The Buffalodown, Vol. 2, Issue 13
Stories & Events for Social Connection
By Seamus Gallivan
- Big turnout for the Buffalo United March – now what?
- Musings on Music: Record Store Day
- Featured Events: 20 is the new norm, submissions welcome!
- Listening Links: What are your go-to podcasts?
- Reading Rundown: From local stories to national context
Welcome to the Buffalodown, thank you for your attention!
Always welcoming submissions.
Big ups to all who made for a big turnout at the Buffalo United March this past Saturday, especially with all the rain in the forecast – extra points for the family vibes with all the kids there, as one friend put it, “pissed yet peaceful.”
While protests and public expressions like this have their place in democracy, there’s a deeper impact in what happens next out of the spotlight, now that we’re more energized – are you willing to keep showing up and supporting causes? I keep the words of Martin Luther King in mind every day, sometimes slightly out of context, still a statement of presence and purpose: Where do we go from here?
With the current federal administration’s strategy of “flood the zone” with “shock and awe,” there’s an abundance of urgent issues in need of organized support – a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure, based on your passion and capacity.
This space will always offer ways to come together and advance humanity, from simple social connection to radical political action; for this week, in light of the energy around the march, the events listing leans more into the latter – always welcoming submissions, thanks to all who sent in events this week!
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Musings on Music
Record Store Day Celebrates Beloved Third Spaces
What’s your favorite local record store? I have big plans for your answer!
The recent revival of book and record stores is a beacon in our big box economy that otherwise increasingly extracts wealth out of local communities and into corporate coffers.
Ahead of this refreshing curve – maybe partly responsible for it? – is the annual tradition of Record Store Day, “…conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding nearly 1400 independently-owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally.”
“This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role they play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, DJs spinning records, and on and on.”
Below are events at two record stores in Buffalo, Revolver and Black Dots – there’s another store in the city that I keep passing and wondering what it’s about, anyone familiar with Out There Records? No sign of any Record Store Day fun on their Instagram.
I know there are some gems outside of Buffalo as well, please let me know your go-to shops and stay tuned for a followup announcement soon! Hint: it’s connected with the lead of last week’s Musing on Music…
…PS – props to anyone who remembers the record store that gave me my first job – Worldwide Music & Video on Main Street in University Heights, and at the Walden Superflea where it began for me, heady days…
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Events in the Week Ahead
Thanks to all who’ve submitted their events! Welcoming submissions with a flyer and link to seamus@reconnecter.org.
Visit and subscribe to The Buffalo Hive for the comprehensive community events calendar we’ve been calling for!
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Listening Links
What are you listening to? Please send links!
Knowing Your Rights with Immigration Enforcement – The Public Good – “Anna Porter with the New York Immigration Coalition joins us to educate on knowing your rights with immigration enforcement. There are many federal changes happening on a weekly basis creating unease and fear in communities. Tune into the discussion to learn about what you can do and how to keep each other safe.”
Why young people are getting cancer – Today, Explained – “younger and younger people are getting cancer more and more. Vox’s Dylan Scott lays out what we know, and Kate Zickel explains how she survived cancer with hope intact.
What Is DOGE’s Real Goal? – The Ezra Klein Show – “The so-called Department of Government Efficiency is great branding. Who could be against a more efficient government? But “efficiency” obfuscates what’s really happening here.”
In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg, episode 150: Seamus Gallivan – who wants to listen to a whole hour of me rambling?! Seriously grateful for Greg and this historical document of Buffalo’s music scene, now 150 episodes of open-ended stories behind the scenes – hopefully you’ll find this episode enjoyable, especially if you’ve bothered to subscribe to Reconnecter and read this far into it.
Reading Rundown
Always welcoming links to read and share at seamus@reconnecter.org.
How do you handle these times? – The Buffalo Hive – “we’re deeply concerned about what is happening in our culture, with museums, libraries, universities and arts institutions being undercut and the immigrant cultures that bring so much vibrancy to our society under attack. It’s a scary time to be in America.”
BAND Against Bullying: Promoting Dignity Through Music & the Arts – Miers on Music – “Despite recent grant freezes and attacks on DEI programs, students are more energized than ever for Tuesday’s 11th Anniversary event at UB’s Center for the Arts”
Funding cutoff to stop more than $3.5 million in supplies for FeedMore WNY – The Buffalo News – “FeedMore WNY supplies food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies that offer relief from hunger in Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. Last year it assisted 165,722 people, representing roughly 12.2% of the population. The number of people they help annually has increased 46% since 2021. Their beneficiaries included about 53,400 children and 41,200 seniors.”
Big protests — but not big news – American Crisis by Margaret Sullivan – “Throngs of anti-Trump and anti-Musk protesters gathered in every state. Why was some media coverage so quiet — or almost non-existent?”
Thank YOU for reading this far and being part of it all – extra thanks to everyone supporting this work with a membership at www.reconnecter.org!
Please share with friends to sign up for next Tuesday’s Buffalodown, and reach out with any feedback, all ideas welcome!
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