I meet Seamus at the Filling Station in Larkin Square, where he holds his unofficial (and often official) office hours. The meeting in part is penance for some long-ago (and long-forgotten) boyhood mischief that incidentally targeted my family home. I extend forgiveness on behalf of my family, and Seamus and his freshly unburdened conscience sit down with me.
“I’m a connector,” he tells me early in our conversation, and I know I’ve found the right person to kick off the Buffalo City Lights journey. He’s already given me a half dozen names to follow up with, and we’ve only just begun. As the music director and emcee of events at Larkin Square, he gets a lot of credit for the burst of life that’s cropped up in the Larkin District over the last few years. A veteran of the event business, Seamus doesn’t shy away from the spotlight, though he’s quick to point out that he’s the only part-timer on the team of four making things happen in Larkinville.
Like many of us, Seamus is a Buffalo repatriate, returning home after years spent out of state. He left his career in event management for Minor League Baseball teams to focus on community development in Buffalo. He founded The Good Neighborhood (TGN–“Gathering for the Greater Good”) and began organizing concerts and events to support local nonprofits. His exclusive focus on local offerings and his instinct for throwing a good party has made for great success. “Music relaxes people,” he says brightly. “So it’s a great way to connect them to the causes in the community.”
Buoyant, well connected, and totally plugged in to the music scene, Seamus is a natural fit for Larkin Square. The work is different from much of the cause-related event planning he does on behalf of TGN, but the free public concerts and other activities in Larkin Square are more than just a perk for employees in the Larkin District. Seamus is keeping alive the spirit of the old Larkin Soap Company, whose motto was “Opportunities Provided, Visitors Welcome.”
“We want the people living in nearby neighborhoods to know that this is an open space, and that it’s their space, too,” he emphasizes. This year they’re stepping up efforts to diversify the crowd with themes like the second annual East Side Night and the inaugural Latin at Larkin Night.
Seamus is working to build community by bringing people together around music and food, along with other fun activities, and he envisions Larkin Square as a central hub to connect people from all over the region. Catch him in action on Food Truck Tuesdays until October 4th and Live at Larkin on Wednesdays until August 31.
When he’s not emceeing concerts at Larkin Square or organizing cause-related events for The Good Neighborhood, Seamus is bullhorning to a crowd of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of cyclists. A co-founder of Slow Roll Buffalo, Seamus is hugely excited about the community bike ride that takes riders of all ages on a weekly ten-mile tour of different neighborhoods across the city. The free event, now in its second season, is meant to help riders explore new places and see the city with fresh eyes. But it’s more than just a joyride.
Slow Roll started in Detroit in 2010 as a way to unite city residents from diverse backgrounds around the common goal of reinventing their city after years of industrial decline. Buffalo, with its Rust Belt legacy of poverty, segregation, and flight, is just the sort of place to benefit from a unifying, fun activity that makes an important political statement. Seamus and the Slow Roll Buffalo team, which includes more than 100 committed volunteers, are determined to use the event’s success as a vehicle for positive change.
“This is a movement, literally and figuratively,” he states, explaining that Slow Roll provides an opportunity for the people of Buffalo to reconnect and restore their community. He tells me about the opening events for the 2016 season, which include the group’s first two Statement Rides: the Parkway Revival Ride, which closed down sections of the Scajaquada on May 8, and the Unity Ride, which rolled down Main Street on May 16. Both rides called attention to the negative effects that certain policies have had on neighborhoods within the community, and by partnering with organizations that champion these issues, they encouraged participants to get involved.
When I ask Seamus how he thinks riders will respond to this year’s more explicit political agenda, he speculates that some will leave but many more will join. And the fear of losing a few riders isn’t going to stop them from making a point."Some people are afraid to take a stand, and I know how that feels." He pauses. "But we have an opportunity to stand up and push issues that align and relate to the mission of Slow Roll."
Reaching out to different community groups and building a broader participant base is one of the key goals for this season. "One way we're getting more people involved this year is by reaching out to more block clubs and community organizations with the direct message that we want to ride with their neighborhoods, not just through them," Seamus emphasizes.
As someone who works to bridge divides and build community by organizing events, Seamus is pretty adept at striking the right balance between having a good time and raising social consciousness. The rides may make a political statement, but they’re about bringing people together and having fun. This balancing act isn't always easy, but the payoff is well worth the effort.
"I just want my work to be fun and fulfilling - if there's enough of both there'll always be growing pains, but Slow Roll brings so much that I often start churning ideas the second I wake up, even in the middle of the night. It costs me some sleep sometimes, but that sense of purpose is priceless," he says with a satisfied smile.
Join the movement and ride with Slow Roll Buffalo on Monday evenings from May-October. The group meets at 5:30 pm and the ride starts at 6:30 sharp. Be sure to stick around for some seriously cool afterparties, too! Join the Facebook group to stay in the loop or check the website for each week’s schedule.
For more profiles on the people who make Buffalo shine, check out Buffalo City Lights Blog!
© 2016 Natalie Photiadis
