Concert Review

Hooray For Earth at Sugar City (8/20/14)

August 22, 2014 Cliff Parks

Wednesday night, New York City’s Hooray For Earth returned to Buffalo after a four year absence for a special yet sparsely attended show at the newly reopened Sugar City art space on Niagara Street. I don’t know exactly what happened that contributed to a show for an up and coming band being attended by 15 people, but that’s basically what ended up happening. That those 15 people were treated to a magnificently loud and blisteringly gorgeous performance is almost beside the point; Hooray For Earth made good on their promise to get here after cancelling in January of 2013, and I want to thank Hooray For Earth and opener Grooms for making the trip. It was one of those shows where the bands start early so they can get on their way to the next stop, hopefully with a bigger crowd. Grooms, a power trio from Brooklyn, started before the[...]

Edgefest at the Outer Harbor (8/10/14)

August 11, 2014 Ronald Walczyk

Whoever is setting up the dates for the Outer Harbor concerts deserves a round of applause, or at the very least a well-excecuted high five. We really couldn’t have asked for a better day/night combo for Sunday’s Edgefest 2014, presented by 103.3 The Edge. Well, it probably could have been a bit cooler during the day, but temperatures dropped as the night’s “supermoon” replaced the unforgiving sun, serving as a perfect backdrop to Sunday’s festivities. (Anyone remember last month’s City and Colour show? Think “Supermoon Strikes Back.”) The lineup could easily be considered one of the year’s best, featuring headliners Weezer and Brand New with support from The Sheila Divine, Pentimento, and Dirty Smile. Edgefest was undeniably the best deal of the summer, especially for those of you lucky enough to snag the $25 early bird tickets before they sold out. I’m just going to go ahead and say it—Weezer’s[...]

Girl Talk at Canalside (8/8/14)

August 10, 2014 Vanessa Lynne

Girl Talk’s Buffalo appearance two years ago at the Outer Harbor was easily the best show of the summer, and he did it once again with his Canalside show on Friday, even mentioning the fun he had the last time he was in the 716. Clearly our 412 neighbor is a fan of the Queen City, and we love him right back, feeding off the energy and the many interactions he had with the crowd. (To the person who caught the hoodie he tossed into the crowd shortly after taking the stage, I want/need it kthx!) For those of you smart enough to get a ticket, I hope you’re still finding bits of confetti in your hair and ringing in your ears from the fresh mixes he brought to the packed venue. Half the fun of a GT show is trying to identify the samples he throws at you, and[...]

Mikaela Davis at Buffalo Iron Works (7/25/14)

July 28, 2014 John Hugar

This was a show that our fair city had waited six months for. Mikaela Davis was scheduled to come to the Tralf on January 3rd, but the show was canceled due to a pipe bursting at the venue. The weeks and months continued to build up, and we were left to wonder if the brilliant harpist from Rochester would be headed back any time soon. Thankfully, our prayers were answered, as Davis and her band played a fantastic show at Buffalo Iron Works on Friday. Davis’ band, consisting of drummer Alex Cote and guitarist Cian McCarthy (who played several other instruments during the evening), was extremely tight throughout the evening, providing the perfect compliment to Davis’ harp. Early this year, Davis released the EP Fortune Teller, and the tracks from it were featured prominently in the set list. “When The White Worse Takes Me Away” and “Feels Like Forever” in[...]

Kerfuffle at Canalside (7/26/14)

July 27, 2014 Ryan Wolf

Considering that Alternative Buffalo 107.7 is only nine months old, it’s a bit of a miracle that their inaugural one day festival was as much a success as it was. After gestating for three full trimesters, the fledgling radio station has given birth to something that should, realistically, become a part of Buffalo tradition. The day’s execution had its flaws: the beer tents periodically ran out of water at an event where no outside water bottles were allowed and it was not made clear that the food trucks wouldn’t accept Canalside food/beverage tickets. But overall, given 107.7’s youth and that it was a virgin voyage for the station, the experience offered was incredible. Not only did the rain mostly stay away in spite of weather reports to the contrary, the acts themselves were sharp, lively, and remarkably well-connected to the crowd of ten thousand. After showcasing the ecstatic old-timey ramble[...]

Mac DeMarco at the Tralf Music Hall (7/18/14)

July 21, 2014 Ronald Walczyk

Before Friday, I had no idea how to describe Mac DeMarco. Well, I still don’t. It suffices to say that the guy is a complete anomaly; his music obviously speaks to people if his draw at Friday’s show at the Tralf is of any consideration. The place was packed with DeMarco look-alikes—a throng of carefree kids embracing the “I don’t give a shit” lifestyle. Unfortunately DeMarco was void of any backing musicians that night, but he was somehow still able to transform the packed venue into a wild party with just a guitar and his arsenal of caustic little anecdotes. Mac DeMarco is the party. I guess I can describe him after all. Opening support came from local electro whizkid Shawn Lewis of Lesionread, who got things started with his eclectic mix of experimental electronica. The music, comparable to that of Death Grips or Flying Lotus, certainly had a few[...]

City and Colour, Tokyo Police Club, & Young The Giant at Outer Harbor (7/11/14)

July 12, 2014 Ronald Walczyk

This year’s summer season has seen no shortage of rain. June saw the Canalside concert site become a giant mud pit after the skies opened up and down-poured on the concertgoers of Shaggy’s summer kickoff. With all the incredible acts playing outdoor shows this year in the queen city, all we can do is remain hopeful for nice weather, and that’s exactly what we got for Friday night’s show at the Outer Harbor featuring City and Colour, Young the Giant, Tokyo Police Club, and Clear Plastic Masks. The lineup was stacked, the skies were clear, the beer was flowing, and the vibes put smiles on just about every face that walked through those gates. Hailing from St. Catharines, Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green (who performs under clever alias City & Colour) can obviously pull a crowd, and his draw is no gimmick. His songs, often thematically centered on love and loss,[...]

Jenny Lewis at Toronto Urban Roots Festival (7/6/14)

July 7, 2014 Moira Madden

You may have seen some photos of Jenny Lewis mugging in a rainbow-cream pantsuit airbrushed with clouds and stars lately. Now that I’ve seen her showboat in it on stage in some cerulean sci-fi shades, I’m pretty much convinced that she is ready to bust out of her mortal corporeal form and just become the total goddess she knows she is, space-Barbie style. Furthermore, I’m even more excited for her new record to come out on July 29th, titled The Voyager. Jenny is an indie star and it’s fabulous to see her embrace all of the selves she has ever been for us on stage: her setlist for TURF (Toronto Urban Roots Fest) yesterday even included two anthems from Rilo Kiley’s More Adventurous and The Execution of All Things. She also revisited quite a few Under the Blacklight classics, such as “Close Call” and “Silver Lining.” Under the Blacklight, the[...]

Vampire Weekend at the Outer Harbor (6/9/14)

June 10, 2014 Ryan Wolf

To begin with the obvious: last night could not have been a more beautiful evening for an outdoor concert. Though I apparently am Buffalo-illiterate, confusing Canalside with the Outer Harbor, a ride on the water taxi over to the event, shuttling me from one part of the harbor to the other, was more than pleasant given the conditions. With all good weather factors in place (a light breeze, moderate summer temperatures, plenty of sun), Vampire Weekend had the elements working to their advantage. The band did not squander their opportunity to shine. After a solid but somewhat lackluster opening performance by Cults, Vampire Weekend were quick to take the audience by the throat, jumping immediately into the exuberant “Diane Young.” Frontman Ezra Koenig, despite maintaining a Twitter account worthy of a stand-up comedian, is straightforward on stage, keeping banter at a minimum, diving directly into his songs. Vampire Weekend require no banter to entertain, however, and[...]

The Devil Makes Three at Rochester’s Zeppa Auditorium (4/23/14)

April 25, 2014 Mathew Polowitz

At 8 o’clock on Wednesday night, Rochester’s bare-boned but strongly underrated Zeppa Auditorium is only starting to fill. At 8:15, opening band Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons take the stage, and at 9:45, my mind is just minutes from being blown. It is my first time seeing a show at this venue, but more importantly, it is my first time seeing acoustic-Americana act The Devil Makes Three, and I have no idea what kind of sinister grooves are about to be thrown down. It was easy to tell I was in for a something special almost as soon as I arrived. Walking up to the doors, we were immediately confronted with a bouncer’s unapologetic yells, warnings of a sold out show, in his vain attempt to get rid of the large crowds of brazen country misfits amassing in various clusters around the venue grounds. Filing unfittingly neat into a parking lot queue, it seemed there were just[...]

The War On Drugs at the Town Ballroom (4/13/14)

April 14, 2014 Mac McGuire

Last night, the Town Ballroom hosted one of Buffalo’s more anticipated live shows at the quarter mark of 2014 in Philadelphia’s The War on Drugs. Riding high off of the band’s acclaimed album, Lost in the Dream, front man Adam Granduciel and crew delivered a triumphant set of hazy heartland rock that is as much Springsteen and Henley as it is J. Spaceman. Wasting no time, the band dove right in Lost in the Dream opener “Under Pressure.” Since first listen, the meticulous kraut rock stylings of the song reminded me of Wilco’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” but where Wilco lets “Spiders” absolutely rip live, The War on Drugs keeps “Under Pressure” under control, albeit a driving control. Buffalo concert crowds are funny in that you never really know what kind of turnout you will get at certain shows. Here we have one of 2014’s breakthrough acts coming through town, something that[...]

St. Vincent at Asbury Hall (4/12/14)

April 13, 2014 Cliff Parks

Saturday night, the packed house at Babeville was privileged to experience a magical night of music and art when indie wunderkind St. Vincent returned to Buffalo with Brooklyn ambient guitarist Noveller. Folks from far and wide (a few blokes were up from Dallas specifically for the show) and local devotees converged on the re-purposed old church on Delaware and Tupper for worship of a different kind and were given ample reason to from start to finish. Brooklyn based guitarist Sarah Lipstate, aka Noveller, took us to church early with an enchanting set of ambient guitar rock, building a sea of sound with her lone guitar with loops, effects, drone, and reverb that took full advantage the acoustically vibrant space. The emotion drenched and deeply melodic compositions swirled and mesmerized while building to an impressive climax reminiscent of Sigur Ros at their most dramatic, with Lipstate deploying a bow to get[...]

The Hold Steady at Town Ballroom (4/8/14)

April 9, 2014 Ryan Wolf

As advertised yesterday, The Hold Steady played the Town Ballroom last night. Cheap Girls opened (though I arrived too late to catch them) and dozens likely woke up with hangovers on this Wednesday morning. Though the band’s set wasn’t as strong as their harbor show last summer, they did pull off on an extended encore that felt even more invigorating than the main bulk of the concert. And they were, as always, The Hold Steady. Much of the fun and sense of community that surrounds a Hold Steady show comes from the way frontman Craig Finn physically embodies his music. Every song is presented as a tale Finn himself is absorbed by the details of. At times, he is seemingly incredulous at his own narratives. Finger quotes accompany certain lines. Lyrics are repeated away from the mic as if they were side notes. Yet Finn is never detached from the[...]

Cut Copy at Town Ballroom (3/25)

March 26, 2014 Mac McGuire

From the moment they took the stage with a vocal excerpt of Rhythm Control’s classic track “My House” playing faintly, it became clear that Tuesday night’s Cut Copy show at the Town Ballroom would be yet another memorable and celebratory performance from the Melbourne synthpop band. Touring in support of their latest record, Free Your Mind, co-produced by Fredonia based studio maestro Dave Fridmann, the band showed an effortless ability to incorporate house and Madchester influences into their eclectic, pop oriented sound. Opting to play the album’s spectacular title track early in the set, “Free Your Mind,” was projected behind the band in Facebook’s signature font before a blue background, making for an interesting juxtaposition and provoking statement on independent thought in the digital era. Given frontman Dan Whitford’s background in graphic design, the show had a strong and concise visual element that ranged from hypnotic black and white spirals during “Let Me[...]