Columns

Must See Shows (3/12/25-3/18/25)

March 11, 2025

Wednesday, March 12th Haley Blais @ 9th Ward   Vancouver’s Haley Blais will make her first stop in Buffalo with tour mates Wormy. The band had originally planned to stop here in late September, however, the concert gods felt otherwise and Blais had to reschedule. Now here we are, with the same lineup and a new opportunity to check out the singer/songwriter’s cheeky sound.   Signed to the record label Arts & Crafts (Andy Shauf, Broken Social Scene, Feist, & MANY MORE), Blais’ sound is lush with clever lyrics that navigate life in your twenties in the 2020s. Touring in support of their latest album Wisecrack, fans of Caroline Rose, Soccer Mommy, or Snail Mail would be pleased with Blais’ sound.   Starting things off right is Wormy, the music moniker for Brooklyn singer/songwriter Noah Rauchwerk. He may look familiar as his other gig is the touring drummer for Samia. It will[...]

Must See Shows (3/5/25-3/11/25)

March 4, 2025

Saturday, March 8th @ 8pm Chores @ The Cave Rochester indie outfit Chores plays Buffalo this Saturday in support of their new cassette, Tender as a Wound. For those who follow the blog closely, you’ll remember Chores as they were our Album of the Week back in December 2024. Grunge-y locals Stress Dolls will share the stage and are the only representative from Buffalo on this one, with Syracuse indie-pop act Paper Rabbit making the 11 exit trip down the 90 for this goodwill exchange. The three bands will be trading off gigs between The Cave, the Bug Jar in Rochester on March 21st, and ending the run with a show at Syracuse’s famed Funk’n Waffles on April 4th. So if you like what you see, you can do this two more times. $10 for this one and it’s a steal.   Tender As A Wound by Chores   Sunday,[...]

buffaBLOG Announces 15th Birthday Party Lineup

February 28, 2025

We are turning 15! It seems like yesterday we were logging into blogger after a 27 minute crash course in HTML at Spot Coffee on Elmwood. The blog has shared the sounds of hundreds of local bands over the past decade and a half and we are excited to continue for the foreseeable future. After a very successful holiday party, we are happy to put quality music on your radar and share our passion for live music and the local community again.   With that, we are excited to announce our lineup for our first birthday part since 2016. On Saturday, March 29th Milkies on Elmwood is set to host new-coming indie rock act Fear of Sleep, which features some former members of Feverbox. Also on the bill will be powerpop veterans Matt Smith’s Nervous System *, Tony Hawk pro-skater ska band Skamagotchi *, and sun-soaked indiejammers Hartwell Hospice House[...]

Must See Shows (2/26/25-3/4/25)

February 25, 2025

Thursday, February 27th @ 7pm Ted Leo and the Pharmacists @ Rec Room   Time flies in the indie rock universe. Just 20 years ago, Ted Leo released his highly acclaimed album Shake the Sheets, which tore up the early blogosphere and nestled nicely into the airwaves of many college radio stations. This Thursday, Leo and his gang of Pharmacists celebrate the anniversary at the Rec Room.   Formed in Washington, D.C. in 1999, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is head songwriter Ted Leo’s most recognizable outfit. Although the singer/songwriter has been a constant creative for over 35 years dabbling in more than a dozen projects, the Pharmacists is the longest spanning project and may be Leo’s north star, with over eleven years worth of material in the project.   Go for the nostalgia and expect to see many of Buffalo’s music scene of yesteryear in attendance. $38.51 SHAKE THE[...]

buffaBLOG Sessions: Makeout Tactics

February 19, 2025

We are so excited to unveil our latest iteration of buffaBLOG sessions to the public. Previously, the blog had done different live sessions series, ranging from simple cell phone videos, to live-to-tape recordings, to DIY pop-ups with a temporary set-up. This batch of sessions will be the first time we’ve partnered with a studio, Mammoth Recording Studio, based out of the First Ward. The videographer from the series is the very talented Devin Chavanne, whose work spans across Buffalo and beyond. Likely, if you pay attention to anything coming out of Buffalo’s start-up industry, you’ve seen his handiwork.   This past fall, we gathered 22 people to execute the session which went off seemingly flawlessly and it excites us to continue the project and continue to showcase up-and-coming musicians from Western New York that need to be on your radar.   Our third session features Elmwood Village indie pop collective act[...]

Must See Shows (2/19/25-2/25/25)

February 18, 2025

Thursday, February 20th @ 8pm Tough Old Bird @ Milkies   Thursday is a banger for any local indie-folkheads finding their way down the Elmwood Strip with four excellent acts joining forces to combat the inevitable cabin fever we will all have after this bone-chilling week. The lineup will feature local indie folk project Tough Old Bird *, a project headed by siblings Matthew and Nathan Corrigan, who have been playing the Western NY circuit for close to ten years. Recently, the band has expanded from an acoustic act to a fuller sound. Also on the bill is a rare appearance for busker-Americana act Jungle Steve with a full band, singer/songwriter John Herr and improv avant-garde trio plantwater. Doors at 7pm with a $10 cover.   Garden Dream by Tough Old Bird Friday, February 21st @ 7pm Steak and Cake’s 14th Anniversary Party @ Duende at Silo City   Local[...]

buffaBLOG Sessions: echolocator

February 12, 2025

We are so excited to unveil our latest iteration of buffaBLOG sessions to the public. Previously, the blog had done different live sessions series, ranging from simple cell phone videos, to live-to-tape recordings, to DIY pop-ups with a temporary set-up. This batch of sessions will be the first time we’ve partnered with a studio, Mammoth Recording Studio, based out of the First Ward. The videographer from the series is the very talented Devin Chavanne, whose work spans across Buffalo and beyond. Likely, if you pay attention to anything coming out of Buffalo’s start-up industry, you’ve seen his handiwork.   This past fall, we gathered 22 people to execute the session which went off seemingly flawlessly and it excites us to continue the project and continue to showcase up-and-coming musicians from Western New York that need to be on your radar.   Our second session features North Tonawanda indie act echolocator, who[...]

Must See Shows (2/12/25-2/18/25)

February 11, 2025

Friday February 14th @ 7pm Hot 8 Brass Band @ Rec Room   New Orleans-based 8-piece brass band, the Hot 8 Brass Band,  will be bringing their Mardi Gras party sound to Chippewa this Friday. Since forming in 1995, the Hot 8 have made a name for themselves reimagining classics and putting their own unique and engaging spin on very familiar songs such as “Sexual Healing,”and  “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” The band will be sure to bring their hits and slip in some familiar re-worked covers along wth some of their own original material. If you’re feeling romantic, bring your partner. If you aren’t feeling romantic, bring a co-worker. $29.27.   Love Will Tear Us Apart by Hot 8 Brass Band Saturday, February 15th @ 7pm Lowspot @ Hot Mama’s Canteen   Traveling Cleveland grunge-punk quartet, Lowspot, makes a stop in Black Rock Saturday night. The Ohio band combines[...]

buffaBLOG Sessions: Addisyn Logan

February 5, 2025

We are so excited to unveil our latest iteration of buffaBLOG sessions to the public. Previously, the blog had done different live sessions series, ranging from simple cell phone videos, to live-to-tape recordings, to DIY pop-ups with a temporary set-up. This batch of sessions will be the first time we’ve partnered with a studio, Mammoth Recording Studio, based out of the First Ward. The videographer from the series is the very talented Devin Chavanne, whose work spans across Buffalo and beyond. Likely, if you pay attention to anything coming out of Buffalo’s start-up industry, you’ve seen his handiwork. This past fall, we gathered 22 people to execute the session which went off seemingly flawlessly and it excites us to continue the project and continue to showcase up-and-coming musicians from Western New York that need to be on your radar. Our first session features singer/songwriter Addisyn Logan, who has been steadily[...]

Must See Shows (2/5/25-2/11/25)

February 4, 2025

Friday, February 7th @ 8pm The Spit Sisters w/ Racehearse, Catspurr, and Sleep Debt Ceiling   Milkies has an accessible local ripper on Friday with some bands that should be on your radar if you are paying attention to the local scene. Sharing the bill will be riot grrrl redux rockers The Spit Sisters (who you may have caught night 1 of Mohawk Place’s curtain call), folk-punk aficionado Sleep Debt Ceiling, multi-genre experimental outfit Catspurr, and raw surf punkers Racehearse. 8pm doors with a $10 cover.   Saturday, February 8th @ 7pm Brooke Surgener & the Bandits w/ Star Theory, Nancy Dunkle, and akloh.   Erie, Pennsylvania indie pop artist Brooke Surgener and the Bandits heads north on the 90 Saturday evening in support of their latest release, “Got it Good.” Surgener’s sound has a bit of a cheeky Alex Lahey meets a smokier-voiced Lucy Dacus vibe. Joining the lineup[...]

Must See Shows (1/29/25-2/4/25)

January 28, 2025

Thursday, January 30 @ 8pm Wishy @ 9th Ward   Indiana-based indie quintet Wishy makes a stop at the coziest basement venue in town this Thursday.  Formed in 2021, the project has exploded onto the blogosphere with their accessible shoegaze sound that rivals some of the most buzzed-about college radio standouts. Wishy is touring in support of their latest full-length release, Triple Seven, which came out during the dog days of summer via Winspear Records. Fans of Wild Pink, Girl Scout, or Ducks Ltd would be into this one. Local one-man R&B psych-pop act Ex-Pat opens the night up. The fun starts at 8pm with an $18 cover. (photo by Alexa Viscius)  Planet Popstar by Wishy Friday, January 30th  @ 6pm Mohawk Place’s Farewell Show Night 2 Well, it’s happening again. Mohawk Place shuts its doors for the second time in buffaBLOG history. In 2013 with the initial closing, there was[...]

Must See Shows (1/22/25-1/28/25)

January 21, 2025

Thursday, January 23rd @ 8pm Adelaide @ Milkies Adelaide has been playing the Buffalo scene for the past few years as mostly a solo artist, however, this Thursday will be a special one as the project expands into a full band. With backing musicians, expect Adelaide’s powerful vocals to be complimented by a lusher sound. Fans of Diet Cig, The Beths, or Snail Mail would be into the expansion of the Adelaide team.   Also on the bill is introspective singer/songwriter Ian McCuen who will be playing in support of their latest album As the Oceans Rise and the Empire Falls, which came out at the tail end of November. Orange Dog Club, the original act announced on the lineup, had to sit this one out. Taking their place will be mystic solo outfit Amanda Bridges. $10 gets you VIP seating.   Fire by adelaide Friday, January 24th @ 9pm Looms[...]

Must See Shows (1/15/24-1/21/24)

January 14, 2025

Friday, January 17th @ 8pm Captain Tom & the Hooligans @ Molly Maguires   Buffalo’s #1 polka band under sixty years old will play a fun one at one of South Buffalo’s finest dive bars on Friday. If you aren’t familiar, Captain Tom & the Hooligans exploded onto the scene post-Covid, sharing the stage with both punk rock bands and old time Polish journeymen, gaining fans along the way with their re-imaginative spin on polka classics. They’ve hit the local market pretty heavily over the past couple of years and you may have encountered the band inadvertently on their circuit of community festivals, breweries and one-offs. If you’ve ever heard a band playing polka with some stank on it, it was likely Captain Tom & the Hooligans. No cover, just buy 5 White Claws.     (Photo by shervinfoto) Saturday, January 18th @ 7pm Rubblebucket @ Electric City   Rubblebucket[...]

Five Buffalo Acts We Want to Reunite in 2025

January 7, 2025

We’ve taken the office Christmas tree down and it’s back to business over here at blog headquarters. 2024 had its ups and downs with the local scene. We launched buffaBLOG version 4.0, witnessed the usual band break-ups/venue closings, but also saw the emergence of new artists that we are excited to listen to and share. With that, we’ve brainstormed Buffalo musicians that we would like to see reunite in 2025. We understand some of these may be a pipe dream, but think of this as more of a fantasy draft rather than an open letter.  Don’t get us wrong however, if any of these acts return in 2025, we are taking full credit. (photo via Unlisted Projects)  Jack Toft / Jack Topht Duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh don’t you miss Jack Toft? A wishlist for acts we would like to see reunited in 2025 would not be complete without the kookiest rapper of the[...]

Must See Shows (12.18.24-12.24.24)

December 17, 2024

Saturday, December 21st @ 7:30pm buffaBLOG Holiday Party @ Milkies Well, we’re back. These past few months we have been increasing our content load and getting back on the saddle to provide our normal churn of quality local and regional bands for your listening pleasure. With that, we wanted to re-establish some of our defunct annual traditions, which include our heavily attended annual Holiday Party. Previously, we hosted this event annually at DBGB’s, however with the closure of the establishment, we had to find a new home for the showcase and we are happy to now collaborate with Milkies for this upcoming event. If you haven’t wandered to that section of Elmwood over the past couple years, the lounge underwent a giant revamp of their menu, branding, and interior since 2023 when the general manager Nikki Rosenberg took the realm. Our past holiday parties have featured performances by JOYWAVE, Humble Braggers, Newish Star, RADARADA, The Slums,[...]