The Return of West Side Musical Notes

I used to have a blast when during our long walks, our beloved late dog, Walker Evans, and I witnessed some interesting musical activities on Buffalo's West Side. But last summer was spent getting over Val and my loss, and those posts (from a previous blog) ended for a while.

Fortunately, Harold and I have bee

n able to get out on some pretty serious travels around the West Side (Harold has a major walking motor), so it's time to start our musical walking blog observations again. Remember, Buffalo's West Side is an incredible melting pot of cultures brought here by rather recent immigrant populations, and has a very large Latino community.


About a week ago, Harold and I were walking on Chenango Street between Rhode Island and Massachusetts streets (just past a Buffalo Fire Department station) when we saw a man about age 25 with a guitar standing in front of three other same-age males sitting on a bench, with the middle guy holding a guitar and the other two guys intently watching. I could hear the first guitarist offer some instruction, including "after the first three, the fourth goes down here," and then he played what he was discussing, the full introduction to Heart's "Crazy on You."

Two days later, around the corner from that residence on Massachusetts Street, I could hear a full band rehearsing from an upstairs apartment/rehearsal space with a window open about halfway. It was loud without being overbearing, and as Harold and I closed in on the apartment, I recognized the song, Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears."

I didn't realize how popular hard rock and heavy metal still were on the West Side, and I hope to catch a wider variety of music there if/when the weather improves.

A Belated Public Thank You

A friend and former colleague, Barbara Cattrall Wallace, died March 16, after a long battle with cancer at age 61. We worked together for years at Bee Newspapers, and she later worked at the Internal Revenue Service and served as a lay commissioned pastor at several Presbyterian churches.

Barbara was also a U.S. Army veteran and journalist for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, including in Germany. This is where the musical portion of the story connects. Barbara purchased a good number of vinyl albums in Germany during her service there, and eventually, she stopped listening to some of them. One day at work, knowing my musical geekdom and writing, she asked me if I wanted some of them, some of the more rock-oriented albums, making sure I knew that none of them were too recent (this was the late 1980s). I said of course I would take them.

A couple of days later, she brought a bag with about 10-12 albums in it to my desk and told me to enjoy them; I thanked Barbara and barely waited until I got home to check them. There were several Rick Wakeman albums, then a Bebop Deluxe album (cool), and the last two I pulled out of the bag were "Autobahn" and "Radio-Activity," both by Kraftwerk. There were two copies of "Autobahn," one in German and one in English, as well as the English version of "Radio-Activity," despite its German print on the cover. I profusely thanked Barbara the next day, and later thanked her again when she left Bee Newspapers.

But despite my writings over the years, I don't think I properly thanked Barbara, because I have enjoyed the Kraftwerk albums in particular an awful lot, and hold them as rather prized items in my larger than I ever expected vinyl collection. That was the kind of person Barbara was, doing good, kind things for other people because they were good acts and made people's lives a bit better.


Barbara is survived by her husband, Sherman C. Wallace Jr.; a son, David Cattrall; a daughter, Deanna Wallace, and three sisters, as well as many friends and colleagues who were kindly touched by her presence.

The Continental Reunion Party 2013

            Let’s not try to use too many clichés, such as gathering of the tribe, reliving old glories for one more night, or getting together the old gang again.

            That being said, the Continental Reunion Party 2013, celebrating what many would say is Buffalo’s classic punk/new wave club formerly located at 212 Franklin Street downtown, will be held Friday, March 15, at the Town Ballroom, 681 Main Street, Buffalo. Doors will open at 8 p.m., and the bands and DJs will start right away (ahem). Bud Redding, Hard Management and Mammoth Recording Studio are producing the Continental Reunion Party 2013, which will foremost be an evening of fun, friends and great music.

Tickets are available at tickets.com, or The Town Ballroom box office, (that’s where I bought mine) open every day from 12 noon till 5 pm.  The cost is $10 presale, $20 the day of show.

The show will feature these legendary Buffalo bands: The Fems Fatale (former Fems members-plus), the Irving Klaws, Terry Sullivan (featuring music of The Celibates), The Old Toys, Nullstadt, Funk Monsters & Woman, and Bobo. New bands Garda and Rustworm will also perform, satisfying the crowd’s need of new music.

The following original Continental DJs will also perform:  Andre’ Frazier, David Hall, Ken Cox, Arca Tek, Matt Hatten, Karl S, and Oldskool, and the futuristic Nekrotique. The bands and DJs are intended to cover the spectrum of the club’s eras, from 1980 till closing in 2006.

            I was able to ask Redding several questions; Bud is one of the people who may have seen every side of the Continental short of ownership, having been a fan, onstage performer, DJ, booker and virtual manager, and he took some time from arranging the show to answer.

KJH: How did the idea for a Continental reunion come to be? Were you surprised at the interest?

BR: The idea of a Continental reunion has been being floated around for awhile, and there were some half-hearted attempts to do it, but I wanted to do it right, and to really recreate the vibe from the club (i.e., needed a venue that could simulate the upstairs/downstairs feel), The Town Ballroom was the only venue in town that would work. I wasn't surprised at the interest in the show; I thought that if it was done right it would succeed. Facebook and this Continental page that Jennifer Shanley Clark started made it possible. I have tried hard and timed this to make it work.

KJH: Why do you think the Continental holds such a strong spot in many people's hearts after so many years?

BR: Good question - tough question. The club was so much for so many people, all with different reasons; music, friends, music, DJs, bands, friends, the staff (Marty, Dale, Mikey, etc), the variety of music (punk, wave, electronic, metal, grunge, weird...) and the girls and guys! It was a great place to hook up. I met my wife there, grew up there. It was the first club that many people snuck into with fake ID...it was the birthplace of the Goth scene in WNY...girls dressed sexy...boys dressed like girls...the music was different and usually original...it felt like Buffalo...we went there even when it was snowing like a bitch.

KJH: You make what I think is a smart point of noting that there were people who were upstairs, dance and DJ-oriented fans, there were downstairs people, mainly there to hear bands, and that many people moved back and forth between the two. Why did this come about?

BR: To me, this was the best part of the club, and what set it apart from all others. The alternative scene had two diverse parts - Dancing to the music from London, NYC, Berlin, and other points, plus the local original alternative bands. The layout of the Continental made that cool, fun, different, and exciting. (Owner) Bud Burke supported the local scene to the max, brought in some great touring acts (999, Billy Idol, The Bangles, etc.) and pushed the DJs to bring new music to the upstairs. When I started booking the bands (around 1990, I tried to do the same thing - I was very selective about touring acts, but tried to really push and nurture the local scene...I brought in KMFDM, Pigface, and a few others, but concentrated on local and regional stuff, or bands out on their first tour that would fit at the club. The DJs always brought in great new music and many people came just to dance. I loved (when I wasn’t working) to go back and forth between the two scenes, as I was both a local musician and a DJ. If it got boring downstairs, you went upstairs, or visa-versa. The stairs were tough at 3 am!

KJH: Between DJing, playing onstage, booking and virtually managing the Continental, you did just about everything there. Was there anything you didn't do or didn't want to do, and what did you take from it? Was it difficult to lessen your role there?

BR: I do not like to brag, it's not my thing, but I know I was the only person to play in a band, book the bands, and DJ at the club. And yes, during a tough time at the club, after Bud Burke died, I did kind of manage the place. The only thing I didn't do was schedule the bartenders and order the liquor! There was nothing that I didn't get to do that I wanted to, except for buying the place...if only I had the cash! When I left the club, they owed me a LOT of money (which I never got) and I was working 18 hours a day for a local NHL team as the Building Services Manager - doing major concerts like Metallica, Neil Young, Justin Timberlake, Rush, Phish, etc, as well as getting the arena ready for 40 NHL games, indoor soccer, lacrosse, and wrestling events...I really didn’t have time to go to the club, and only stopped in there on the rare occasion...I did miss it, but was so busy that it just didn’t matter. In 2003 I bought some new recording equipment and got back into the local music scene. (Bud sings, plays keyboard and write songs for Cowboys of Scotland.)

KJH: How far away are people planning to come from for the Continental reunion? Are there people you were surprised to hear from? What should people expect?

 

BR: There are people coming from California, Texas, NYC, Connecticut, and Florida, and that is just the ones I know of!! Yes, there were a few surprises in that list - I am so excited and grateful that people are going through so much to come to this party!! I am planning on making a donation to the Wounded Warriors Project after the event, so all this enthusiasm and support is much appreciated!! People should expect music, friends, drinks, the beautiful people, and a few surprises!!! (Just like the Continental!!)

(In addition to everything else he did, Bud Redding is a United States Marine Corps combat veteran.)

The band and DJ schedule is:

Band Schedule (Town Ballroom Main Stage)

8:00 pm – Garda

8:45 pm - BoBo

9:30 pm - Old Toys

10:15 pm - Nullstadt

11:00 pm - Terry Sullivan (With a Special Performance by The Celibates)

11:45 pm - Funk Monsters & Woman

12:30 am - Irving Klaws

1:15 am - The Fems Fatale

2:00 am – Rustworm

DJ Schedule (Town Ballroom Banquet Room)

8:00 pm - DJ Karl S

8:30 pm - Paul Hojnowski "DJ Oldskool"

9:00 pm - Matthew Maingley "DJ Matt Hatten"

9:30 pm - DJ Ken Cox

10:15 pm - DJ David Hall

11:00 pm - Andre' Frazier "DJ Brother Dre"

11:45 pm - Amy "DJ Nekrotique"

12:30 am - Jeff Naughton "DJ Arca Tek"

1:15 am - DJs Andre', David, and Bud

2:15 am - Jeff Naughton "DJ Arca Tek" till close...

            I’m not going to turn this post into a maudlin, here are my memories post; that will be saved until the reunion itself and my review of the show. But I will thank Bud Redding for his cooperation, as I did so many times over the years at the Continental, and mention that it is no coincidence that my wife, Val Dunne, and I spent so many years at the Continental, shooting and writing about bands, drinking and living our lives.

The Music of Your (My) Life?

I made my weekly visit to Guercio's on Grant Street on Buffalo's West Side today; for those of you who haven't been there or aren't from Buffalo, it is a great Italian market and deli with some very high-quality ethnic foods and deli choices, as well as some very good and very inexpensive coffee beans.

It is also home of a very fun and interesting staff that enjoys certain music, from Italian crooners and American versions (including Frank Sinatra, Jerry Vale, Dean Martin and Al Martino), and classic hits, which are what the stations are mostly tuned to when I go there. I rather enjoy the days the crooner stations are on (who doesn't enjoy some early to mid-period Sinatra), and there is a photo of Elvis Presley in Las Vegas "choking" a family member from the early 1970s near one of the cash registers.

Today, when I got there, I went to the deli first, as usual, and took my number; seeing it was crowded and I was 10 numbers away from getting served, I went to get my coffee beans. When I returned, the area I was standing in was directly in the middle of the area where you could hear the station the store was playing and the music or station the women working in the deli were playing.

So, I heard David Bowie singing "Golden Years" on the store station, while Hall and Oates were singing "Kiss on My List" on the deli station, finishing a two-song set that classic hits station was featuring this weekend.

The next set? Making an, um, riveting segue, the station played two songs by Andy Gibb, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" and "Shadow Dancing." Boy, howdy, just what I wanted to hear, but apparently, I was in the minority. A couple of deli workers and customers sang along to the late Mr. Gibb, and one customer, a woman about age 40-45, began slowly swaying and dancing to "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," and picked up the pace to "Shadow Dancing."

I smiled and said nothing about it; at least they were enjoying the music.

Mohawk Place Memories

             It is sad, but maybe not too surprising with the way things in the Buffalo bar, club and music industries go, that after a long run (20-25 years for me, as far as I can remember), that the legendary Mohawk Place, 47 East Mohawk Street in Buffalo, will be closing later this month.

            It has been interesting and bittersweet to read all of the recollections of shows, events, people and other occurrences that have been written and posted online, in print and so on, and because I don’t want to repeat too much, I have waited to write about some of my strongest memories of Mohawk Place.

            There is no question that there have been tons of great local and national bands and acts featured at Mohawk Place, anywhere from the likes of Scott Carpenter and the Real McCoys, girlpope, Dollywatchers, the Irving Klaws. Bobo, Oui73 and the Steam Donkeys, as well as reunions of the Jumpers, Ramrods and several of the above bands, to Rosie Flores, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3. the Fleshtones, Two-Cow Garage, Lords of the Highway and the Cowslingers. The annual Joe Strummer tributes were also memorable events.

            But I want to focus on two events that are more unique or at least personal for me. The first was a simple, fun and momentarily horrifying event; one New Year’s Eve in the 1990s, Scott Carpenter and the Real McCoys were tearing things up. When midnight approached, Scott called Val Dunne and me onstage to sing “Auld Lang Syne;” at this point, Val and I were only good friends and years away from dating. We staggered up on stage (I was still drinking at this point) and warbled out the song as best we could; having been known for, um, honest, full-contact reviews of live acts, I wondered if anyone would notice my lack of singing skills, but it seems the Real McCoys drowned out my attempts.

            The Americanarama music festival found its eventual home at Mohawk Place, after starting at the Pierce Arrow (I think that is where the first one was held). The 2000 Americanarama, at Mohawk Place, was where Val and I went from being good friends to romantically involved; in particular, due to the music, the atmosphere and efforts of two friends, Alexandra Lynne (Arnold, Manias) and Toby Sachsenmaier. While most of the music was performed on the outdoor stage, the last couple of bands were moved inside Mohawk Place, and as the Irving Klaws ended the night, Val and I kissed, um, a lot. To continue the tradition, I proposed to Val exactly one year later (at home), during the then-two-day Americanarama, and announced it to all there. One year to the date after that, we were married June 23, 2002, in Las Vegas.

            So, as you can see, along with the music, Val and I will always have a rather warm, special place in our hearts for Mohawk Place. We also value the friendship of so many people working or formerly working there, such as Pete Perrone, the owner through most of the club’s glory days whose health we wish for improvement, as well as Marty Boratin, Renee Roberts, Mikel Doktor, Tim Saracki, Bill Nehill, Chris Malachowski and Robyn Conniff (sorry to anyone I missed). Man, will Mohawk Place be missed.

Christmas Music for ELP Fans: Oh, Joy to the World

For those of you asking, no, I didn't get holiday cards from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra or Mannheim Steamroller this year, or past years, for that matter. It could be my comments on their musical wretchedness.

As I told one person on Facebook this year, their awful music sounds to me like Emerson, Lake and Palmer on amphetamines, and as another friend wrote, just what they wanted in their Christmas/holiday music, more bombast. But while I wrote one several times in my head, I simply don't have the wish to write a major piece on this topic...again, I suppose.

Sorry, Been Busy, Blah, Blah, Blah

As a few of you probably noticed, I have been pretty slack in updating The Hosey Report. I started this blog to be able to write about music and music-related items at my pace, but that pace should not have been slower than Republicans realizing they are on the wrong side of history.

While I am not a New Year's resolution kind of person, I plan to get back into a much higher gear with the blog, and have a couple of stories and posts already in mind. If I fall back again, you fine readers are given permission to metaphorically kick my ass. In the meantime, enjoy this hideous photograph of me from 1976-1977. Maybe now you'll understand why I chose to be on the other side of the camera lo, those many years ago.