category.“She’s an all around player,” said Niagara head coach Susan Clements on Hendrick. “She’s a go-to player for us, we put that pressure on her to be someone we’re looking for to get it done. She stepped up into that role just fine.”Niagara also has a unique opportunity this season: setting a new school record for wins in a season. The current win record is 19, which was set in 1993 under NU’s winningest head coach Barb Green. With 17 wins already in the bag and five games left, all against softer opponents, the Purple Eagles have a real chance to [image]rewrite the record book.However, setting a new record isn’t something that’s on the mind of the club. “I don’t think any of us even knew what the record is,” said Ryan. “Our goal is to go to the conference championship,” added Hendrick.The way the Purple Eagles are playing in ’09, the MAAC title game is something that is not out of [image]reach. Continued success and an elite level of play from Hendrick, Ryan and the rest of the team can only mean good things.“We’re winning and they’re working hard,” said Clements. “I think we’ve just grown up. They’ve come together as a team and our leaders are starting to step up- they have confidence.”A lot can happen over the course of a year, and no one knows that better than the Niagara University women’s volleyball team. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:01:17 GMT http://www.mybuffalo.com/_NU-volleyball-nets-success/BLOG/1441875/85283.html MikeKamo 2009-10-27T01:01:17Z MyBuffalo Oh what a difference a year can make.[image]Last season, the Niagara University women’s volleyball program was, for lack of a better phrase, absolutely terrible. A relatively young team (six freshmen and four sophomores), they posted a 6-24 overall record in 2008, and sat at second from the bottom of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 4-14 league record.Enter 2009.A more mature, capable, and harmonized team caught the MAAC volleyball world off guard. Niagara currently sits at 17-7 overall, nearly tripling its wins from last season. In fact, they had the same amount of wins by game ten this season as they did all of last.The Purple Eagles are currently 10-3 in the MAAC, good enough for second overall, just behind last seasons league champ, Fairfield.“It’s a big step up from last season,” said team co-captain Shannon Ryan. “We’ve really come together as a team and we came into the season prepared.”The squad has taken down conference foes like Iona, Siena and Marist, but Fairfield still has NU’s number- the Purple Eagles faltered and were ultimately defeated at each of their meetings with the league leader this season.[image]So why the sudden change? Why is everything clicking so perfectly for the girls this season?“We really wanted to prove that we could compete in this conference, and we worked really hard to do so,” said Hannah Hendrick. Hendrick, who has been having a stellar year of her own, is just one of Niagara’s offensive weapons that help rack up the wins. She has 18 double-doubles (and counting) on the season and is relentless in the kills category.“She’s an all around player,” said Niagara head coach Susan Clements on Hendrick. “She’s a go-to player for us, we put that pressure on her to be someone we’re looking for to get it done. She stepped up into that role just fine.”Niagara also has a unique opportunity this season: setting a new school record for wins in a season. The current win record is 19, which was set in 1993 under NU’s winningest head coach Barb Green. With 17 wins already in the bag and five games left, all against softer opponents, the Purple Eagles have a real chance to [image]rewrite the record book.However, setting a new record isn’t something that’s on the mind of the club. “I don’t think any of us even knew what the record is,” said Ryan. “Our goal is to go to the conference championship,” added Hendrick.The way the Purple Eagles are playing in ’09, the MAAC title game is something that is not out of [image]reach. Continued success and an elite level of play from Hendrick, Ryan and the rest of the team can only mean good things.“We’re winning and they’re working hard,” said Clements. “I think we’ve just grown up. They’ve come together as a team and our leaders are starting to step up- they have confidence.”A lot can happen over the course of a year, and no one knows that better than the Niagara University women’s volleyball team. niagara, university, volleyball, women nonadult false NU volleyball nets success text blog niagara,university,volleyball,women 197 0 0.0 http://www.mybuffalo.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=12612969&as=85283 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/85283/photos/PHOTO_5324477_85283_12612969_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 1441875 12612969 One of the regulars 6560