Announcing, Music at the Marcy Series Benefiting Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy

By Seamus Gallivan

Let’s play some simple Buffalo math: the 110-year-old Marcy Casino in Delaware Park + Thursday happy hour + live local music and art + great food and drink = a ton of fun benefiting Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

Over four Thursdays from February 16th through March 8th, 6-9pm, the Marcy Casino’s Pan Am Room overlooking Hoyt Lake will again be the setting for the Music at the Marcy series, which was a good time last year and will be great this year with just a couple additions - live art created and donated to the cause by members of Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo (ELAB), and a lot more attendees.

I caught a couple Music at the Marcy shows last year – it’s one of the most welcoming scenes in town, with the long and inviting Pan Am Room providing a warm vibe and view and surprisingly good sound. Attendees do their part for the parks simply by showing up and paying the $5 cover, with good grub from Magnolia Events and craft brews and wines from Cole’s/Blue Monk further benefiting the Olmsted Parks system that better be one of Buffalo’s best assets for eternity.

I was asked how to ensure that the series succeeds in bringing a big crowd each week, and the optimist in me feels that it shouldn’t take much more than opening the doors and offering some of our city’s most engaging artists. Here’s the plan -

Each week will offer beloved Buffalo artists who care about the cause and know how to make a scene – the bands will perform in the middle of the Pan Am Room, with ELAB on each side creating live art inspired by the setting and offering the finished product to the public for the benefit of BOPC.

The music lineup -

2/16 – The Albrights/Andrew J. Reimers CPX – Two rising original acts with a wrestling-style rivalry sure to rear its ridiculous head

2/23 – Skiffle Minstrels – Swingin’ city slickers suited for happy hour hoots, especially where there’s a dance floor

3/1 – Canal Street String Band – Seedy songs sung for fun, old-time music made fresh by affable arrangement and delivery

3/8 – The Informers – Those already informed of these tenured classic rockers know that this will be a rowdy finale

I’m gonna level with you, folks – for all the concerts with causes I promote here in The Good Neighborhood, this is one of the easiest to sell – especially since it’ll be fun for all ages, whether you want to bring the kids or just act like one. Please join us for these four great gatherings in support of our essential and unparalleled parks system.