Six Bands to Catch at Music is Art this Weekend
Every September, Ruff Buff roars to life with the sights and sounds of Music is Art (MiA), a beautifully grassroots festival that has become an annual cultural cornerstone. If you’re a buffaBLOG regular, you probably already know the drill – founded by Goo Goo Dolls’ Robby Takac (whose band originated here in Buffalo way back when), MiA is more than just a lineup of bands. It’s a community-focused showcase of the artistry, creativity, and resilience that celebrates our Rust Belt locale. For locals, Music is Art has become both a homecoming and a rallying cry, proof that our city’s spirit is thriving, and that music continues to unite Buffalonians across neighborhoods.
You’ll notice we’re skipping some of our usual blog favorites to focus on new and friendly faces for this article. Writing about the same, blog-worthy acts can feel like a bit of a refutation on why we exist on the first place… So, just for the sake of this article, understand that there are dozens of amazing acts worth seeing this weekend. We’re just here to highlight some fresh stuff!
Whether you follow our tips or not, one of the best parts of Music is Art is stumbling across someone/something amazing you weren’t expecting.. Check out the full schedule here. A reminder that MiA is totally free, but if you’re feeling froggy, bougie, or just want to support a wonderful Buffalo tradition, you can snag yourself some VIP tickets here.
Saturday @ 2pm
Early Attic @ Bell Slip Stage
It’s wild to think we were first soaking in the synthy sounds of Early Attic over a decade ago – their album Parallels was a buffaBLOG office staple back in 2013/14. After a many year hiatus (12 to be specific), singer Matthew McCheskey resurrected the project for a brand new album, Panoramic. We’re always happy to see a beloved Buffalo staple return to the stage, so expect a gauzy, keyboard-heavy set with melancholic (but still danceable) vocals from this recently-returning act.
Saturday @ 4pm
Root Cellar * @ Refringe Stage
Post-jazz? You betcha. Root Cellar * is an eclectic act with an emphasis on their live energy. Their most recent feature on buffaBLOG was as Album of the Week, and the story behind the album’s creation is as compelling as the music itself. Expect rock-solid grooves and/or mind-numbing drones with plenty of space for improvisation like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Did we mention there’s a trumpet? And a cello too.
Photo: Jordan Walker
Saturday @ 4:15pm
Romcom Victims @ Lakeside Lawn Stage 1
If you’re looking for fleeting, jangly, and fun, Romcom Victims are a must-see this Saturday. This youthful crew was a playlist mainstay for us at the tail end of 2024 and we can’t wait to see how their surfy, spring-loaded energy translates to a waterfront setting. This is the perfect time to catch this act – early in their career and delightfully raucous. You’ll be able to brag about how you saw them before they became your normie friend’s favorite band.
Saturday @ 5:45pm
deb. @ Lakeside Lawn Stage 1
deb. is the band where you’ll probably recognize the faces before the name… Even if it is your mom’s name. Featuring members of countless past, present, and eternal buffaBLOG favorites (including one we’ll be name-dropping soon), deb. feels less like a side project and more like the sum of its parts. Their sound is all razor-sharp hooks, polished to a dangerous shine, like a decorative obsidian blade you’d display proudly on your mantle… Weird similes aside, their four-singer harmonies are practically built for the alt-rock airwaves – 103.3 The Edge, or perhaps even 102.1.
Saturday @ 5:00pm
Previous Love @ Lakeside Lawn Stage 1
deb. is sure to deliver a set of ear candy at the Lakeside Lawn Stage 1 – but directly preceding them is criminally underrated grunge-pop/dream-pop act Previous Love. They serve up emotive, guitar-forward energy that will satisfy tone snobs and those in their feelings alike. Drawing equally from ’90s grunge legends and the dream-pop haze of the 2010s, their set promises to feel both nostalgic and fresh. Billy Corgan, eat your heart out… and Peripheral Vision-era Turnover, too.
Saturday @ 8pm
Shonen Knife @ Terminal B Stage
We don’t think any Buffalonian would argue that Takac hasn’t earned the right to flex a little influence – and what better way than by spotlighting legendary Japanese pop-punk trio Shonen Knife? The Osaka-based band has returned to Buffalo countless times over the years, no doubt due to their connection with Takac’s Good Charamel Records. Music is Art marks the second stop on their full U.S. tour – consider yourselves lucky to catch one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite bands for free, right in your backyard.
Categorised in: Columns
This post was written by Wyatt Edwards