Infringement Fest takes chances

By creating an outlet to express art, take chances and push the envelope, the Buffalo Infringement Festival has been celebrated in Buffalo for four years.

This year, the festival will be held July 24 through Aug. 3 at various locations around Buffalo's Allentown District. More than 200 performances will feature dance and theater companies, puppeteers, poets, cabaret acts, comics, singers, media artists and designers.

According to Buffalo Infringement Festival's MySpace page, the third annual Buffalo Infringement Festival provides artists and audiences of all backgrounds the chance to come together, take chances, push boundaries and explore uncharted territories "because exciting art can happen anytime, without a blockbuster budget."

The Entertaining Angels, a newly formed, four-girl group, will be performing at the Buffalo Infringement Festival for the first time this year.

The group, which performed its first concert in May, will be using spoken word, poetry, drama, improve, dance and a cappella to reach its audience.

According to Ekaete Bailey, one of the members and a former Amherst resident, the performances follow a skit with a central theme about coming together to hang out.

"We are a very different group than many of the groups that are there," Bailey said. "We 're more alternative. We're glad to be a little different. Hopefully they accept it."

Bailey said it is a Christian based entertainment group that is nondenominational and focuses on sisterhood, love of Christ, love of self, love of community, love of men in their lives and the comradery among the four.

In addition to Bailey, the group consists of Danielle Roberts of Cheektowaga and Elisha Henderson and Erika Mitchell of Buffalo.

The four girls met in 2003 when they attended the same church. Bailey said they became friends and began meeting weekly. This was when they learned of their different talents and would hold open mic sessions. Bailey presented the girls with a poem that inspired the name Entertaining Angels, and the group was formed.

"We 've only been together since February of this year," Bailey said. "We 've discussed starting a group since 2003, but we've all been doing things individually. This is the first time we got together as a group."

Entertaining Angels will perform during the Buffalo Infringement Festival at the old Parker's Pharmacy, 1862 Hertel Ave, at the corner of Parker and Hertel. Tickets are $6. The group is scheduled to perform at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 26; 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29; 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 30; and 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug 2.

Visit the Web site at www.buffaloangels. com or the group's MySpace page by searching Entertaining Angels at www.myspace. com for more information.

Infringement Festivals are held annually in cities across Europe, Canada and the northeastern United States. According to the Buffalo Infringement Festival's Web site, it is a nonprofit-driven grass roots endeavor bringing together a broad range of eclectic, independent, experimental and controversial art of all forms.

Visit www.infringebuffalo.org for more information and a full list of performances or visit its MySpace page by searching Buffalo Infringement Festival at www. myspace. com.