buffawhat.com

MashBash 2008

Last year at the Bash

• I drank 17 Keg Beers in 2 hours,
• Smoked a cigar with a drag queen.
• Peed behind a bush
• Went to Club Marcellas to work, drunk out of my mind
• Picked up Eli, our barback, swung him around my waist, then fell and cracked my head on a piano.
• Passed out in the DJ booth for two hours…

The Buffalo Red Cross’s Annual Bash is the kickstart to the summer festival weekend. If you survive the Bash, a fundraiser cleverly disguised as an all out drunk fest, then you are primed to enjoy the rest of the weekend activities, like Pride and the Hellenic Festival. Tickets are $50, or $100 with a raffle, and include free beer, food, and live music from Lance Diamond and other Buffalo party bands.

Call 878-2373 for tickets and info, or visit the website here. Not a lot of time left to get your liver ready, but its a party to remember.

Bandits Take a Championship, I take pictures.

I’ll leave the sports coverage to Andy, but I wanna thank him giving me the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing affair. Running out on the field, bumping into very sweaty, adrenaline filled lacrosse players… dodging ESPN crews… pretty awesome.  I was a little hesitant to go and get my shots; I’m not used to press photography, or for that matter, much photography at all. I basically followed the pack and focused on the few players I knew were important. The Bandits 2008 MVP (which I got to cast a vote for) Steenhuis was pretty easy to spot, he sports bright orange Reeboks. I took some video too for WNYMedia, but I have absolutely no idea what Marc is doing with it. Hopefully he’ll put the mess of cloverfield-esque footage into something awesome.. like he always does.

I also decided to take advantage of the new Animoto service to make a little video below. Animoto is a web based photo montage service that uses a pretty sophisticated AI to arrange your photos into a music video, complete with beat matching and top of the line special effects. the service is free for 30 second clips; full length videos that you can dl are $3 a pop, or $30 for a year. Use this referral link and you can get a year membership for only $25.

click above to visit the flickrset

MMM Tacos

Ever since before ETS moved from the corner of delavan and elmwood to the remodeled Burger King Location down the block, tacos have become a Friday special, much to the chagrin of Angel’s diet, and my slightly emerging belly.

Angel says I eat like a beast, and i guess its true. here’s a video documenting the destruction…

Elmwood Tacos and Subs

Buffalo Lunch Randomizer: Let BRO choose where you eat

• BRO - A new site - www.buffalolunchrandomizer.com - has just launched. The site, which is still in beta, contains 108 WNY lunch options, which are ranked by the site creators based on overall dining experience. The site includes all kinds of restaurants, from the Malamute to Mythos, from Wasabi to Chuck E. Cheese.

Saw this originally on Pundit’s site, gave it a whirl, and as expected:  it pulls a random lunch option based on your criteria, weighted by the developers dining experience. Sounds great, but just who are these food loving developers?

The site and BRO say Egghead Interactive, but the web is pretty silent about who they are. WHOIS states that buffalolunchrandomizer.com is owned by “Barry Heneghan,” who is CEO of HyperLocalMedia, which owns BuffaloRising, making this a shameless plug without the professional balls to admit its their own project. Whatever, the lunch randomizer is pretty cool, but to be fair it should be noted that the “ranking” of places to eat is biased on the part of BRO staff, no doubt. Thus I redub the lunch randomizer as BROiLR, for Buffalo Risings interactive Lunch Randomizer

Weekend Happenings

I made my debut as a media professional this weekend with my first ever photo credential at a Buffalo Bandits Lacrosse game. Andy Kulyk, a good friend and fellow WNYM blogger has been doing the sports reporting for a while. Thanks to his connections with AV and overall journalistic experience, he’s credentialed all over and routinely enjoys seasonal press access to Sabres, Bandits, and Bison games. I’m not really a sports guy, but Andy keeps trying to get me to go to a game or two, whether hockey or baseball, and to take advantage of my press abilities (I’m credentialable? who knew?). I agreed to a Buffalo Bandits (National Lacrosse League) game, and sent off the request for a day photo pass for the 4-19 game against the Chicago Shamrox.

I’m no photographer, and I certainly dont own a fancy DSLR (let alone use one), but I can snap a few commanding shots when needed. One thing I have never done is shot sports photography, let me tell you, its hard. I have to give a lot of credit to the pros for being able to watch the whole field for perfect moments through a little viewfinder while manhandling a giant telephoto lense.

So here I go, all shy and completely green about all of this, as Andy gives me a rundown and tells me I’ll have nearly unfettered acccess to the HSBC arena, minus the catwalk (damn!). I borrowed Angels Sony Cybershot DSC-H2 for the occasion, determined not to look like a silly blogger peeking his point-and-shoot through a tiny hole in the lexan.

in addition to being a first for press credentials, this was a first for a watching lacrosse game. Andy gave me some details as I sat in the press box with him; I took note of the body favoring attire of lacross players. I decided I like this game, somewhat like soccer with a bit of hockey brutality. After watching a bit of the game from the box, I made my way down to the boards, and started to do my thing.
Two things I learned immediately:

• Don’t use the boards for support. Bandits fans are crazy, and enjoy pounding on the lexan boards, resulting in a rattled photog who isn’t paying attention to the crowd behind him,
• A press pass does make you look cool. Might not get you laid, but let an energetic fan spot you with a camera and a press pass and you are immediately subjected to a display that can only be matched by a wild pheasant’s mating rituals.

The most incredible thing to me was walking out onto the field, seconds after the game, to shoot a clip of the players making a victory lap (13-9 bandits BTW). The view from the field was amazing, seeing the view as a player would, peering out at the raving crowd, decked in the team colors of orange and black, totally awesome.

The locker room was the final stop. I watched Andy and the other media guys shove recorders in players faces and hang on every word, I relaxed and took it all in. Leaving the stadium, Andy said I did everything right; I didn’t tell him I almost got lost trying to find the press elevator. I suppose I’ll do the press pass more often, its the best way to watch any game.

Check out the photoset on flickr. There are also a few video clips of the Bandettes performing in between periods.

Elmwood Market: What It Is And What It Isn’t

The grande opening (March 17th) for the Elmwood Market & Grill was a success; everything (mostly, save for the beer and some organics, the credit/EBT system was yet to be activated) in place and ready for the steady stream of customers wishing them success and of course, buying things. I was there Monday morning, and seeing as I live accross the street, I’ll be there every day no doubt. The atmosphere is a whole lot more inviting than Wilson farms, and less of a chore than Walgreens. I also had a chance to chat a bit with the owners: Dale, Alex, and Tony. The guys are very excited to be on Elmwood and are eager to fit in with the community, asking for suggestions to stock (organics and conventional) and basically trying to get a feel for the area.

Since Latina’s closed last spring, the community has been longing for a new place to shop. Unfulfilled talks of Dash’s, Tops, and Whole Food’s filling the void that Latina’s left put despair in the area. No one wants to be let with a crummy Wilson Farms; the added burden has had a negative effect on the store, overcrowding at times and leaving the store more haggard than it has been in years. Thus, the Elmwood Market has many shoes to fill… have they picked the right ones to tackle? We’ll see.

Read on for my initial assessment of the store and its role for the community.

More »

Elmwood Market: Customer #2

The staff at the new Elmwood Market deli & Grill could be seen scurrying around last night till the wee hours of the morning, preparing to unleash a much needed asset to the Allentown end of the Elmwood Village. The weekend pushback of their open date proved just enough time; they were ready like they said, 7am Monday morning.

I walked in behind a fellow bus commuter and quickly scanned the shelves as I headed to the back to gather my morning caffeinated goods. the clusterfuck that seems to plague most mini grocers was not to be seen. the shelves were heavily stocked but the gap between the aisles rivaled Wegman’s.

They had no deli sandwiches ready yet, but they assured me that once things got into a groove, I would be able to grab a fresh sub even as early as I come in (7-7:30).

For a quick stop in the morning, I am very pleased. This will be the first of many reviews as well, taken from a general customer with a focus on the community needs and concerns.

The Elmwood Market can be found on the corner of Elmwood and North, in the old DVDdot location. There is (blessed) adjacent parking as well.

Buffalo Homecoming: How I ended up here.

As Buffalo Old Home Week Homecoming approached, BuffaloGeek is asking around to find out why the hell you’d wanna live in Buffalo, let alone come back. Here is my story.

People ask me how I get around, seeing as I don’t own a car and still seem to get from point A to point B pretty well. I tell ‘em “boys and bus passes.” I pride Buffalo for a fairly manageable public transit system, and I guess part of that is why I stay here. As for the boys, that’s what landed me in Buffalo.

I was raised in Rural North Carolina, injected into the South by my father’s Air Force career. The air was fresh and the beach (think ocean not lake, goddammit) was only a couple hours away. However, I soon began to loathe the culture, I felt like a city boy and the cotton fields were like padded walls, keeping me protected from myself and the rest of the world.

Turning 18 and a heightened sense of the world thanks to the good ole intertubes made me crave something new. I received my first chance when I began dating a good natured, yet slightly simple boy living in Raleigh. He would travel to see me, and I’d spend weekends in the city with him. The concrete hustle and bustle attracted me, living in a machine of commerce and humanity. I was hooked. The horrible occasion of his dad’s stroke led us up to West Virginia and the opportunity for me to move in to help take care of him. Back in NC, I spent 3 months playing wet nurse to the most ornery old man I’ve ever encountered, who’d just rather piss on himself then try to get off the couch to walk three steps to the loo.

Thankfully he recovered and we took him home. I was able to Lysol the couch, but Jimmy and I weren’t able to patch our relationship, strained by having to play “straight” for three months around a loopy old man. I learned a lot from Jimmy, though, like how hard it is to keep living with someone you are no longer with romantically while trying to find romance elsewhere. West Virginia boys are conflicted and very jealous I suppose. The need for me to stay in North Carolina had ended. My family had all fled moved on (save my mum, but this was in the early stages of none of us wanting anything to do with her) and another opportunity arose.

Dad had just moved back to Bradford, Pa(mid 2004), into his girlfriend’s house. All of his family were scattered all around Northwest PA; I had never had a connection with many of them do to the distance and an imposed alienation via my mom. After one too many post relationshipal fights with Jimmy, I moved up in February of 2005 with Dad and Jerrie to spend some much needed family time, and to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Once again, I was in the sticks.

Bradford has three main employment options: Zippo, Walmart, or the oil fields. Each one will suck you in, and you will never get out of Bradford if you take the bait of steady employment. I was soon restless, and began to harness the web to escape the reality. Don’t get me wrong, Bradford is a beautiful town, but I couldn’t bring my self to settle here. I decided to use the method of dating to explore the area.

I went all over the Southern Tier trying to find a fit. Marienville, Jamestown, Fredonia, Erie, Oil City, Olean, none really appealed to me. After realizing I had slept with essentially every applicable Bradford gay, I turned my eyes to NY. I admit Buffalo attracted me for one thing: the Buffalo Chicken Wing. Never actually eaten a real chicken wing, the idea of a city who’s food tastes influence the whole world intrigued me. I started my quest to find out about this city, and looked around for a guide to show me. I found this gentle and passionate bear named Jamie, who one night out of the blue drove up to show me his world. After rocking his world, natch, the relationship grew and once again the opportunity to start fresh and move to a new place arose.

Ahh, Buffalo! I fell in love immediately. I wanted to know more, I wanted to learn what made this city tick. I saw a bit of every town I’ve ever been to in Buffalo, and the people with their manic attitudes and over busy lifestyle just sucked me in. I started to assimilate, first with the chicken wing, then I gave the Sabres a try. Niaevety soon fell away however, like taking the case off of a swiss cuckoo clock, I saw the inner workings of Buffalo. I noticed that many gears were missing, and even some just ground against each other, going nowhere; yet the clock kept ticking.

Turns out a few gears are missing from the gay male population in Buffalo, as well. Jamie turned out to be nuts and after 11 months in a codependent controlling relationship, I broke his ribs in a drunken fight and that was the end of that.

I had created a trend: every so often pick up and start fresh. “Learn from your mistakes and get the hell out of there” was the motto.Where was I to go? Rochester? Did I wanna go back to bradford and start the hunt again? I couldn’t. Buffalo had me, I felt like belonged after only a year, and I couldn’t bear to leave. So I stayed and broke my trend, starting a new life down the street, instead.

I actually have a job here, its not the best, but it pays the bills and I have them there benefitos that the old people worry about. I don’t own a car and I don’t ever want one as long as I’m here. I get around just fine, like I said, boys and bus passes. Sure, the metro rail could do more than run in a straight line, but relying on public transportation has made me a Elmwood Village boy. I love it. I shop “local” because I don’t have a choice, I rarely go to the malls despite my love for the commercial. I feel like one of those gears, My impact is small, but I exist here.

Sai One: Valentine’s Day Contest

With February now amongst us, that means that Valentine’s Day is in just two short weeks. With that said, Angel has a drawing over at his store for a V-day bundle worth about $125!

The rules:

1. Head down to Sai One (818 Elmwood, across from the Lexington Co-op), and take a gander at the glass jar full of Hershey Kisses.
2. Guess the amount of Kisses in the jar and write the number down on a slip of paper with: your name and your phone or email address, which ever gets a hold of you first. Slip it in an envelope and go about your business.
3. On February 13th, Angel will pick the entry with the closest (or exact) number to the actual count of the Kisses without going over. In case of a tie, a random draw will decide the winning slip. You’ll get a ring or a ping, and you can pick up your prize.

The prize:

1. One-of-A-Kind Spring handbag, made especially for the contest.
2. Angel’s custom Chocolate body line: lotion, body wash, and bath salts; all infused with the rich and lucsious scent of chocolate.
3. A Sai One red Ladie’s Tank/Panty set.

No purchase necessary, just head over and take a guess. Since the drawing is on the 13th, that gives you the opportunity to gift this as well if you win, making you look super special with your lady and possibly securing third base.

• SaiOne (818 Elmwood, Buffalo, NY) - Blog

Stache: Epoch Fail

In case you haven’t noticed, Stache has vacated yet another building on Elmwood (830). Here’s the official word from Sweet and Dirty’s Myspace blog:

• Well its official, Stache is Goin,Goin Back,Back…Home thats right Erin and I have made the decision to merge Stache back with Sweet and Dirty. For some reason it happened again, I was made an offer i could not refuse. So HUGE! It’s an amazing feeling to go back to job security and a PAYCHECK! I’ve loved every min of having a store and thank you to everyone that supported me! I’m having a big sale on pretty much everything in the store thats not bolted down and then if you want to rip it down go for it. So holla at ur boy for more info, I’ll be here. thank you from the bottom of my heart!
  Joe

In other words: FAIL.

Why would anyone take up the “offer of a lifetime” to move from your own independent branded store, on the 800 block of Elmwood no less, to your (ex?) girlfriend’s chick store in the back corner of her shop? In, my opinion, Stache is over as a standalone store because Joe didn’t have the skills or the care to run his own shop. His hours were off and on, and many time the “open” sign would be lit, but the door locked and no one to be found. In fact, I was never able to make it into his store (on 830) to shop because it was always  “closed.”

The sad thing was that his store was actually pretty sweet. From the few local handmade lines that he carried to the American Apparel basics, I think he could have made it work if he was a bit more dedicated to being IN the store and OPEN. You can’t sell shit with your lights off.

Sweet and Dirty was the start, off Potomac next to Sunday Skate and BMX; Erin (along with her mentors, I’m sure) made it a success. Now, she paid it forward and gave her man his own start, only to have him close two stores and slink back to a corner in the back.

I hope Erin has learned a lesson from this: If your lover is bored and wants a piece of your success, give him a job, not his own store.