THE HOT 5 An opinionated to-do list By Christopher Schobert October might be the finest sports month of the year. Football is well underway, hockey and basketball begin, and it’s World Series time. For the sports-uninterested, here are five October picks worthy of leaving the house for. 1. Reentering the Twilight Zone at ART The American Repertory Theater of WNY is one of many making waves locally for its bold, unique productions, and ART’s 2010–11 season is shaping up to be a blast. It’s being called “A Salute to the Golden Age of Television,” and begins in timely October fashion with Twilight Zone Redux. This original take on Rod Serling’s iconic anthology series features three tales adapted by Drew McCabe. And one of them, of course, is the classic “Terror at 20,000,” which memorably starred a young William Shatner on the small screen and a fantastically unhinged John Lithgow in the iffy big-screen adaptation. 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays from October 14 to 30 at Rust Belt Books, 202 Allen Street; 884-4858 or www.artofwny.org. Catherine Parker painting photo by Todd Treat. 2. Buffalo Chamber Players and Catherine Parker Dean Brownrout’s 20th Century Finest continues its history of interesting sponsorships this month by bringing together the Buffalo Chamber Players and the art of Catherine Parker. The ensemble, which is made up of members of the Buffalo Philharmonic, among others, will perform Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time on October 6. The French composer completed this classical masterpiece while imprisoned in Germany in 1941, and it premiered before an audience of prisoners of war and guards. The music inspired Parker, whose work is featured in the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and several of her pieces will be exhibited and sold at the event, to benefit the Chamber Players. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. performance on October 6 at Buffalo Seminary, 205 Bidwell Parkway; www.buffalochamberplayers.org, www.catherineparkerpaintings.com, or www.20thcenturyfinest.com. Black Angels photo courtesy of the artist. 3. The Black Angels/Black Mountain at the Tralf Here’s a great opportunity to catch two wildly original bands on the rise, together, as the Black Angels and Black Mountain play the Tralf on October 30. They’re calling it the “Dropout Boogie Tour,” and it should be a doozy of a psychedelic show. While Black Mountain has drawn the lion’s share of buzz—the Vancouver natives’ riff-heavy sound is, quite simply, huge—it’s the Black Angels who really deserve the spotlight. They’ve released two stunners—Passover and Directions to See a Ghost—and the band’s latest, Phosphene Dream, is another bold release for the Austin-based group. Their sound is shoegazer-y, hook-y, and downright transcendent. 7 p.m. doors on October 30 at the Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main Street; info: 852-2860 or www.tralfmusichall.com; tickets: 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. 4. Niagara Frontier Orchid Society’s Annual Show Fall is orchid time, and there’s no better place to enjoy them than the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. A fine example is the Niagara Frontier Orchid Society’s Annual October Orchid Show on October 16 and 17. It will include live displays designed by members of the Society, a judged competition, demonstrations, and vendors, along with photography selected by the Twin City and Buffalo Museum of Science photography clubs. Growing supplies will be available for purchase, and Society members will be available to answer your questions. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on October 16 and 17 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Avenue; 835-2132 or www.buffalogardens.com. Great Pumpkin Farm photo by J. P. Thimot. 5. World Pumpkin Weigh-Off I would be remiss in not including something Halloween-related, so why not the (arguable) biggest? Well, biggest pumpkin, at least. The Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence is the site for the “World Pumpkin Weigh-Off” on October 2 and 3, and if 2009 is any indication, the winner will be one heckuva sight—last year’s came in at 1,040.5 pounds. For the full October rundown, visit www.greatpumpkinfarm.com. Weigh-off: October 2 and 3; Farm: 10 a.m.–dusk through October 31 at the Great Pumpkin Farm, 11199 Main Street, Clarence; 759-8483 or www.greatpumpkinfarm.com. Christopher Schobert’s alt pick for the month is the Buffalo Film Society’s screening of Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail on October 26. It has what might be the best line of Jack Nicholson’s career—but it can’t be repeated here. SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top