Pop out to one of the many hip hop showcases or events going on in the city and you'll find yourself mingling among a host of nightcrawlers--scenesters, musicians, MCs, and the usual bar dwellers fraternizing, flirting, drink spilling, and networking. With attention on everything but the stage, intention of support becomes partially an artificial cause. Investigate the scene a little more and you'll probably find him -- producer and UB college student Jamie "Jacebeats" Catania, plunging through the crowd straight towards the performance, withdrawn from all the distracting clutter only to be caught up in the rapture that is art. If the feeling behind music was rendered on canvas, Jamie would be its easel, sturdy and unrelenting, the support holding up an underground hip hop scene to Buffalo and beyond beckoning,"Hey, look at is being created. Look at what it could become." He is actively the onlooker, the protector, and the server of such a cause. In a city where artistic support appears fickle and stubborn and tensions are petty, individuals like Jace are needed to point us in the direction of faith.

Tonight, the arts come alive at the fifth TRIMANIA, presented by the Buffalo Arts Studio. For five hours at Buffalo's Tri-Main Center, studios will be filled with live performances, comedy, murals, music, performance art, and more. This will be my first TRIMANIA and I have a feeling that it will live up to my expectations. Those that I know who have been to the event in the past have told me that they wouldn't miss it.

Here's the extensive list for this evenings artistic festivities. If it tantalizes your tastebuds, tickets will be sold for $25 at the door. If you're already planning on going but want to bump up to the VIP, $75 for a pre-party in Suite 240 which includes two drinks and hor d'oeuvres.