Latest Posts

Passion Pit at The Rapids Theatre (5/20/19)

May 23, 2019

Michael Angelakos brought Passion Pit, his beloved indietronica passion project, back to Western New York to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band’s acclaimed debut, Manners, with a stunningly euphoric show at The Rapids Theatre on May 20th. An exuberant collection of magnificent pop hooks and gossamer synthesizers, Manners unflinchingly chronicled Angelakos’ struggles with mental health, while earnestly pursuing the unabashed joy of human connection. Released the same year indie rock began its breakthrough into the mainstream, Manners still holds up as a gorgeous pop record with a very real human heart underneath the synthetic sheen. For the adoring fans in the crowd, watching Angelakos and his bandmates rekindle this magic onstage was a moment of pure joy and emotional catharsis, with every lyric recited in unison and every grand gesture met with applause. The giant halls of The Rapids Theatre weren’t big enough to contain the love and excitement[...]

Wild Once at Mohawk Place (5/10/19)

May 16, 2019

Fans of local music were treated to a superb showcase of the quality and diversity of Buffalo’s rock scene with Wild Once’s EP Release at Mohawk Place this past Friday, May 10th. Equal parts heartfelt and headstrong, Wild Once’s debut EP, Perennials (Admirable Traits Records), taps into the emotional ambivalence and messy uncertainty that define our lives and interpersonal relationships. Intertwining the dramatic thrust of midwestern emo with indie’s unvarnished charm, the band evoke heavy emotions without succumbing to melodramatics. Heavy-hitting supporting acts included Humble Braggers’ jubilant electronic-rock, Cooler’s gossamer cacophony, and Worse Things’ fuzzed-out fury. Worse Things Cooler Humble Braggers Wild Once  

Ryan Luce at The Tabernacle (5/4/19)

May 7, 2019

Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Ryan Luce returned home to Buffalo to commemorate the release of his newest EP, California Gold, at the resplendent altar of The Tabernacle at Sweet_ness 7 Cafe on May 4th, with fellow Brooklynite and California native DM Salsberg as his supporting act. Drawing upon the rich musical tradition of folk, Americana, country, and Laurel Canyon rock, California Gold showcases Luce’s apt lyricism and plaintive voice, ruminating on love, loss, and the hopes and dreams of the small town everyman. With lush accompaniment by Omer Ashano on violin, Matthew Sapp on electic bass, Salsberg on keys and vocals, and Buffalo’s own musical polymath Harry Graser on drums, Luce enchanted the audience with his sweet and shimmering songs, as golden as a California sunset on the Santa Monica Pier. DM Salsberg Ryan Luce

Younger Then at Mr. Goodbar (4/27/19)

April 30, 2019

Buffalo’s Younger Then ended a five-year hot streak with their final show at Mr. Goodbar on Friday, April 27th. Channeling their love of outsized alternative rock––U2, Arkells, Cage The Elephant, Kings of Leon, The Strokes, among others––the band combined richly-textured riffs with propulsive grooves, soaring vocals, and hooks as massive as the Grand Canyon. Playing to a packed house, the band pulled no punches, tearing through their greatest hits and fan favorites from their full-length album, “Bad Life” (Standby Records), and their self-titled debut EP. Though it was certainly bittersweet to commemorate the end of a talented group, the members of Younger Then––singer Zack Dupuis, guitarists Michael Wirth and Austin Dorr, drummer Jeremy Shields, and bassist Matt Dudek––are already planning their next moves, with a series of new projects in the works. Supporting acts included rust-belt rockers The Eaves and Rochester’s power-pop purveyors The Demos. The Eaves The Demos Younger Then

Lesionread at Mohawk Place (3/2/19)

March 5, 2019

Audio-visual manipulator Shawn E. Lewis resurrected his Lesionread project for a night of mind-warping mayhem at Mohawk Place, having shifted his artistic focus to his on-going production/percussion duties for Space Cubs. Kicking off his set with “2019,” a frantic, stream-of-consciousness spoken word released as a video back in January, Lewis swan-dove deep into his psyche while simultaneously excoriating the corrupt institutions of the powers that be. Featuring a crazy light show, video projections, crowd participation, dancing red people, and a cameo appearance by Lesionread alumnus Reggie Clark on bass, Lewis didn’t blur the lines between performance art and live music; rather, he erased those distinctions entirely, creating a truly outrageous, interactive experience that has to be seen to be believed. Lesionread was supported that evening by Dogs in Stereo (lo-fi rock and roll), The Gennies (“Blues for recovering punks”), Reggie Clark’s VR Sunset (psychedelic yacht rock), and VHS Era (dreamy synth-pop). VHS Era[...]

M.A.G.S. at Nietzsche’s (12/22/18)

December 27, 2018

Elliott Douglas, the multi-talented musical force behind M.A.G.S. came home for the holidays for a headlining slot at Buffalo’s Nietzsche’s on December 22nd. Having recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his artistic muse, this rare opportunity for M.A.G.S. to play the Queen City was met with a rapturous response, as friends, peers, and fans came out of the woodwork in support of Douglas. A gifted singer-songwriter and a serious multi-instrumentalist, Douglas was joined by his brother Christian on bass and Deadwolf’s Tyler Mendola on drums for a raucous evening of impactful indie-punk classics, including a selection of brand-new songs. Supporting acts that evening included Feverbox, playing in support of their new Political Theater EP, Rochester’s The Demos, keeping the spirit of The Strokes alive and well, and powder-keg punks SMUG, setting the stage for a night of playful mayhem. SMUG The Demos Feverbox M.A.G.S.

Johnny Marr at Town Ballroom (10/20/18)

October 23, 2018

Legendary Smiths guitarist and songwriter Johnny Marr made a much-anticipated appearance in Buffalo with a sold-out show at Town Ballroom on October 20, 2018. A dynamic and lively performer, the Britpop icon treated the rapturous crowd with a indelible setlist of masterful jangle-pop, swaggering indie-rock, and choice covers of classic Smiths cuts (“Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” among others). One of the most inventive and influential guitarists today, Johnny Marr and his band demonstrated the enduring power and emotional resonance of rock and roll. Marr was supported by Vancouver, British Columbia’s Belle Game, whose ethereal crush-pop anthems set the stage for a night of euphoric bliss. Belle Game Johnny Marr

Bully at Mohawk Place (9/21/18)

September 25, 2018

Nashville’s Bully brought down the house at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place on September 21st, touring in support of their ferocious sophomore LP, Losing (Sub Pop). Bully reignited the raw intensity of 90s grunge and indie-alternative with confessional, intimate lyrics indebted to classic emo, with Alicia Bognanno’s sandpaper rasp spitting caustic kiss-offs to anyone with the gall to stand in her way. Along for the ride that evening were fellow Nashvillains JEFF the Brotherhood, whose latest record, Magick Sounds (Dine Alone), deepens and expands upon the band’s downtuned garage-rock sound with elements of drone, psychedelic, and even krautrock. Originally a two-piece, brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall were joined onstage by an expanded lineup featuring members of Daddy Issues, The Dead Weather, and Raconteurs, whose masterful playing created an atmosphere of hypnotic, surreal intensity. Opening the show that night were Buffalo’s own Made Violent, proving that the Queen City is no slouch when it comes to raucous rock[...]

Humble Braggers at Nietzsche’s (9/1/18)

September 5, 2018

Synth-pop fan favorites Humble Braggers celebrated the release of their newest EP, Cycle (Admirable Traits Records), with a spectacular musical showcase at Nietzsche’s on September 1st, 2018. Eschewing guitars in favor of lush synth pads, and with a greater emphasis on dance rhythms, Cycle explores feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt over some of the most jubilant pop hooks the band has crafted yet. With a stunning light show from Shawn E. Lewis, Humble Braggers’ transcendent and impassioned tunes simply exploded onstage. The band were supported by experimental pop purveyors Space Cubs and effervescent jangle-pop quintet Little Summer, with a closing indie-dance set from DJ collective Dance Yrself Clean. Little Summer Space Cubs Humble Braggers

Japanese Breakfast at The Bug Jar (7/16/18)

July 19, 2018

Japanese Breakfast returned to Rochester, NY for a sold-out show at The Bug Jar on July 16th in the midst of their 2018 USA tour. Packing the tiny club to its full capacity, Michelle Zauner and her bandmates played an electrifying set of emotionally-charged, shimmering indie-pop, culling key tracks from 2016’s Psychopomp (Yellow K Records) and last year’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet (Dead Oceans). Radiating pure joy, Zauner’s sprightly voice and animated stage presence elevated her songs to higher plane of expression. Japanese Breakfast were supported that night by Philadelphia’s Mothers and Rochester’s own Calicoco. Check out the photos below. Calicoco Mothers Japanese Breakfast

Sunflower Bean at Mohawk Place (5/6/18)

May 8, 2018

New York indie-rock trio Sunflower Bean blew the roof off Mohawk Place on Sunday, May 6th, marking their return to the Queen City since opening for Best Coast at The Tralf Music Hall two years ago. With indelible pop hooks, Fleetwood Mac harmonies, Mick Ronson riffs, and a bit of Johnny Marr’s jangle, Sunflower Bean played with confidence and charisma, invigorating the songs from their newest album, Twentytwo In Blue (Mom & Pop). The band even gave a shout-out to Buffalo’s own rock photographer extraordinaire Andy DeLuca, their friend and creative collaborator. Sunflower Bean were supported by feisty London punks Dream Wife and local psychedelic shamans Deadwolf. Deadwolf Dream Wife Sunflower Bean

Wolf Alice at Town Ballroom (4/6/18)

April 10, 2018

Wolf Alice made their long-awaited return to Buffalo––“The home of Made Violent”––with a specular headlining show at Town Ballroom on Friday, April 6th. Touring in support of last year’s Visions of a Life (Dirty Hit/RCA), the band were a ferocious presence onstage, seasoned by rigorous gigging and a tight musical chemistry. A stylistically-malleable musical force, Wolf Alice’s idiosyncratic alt-rock evoked shadowy post-punk, radiant dream pop, and hushed folk, played with unabashed energy. Likewise, singer Ellie Rowsell’s impassioned delivery and commanding stage presence inspired feverous devotion from the crowd. Opening that night were The Big Pink, whose outsized electro-rock anthems were a perfect match to Wolf Alice’s sweeping sound. The Big Pink Wolf Alice

Jack at Mohawk Place (3/1/18)

March 5, 2018

Singer-songwriter Brittany Costa, working under her creative moniker Jack, celebrated the release of her newest album, Alchemical Rounds (Sad Cactus Records), with a powerful and dynamic show at Mohawk Place on March 1st, in the midst of a sudden and violent winter storm. As a songwriter, Costa pulls no punches with her frank and unsparing depictions of emotional duality, the struggle between gut-wrenching despair and incandescent elation, and the music itself follows suit––sparse guitar chords giving way to gnarled waves of pummeling noise, with Costa’s resonant voice rising from a soft coo to an anguished scream. Local supporting acts that evening included lo-fi gutterpunks Saturn V, newly-minted punk quartet Slinky X, and baroque-pop favorites dreambeaches. Saturn V dreambeaches  Slinky X Jack

Andrew Bird at UB Center for the Arts (2/24/18)

March 2, 2018

Multifaceted singer-songwriter Andrew Bird made his much-anticipated return to Buffalo on February 24th with an extraordinary performance at the UB Center for the Arts. Billed as An Evening with Andrew Bird, the show began with a twenty-minute installment of Echolocations, an experimental audio-visual project recorded and filmed in Utah’s Coyote Gulch and the Los Angeles River, with live accompaniment by Bird on violin. He was later joined onstage by his backing band for an electric set of choice cuts throughout his catalog, including 2016’s Are You Serious (Loma Vista). Seamlessly integrating indie, folk, baroque pop, classical, and country rock into his rich tapestry of sound, Bird’s resonant voice, impressive technique, and impeccable whistle were invigorated by the talents of his bandmates. An Evening with Andrew Bird was undoubtedly a night to remember. Andrew Bird

Diet Cig at Mohawk Place (1/29/18)

February 2, 2018

Effervescent pop-punk duo Diet Cig kicked off their 2018 tour at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place on January 29th, beginning the final lap in support of their full-length debut, Swear I’m Good at This (Frenchkiss Records). Alex Luciano and Noah Bowman were joined onstage by Karli Helm (Pllush) and Anna Cory (The Spook School), marking their debut as a live four-piece. Diet Cig’s exuberant slop-pop sound incited a rapturous response from the adoring crowd, as Luciano advocated for music as a force for inclusivity, acceptance, and positive change. The band were supported that evening by Chicago punks Lala Lala and Scottish indie-pop quartet The Spook School. Lala Lala The Spook School Diet Cig