Latest Posts

Must See Shows (11/12/25-11/18/25)

November 12, 2025

Thursday, November 13th @ 8pm The Arcadian Wild @ 9th Ward   Nashville indie folk act The Arcadian Wild makes a mid-week stop on their national tour at our favorite basement venue, the 9th Ward. Known for their immersions of indie, chamber pop, and bluegrass, the band is still buzzing from their critically acclaimed 2023 album, Welcome. If you are a fan of Chris Thile / Nickel Creek, The Crane Wives or Tophouse (both bands coming soon to Buffalo), then you will be pleased as punch for this one. $25 cover.   Happy Golden Days by The Arcadian Wild Saturday, November 15th @ 8pm Lower Pony (Release Show) @ Milkies   Lower Pony has been grinding through Buffalo’s underground slacker scene for a bit now – with some very familiar faces, especially if you’ve has a grasp of the local scene over the past fifteen+ years. The project formed in 2019[...]

Must See Shows (11/5/25-11/11/25)

November 4, 2025

Thursday, November 6th @ 7pm On the Cinder @ Mohawk Place   Buffalo-based punk rock trio On the Cinder joins the re-opening month of programming at beloved, recently re-launched live music staple Mohawk Place. The venue is running on all cylinders after a successful back-to-back Halloween weekend so expect much more programming notes from our side.   On the Cinder has been a project since 2013, formed by three college roommates who have remained friends and collaborators for over twelve years. They operated out of a cherished local DIY spot called The Flower House and hosted/shared the stage with countless touring punk acts throughout the 2010s. Thursday night’s show is no different with the band sharing the stage with Sacramento pop-punkers Addalemon who are in the midst of an east coast tour.   Local support is coming via local indiemos West Ferry and Niagara Falls skate-punks Working Class Stiffs. 7pm[...]

Must See Shows (10/29/25-11/4/25)

October 28, 2025

Thursday, October 30th @ 8pm Fruit Bats (solo) @ Asbury Hall   Eric D. Johnson, lead mind behind indie-folk act Fruit Bats, makes a stop at our favorite Delaware Ave church to play some songs in support of the project’s latest album, Baby Man.  The band has been cranking out quality work since its inception in the late 90s, with temporary retirements and various breaks to work on other projects, including label stints at Sub Pop and Merge. Fans of Vetiver, M. Ward, or The Shins would be into Fruit Bats’ gentle, warm, and genre-bending delivery. Tickets are $35.   Baby Man by Fruit Bats Saturday, November 1st @ 7pm Hot Mulligan @ Buffalo Riverworks   Sometimes we make a goof and schedule writing about a show that’s already sold out. So, apologies about this. Pop punk hotshots, Hot Mulligan is coming to Buffalo Riverworks on Saturday and unless you have[...]

Must See Shows (10/15/25-10/21/25)

October 15, 2025

Friday, October 17th @ 7pm The Sword @ Town Ballroom   Austin, Texas heavy metal act The Sword returns to Buffalo Friday evening for a night of loud smells and gentle head banging. The band has made a name for themselves over the past twenty plus years within the stoner rock scene, a genre that is characterized by a combination of doom metal and psych-rock that is both slow moving and heavily distorted. Fans of Sleep, Weedeater, or The Melvins would be into this one. Opening the night will be doom-woppers Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol and sludgy post-punk outfit Moon Destroys. $36.40 to get in.   Warp Riders (15th Anniversary Edition) by The Sword Tuesday, October 21st @ 7pm Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons @ Shea’s   Stardew Valley is one of the most popular indie games of the 2010s, garnering a cult following of comfy gamers who dove headfirst[...]

Must See Shows (10/8/25-10/14/25)

October 9, 2025

Friday, October 10th @ 6:30pm   White Reaper @ Rec Room   Louisville, Kentucky garage-rock rascals White Reaper make their way down the Chip Strip via the Rec Room. The band is touring in support of their new album Only Slightly Empty, released on September 26th, so it’s still fresh on the shelves. If you’re a fan of PUP, The Dirty Nil, or FIDLAR, then this is your vibe.   White Reaper will be sharing the stage with NYC electro-punk act Lip Critic, Salt Lake City shoegazers Worlds Worst, and recent blog favorite Jerry Big’s World Famous Band (you may remember JBWFB as our Album of the Week earlier in 2025). We were blown away by their high octane sounds and hooks and we are looking forward to their Friday night, end-of-week energy. $27.26 gets you in.   Only Slightly Empty by WHITE REAPER Saturday, October 11th @ 7pm  [...]

Must See Shows (10/1/25-10/7/25)

September 30, 2025

Saturday, October 4th @ 1pm THEYFEST IV @ Amy’s Place / Area 54   Queer DIY collective, The Lavender Room, celebrate their fourth year as an organization that has been unwavering in their promotion and support of the LGBTQIA+ music and arts scene. This year’s THEYFEST features a wide variety of local and regional talents, dabbling in pop, to hip-hop, to hardcore. There are so many bands to check out, but in order to save time just know there will be pop-in sets from Science Man, Muddle, Welks Mice, Stress Dolls, Neftali, Bile Study, All Maine Points, Torture Agenda, and much much more. The festival starts at 1pm and goes into the wee hours of Sunday morning so pack like four Bang Energies and a Nalgene. $15 and all-ages.   Blub Blub by Welks Mice Monday, October 6th @ 7pm AFI @ Buffalo RiverWorks   AFI aka A Fire Inside has[...]

Must See Shows (9/24/25-10/1/25)

September 23, 2025

Wednesday, September 24th @ 7pm   Soccer Mommy @ Electric City   Perpetually buzzing indie act Soccer Mommy plays the big stage at Electric City mid-week, which we will be using as a good music crutch to recover from what we thought was a rained-out Turnstile show on Sunday night, IYKYK. Since forming the project in 2015, Soccer Mommy (aka Sophia Regina Allison) has caught the ears of many with her melding of tender lyrics and grunge-y ethos, accented by hooks that simply deliver. If you are a fan of Snail Mail, Alvvays, or Tennis, then you’ll want to be at this.   Opening the night is Los Angeles-based indie pop act Dummy (recommended for fans of Yo La Tengo or Big Thief). Get there on time! $20.31,   Evergreen by soccer mommy Friday, September 26th @ 7pm   The Melvins @ Electric City   For over 40 years, Melvins[...]

Must See Shows (8/27/25-9/2/25)

August 26, 2025

Thursday, August 28th @ 8pm Darksoft @ Nietzsche’s   Multi-instrumental dream-pop act Darksoft brings life to Allen St.’s west end for a much needed adrenaline shot. Hailing from East Coast Portland, the band has a moody shoegaze vibe that is brooding and dreary in all the right ways. The band is touring in support of their 2025 release, Rationalism. Fans of Hibou, Beach Fossils, or Wild Nothing would be into this. Joining this Thursday ripper will be local dreamgaze acts Elemantra * and Previous Love. $10 cover.   Rationalism by Darksoft Friday, August 29th @ 8pm Metalachi @ Buffalo Iron Works   Sometimes a band gimmick just works. Mac Sabbath have their McDonalds horror cosplay; Here Comes the Mummies have the full body wraps; and locally, Well Worn Boot have their “wrong turn in Oklahoma” vibe. Metalachi has been riding similar waves, breaking out in the 2000s with their live[...]

Must See Shows (8/13/25-8/19/25)

August 12, 2025

Friday, August 15th @ 6pm Big Neck Fest Day 1 @ Duende @ Silo City   Big Neck Records hosts a weekend blowout with some of the best local and touring punk bands Friday for two nights of of intensity. The label has been around since the mid-90s, debuting with 7″ releases from The Baseball Furies and The Blowtops. Now nearly 30 years later, the label still has its finger-on-the-pulse for quality punk bands that are emerging in the scene. Friday’s night lineup features sets from psycho-punk act Nervous Tick and the Zipper Lips, raw rock and rollers Evil Things, The Cramps tribute act Side Stitches, Wisconsin grunge act Bashford, lo-fi garage punk duo Teen Cobra, and Romeo Spikes. $15 and save energy for the second night of the fest on Saturday.   Saturday, August 16th @ 6pm Kiesza @ Rec Room   Calgary-born, Toronto-based electro-pop artist Kiesza makes a[...]

Must See Shows (8/6/25-8/12/25)

August 5, 2025

Wednesday, August 6th @ 7pm Amateur Hockey Club @ The Caz   In between throwing beers at each other to guess the brand and releasing their brand new single, “Uppercase,” local pop-punk act Amateur Hockey Club has managed to squeeze in a mid-week show to appease the demand from AHC Nation. Since forming in 2017, Amateur Hockey Club has steadily become a fixture in the local pop-punk and emo scene, cranking out quality material and sharing the stage on many of the top bills with local showcases. Fans of Hot Mulligan, Knuckle Puck, or Microwave would be into this one.   Joining the band will be local pop-rock act Orange Zest and alt-rockers Good Monster. AHC is up early so get there ON TIME. $10 cover.   Coexistence by Amateur Hockey Club Friday, August 8th @ 8pm Bad Bloom @ Amy’s Place   Rochester shoegaze/grunge act Bad Bloom makes a[...]

Well Worn Boot

July 29, 2025

Well Worn Boot is a theatrical, comedic, and musically diverse rock band that blends elements of 70s rock with influences from various genres and cultural touchstones. Their sound incorporates loud rock music, flute solos, and incorporates elements like satire, puppetry, and theatricality. They are heavily influenced by Jethro Tull, AC/DC, GWAR, The Grateful Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Primus, and American folklore. Greatest Hits: Vol. 1 by Well Worn Boot

Root Cellar

July 29, 2025

Buffalo-based experimental music project, Root Cellar has been making a name for themselves in Buffalo’s avant garde jazz scene. The chamber quintet formed in 2017, bringing together a diverse group of musicians with backgrounds in jazz, rock, classical, and the avant garde. The juxtaposition and cohesion of these styles can be heard in both the ensemble’s original compositions and their exploratory improvisations: angular hard bop figurations which melt into hypnotically motorik grooves, poignant post-rock textures erupting into cacophonous free jazz convulsions; and cannily polished ensemble arrangements flowering into atmospheric spaces, always emphasizing each player’s idiosyncratic improvisational voices. – Root Cellar 

Mookie – “Energy”

July 28, 2025

If you’ve been keeping your ears to the Allen St., then indie-pop act Mookie should already be on your radar. Since forming just over a year ago, the band has been consistently on the grind playing local line-ups and adding their jangly energy to the bills. Earlier this month, Mookie released a video for their first single “Energy,” which was filmed at popular queer bar, TwentySixAllen. The song “Energy” is all about the early stages of a romance and navigating the line of excitement and vulnerability.  Sound-wise, the track is accessible, fun, and catchy, much like lead guitarist / singer Russell Leone’s previous work in Sofa Kings, who buzzed around Buffalo in the later 2010s.  Mookie could be compared to San Cisco, Rilo Kiley, or Frankie Cosmos with their upbeat, bounce-y vibes. Check out the video below.

Must See Shows (7/23/25-7/29/25)

July 22, 2025

Wednesday, July 23rd @ 7pm Samantha Crain @ 9th Ward   Chocktaw-American singer/songwriter/multi-hyphenate Samantha Crain returns to Buffalo for an intimate basement show on Delaware Ave. Wednesday. Touring in support of their latest length album Gumshoe, their stop at the 9th Ward is at the tail end of a US and Canadian Tour that has been at full throttle since early May. Fans of Waxahatchee, First Aid Kit or Bonnie Prince Billy would be pleased as punch for this one. Opening the show will be indie-folksy Cherokee Nation folk musician Kalyn Fay. It’s $22 at the door.   Gumshoe by Samantha Crain Thursday, July 24th @ 6pm Root Cellar @ Duende   Last month, Buffalo-based freewheeling experimental jazz project Root Cellar came out with their album Fermentations. In fact, we loved the release so much, we made it our Album of the Week. The largely-improv’d act will be playing at Duende[...]

Must See Shows (7/16/25-7/22/25)

July 15, 2025

Wednesday, July 17th @ 7pm Claimed Choice @ Caffe at Amy’s   International touring punk act Claimed Choice makes a stop in for a mid-week pick-me-up. The Lyons-based French oi-punk act is touring in support of their new self-titled album. Fans of Turbo Negro, New York Dolls, or even locals Nervous Tick and the Zipper Lips would be into this one. Rounding out the bill will be support from local rock and rollers Sweet Talker and pop punkers Pilot-Field. $15 cover or pay what you can. CLAIMED CHOICE “We won’t give in” LP by Une vie pour rien Vinyles Saturday, July 19th @ 8pm Young the Giant @ Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Young the Giant was once one of the most buzzed about bands in the blogosphere in the early 2010s, where the quintet broke with notable singles like “My Body” and “Cough Syrup.” The momentum of the band’s[...]