Notes & Events for Social Connection & Beloved Community

By Seamus Gallivan

• Musings on Music – “Grosh Prime” brings major mojo to an already big sound
• Featured Events – 30+ this week, submissions welcome!
• Listening Links – cooperating, reconnecting…
• Reading Rundown – local, national, international    

Welcome to the Reconnecter Roundup!
This free weekly email connects people, places, and causes by featuring events, news, and notes.

Happy Monday, y’all! Quick high and low from the past week in this space:

Keep on clickin’, y’all – we have new highs in the click count amongst the dozens of links in each weekly Roundup – thanks to all who keep considering Reconnecter a resource for social connection and beloved community!

I think this is the first week in which we’ve had no new subscribers – if you appreciate this weekly resource, please share it with kindred spirits!

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City leaders backtrack on “amusements” fee

“We would have had to change the way we do business.”

One of the reasons for the high click count here last week was interest in City of Buffalo officials attempting to balance Mayor Byron Brown’s busted budget on the backs of local entertainment venue owners; good news for now, as someone – actually, many, many people calling them in and out in opposition – have talked some sense into them, at least for the moment.

Once again, shout out to Investigative Post reporter Geoff Kelly for being on the beat, as he began his followup article, “The City of Buffalo has backed off from a plan to tax music and other entertainment venues for every event for which they charge admission.”

Kelly noted, however, that this so-called “pause” in the process hasn’t relieved the venue owners and some elected officials of their concerns. “A ‘temporary pause’ can mean a lot and leaves the door open for some other version that still puts a burden on folks,” State Assembly Member Jon Rivera told Kelly.

Rivera and State Senator Sean Ryan took to the Sportsmen’s Tavern stage last week along with Sportsmen’s patriarch Dwane Hall and Asbury Hall owner Scot Fisher to keep the heat on whomever needs to feel it, as documented by music journalist and Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation director Jeff Miers, who noted Rivera’s pointed words: “The proposal for the levy is an onerous burden that would add thousands of dollars to each venue’s bottom line and costs that would be passed on to consumers, and ultimately, drive them away. We have to ask ourselves: ‘Is this how we support our city’s cultural scene? Is this how we reward hard-working small business owners who are still trying to regain their footing, post-Covid?”

Encouraging everyone to stay tuned and get involved in this; last week I used the old line, “whether or not you choose to ‘do politics,’ politicians are gonna do you.” Here’s another way to consider it – would you rather be part of the band, or an instrument being played?

https://youtu.be/3YdGDf_-KJs?si=V5lEagJ2u0NjhSV3&t=1

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Musings on Music

Summer outdoor shows winding down, building up to Grosh at Larkin

With three weeks until Labor Day, let’s savor the flavors of outdoor concerts in our precious Buffalo summer, many of which are listed in the upcoming events below; while some beloved series such as Bidwell and Thursday & Main have celebrated the end of their seasons, we still have three rounds of Food Truck Tuesdays and Live at Larkin Wednesdays in Larkin Square, and having the privilege of booking the bands there, I’ve always loved to close it all out with an exclamation point – this year that’ll come from my favorite Buffalo band, Grosh, along with guests Alex McArthur, Harry Graser and Michael DeLano (aka Grosh Prime when boosted by guests) in the Live at Larkin season finale on Wednesday, August 28th.

I believe Grosh has the goods to make it anywhere; they start with a sense of love and appreciation for each other that comes through onstage, then build on that solid foundation with heavy songs and sounds, as all four of them are able to go big – like, arena big, rock n roll with a stiff upper lip. They rock hard and mellow, too, as all my favorite bands do; and as glorious as their original songs are, they can cover classics as well, most recently this past weekend’s Led Zeppelin tribute at Sportsmen’s Park.See below for a sample from that show, also featuring Harry on keys, along with their funky underbelly as shown at the Reconnecter Revelation back in December with an ode to beloved community in “Mr. Rogers,” once again featuring Harry as well as Alex. 

And all things connected, related to the news above, here they are a few years back dedicating their song “This Ain’t Over” to “the grit and perseverance of Western New York’s live music venues” in the wake of the pandemic.

Encouraging everyone to get some Grosh in your life, especially live!

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Events in the Week Ahead

Thanks to all submitting their events! Welcoming event submissions with a flyer and link to seamus@reconnecter.org.

Listening Links

As we prepare to launch the Reconnecter podcast and a section for podcasts on our website, adding weekly listening links that align with the intentions of Reconnecter.

Empowering Communities The Strength of Cooperative Ownership – Black Gems Dive In – “Co-hosts Kua and Kendra are joined by Andrew Delmonte, Executive Director of Cooperation Buffalo, to discuss the power of cooperative business ownership in communities of color. The pair discuss the ‘Diversity Dispatch’ segment analyzing the latest trends in how SHRM, a professional HR organization is removing the “E” in “DEI” as reported by Axios, and a ‘Hot Topic’ segment addressing the controversy surrounding DEI policies in the Secret Service linked to an alleged assassination attempt on Trump. Andrew shares insights into the historic significance and benefits of cooperatives, highlighting how they contribute to economic security and empowerment.”

What’s Next? | Reconnecting to Prevent Social Unrest – WBFO – Leaving this link up for a while, as I’m honored to have been invited onto this profound program – this went real deep from the jump, please listen! Here’s how they described it: “Seamus Gallivan’s latest endeavor is Reconnecter, a ‘social connection space’ that aims to bring people together in person and online ‘by illuminating the ties that bind us.’ That means music showcases, variety shows, and media elements — all to help provide a need that he believes can help prevent social unrest. Gallivan sits down with Thomas O’Neil-White to speak about the power of reconnection and his plans for the new project.”

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Reading Rundown

With intent to connect, inform, and inspire action, every Reconnecter Roundup closes with links to other sources and stories that deserve more attention. Always welcoming links to read and share at seamus@reconnecter.org.

Buffalo’s lead crisis demands a community-wide effort – The Buffalo News – “Buffalo prides itself as the ‘City of Good Neighbors’ but the city’s struggle with a severe lead crisis not only highlights a public health emergency but also questions our communal priorities and commitment to genuinely embodying the spirit of good neighborliness.”

Local bicyclists and pedestrians need safer infrastructure – The Buffalo News – “A transportation culture limited to automotive vehicles is at least partially to blame for another lost life.”

Infographic: Fatal crashes in Buffalo-Niagara – Investigative Post – “Experts blame bad habits – speeding and impaired and distracted driving – picked up during pandemic for spike in traffic fatalities.”

Improv comedy theater to open in September in North Buffalo – WIVB – “as far as I’m aware, we’re the first training center and comedy theater dedicated to improv, sketch and alternative comedy seven days a week.”

How much of your food budget goes to local farmers?– Four Bites – “From farmer to eater, here’s why supporting local agriculture matters.”

A new rule in Georgia could allow local election boards to refuse to certify results – NPR – “A new rule in Georgia could allow some local election boards to refuse to certify results, raising concerns ahead of November’s election in the crucial swing state.”

“New Dawn” in Bangladesh? Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus Sworn In as PM After Student Protests – Democracy Now – “Yunus is known as the “banker to the poor” and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his work developing microloans that helped lift millions out of poverty.”

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