News

Live at Larkin Announces Summer Lineup

May 6, 2014

If you have yet to head down to the new Larkin Square, now would appear to be a good time. The revitalized business district’s Food Truck Tuesdays kick off this evening, and just yesterday, the Live at Larkin series announced its summer lineup. Beginning June 18th and running every Wednesday until September 17th, the series once again touches on a wide range of local artists and genres, from folk and jam to party pop and soul. Some blog favs, including Aircraft, Forealists, and everyone’s favorite subtle ladies man, Lance Diamond (if you didn’t know he was Buffalo’s best entertainer, just wait for him to tell you), are a part of this year’s lineup. The series will kick off on June 18th at 5pm with Neville Francis. You can view the entire Live at Larkin lineup here. Aircraft – Nano Hurricane – Live at Mammoth Recording Studios from Pat DePuy on[...]

Just Announced: Band of Horses

May 5, 2014

Fresh to our inbox this afternoon is the news that Band of Horses will be making a Buffalo stop this summer on Tuesday, July 22nd at the Town Ballroom. Truth be told, I fell off the Band of Horses bandwagon a few years back, but did manage to catch the group open for Pearl Jam at the First Niagara Center when it rolled through town during the spring of 2010, and the live show was pretty tight. BoH’s first two albums, Everything All The Time and Cease to Begin, are still holding up nicely. Think Built to Spill and My Morning Jacket teaming up and you have a good place to start. Joining Band of Horses will be Texas’ Midlake, a band who successfully survived the replacement of its lead singer and may have come out all the better after the release of 2013’s moody Antiphon. Tickets will go on sale[...]

Infringement’s Call For Submissions Extended

May 5, 2014

We have been sleeping on Infringement so far this year so it’s worth noting that with the 10 anniversary of festival slowly approaching, the fest runners have extended the deadline for submissions to May 15th. For those unfamiliar, the 11 day festival, which takes place in Allentown and beyond from July 24th to August 3rd, is a collection of all kinds of performing artists under the sun, from music to poetry to complete randomness. Last year they had an event that just gave out coffee. Infringement is not in the business of turning performers away so if you are new to the scene and want to feel your way out, this could be a good opportunity to get your feet wet. You can submit your artist submissions here.

Just Announced: Kerfuffle

April 30, 2014

After some teasing through social media over the last couple weeks, Alternative Buffalo 107.7, one of the city’s newest radio stations, announced this evening it’s first big splash on the scene in the interestingly titled Kerfuffle. Yes Kerfuffle. The station, which has had its name on various shows over the last couple months from acts like the Whigs to the Orwells, will be throwing a one-day fest down at Canalside on Saturday, July 26th beginning at 3pm. Kerfuffle features some buffaBLOG approved artists, including Bear Hands (a former “You Heard It First” showcased act of the station), the semi-Rochester based BIg Data, Bleachers, and the Crystal Method. Cage the Elephant appears to be the headliner. Well, you can’t win them all… Anyways, ticket are $25, $40, and $150 for VIP, and will be available for purchase on Friday, May 2nd, starting at 12pm via TicketFly. Full event details can be[...]

Just Announced: Man or Astro-Man?

April 29, 2014

In 2010, the original lineup of sci-fi, surf legends, Man or Astro-Man?, reunited for a series of shows, which ultimately led to last year’s fantastic release, their first in 12 years, Defcon 5..4..3..2..1. Since that time MoAM? has been on a tear, exciting crowds with their energetic (and often unhinged) live performances. Think B-movies, antennas, aliens, costumes, and space, all through a package of pure camp. The best surf rock has to offer. Thanks to the good people at ESI, we’ll have a chance to witness this truly spectacular happening as MoAM? docks their spaceship at the Tralf September 9th($15), along with Vancouver’s The Pack AD. Fun is really the only appropriate adjective here so prepare yourself for the preposterous. And feel free to wear a costume. It’s just as much fun being part of the experience as it is witnessing it.

Buffalo Porchfest Once Again Needs Bands, Porches

April 21, 2014

Early last fall, the Elmwood Village threw its inaugural Buffalo Porchfest. Sporting a pretty simple concept (you register your porch/balcony and a band plays on it), October’s event was nearly washed out after some nasty rain in the early morning hours. I hosted my own show and didn’t have power until about an hour before the band arrived. No matter. The rain held up and the fest was deemed a success. Porchfest will return for its spring installment next month on Saturday, May 17th. If you are a band/musician who wishes to play the fest, you can register here. If you want to donate your porch, you may register here. Keep an eye on Porchfest’s website the week leading up to the event for a full map of participating homes/apts and bands.

Just Announced: Mac DeMarco

April 21, 2014

The Tralf Music Hall is back with its “Summer of Indie” series. After the closing of Mohawk Place in early 2013, the Tralf really stepped up in booking quality indie acts that normally would have been playing the defunct music venue. For the 2014, the first big land of the summer series appears to be Mac DeMarco. The Montreal born indie jokester, who just released his very good and very laid back Salad Days record, will be playing the downtown venue this summer on Friday, July 18th. If memory serves me correctly, the Tralf announced these “Summer of Indie” shows are a pretty nice clip last year, so keep an eye out for future lands. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, April 25th, at noon for $14 in advance, $16 day of

Silo Sessions Announces Launch Party

April 18, 2014

Since closing up shop at the Vault last year, former venue runner Kevin Cain has had his hands in various projects, including the former Monday night Inventory Series at Hardware, curating diverse local showcases all over Buffalo, and performing with a cast of musicians in all forms and sounds. On Saturday, June 14th Cain’s long time pet project, Silo Sessions, will finally make its debut. Cain has spent the last year recording and taping musicians in the Perot Grain Elevator at Silo City. Julie Byrne, Dirty Projector’s Nat Baldwin, and Sam Goodwell are among the sessions first installment of intimate performances, which are planned to be released as a video blog. In honor of the session series, Cain will host a launch party, featuring many of the Silo Sessions contributors, in addition to local acts like Mallwalkers, Jack Toft, Alex Berkley & the Atlanta Falcons, and more. The event will consist of three[...]

Just Announced: Andrew Jackson Jihad & Cheap Girls

April 15, 2014

If you were at the Hold Steady show last week at the Town Ballroom, you know first hand how commanding Cheap Girls are. The boisterous indie-rock trio was just announced to be linking up with folk-punk outfit, Andrew Jackson Jihad, for a surely rousing night at the Waiting Room on Tuesday, June 17th. AJJ will be touring in support of their latest records, Christmas Island, set to drop on May 6th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 18th, for $15 in advance, $17 day of.

Just Announced: Man Man

April 14, 2014

Manic Philadelphia fivesome, Man Man, will return to Buffalo this summer with a repeat performance at the Tralf Music Hall on Tuesday, July 8th. The experimental group was in Buffalo this past fall in support of their 2013 release On Oni Pond. The band is known for delivering the unpredictable so be on watch. Tickets are on sale now for $15 in advance, $17 day of.

Just Announced: Herd Fest

April 14, 2014

Spring has arrived in Buffalo, and just like that, things are on the up.  With summer in the city nearly here, we are happy to announce our next big party plans. Rather than do another stand alone showcase, we decided to be a bit more ambitious this time around.  On June 20th and 21st, the first weekend of summer, we are proud to present Herd Fest. What is Herd Fest? Well, think of it as our own version of CMJ/SXSW. Nine showcases over a two day period in Allentown (and slightly beyond). And for this party, we invited a few of the blog’s closest friends around to be a part of the festivities by hosting their own showcases and personally selecting some of their favorite Buffalo acts to play. While final lineups and schedules won’t be released until May, here is a taste of what Herd Fest will be offering:[...]

Just Announced: Titus Andronicus

April 9, 2014

New Jersey punk rockers, Titus Andronicus, are making their way back to Buffalo on Saturday, June 7th with a return to the Tralf Music Hall. The band recently played the downtown venue late last summer in support of their third full length album, Local Business. Led by one of the genre’s more intriguing front men in Pat Stickles, Titus Andronicus is making visits to Buffalo a thing of habit as past stops have included an opening gig for Okkervil River at Town Ballroom and a raucous set in Babeville’s basement while supporting their epic release, The Monitor, a couple years back. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 11th, at noon for $12 in advance, $14 day of.

Just Announced: Boris

April 8, 2014

Japanese rock trio Boris, who last played the area five years ago, will be making a return to Buffalo this summer on Friday, August 8th at the Tralf Music Hall.  Boris’ experimental rock sound, which has shades of shred tempered by heavy tonal effects, should work well for a venue that just recently housed the devastating Swans show last year. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, April 11th, at noon for $15 in advance, $17 day of.

buffaBLOG 2.0 Launches

April 7, 2014

Well, after four tedious years on blogger, we finally made the move over to wordpress. Good riddance to that awful site. Despite desperately needing a makeover, we didn’t want to drastically change the look of the site. Most people have become accustomed to the navigation and enjoyed the site’s simplistic style. Simple is good, so why mess with good. While we stayed simple, we did decide to sharpen the look, which included making a more functional tool bar for easier searching of new music, both local and national. What did get a major face lift is our “calendar,” our favorite new feature to the site. Calendar may not be the right word exactly, more like a comprehensive list of events we feel should be on your radar. New events will be added daily so make sure to visit often. Once there, click an event and get all of the basic concert/show info: who,[...]

Just Announced: Bombay Bicycle Club

April 2, 2014

Yesterday, proving its never too early to start thinking about summer, Town Ballroom announced that London band Bombay Bicycle Club will be making a stop at the Main St. venue on Saturday, August 2nd. If you are unfamiliar with the act, think of them as a UK version of Vampire Weekend and go from there. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 4th, at noon for $20 in advance, $22 day of.