Downtown Main Street just got a little more colorful, with the addition of two vibrant Philip Burke murals adorning The Town Ballroom. The murals were made possible thanks to Donny Kutzbach and Artie Kwitchoff (Funtime Presents) who wanted to make a significant colorful splash on the outside of their concert venue.
“We originally did the marquee for the Town Ballroom,” said Rory Allen of Zoom Copy, who printed and applied the murals. “We also did some work on the inside of the building, in an auxiliary room. It’s a collage of photos from music acts that played at the Town Casino back in the 50s.”
“As for the images of Patti Smith and Snoop Dogg, they both played at the venue back in the day. I was told that Patti Smith actually helped to encourage Donnie and Artie to further create the Town Ballroom, into what it is today. That’s why her tribute is so important.”
“And everyone loves Snoop Dogg. It’s funny – as we were applying the mural, people kept asking when he’s coming back to play. Maybe this will encourage him to do so, maybe as part of a tribute concert. It’s incredible to think that he played at this intimate venue – he is still so relevant all of these years later.”
Rory said that he worked directly with Philip, who in turn worked with Donnie and Artie to navigate the custom wall dimensions.
“One of my goals has been to allow a regular format artist to participate in the mural scene,” said Rory. “We digitize the work back at Zoom Copy, and then print it, and then apply it to the wall. Artie and Donnie had seen Philip’s Goo Goo Dolls mural on Hertel, and wanted to work with him.”
I asked Rory about the longevity of the mural, and he said that he guarantees it to last for 5 years, but 3M (the manufacturer of the material) guarantees 11 years.
“I believe that it lasts longer than paint, and it can be removed without a trace,” said Rory. “We love doing this in Buffalo, and we’re even talking about taking it on the road to other cities that are home to their own revered music venues and accomplished musicians.
Town Ballroom | 681 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14203