On Broadway and Michigan

A month ago I attended the annual meeting of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo Group.  This year it was held at the historic Michigan Street Baptist Church, courtesy of its leaders.

We were allowed to tour the church, which still has an active congregation.  In the undercroft area one can view the hollowed out crawl space that once hid those trying to flee to Canada to escape slavery via the Underground Railroad. Just recently I read a local history buff somewhat scoffing that in the land of free free free NY, slaves would have to hide...while I'm no expert, even I know about the Fugitive Slave Act, signed into being by local statue and President Millard Fillmore. It had the effect of calling into question much of what she had written...Canada was Free.

It's kind of hard to visualize from my pictures, but one goes down a few stairs to an area that is a meeting area, office, and a museum/historical area. Down a hallway are the restrooms and a stairway leading up to the sacristy.  It is in the mens room that a panel with an upper section removed has been set up where most likely a false wall had once obscured a deepened crawl space under the stairs.  I think it may extend over to the right also. Perhaps if I had stood on the "facility" I could have gotten a better picture, but that seemed a bit disrespectful, so this will have to do.

Our C4GB leader was enthused about a plan he was to reveal a plan for uncovering, restoring, and initiating new purpose for the Nash Street Armory, also known as the Broadway Barns, home of Buffalo's snowplows. It's behind the church. No pictures...I missed that mini-field trip, but The Buffalo News had some pictures.A student has also written a proposal for the area.  I'm just wondering if anyone seriously asked the residents and keepers of the historic neighborhood what they would like...

Nash Street is also the site of the Nash House, former home of the pastor of the Michigan Street Baptist Church.  I'm not looking any info up, so forgive me for not presenting a more illuminating background

Its side yard, along a heritage marker walkway, also seems to be a scenic place to stay for one who lives in the outdoors. It was kept neat, and it seems to me a bible was on the bench also.

There's an old building next to the church that at one time at least was a rooming house...a faded sign is visible on one side.  It's owned by the City...to bad it hasn't been rehabbed yet.

Right across the street from the church, on Broadway, is the Colored Musicians Club.  With the window open, soft notes of music came tumbling out and taking one back in time. at least in the imagination...musicians are all very well present and accounted for in 2011 also :)

A jazz museum is in the works for the bottom floor...I can't help but think that a jazz/blues museum on a smaller order of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame might be a good use for the Armory site, with a restaurant going into a building being rehabbed on the other corner of Broadway and Michigan.

Maybe it would overwhelm though...Seems to me that someone tried to do something extra in the area regarding the Heritage Trail, but it didn't work out...Combo with the jazz museum?...just thinking...

It's a wonderful area, just steeped in history...a lot of vacant lots where people once gathered...even the buildings and people that are no longer there have left their essence...just listen to the music...

Forest Lawn Tour - Part 2

Last Sunday Forest Lawn held their last bunch of historical tours, and I opted to check it out for the first time even though I've been there many times before.  Thought a different perspective would be nice along with the exercise involved in walking for 2 hours.

Different historical figures pop up at a few grave sites and give a small speech.  Among them "Irving Berlin's wife" sang, and "George Pierce" was excellent! Nice touch.

Early on I noticed that a few facts that the guide offered didn't line up with what I thought I knew, but I kept it to myself.  For one, the Franklin Square Cemetery was where old County Hall is, not the Rath Building, but they may have been scattered all over for all I really know.  However, this coincided with the guide indulging in a small rant regarding the latter building, which made me chuckle at first, but soon hit me as inappropriate on a tour.  Whatever.  I ceased listening as closely though.

Later on after another spotlighted sight she tossed off something to the effect of "Rick James is over there if you care; I don't even know why he's buried here unless it's because his mother is" and proceeded to go into rant regarding him, and still managed to mangle facts along with it.  Totally inappropriate.

I'm not trying to say he was a choirboy, wrongly convicted of various crimes and other failings.  Not at all.  The point, however, is that the man has family, friends, and fans of his music that visit his grave (in fact multiple fans were on the tour). Also, his family paid for a spot and as such are "customers" who do not deserve to be treated shoddily, especially by the cemetery itself via a volunteer guide.

At the end of the tour I pulled her aside to tell her that I found her remarks offensive and inappropriate, but got no further than one short sentence when she uttered a curt thank you, turned her back on me, and walked away.  How rude! I wasn't done yet!

All that needs to be said is that Rick James achieved international fame as a musician.  He was born and raised in Buffalo, which heavily influenced his songwriting, especially in the early days. The end. Personal opinions need not apply.

Other than that, it was a nice day for a walk.

The Wall

I could gush on and on about how great the Roger Waters / The Wall concert is, but instead I'll post a few pictures. However, it really needs to be experienced in person to fully appreciate it...So glad I went!

While the visuals mean all things, different things, depending on your knowledge and outlook, I read online that some people were offended by his politics...Maybe they should have just stayed home then, listened to the CD, and continued to pretend that it doesn't mean anything at all...but they would be wrong...

The pictures would have been better with my larger camera, but figuring there might be a problem with recording devices, I went through the trouble of smuggling my camera in only to hear Waters acknowledge that many had the devices and to just please not use a flash...doesn't mean the guys at the gate would have let them in though.

The best concert t-shirt, seen on the little kids dancing on one part, wasn't even on sale: "Fear Builds Walls"...think about it.

Goo Goo Dolls Live in Buffalo July 4, 2004

This video appeared here a few years ago, but I really like it a lot :) Different thoughts from me and different links this year too.  So in case you missed it the first time around or just want to see it again, here are the Goo Goo Dolls singing "Iris" on the stairs of Buffalo's City Hall in the middle of a monsoon on July 4, 2004.

Some people thought it prudent to watch from inside of buildings or under a tent, but you weren't really THERE if you weren't getting drenched! It was great fun, and definitely a concert to remember!

There is another good video of the Goos prepping for the concert and taping in the days preceding the actual event, and some scenes from the evening of the 4th set to the background music of "Give a Little Bit".  Embedding was disabled, but you can still go see for yourself. Its worth the click :)

Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day!

The Concert

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band totally rock! It was my first time seeing the Boss and I wasn't disappointed. I think I have resisted in the past partly because his faithful fans seemed to resemble the followers of the Grateful Dead in their devotion, and I just wasn't there.

The ages of the crowd ranged from those still in the single digits who went with their parents to people who looked to be in their 70's - the young straight through to the young at heart. In fact it came as a bit of a shock to see all those old people out there and realize they're all pretty much the same age as me, and also that of Springsteen and the band.

Always poignant lines from Thunder Road, they mean more as the years go by:

"So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore...

Personally, I find that a little bit depressing, no matter how truthful it is. Made a bit better by what follows:

Show a little faith there's magic in the night

You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me"

Bruce is an inspiration to people everywhere, especially those further along the time line. Heck, he performed for almost 4 hours but yet I was wiped out after just bopping along. Much credit to all of them.

I'll definitely be at the concert the next time Springsteen comes to Buffalo, and I have faith that there will be a next time. After all, he needs the crowds as much as we need him.