The Reconnecter Roundup, Volume 28
Notes & Events for Social Connection & Beloved Community
- Riverline public meetings this week!
- Reflecting on last week’s events – from an intimate circle to a sky-high spectacle
- Musings on Music – “Jazz Scene Buffalo” in a new show and a tenured trio
- Featured Events – 33 this week, submissions welcome!
- Listening Links – Heavy on two podcasts in particular
- 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!
Been a quiet week in America, eh? If you’re newer here or stop short of reading all the way through this admittedly long email, you might’ve missed that we’ve been bracing for the Biden backdown for many months – shout out to Ezra Klein for enlightening the way through his Ezra Klein Show, a fixture in the Listening Links section below that will surely continue to be so over the intense months ahead… …meantime, let’s stay gathering, stay seeking beloved community – thanks to all who come here to find it, please keep those submissions coming!
Riverline Public Meetings This Week!
Would you please join me in helping inform and inspire this potential gamechanger for our city? For those new to The Riverline, it’s been envisioned and seed-funded to become “a vibrant and innovative nature trail and greenway that links downtown Buffalo to the Buffalo River.” With essential studies well underway, the latest round of community engagement will include “results so far from the environmental, social and community, and cultural heritage assessments. We will also have some exciting display boards of preliminary designs for key locations along the corridor. Attendees will be able to offer their input and opinions on these designs.”
BONUS chance to chat about it: catch Riverline director Jeff Lebsack and I at an info table in Larkin Square during this week’s edition of Food Truck Tuesday, also featuring live jazz – much more jazz below, please keep reading!
Week in Review From an intimate circle to a sky-high spectacle
The first community event I attended last week was an informal conversation at the Music is Art headquarters on Monday with Buffalo-born and globetrotting bassist Declan Miers, on break from world domination as part of the band backing SZA, and his musicians-journalist father Jeff Miers, whose new Miers on Music venture is a regular feature here. Fun fact for new friends and followers here, seems always worth repeating – I got into the Buffalo music scene by way of being Declan’s preschool teacher, and both have been wild rides, ha… …
the in-the-round audience of 25 or so were treated to a candid and open conversation about coming up through the Buffalo music scene – beginning with his first gig at the Music is Art Festival – life as a touring musician, the state of mainstream music and how it all connects with the culture of here and now.
Thanks to the small yet mighty crew behind Music is Art for making this and so much more happen – one easy way to support their work is by attending their annual massive festival, recently moved to the Outer Harbor on the 21st night of September, remember!
On Tuesday I served as an ambassador for The Riverline at the weekly farmer and vendor market – aka Frances Nash’s Garden Basket – at the corner of Broadway & Michigan, the heart of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor. The conversations were great, the live music was tight, and the scene will likely expand this week with better weather – go for Buffalo Go Green, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Libby’s Lemonade Stand, She Cooks 716, Delicious Delights by D, Kings & Queens Ice cream and more – and stay for the smooth sounds of young trio Nicholas Deux, sure to be more to come from them!
Wednesday brought the triumphant return of the Talking Dead Heads, led by effervescent Buffalo expat Jason Staniszewski, who brilliantly envisioned this balanced tribute to two iconic bands who both have big followings in Buffalo, then built it with three members of Lazlo Hollyfeld known for their Heads tributes – Sonny Baker, Scott Molloy and Matt Felski – plus Dead tribute veteran Tony Petrocelli and a whole lotta love, all evidenced by three straight nights of big crowds and vibes from Larkin Square to the USS Little Rock then Sportsmen’s Tavern. Bet they could’ve done one more Saturday night and still packed a place…maybe next year? You can bet on the next run launching again at Live at Larkin, where by request they were the first band I booked in building this year’s concert lineup.
Photo by John Raczynski
Fast forward to Sunday’s spectacle in the sky, the 10th annual Skyride, GObike Buffalo’s annual fundraiser ride over the Skyway – first envisioned by then GObike board member and now retired Flying Bison Brewing cofounder Tim Herzog, Skyride is a wild ride to the tune of some 1,500 cyclists taking over our most elevated and maybe someday demolished highway over the Buffalo River between the inner and outer harbors, and overall good vibes galore in celebrating the bonds, gains and visions of Buffalo’s bicycling community.
If you’re into those kinds of things yet haven’t joined in – and you can handle the heights that lead to the sights – stay tuned for next year, and consider supporting GObike’s year-round work to make Western New York a better place for bicycling.
What were your highlights from the past week in beloved community? Please let me know where else I can go, it’s a never-ending quest! Become a paying member to help us promote beloved community!
Musings on Music
“Jazz Scene Buffalo” in a new show and a tenured trio
Buffalo sure is some kinda jazz mecca – has been for a century or so, considering the history of the Colored Musicians Club (CMC), which laid the framework for countless jazz legends to come from or at least through here on the road to renown.
As the CMC is going strong even through major renovations, its Queen City Jazz Fest returns this weekend alongside two longtime annual festivals that celebrate our past, present and future as good soil for this seminal sound of America.
Though I missed yesterday’s first round of the 29th annual Pappy Martin Legacy Masten Jazz Festival, I’m looking forward to round two this Sunday – and the 20th annual Queen City Jazz Fest before it on Saturday, plus the 35th annual Pine Grill Reunion over the first two Sundays in August. Heavy hitters all in terms of tenure as well as a lineup of both nationally-renowned and Buffalo-based artists – bring a folding chair and meet me there!
Warm up to all this with a new show from WBBZ-TV, Jazz Scene Buffalo, shining a light on the brilliance among us. Starring the Mark Filsinger Quartet, plus conversations with Filsinger along with Constance Caldwell, Alex McArthur, and Jack Nossavage, this second episode of Jazz Scene continues its commitment to chronicling and cultivating this community with love and authenticity – dig into it below, and recognize some of these same musicians from the Reconnecter house band which will be back onstage soon, stay tuned!
Events in the Week Ahead
Thanks to all submitting their events! Welcoming event submissions with a flyer and link to seamus@reconnecter.org.
Yes I know this is now going out too late to make this ride – they do it every Monday, and as Slow Roll Buffalo cofounder with continued love for the people and cause, I’m keeping this spot warm for each week’s new ride theme and location while staying hopeful that I’ll soon be able to send this our earlier each week – the juggle is real…
Become a paying member to help us promote community events!
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.
- Joe Biden Drops Out – The Daily – “How the race for the White House has suddenly been turned upside down.”
- Ezra Klein has been bracing for this all year – that said, over the past week of the Republican National Convention, his Ezra Klein Show focused on the GOP: first, The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s Populism; then, The Trump Campaign’s Theory of Victory; and finally, I Watched the Republican Convention. The Democrats Can Still Win – “if the Democrats were running a strong candidate right now, no Democrat would look at that convention with fear.”
- My love of Today, Explained, explained – I love deep dive podcasts, which usually span an hour or more; part of the beauty of Vox’s daily news explainer podcast is its sharp focus on a specific subject, allowing for a deep dive in around 25 minutes 0 and I love that since I prefer to listen to an entire podcast at once for, well, sharp focus. Recent favorites are their explaining the Supreme Court Criminalizing homelessness?; the lure of a song loved all around the world in Why “Country Roads” feels like home; the urgent analysis of What is Project 2025?; a welcome lightheartedness in The song of the summer is DEAD; and the confirmation of a declaration I echoed here last week in the wake of the assassination attempt, Is this us? Spoiler alert – yes, it is.
- 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.”
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.
- Federal lawsuit adds to state cases taking aim at Kensington project – The Buffalo News – “The plaintiffs seek an open transparent and impartial process that actually evaluates alternatives to the proposed project,” said Adam Walters, an attorney with Phillips Lytle who filed the federal suit on their behalf. “Neither the DOT or the FHWA have done that.”
- State AG opens investigation into fatal Buffalo police shooting of motorist – The Buffalo News – “An officer shot the driver of a vehicle after a traffic stop after midnight on Kensington Avenue.”
- Mayor’s staff growing in numbers and cost – Investigative Post – “Since taking office in 2006, Mayor Byron Brown’s executive staff and communications team has nearly tripled in size and cost to taxpayers. He added jobs even while using city reserves and federal pandemic aid to balance budgets.”
- Urban Garden Event Dedicated to Gail V. Wells – Challenger News – “The Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor will dedicate the upcoming Urban Garden Talk event on Wednesday, July 24 in honor and memory of Gail V. Wells…”
- Judge orders Battaglia Demolition owner to spend 6 months in jail – The Buffalo News – “Residents who lived in the area of the Battaglia operation at 1037-1055 Seneca St. complained for years about incessant dust, noise, odors, vermin and excessive traffic resulting from it.”
- North Tonawanda bans cryptocurrency mining for two years – The Buffalo News – “It’s been a long time coming,” said Deb Gondek, one of the citizen advocates. “Residents have been suffering from the noise for far too long and put countless hours into this. … It’s nice to see the city take action.”
- How Ukrainian scouting culture thrives in the woods of western New York state – NPR – “Siryy Lev and Marian Borachok, displaced from Ukraine to Buffalo, N.Y., found an abandoned farm for camping in the nearby rural village of North Collins. In 1950, it had a population of under 2,000 people, and today, close to 3,500.”
- Want to know what Biden said when he dropped out? The full letter is here – NPR – “I will speak to the Nation later this week in more detail about my decision.”
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Remembered: Opposed Iraq War, Advocated for Juneteenth, Reparations & More – Democracy Now – ““She has left a legacy of service, a legacy of love.”
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 Monday’s Reconnecter Roundup, and reach out with any feedback, all ideas welcome – we’re just getting started! Copyright (C) 2024 Reconnecter, Inc. All rights reserved.
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