Post Classifieds
Local spots offer music to students
By Katie Anderson
On March 25, 2012
The loud blend of bass, drums and blues guitar sweeps over you as you open the
door.
Walking in, you squeeze through the crowded bar area and make your way toward
the colorful lights where the band is playing. Not one person's attention is focused
anywhere but the stage.
With tables full and no seats available at the bar, "standing room only" becomes a
weekly adventure for a tiny restaurant called Vizzi's, located at 967 Kenmore Ave.,
which hosts some of the most famous blues bands in Buffalo every Friday night.
Blues fans of Buffalo, with heads bobbing, feet tapping and air guitars jamming,
become active participants of the night's live, local music event.
This is a familiar scene to music lovers in Buffalo. Blues, rock, hip hop and jazz are
some of the many genres performed throughout the city every night. The variety of
music and venues make live music a great source of entertainment for students in
the area.
One man responsible for many of the live music shows happening in the area is
Jerry Meyers, long-time music promoter in Buffalo. Meyers is well-known to many
musicians nationally and locally. In 1980, he was listed by Rolling Stone Magazine
as one of the top 100 people in the music business. He was later inducted into the
Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2003.
"Buffalo, at one time, was one of the best cities for getting records played on the
radio," Meyers said. "Buffalo has some extraordinary talent here."
Meyers now works for Entertainment Services International, a booking agency that
helps keep the music industry in Buffalo booming. Meyers, along with the agency,
brings national or local artists and bands to the Buffalo area and parts of Canada,
providing multiple venues with entertainment they prefer.
After booking a band or artist at a certain bar or restaurant, Meyers will receive
feedback from the venue owners to let him know if his selection was the right fit for
that venue.
One of the many venues Meyers books for is Crazy Jake's, 26 Webster St., North
Tonawanda. Crazy Jake's is a restaurant that hosts live music performers on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In the summer, the live music is scheduled for
almost every night.
From blues, to country, to rock, Crazy Jake's offers entertainment of all kinds. The
restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday
and Saturday. The live shows usually start between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Buffalo, however, has more live music to offer than just weekend shows. End your
Mondays on a good note with a karaoke party at Broadway Joe's, 3051 Main St.
Tuesday nights can be spent at Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar, also called DBGB's, in
Allentown for their live hip hop with DJs Charlie the Butcher and Shuteyes. Duke's
Bohemian Grove Bar has been in Allentown for over a year and a half, and has been
renovating to create a better space for their live shows, said Rick Vallone, booking
coordinator for DBGB's.
"We host a lot of different bands and artists," Vallone said. "We have music from a
variety of genres."
The Tuesday event has no cover charge. Only those 21 and up are admitted.
Jazz up your Wednesdays with live jazz music at Merge, 439 Delaware Ave. The
show starts at 7 p.m. and has no cover charge. The restaurant dinner hours are 5
p.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursdays welcome a live blues-rock performance by Theresa Quinn and band at
Snooty Fox Lounge, 445 Delaware Ave. The show starts at 8 p.m. Snooty Fox Lounge
is open from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Friday night is blues night at Vizzi's, where there's no cover charge for patrons.
"We specialize in blues," said Vizzi, the owner. "We only have the top bands-most
have won awards for their music."
One of the bands that perform at Vizzi's is Ron LoCurto & the Reinhardts. Teddy and
Tom Reinhardt are brothers who have been active participants in Buffalo's music
scene for over 40 years and have both been inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of
Fame. The Reinhardt brothers along with Ron LoCurto play in different venues all
over the Buffalo area.
Ron LoCurto made a living off his music for years before joining the Reinhardt
brothers. He said Buffalo is open to music and new bands just starting out.
"You can work here as a musician," LoCurto said. "There's music seven days a week."
For comments on the story contact bscrecord@gmail.com.
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