THE HOT 5 An opinionated to-do list By Christopher Schobert April is one of my favorite months, as generally the ugliness of winter has begun to fade—generally—and our minds turn to thoughts of spring and summer. It’s also a very busy month of events, concerts, and more. A “Hot 5” featuring the Junior League Show House, e.e. cummings, and the Dead? Yeah, that’s diversity. 1. Visions of Greater Buffalo Everybody wants to be a photographer. And now, everybody is—I just took a snap of myself writing this with my phone to prove it. Yet there’s still something boldly refreshing about the idea of unleashing 100 interesting and unique Western New Yorkers, Kodak single-use cameras in hand, to document the area. This is the concept behind CEPA Gallery’s Visions of Greater Buffalo, an exhibition, silent auction, and out-and-out celebration now in its third year. The photogs are a veritable who’s-who of the WNY elite: Chris Collins, H. McCarthy Gipson, and many more folks not generally known for their photographic insight. But that’s part of the fun. It all culminates on April 25 at the Market Arcade on Main Street. The show can be previewed at CEPA Gallery (617 Main St., Suite 201) or at www.cepagallery.org starting April 4. So don’t be alarmed if you spot our county executive or police commissioner snapping your pic—it’s all for the sake of art. Saturday, April 25, at the Market Arcade, Main St.; 856-2717 or info@cepagallery.org. 2. Junior League of Buffalo Show House In the pantheon of eagerly awaited local events, the Junior League of Buffalo’s Decorators’ Show House is near the top. For fourteen years, the Junior League has found perfect houses to decorate and display, and ideal charities to support. This year’s selection is E. B. Green’s Wallace Estate in Eggertsville, and those who attended February’s sneak preview of the undecorated house are still raving. The fully decorated show house is on display from April 27 through May 17. Don’t miss it, and start thinking now about what house might be next. April 27 through May 17, at E. B. Green’s Wallace Estate, 697 LeBrun Rd., Eggertsville; 884-8865 or www.jlbuffalo.org. 3. The Romance of Urban Decay at the Burchfield Penney If you somehow haven’t yet had a chance to visit Buffalo’s newest artistic, architectural, and historical jewel, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, wait no longer. The Romance of Urban Decay showcases the work of the gallery’s namesake, Charles Burchfield. Specifically, the exhibition focuses on the period in the artist’s life when he resigned from his job as a wallpaper designer to paint full time. Among the subjects were Buffalo’s harbor and grain elevators, city streets, and more, all painted in a strikingly realistic style. While Romance officially starts on April 11 and runs through August 16, a members’ preview will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 10, with a public opening afterwards from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave.; 878-6011 or www.burchfieldpenney.org. 4. The Dead at HSBC Arena It took me a while to truly appreciate the music of the Grateful Dead; I was always turned off by hippies and considered myself a punk in unripped clothing. Yet I’ve grown to absolutely adore much of the band’s output—specifically, the classic American Beauty—and rue the fact that I was too young to make it to one of the Rich Stadium stoner-fests of the eighties and early nineties. But Jerry or no, the Dead has returned. Following a performance together to raise funds for Barack Obama at Penn State, the band has now embarked on a full-scale tour, and Buffalo has, happily and surprisingly, made the list. The current lineup is quite stunning; Bob Weir (pictured), Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann are joined by the great Warren Haynes and keyboardist Jeff Chimenti. HSBC Arena will be Deadhead Central on April 21. Tuesday, April 21, at HSBC Arena in Buffalo; 888-223-6000 or www.tickets.com. 5. cummings and goings at Brockport How cool was e. e. cummings? He persuaded a nation to abandon capital letters! Even Prince must marvel at his chutzpah. But the man was more than his name. While best-known as one of America’s most popular poets, he was also an accomplished painter. To celebrate the man and his lower-case-loving legacy, the State University at Brockport has undertaken a restoration project conserving seventy-two cummings-created artworks owned by the college. They’re calling attention to the collection with the April 5 performance of It’s All Done With Mirrors, a one-man show about the artist by Emmy-winning actor Anthony Zerbe. A fundraiser for the “poet & painter” project, the event will showcase thirty-five restored cummings paintings. It’s a wonderful chance to get to know e. e. the man, a quintessentially American artist. Sunday, April 5, at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave., Rochester; 585-395-5809 or www.brockport.edu/cummings. Spree associate editor Christopher Schobert’s favorite usage of the Grateful Dead’s music was in the final episode of Freaks and Geeks. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top