JUSTIN WOODMANCY

Indie pop band Cooler performs live at Nietzsche's in Buffalo's Allentown district.

Photo: Courtesy of Cooler

ARTS

The show must go on, but not during the pandemic

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Apr. 29, 2020

From SXSW to Justin Bieber’s “Changes” tour, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the postponement and cancelation of music performances across the world. While many fans are coping with FOMO and hundred-dollar ticket losses, local musicians, promoters, labels and small venues –– the backbone of Buffalo’s music community –– have stopped their operations entirely. Without a realistic date in place for a return to normalcy, members of the Buffalo music community are adapting to stay relevant, productive and in business. They can’t do what they love right now, and in some cases, they’re up against a financially uncertain future.

Hundred Plus Club's Need Boost EP cover.

Photo: Courtesy of Admirable Traits Records

ARTS

Hundred Plus Club’s ‘Need Boost’ twists influences to sound fresh and familiar

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Apr. 8, 2020

Album: “Need Boost” Artist: Hundred Plus Club Label: Admirable Traits Release Date: April 3 Grade: 8/10

John Palumbo and Rick Witkowski sit down and talk music with Alex Whetham and Justin Woodmancy.

Photo: The Spectrum

ARTS

Forty-five years of progressive rock: An interview with Crack the Sky

By ALEX WHETHAM and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Mar. 8, 2020

Crack the Sky is still able to rock the stage 45 years into its touring career. The West Virginia-based progressive rock and art rock act has a career-spanning, rotating cast of 17 musicians and 18 studio albums, a catalog which sold out the Tralf Music Hall on Friday. While they never reached the heights of Prog-giants like Yes, Rush or King Crimson, they continue to satisfy their dedicated fanbase.

Mundy Cakes owner Amanda Bernardini poses with cookies inside Mundy Cakes on Allen Street.

Photo: The Spectrum

ARTS

The sexiest bakery in Buffalo

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Mar. 5, 2020

Amanda Bernardini enjoyed baking sugar cookies with her mother and grandmother as a young girl in Rochester. Now she bakes and sells penis-shaped and lingerie-clad ass cookies at Mundy Cakes, her bakery on Allen Street in Buffalo. Since opening Mundy Cakes in the summer of 2018, she has stayed unabashedly true to her no-filter business model –– a model she certainly adopted since her youth.

Photo: Courtesy of Black Student Union Instagram

ARTS

Embracing the present, blessing the future and honoring the past

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Feb. 26, 2020

The Black Student Union is once again planning UB’s biggest fashion show of the year. And it’s turning back the clock this time.

Megan Thee Stallion was the top student choice for Spring Fest this year.

Photo: Courtesy of HOTSPOTATL

ARTS

Hip-hop and rap artists dominate Spring Fest survey results

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Feb. 19, 2020

The Student Association’s 2019-2020 Entertainment Survey revealed students know exactly which artists they want at Spring Fest and the SA Comedy Series, with rapper Megan Thee Stallion and comedian Kevin Hart topping both categories.

Sculptures of the dead were often made to accompany their body as a memorial to their life.

Photo: The Spectrum

ARTS

Ancient Egyptian mummies invade the Buffalo Museum of Science

By ISABELLA FORTUNATO and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Feb. 13, 2020

A dark room filled with nameless corpses might not seem like a great place to spend an afternoon. But paired with unique coffins, intricate Graeco-Egyptian portraits and gold-coated bandages, the Buffalo Museum of Science offers an exciting and insightful experience. The Golden Mummies of Egypt’s world premiere Saturday welcomed coffins, corpses and culture to Buffalo. The display, on tour from the Manchester Museum’s world-class collection, features a series of mummies and artifacts from the Graeco-Roman period of Egyptian culture. The artifacts date as far back as 332 B.C.E. and are combined with an enticing mix of immersive technology that connects the ancient and modern worlds.

Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

ARTS

Worst movies for ‘Netflix and chill’

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Feb. 9, 2020

In the age of streaming, finding content to backdrop “Netflix and chill” should be easier than ever. After hitting it off with a love interest, the natural step once the two of you are hanging out at either’s place is to “put on a show to watch.”

Photo: The Spectrum

OPINION

Out with the fur, in with the scales

By JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Feb. 9, 2020

Fish are superior to cats and dogs in every way. I know you might disagree –– let me tell you why you’re wrong.

Photo: Courtesy of Polyvinyl Records

ARTS

Arts Desk 2019 album picks

By ALEX WHETHAM , ISABELLA FORTUNATO and JUSTIN WOODMANCY | Dec. 4, 2019

As 2019 comes to an end, it’s time to reflect on the year’s finest musical releases. The past 12 months have provided listeners with quality music. Pop and hip-hop continued their chart domination with notable releases from Lizzo, Ariana Grande and Tyler, the Creator, while rock and metal contributed with strong efforts from Blood Incantation, The Twilight Sad and Opeth.