THE HOT 5 An opinionated to-do list By Christopher Schobert By March, we’re all a tad sick of ice and snow, and ready to emerge from several months of hibernation. There’s plenty to lure you away from the homestead, even if both Lost and Idol are on. 1. 40th Annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Sponsored by the Buffalo Geological Society and presented by the New York State Parks, the show—titled “Trilobites: Under the Seas of Western New York”—is the epitome of hands-on and ideal for a kid-centric weekend activity. A naturalist will be in attendance, and the state parks will offer an interpretive display. Interestingly, the Buffalo Geological Society is one of WNY’s busiest organizations, with monthly meetings featuring guest speakers, club-sponsored trips, auctions, rock swaps, and more. The annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show is one of its largest and most popular events, and if you’d like to get your rocks off sooner, the BGS is holding an auction on March 6 at Parkside Lutheran Church (2 Wallace Avenue)—viewing at 7 p.m., auction at 7:30 p.m.—and its next meeting is at 7:30 p.m. on March 12 at the church. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday, March 28, at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg; call 826-8895 in Erie County, 282-5154 in Niagara County, for info, or visit www.bgsny.org. 2. NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships First and Second Round I often complain about the lack of professional basketball in Buffalo, but we’re lucky to not only have several occasionally solid college teams—especially Niagara, and to a lesser extent, the University at Buffalo—and even better, we’ve been lucky enough to host several rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tourney at HSBC Arena. The last time was 2007, and it featured a stunning upset, as eleventh-ranked Virginia Commonwealth defeated perennial favorite Duke, then the sixth seed. A foul shot with seconds remaining finished off Coach K and the Blue Devils, and it was pretty sweet. At press time, we of course have no idea who will be touching down in the Queen City, but you can count on excitement; March Madness is, indeed, mad, and for a couple of days in the month of March, we are mad men and women. Friday, March 19, and Sunday, March 21, at HSBC Arena, One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza; 855-4100 or www.hsbcarena.com. 3. “Old Neighborhood” St. Patrick’s Day Parade Buffalo holds two Hibernian-themed parades—one in the Old First Ward on March 13, and another on Delaware Avenue on March 14. And while both are fab, the Valley Community Association’s seventeenth annual “Old Neighborhood” St. Patrick’s Day Parade is in the spotlight here. It kicks off at noon starting at the Valley Community Center, located near South Park Avenue and Elk Street, retracing the original 1913 parade route through the historic streets of the Valley and Old First Ward neighborhoods. The usual treats are in full effect—Irish dancing, marching bands, floats, clowns, classic cars, local radio stations, local police and fire department vehicles, and a post-parade Irish “Hooley” at the Valley Center with live Irish music by Blackthorn, more dancers, and food and refreshments from 1 to 6 p.m. If “Hooley” is a new term for you, you’re probably not Irish, but that doesn’t mean you’re unwelcome. March 13 running throughout Buffalo; for more information, call 823-4707, extension 4, write to windsail18@aol.com, or visit www.saintpatricksdayparade.com/buffalo. Portraits of Václav Havel and Vladimír Kopeck by Jirí Harcuba, cast glass, engraved; photo courtesy of CMOG. 4. Masters of Studio Glass: Jirí Harcuba March is a good time for some quick daytrips, and the Corning Museum of Glass is always ideal for a visit. Starting on March 27 is Masters of Studio Glass: Jirí Harcuba, featuring the work of the internationally known Czech artist whose portraits in engraved glass are widely acclaimed. According to the Museum, his aim here is to “reveal the soul of his work: portraits of Czech playwright, poet, and political dissident Václav Havel; painter and sculptor Vladimír Kopeck; and the Bohemian engraver Dominik Biemann.” The Prague resident’s glass art is subtle, yet powerful. “I show the relationship between prehistoric carving and contemporary art,” Harcuba says. “We are the link between the past and the future.” Exhibition starts on March 27 and runs through October 31 at the Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning; call 607-937-5371 or visit www.cmog.org for more information. David Gray photo courtesy of UB’s CFA. 5. David Gray, Matthew Good, and Passion Pit concerts Three nights in March, three interesting concerts in WNY: Matthew Good & His Band at Town Ballroom on March 27; rising electro magicians Passion Pit at the Rapids Theatre on March 28; and “Babylon” singer-songwriter David Gray (shown above) at UB’s Center for the Arts on March 29. I wrote about Pit last month; suffice to say, they’re a must-see. Good came to prominence with the Matthew Good Band, a 102.1 the Edge favorite throughout the nineties. He dissolved the band in 2002 and mounted a solo career; his fourth album, Vancouver, a concept work about his hometown, was released in October. (It’s his My Winnipeg, or not.) Gray carved a name for himself as a soft-singing troubadour, and his albums since the enormous White Ladder have been strong. It’ll be interesting to see his live set, especially at the intimate CFA, a stage he seems made for. Good: Doors open at 7 p.m. on Mar. 27 at Town Ballroom, 681 Main Street, Buffalo; 852-3900 or www.townballroom.com; Pit: Doors open at 7 p.m. at Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., NIagara Falls; www.afterdarkpresents.com; Gray: 8 p.m. on Mar. 29 at UB’s Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre; 645-ARTS or www.ubcfa.org. Associate editor Christopher Schobert turns thirty on March 6, and thus no longer trusts himself. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top