The Buffalodown, Vol. 2, Issue 9
Stories & Events for Social Connection
By Seamus Gallivan
- RIP Mickey Harmon & Jordan Celotto
- Musings on Music: Mohawk lives! To Grosh be the glory!
- Featured Events: bonus 22 this week with the bounty of St. Paddy’s season
- Listening Links: who are your go-to podcasters?
- Reading Rundown: local-national-global
Welcome to the Buffalodown, thank you for your attention!
Always welcoming submissions.
Good day, good neighbors, wishing everyone safety and warmth as surely most subscribers here are in mourning over the senseless killing of Allentown artists Mickey Harmon and Jordan Celotto.
I’ve been so gutted that I couldn’t bring myself to send this out last week, even though all the events were loaded in. Personally, like so many, I knew the outgoing activist Mickey more than the quieter Jordan – Mickey and I worked together through art, parties and politics, such a keen and colorful soul who loved our city and sure left his mark on it. I’m struggling to process this loss as I’ve sat searching, crying, and reading the parade of tributes – for once, I’m grateful for the manipulative algorithm on Facebook that’s turned my feed into Mickbook, seemingly never-ending like his beloved Pride Parade.
If I could condense the multitudes of Mickey into one word, it would be, bold.
While I’m struggling with words now, I’m comforted by the confidence that we’ll be be perpetually celebrating these two good neighbors. For now, I’ll leave this tribute to the loving words of Elizabeth Licata in The Buffalo News along with a perfect cartoon by Adam Zyglis; the funeral expense fundraising pages for Mickey and Jordan; a message from Mickey himself as part of a postcard project for Hallwalls in 2020; and word today that a memorial service will be held at Mickey’s beloved Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center at 341 Delaware Avenue on Saturday, March 22nd, 1-3pm.
I’ll have much more to say over time, over and over, bold as the love Mickey and Jordan embodied.
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Musings on Music
Mohawk will rise again; to Grosh be the glory!
I kinda called it – with a little inside info and a lotta faith, I wrote here over multiple weeks that Mohawk Place would rock again. “I refuse to believe that Mohawk Place is closing for good,” and, “leave the band pictures on the walls, y’all, bet this ain’t the end.”
As covered by Buffalo Rising and the Buffalo Hive, Mohawk Place is now in the new and caring hands of sudden partners Bernice Radle and Frank DiMaria, a labor of love for each. And in a testament to the power of the third space, Chris Hawley, friend and founder of Eugene V. Debs Hall, wrote, “We’re thrilled that the conversations over saving Mohawk Place started at Eugene V. Debs Hall, and a path forward has been found!”
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away in another historic music hall, Buffalo band Grosh packed and rocked Town Ballroom this past Friday to celebrate the release of their third album, Start Again. It was exactly what this brilliant band intends to offer through their music – connection, medicine, meaningful messages and a whole lotta love.
After opening act Uncle Ben’s Remedy thoroughly fulfilled their purpose in the place with rollicking energy and their rowdy fans singing along, the quartet of Grosh (Megan Brown, vocals; Grace Lougen, guitar and vocals; Dylan Hund, bass; Josh English, drums) gave an all-original set with up-and-down guests Zak Ward (guitar and vocals) and Harry Graser (keyboards) for the “Grosh Prime” effect they often bring to special shows.
In short, it was a moment. For a band that’s built its unique sound on the original power duo of Grace and Josh – Grosh, get it? – layered with Dylan’s fluid rhythms under Megan’s soaring vocals, then built a following as fervent as any Buffalo band over the past decade can claim, their genuine love of music and its power to bring people together and provide healing and harmony was on full display.
It all built up to a climactic moment of bonding within this career moment for the band – before beginning the closing song of their set and new album, the title track “Start Again,” Megan prompted the crowd to sing along toward the end in a new wordless way, which we did so dutifully even through Grace’s guitar solo, after which the persisting “ooh, ooh, ooh” moved Megan to tears, so surprised that it worked so well that she couldn’t finish the final lyrics, “don’t be afraid to start again; don’t be afraid to rewrite it all.” See below for a video from the crowd…
…one for the books, and hopefully just the start of the third chapter for Grosh, could be a breakthrough – check their website to listen however you like, and look for a show to get the full glorious fury of the Grosh sound – inside scoop for those who’ve cared enough to read this far, save the date of August 27th for Grosh Prime returning to Larkin Square to put the exclamation point on another season of Live at Larkin!
Photo above by Seamus Gallivan; video below by Doug Manning.
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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.
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Listening Links
What are you listening to? Please send links!
2025 Community Agenda– The Public Good – “Each year, Partnership for the Public Good invites our 370+ partner organizations to propose local and state policy changes that advance equality, sustainability, and cultural vibrancy in Buffalo Niagara. The partners take a vote, and the top ten proposals become the Community Agenda – PPG’s focus for the coming year.”
Facing Challenges, Finding Hope: Heart, Love and Soul’s Impact in Niagara Falls – WBFO What’s Next – “we discuss the topic of homelessness in Niagara Falls by diving into the work of Heart, Love and Soul, a non-profit community-based organization that has provided services to the area since 1983.”
Deporting Mahmoud Khalil – Today, Explained – “The Trump administration has fallen short of its promise to deport millions. The White House now seems focused on attention-grabbing arrests, including that of a Palestinian activist and leader of the Columbia student protests.”
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
lways welcoming links to read and share at seamus@reconnecter.org.
Shovel your sidewalks Buffalonians, the petitioners are coming – Politics and Other Stuff – The headline may be dated, though the subject will stay relevant for many months – it’s mayoral election season in Buffalo.
Coverup of hit-and-run by county’s narcotics chief? – Investigative Post – “A member of Erie County Sheriff John Garcia’s command staff was behind the wheel of a county vehicle that struck seven cars last April on the city’s West Side. The sheriff’s office and Buffalo police are refusing to discuss the incident, which has cost taxpayers more than $60,000.”
Another Voice: Country’s moral standing is at risk – The Buffalo News – Reconnecter subscriber Geoff Schutte speaks up. “As a high school teacher in Buffalo, USAID’s work may seem far removed from my classroom, students, and two young sons. Yet the work of USAID, and what it represents, couldn’t be more important. Many of my refugee students were direct beneficiaries of USAID’s programs before arriving in the U.S.”
Legendary former NIH director retires from embattled agency – NPR – “I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness, and faith.”
Mahmoud Khalil case goes to court, spotlighting green card holders’ rights – NPR – “This is a really a chilling message that the government is sending.”
How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days – The Atlantic – “Hitler informed the court that once he had achieved power through legal means, he intended to mold the government as he saw fit.”
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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