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Tonight: Joe Marcinek Band

If you respect yourself enough to listen to the best that music has to offer and understand that there is nothing more moving than live music, then you had better make your way down to Buffalo Iron Works tonight for the Joe Marcinek Band. Marcinek is known for “an ever evolving mixture of original compositions and incredible musicians. Each show has a slightly different lineup and interpretation. The music is a blend of jazz and funk with a cerebral emphasis on groove and improvisation.” Tonight’s special guests include Nate Werth of Snarky Puppy, Steve Molitz of Particle, and Mike Gantzer of Aqueous. The show is set to begin at 9:30pm. Tickets are $10 and while currently available at the door, it may be best to order them online in advance as this show has the potential to sell out. Guests are welcome ages 18 and up with proper ID.

Magnaball at Watkins Glen International (8/21/15 – 8/23/15)

This past weekend 30,000+ hippies, every day folks, yuppies, bros, spunions, and festival junkies alike descended upon Watkins Glen International, a road course in Watkins Glen NY, for Phish’s 10th festival “Magnaball.” To call the weekend a success would suggest that everything went according to plan, and it certainly did; the weather was beautiful, everyone that I interacted with seemed to be having the time of their life, and most importantly, the band played seven nearly flawless sets, busting out songs from their catalog that no one would have expected, and even putting on an improvisational psychedelic “secret” set staged as a drive in movie on Saturday night. Unlike most festivals, the 10 Phish fests have only featured one band, that being Phish, and have had no other performances with the exception of an orchestra at a few. Watkins Glen International has been the site of only three festivals since[...]

Tonight: Hieronymus Bogs

Looking to get out of the house tonight? Interested in hearing some live music that wont melt your face or leave you wishing you brought ear plugs? Then you should probably head down to Nietzsche’s for a night of acoustic tunes from Rochester’s Hieronymus Bogs and home town acts Leroy & Loretta and The Brown Family Singers. Bogs’s new record The Angel is set to drop this Saturday (you can stream it here), so look forward to a selection of those tunes to be tackled later on. If you make the leap and go, expect to have your heart warmed with the soft acoustic tunes of all of these groups. To put it in another perspective, this isn’t a night for $3 PBRss but rather one to sip on scotch. The evening will be hosted by Alfred Eberle Brown of the Brown Family Singers. Admission is presumed to be free, but that[...]

Umphrey’s McGee w/Aqueous at Canalside (8/6/15)

Back on April 29th, local groove lords Aqueous announced that they would be opening for one of their favorite bands, Umphrey’s McGee, at Canalside, igniting an interesting twitter exchange. Dan Murawski of Orchard Park, an apparent Aqueous backer, wasted no time in proclaiming the group would “blow Umphrey’s out of the water, so get there early.” The following day, Umphrey’s keyboard player and founding member Joel Cummins responded with the joking reply “Umphrey’s suuuuuuuuucks so bad.” Although Murawski’s comment may have been a bit inflated, there was some truth to what he said. For one, this was absolutely a show to arrive early to and second, there is an argument to be made that when considering the time allotted to each band, Aqueous did more with their hour than Umphrey’s did with their two and a half. Working with a shorter than usual slot time, the Buffalo band still managed[...]

Maybird Debuts Second Single from Turning Into Water

The Rochester/Brooklyn based psych rockers in Maybird have debuted the second single from their upcoming EP Turning Into Water, which is set for release in September. The song, titled “Big Sun Explosion,” is both lyrically and musically tight. Starting with a catchy guitar riff paired with high note xylophone, I can’t help but hear major influence from MGMT or Tame Impala with a little John Lennon twist. Lyrically, the Lennon influence really shines, using an attractive rhythm and melody as a foundation for the song’s beautifully written lyrics. In romantic fashion, Josh Netsky’s words serve as a Whitman-esque poem of transcendence with nature. “I saw a sight to see flying away from me, a wall of mirrors projecting it’s disappearance.” Netsky suggests breaking down the barriers of consciousness and seeing life as it truly is, and most importantly observing nature as it is around him. He later confirms that he has found beauty[...]

My Morning Jacket at Artpark (7/22/15)

Last night, thousands flocked to Artpark in Lewiston for the highly anticipated WNY return of My Morning Jacket. The band went on at 7:30pm and played 21 songs straight through for a noble two hours. They kicked off with a more ambient selection that throughout the night would lead into more exciting and upbeat songs for the end. I spent a lot of time throughout the show in an attempt to categorize their music. Having read so much about the band’s genre(s), ranging from “southern rock” to “jam” to “indie rock”, none of those choices seemed to quite add up. First and foremost, regardless of where this band is from (Kentucky to be exact), they do not fall into what I would consider “southern rock.” Even more so though, certainly not a “jam” band. Although MMJ does jam on some of their songs, they seem to have no desire to experiment.[...]

Tonight: Turkuaz

Turkuaz, the nine-piece, power funk group from Brooklyn, in back in Buffalo and tonight’s show at Buffalo Iron Works is not one to miss. These guys throw it down with guitars, wind instruments, bass, percussion, keys, and backup vocals. This is funk turned up to 11. In addition to the power funk structure, a healthy mixture of both blues and more up beat pop makes for a complete and fulfilling sound. Not only will Turkuaz satisfy the funk fans out there, but there is no doubt that anyone into a more noodling jam will be just as impressed. If you are heading to the Harbor tonight, then Iron Works should be your next stop. Tickets are $15, doors at 9pm, show around 10pm. This is an 18+ show, so remember your ID. See you on the floor.

The Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well: A View from the Couch

To many, a “couch tour” likely sounds like a grueling task of furniture shopping, visiting store after store, only to end up disappointed with the final choice. To those in the jam community, though, the experience is an opportunity to listen to and view the shows we would otherwise miss. Phish and Umphrey’s McGee are famous for this, streaming many of their shows while on tour. As for the Grateful Dead, the group has not played in an era where this technology was available, until now that is. The reunited core four, composed of rhythm guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir, bassist and recent vocalist Phil Lesh, and drummers/percussion members Bob Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, and joined by Bruce Hornsby on Grand Piano, Jeff Chimenti on Brent Mydland’s (former Grateful Dead keys player) old rig, and Trey Anastasio from Phish on lead guitar, played a total of fives hows together for[...]

Tonight: Lazlo Hollyfeld

The Burchfield Penney, in collaboration with M&T Bank, will once again host its monthly Second Friday event this evening, this time featuring music from Lazlo Hollyfeld on the gallery’s front yard. Lazlo Hollyfeld is an instrumental art-rock group that originated in Buffalo in 2003. The long time act has a sound that teeters between mellow and intense grooves with a lot of experimentation. While at the Burchfield Penney, the gallery will also be up and running inside, and visitors will even have the opportunity to create their own art until 7:30pm. If you are looking for a night out away from the kids, or a place to bring them, Burchfield Penney is the place to be tonight. Music begins at 5:30pm. Stay tuned for a closer look at Cages, also performing on the front yard, later on today.

Tonight: Against Me!

Gainesville powerhouse punk quartet, Against Me!, will be back at the Town Ballroom tonight for another highly anticipated show. The band will be performing hits as well as selections from its most recent album Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Laura Jane Grace has had one of the most iconic voices in punk rock for over a decade and a half, and the band backing her, despite a few changes over that time, has remained as strong as ever. If you haven’t dabbled in Against Me!, tonight would be a great way to get a first taste. The show starts at 7 pm and Against Me! will be joined by Frank Iero and the Cellebration.  Tickets are $23 at the door and with only two acts, the night shouldn’t go too late for any punk rock parents out there.  Expect tonight to be a good one.

Mother Mother at the Rapids Theater (6/21/15)

Our neighbors from the north, Mother Mother, made a stop at Rapids Theater Sunday night and played a strong show for an enthusiastic crowd. Starting the night off, though, was Buffalo’s very own Sleepy Hahas. With Steve Lattimore sitting in on drums, the band played its strongest set in well over a year. Everyone seemed to be in tune with one another, and front man Pat Butler performed with the energy of a man who knows his band is on the upswing. For a band plagued with distractions lately, all appeared to have been left at the door, or back at home, somewhere, but not at the venue. Based on the band’s reactions, it’s going to be that way moving forward too. With strong improvisational components to most of the selections, perhaps best was the straight through performance of “Tiresias.” The band produced enough sound for a stadium and the crowd[...]

Widespread Panic at Artpark (6/16/15)

Last year, Widespread Panic suffered a similar fate to Athens after Poseidon lost the city to Athena in a great challenge. Irrate with anger, he flooded the city in spite, as he would Artpark that fateful night. Attendees were compensated with tickets to Ziggy Marley or Gregg Allman, but those remedies could not mend the emptiness that those who left after a half show felt. Panic would not let the people of Western New York down twice, and played a strong and complete show to kick off their 2015 summer tour earlier this week. The band that can outsell Taylor Swift in the south played for an about two thirds full Artpark crowd Tuesday night and it was a beautiful evening indeed for music. Last year, before WP’s fall tour, founding member and drummer Todd Nance left the band for personal reasons. Wasting no time, the band picked up Duane[...]

Tonight: Mike Gordon

Those who are looking to see something similar to a Phish show tonight, you might be in for a surprise if you’re heading to the Town Ballroom for Mike Gordon, although anyone who knows Phish already knows this. On the other hand, if you are part of the overwhelming majority of those who would rather live in a world without Phish or even jam music in general, you might still qualify as someone who would enjoy tonight’s show. A true master on bass, Gordon has been developing his own style since the early 80’s and over the last decade has spent more time working on his solo career, developing a unique style of folk fused with more contemporary styles to create a very appealing, fun, yet intricate sound that requires the audience to spend equal parts time listening as moving and shaking. His most recent album Overstep features favorites like[...]

Tonight: Sleepy Hahas

The Sleepy Hahas were going to move to Athens Georgia, but due to unprecedented circumstances of colossal proportions, the now trio has elected to stay in the city it calls home. To celebrate, come out to The Studio at Waiting Room later on and have 1-38 drinks with Sleepy Hahas’ keyboard player, known by most as “Drunk Phil,” before the band ignites the upstairs room with old hits and new tunes from its upcoming album From the Bottom of a Warm Lake. When asked if there was anything people should know about the show, Hahas singer Pat Butler said “to be honest I don’t even know if I’ll still be alive by Thursday night, but if I am, it’ll be a great show. People should come out. We’ve been practicing all of the time and our sound is improving.” The Hahas are joined by local acts The Soft Love, SHEDS,[...]

Tonight: Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society

If you are looking for a night out and are sick of the usual fare then you should probably head down to the Ninth Ward at Babeville’s Delaware Ave complex tonight. Chicago’s Joshua Abrams will be performing, guimbri in hand, and backed by his band, Natural Information Society. Impossible and unjust to lump into one genre or category, let’s just say that Abrams and crew play with an incredibly appealing, smooth, psychedelic vibe that few could object to. Although admission is free, a $10-$20 donation is recommended. This may sound ludicrous, but this is a not for profit venue, so do the right thing. Music begins at 9pm.