Photos

Joywave at the Town Ballroom (03/07/17)

March 12, 2018

This past Wednesday, our neighbors down the 90, Joywave, finished up a very lengthy full US tour with a stacked show at the Town Ballroom.  Buffalo’s own Humble Braggers opened things up, followed by Joywave collaborators and boisterous Rochester natives Kopps.  Low key pop act Sasha Sloan was also on the whole tour as well, and delivered a sweet set to get the crowd ready for Joywave.  When they finally took the stage, they ripped through tracks from their whole discography, and they drew a huge crowd that packed the room.  Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Humble Braggers Kopps Sasha Sloan Joywave

Lights at the Town Ballroom (03/06/18)

March 9, 2018

Earlier this week, Lights played her first show in Buffalo in over five years.  The packed house at the Town Ballroom didn’t seem to mind the wait though, singing along to all of her songs, both old and new. Her live show not only looked great due to her intense lighting rig, but her tight electro pop sound sounded absolutely massive as well.  Hopefully it wont be so long before the next time her and her band roll through town.  Australia’s Chase Atlantic opened up the show, serving as a solid warm up for Lights. Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Chase Atlantic Lights

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

Tyler, The Creator & Vince Staples at the Main Street Armory (02/21/18)

February 28, 2018

Last week, Vince Staples and Tyler, the Creator rolled through Rochester for an unforgettable show. Energy levels were maxed out from start to finish, with a quick DJ set to kick things off by Odd Future affiliate, Taco. Vince Staples’ high octane set touched on all of his major projects, and he did not disappoint, taking no time to mess around.  Based off of the reaction when the curtain dropped on Tyler though, it sounded like nothing could have prepared the audience for his set. Tyler performed tracks from all of his major albums, but mainly focused on his fantastic 2017 release, titled Flower Boy. The album’s mature sound translated perfectly to the big stage, not a single person in the crowd looked disappointed whether he was playing older or newer tracks, just further proving the fact that Tyler is here to stay. Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer,[...]

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

Cooler at Mohawk Place (1/12/18)

January 16, 2018

Despite the frigid winter storm raging outside that evening, Mohawk Place was absolutely brimming with excitement for Cooler’s EP Release Show on January 12th. Playing to a hometown crowd of their friends, family, and peers, Cooler opened their set with stripped-down renditions of fan favorites, before premiering new material from their latest Admirable Traits release, Buried EP, the band’s first as a trio. By dialing down the “phantom phuzz” that characterized their earlier music, Cooler emphasized the heartfelt songwriting, cathartic hooks, and taut musicianship that forms the essential core of their sound, played onstage with raging intensity and emotional conviction. The band were supported that evening by Honey COMA’s spartan confessionals, Post Prom’s disaffected anthems, and Into the Wake’s volcanic nightmares. Honey COMA Post Prom Into the Wake Cooler

Every Time I Die’s Annual Christmas Show at Riverworks (12/16/17)

December 19, 2017

Tid the season!  The Every Time I Die annual Christmas shows have turned into a sort of local legend, and this year, the local metalcore legends went all out.  They invited an insane assortment of  touring acts to open the all day event, including Vein, Knocked Loose, Frank Iero and the Patience, Reggie and the Full Effect, Pup, and Eighteen Visions.  This was probably their biggest Christmas show to date, Riverworks was totally packed, sold out months in advance, and the fans went off like the show was still a venue as small as at the Waiting Room.  Check out some photos from the hours of total madness below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Vein Knocked Loose Frank Iero and the Patience  Reggie and the Full Effect Pup Eighteen Visions Every Time I Die

Jimmy Eat World at Riverworks (12/06/17)

December 13, 2017

Last week, Alternative Buffalo hosted the second night of the Kerfuffle Before Christmas at Riverworks.  They managed to land Jimmy Eat World to headline the second night, along with indie acts Børns and Saint Motel to kick things off.  This was Jimmy Eat Worlds first show in Buffalo in quite some time, and they put on a killer performance packed with songs spanning their entire discography.  They obviously treated the audience to their hits, but also gave their bigger fans some special treats in the form of deep cuts of off their more cult classic records, Futures and Clarity.  Check out some photos from the show below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Saint Motel Børns Jimmy Eat World

Circa Survive at the Main Street Armory (12/01/17)

December 5, 2017

This past Friday, Circa Survive brought an insane tour package to the Main Street Armory in Rochester.  We sent our photographer down the 90 to catch some of the action.  The massive venue did not deter the bands nor the passionate fans from giving it their all.  Balance and Composure kicked things off, followed by instrumental prog/math rock act Chon.  Things started to get a little crazy after Thrice went on, in a good way.  The madness was only amplified into Circa Survive’s set, as both bands are known for having exceptionally passionate fans.  Check out some photos from the show below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Balance and Composure Chon Thrice Circa Survive

Turnover at the Town Ballroom (11/13/17)

November 20, 2017

Last week, Turnover made their triumphant return to Buffalo in support of their new album, Good Nature.  The band managed a surprisingly great turnout at the Town Ballroom after the closure of the Waiting Room, causing the show to move locations.  They cruised through a handful of tracks off of their past two records, and with the help of Pronoun and Elvis Depressedly, made for a killer show overall.  Check out some photos from the night below, shot be blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Elvis Depressedly Turnover

Slowdive at the Town Ballroom (11/9/17)

November 15, 2017

Buffalo was treated to incredible performance by the legendary dream pop/shoegaze act Slowdive this past Thursday. In their first appearance in Buffalo since their reunion in 2014, the band did not disappoint, playing tracks spanning their whole discography, including tracks from their fantastic new self titled record, which was released earlier this year. The rare appearance was well worth the wait, the band glided through incredible live renditions of their tracks, closing with a perfect encore of “Don’t Know Why,” “Dagger,” and “40 Days.” With a killer opening set from Cherry Glazerr, the two band show was one of the most memorable ones hosted at the venue so far this year.  Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Cherry Glazerr Slowdive

Imagine Dragons at KeyBank Center (11/01/17)

November 7, 2017

This past Wednesday, the absolutely massive indie/pop crossover group, Imagine Dragons, brought their immense Evolve World Tour to Buffalo.   While the tour also featured K Flay and Grouplove, who have both played in Buffalo within the past few months, this was Imagine Dragons’ first time in Buffalo in a couple years, which led to a totally packed KeyBank Center.  Imagine Dragons played through a 20 song set list touching on all three of their studio records, including a cover of Tom Petty’s “Running Down a Dream.” K Flay and Grouplove did a great job of heating the crowd up for their intense stage show, making for a night to remember.  Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. K Flay Grouplove Imagine Dragons

The Front Bottoms at Buffalo RiverWorks (10/22/17)

October 25, 2017

This past Sunday, The Front Bottoms returned to Buffalo, this time playing an insane set at Buffalo RiverWorks. The New Jersey based indie / pop punk act played Buffalo last year at the Town Ballroom, and since then, dropped a new LP on Fueled By Ramen, titled Going Grey.  While the record had only been out for three or four days by the time of the show, the band’s dedicated fans somehow seemed to know every word to every song. They played an insane 21 song set featuring songs from all four of their major label records, and neither the crowd nor the band took a break during the set, making it an unforgettable night. Check out some photos from their crazy set below, along with shots of both openers Bad Bad Hats and Basement, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Bad Bad Hats Basement The Front Bottoms THE FRONT BOTTOMS SETLIST:[...]

HRVST Festival at Riverworks (10/14/17)

October 18, 2017

Last Saturday, local radio station, 103.3 The Edge partnered with After Dark Presents to threw their inaugural HRVST Festival. While the show was original slated to take place at the Cumulus Festival Grounds, it was moved to an outdoor festival stage at Riverworks due to production issues. This may have been for the better, as the covered, open air stage at Riverworks served as a great fit for the autumn themed festival. The lineup was eclectic and great, featuring a whole day full of music, including sets from PVRIS, Joywave, Brian Fallon, Manchester Orchestra, and Phoenix. Check out some photos from the festival below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. PVRIS Joywave Brian Fallon Manchester Orchestra Phoenix