Photos

Against Me! at the Town Ballroom (10/05/17)

October 9, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

Last week, scene vets Against Me! returned to Buffalo for another unforgettable show. This was the their second time in Buffalo since the release of their latest LP, Shape Shift With Me, and they dropped a new 7″ earlier this year, featuring two killer new tracks, “Sabbitha Christie” and “First High Of The Morning.” The Dirty Nil and Bleached kicked the night off, setting up the perfect high enegery atmosphere to get the crowd ready for Against Me. Their setlist was nuts, 27 songs spanning their entire catalog, which included two covers, “Running Down a Dream” by Tom Petty and “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” by The Mountain Goats. They ended the night right with a jam packed five song encore, the perfect end to a stellar gig. Check out some photos from the show below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. The Dirty Nil Bleached Against Me!

Mitski at the Tralf Music Hall (10/03/17)

October 6, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

This past Tuesday, Buffalo had a lot going on. COIN at the Town Ballroom, Circa Waves at the 9th Ward, Frankie Cosmos at Mohawk, and Mitski at the Tralf Music Hall. If you ended up you picking the Mitski show that night, you made a very smart choice. Stef Chura kicked off the two band show off with a quick, charming set, equal parts bouncy and emotional. When Mitski took the stage, she immediately demanded attention. The crowd was respectful throughout their set, in which she performed some tremendously emotionally dense tracks, focusing on her last two records, Puberty 2 and Bury Me at Makeout Creek. Mitski made their first stop in Buffalo since 2014 a memorable one, and hopefully it won’t take them another 3 years to come back around town. Check out some photos from the night below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Stef Chura Mitksi

Mac DeMarco & The Flaming Lips at the Rapids Theatre (09/13/17)

September 22, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

If you were one a the lucky ones who was able to score tickets to Wendesday’s Mac DeMarco and Flaming Lips show at the Rapids Theatre, consider yourself lucky. Mac DeMarco’s boyish charm was in full effect, cursing his way through a set in which he played some real smooth cuts off his most recent LP, a rippin’ Steely Dan cover, and cuts from his earlier LPs, including “Chamber of Reflection” and “Ode to Viceroy.” The Flaming Lips brought along their usual extreme level of stage production, and kicked their set off with and explosive version of “Race for the Prize”, turning the Rapids Theatre into some sort of ethereal party, letting huge balloons into the crowd and blasting off an insane amount of confetti into the crowd. Their set included songs from their latest LP, a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”, some deep cuts for the freaks, and an unforgettable[...]

Conor Oberst at Asbury Hall (09/14/17)

September 18, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

For his first show in Buffalo in quite some time, all in attendance at Asbury Hall this past Thursday got quite the unique experience out of Conor Oberst’s live show. Anyone that has listened Bright Eyes or Oberst’s solo work knows that he has seriously struggled with alcoholism in the past, and Buffalo may have brought out the worst in him. From the moment he came out onto the stage, he was clearly intoxicated, slurring his speech, forgetting the words and verses to songs. He managed to fight through most of his planned set, performing solo material, as well as countless Bright Eyes songs, including fan favorites “Lua” and “First Day of My Life.” His band mates nervously looked on as he reached his breaking point, stumbling off stage two songs before his encore. Just like that, the curtains closed and the house lights came on. While the reaction of the audience seemed pretty mixed, disappointment seemed to[...]

M.A.G.S. & The Slums at Mohawk Place (9/8/17)

September 12, 2017 Zach M Anderson

Two of Buffalo’s biggest local bands—righteous indie-punks M.A.G.S. and hardcore heavyweights The Slums—celebrated the release of their new, highly-anticipated albums with a stunning double release show at Mohawk Place on September 8th. MAGS’ self-titled debut for Admirable Traits Records showcases Elliott Douglas’ knack for razor-sharp riffs and hooks that deliver like a knockout punch. Likewise, The Slums’ latest EP, Bloodsucker, refines their signature amalgam of knotty math-rock riffs, driving rhythms, and Steven Floyd’s caustic howl. Having rigorously road-tested their new material for months, M.A.G.S. and The Slums blew the roof off Mohawk Place with unrivaled abandon. Joining them that evening were local synth-pop heroes (and M.A.G.S.’ labelmates) Humble Braggers, and the Albany-based “dreamo” quartet Jouska, making their return to Buffalo since their Dreamland show this past February. Humble Braggers Jouska The Slums M.A.G.S.

Sheer Mag at Mohawk Place (09/05/17)

September 11, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

This past Monday, Sheer Mag returned to Buffalo to perform at Mohawk Place. While they did play the same venue last year, they new have a new LP under their belts, titled Need To Feel Your Love. They rocked through a bunch of tracks off of the new record, as well as a handful from their first three 7″s. With stellar openings set from local act Mallwalkers, as well as touring power pop/punk four piece Lost Balloons, by the end of the night, Mohawk was packed and everyone was in the groove. Check out some photos below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Lost Balloons Sheer Mag

Tailor Made Festival at Canalside (09/02/17)

September 5, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

This past Saturday, Fanbassador threw it’s inaugural Tailor Made Festival at Canalside. The festival featured local acts Bill $aber and Dolo Chillin, as well as countless touring acts, including Smokepurpp, Waka Flocka Flame, Keys N Krates, DVBBS, 2 Chainz, and Travis Scott. Even with the unfortunate cancellation of one act, PNB Rock, as well as a temporary loss of power on stage, stellar sets from all of the acts made the festival one of the more memorable shows at Canalside this year. Check out some photos from the day below, shot by blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Smokepurpp Waka Flocka Flame Keys N Krates DVBBS 2 Chainz Travis Scott

Green Day at Darien Lake PAC (08/26/17)

August 29, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

Pop punk fans and radio listeners alike came out in droves to the Green Day show at Darien Lake this past Saturday. The band’s explosive show featured songs spanning their entire career as a band, and they did not disappoint. There was never a dull moment from start to finish, kicking the show off with their 2009 hit, “Know Your Enemy,” and closing their 26 song set with an acoustic performance of “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).” They also didn’t skip out on their signature live show antics, pulling multiple young fans out of the crowd to perform parts of songs, having them stage dive into the crowd afterward. The show was kicked off with a great set by British indie act, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and while it seemed like an odd pairing at first, the four piece did a great job of warming up the crowd. Check out some photos from[...]

Converge at Waiting Room (7/31/17)

August 4, 2017 Zach M Anderson

Massachusetts metalcore titans Converge brought their musical devastation to Waiting Room on July 31st, marking an end to their five-year absence from Western New York. Like a unstoppable force of nature wreaking havoc in its path, time and advancing age have not dulled the intensity and complexity of Converge’s highly-experimental hardcore. From Kurt Ballou’s adroit riffage to Nate Newton and Ben Koller’s impenetrable rhythms, and frontman Jacob Bannon’s inhuman shrieks, Converge’s music remains a hallmark of extreme sounds and extreme emotions. Joining the band that evening were Belgian post-metal band Amenra, whose monolithic maelstrom conjured visions of violence and darkness. Amenra Converge

Tegan and Sara at the Town Ballroom (07/29/17)

August 2, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

This past Saturday, indie pop legends, Tegan and Sara, took to the stage at the Town Ballroom to perform a career spanning set. While their setlist focused mainly on songs of of their 2013 LP, Heartthrob, they also dug into their vast back catalog, performing fan favorites such as “Back In Your Head” and “Walking With a Ghost.” With an incredible opening set from Japanese Breakfast, there wasn’t a dull moment all night. Check out some photos from the show below. Japanese Breakfast Tegan and Sara

Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park (7/16/17)

July 21, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

In it’s 12th year, Pitchfork Music Festival continued to prove its longevity, boasting three sold out days and another jam packed, stellar lineup. Thousands flocked to Union Park in Chicago, making this year what seemed like the most crowded the festival has been in our three years of coverage. With another incredible year filled with countless memorable moments in the books, we take a look back at the weekend through the lens of our blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Take a look at some photos from Sunday below, featuring Kilo Kish, Derrick Carter, NE-HI, Isaiah Rashad, Joey Purp, Pinegrove, Jamila Woods, American Football, and Solange. Take a look at our photo gallery from Friday HERE, and our gallery from Saturday HERE. Kilo Kish Derrick Carter NE-HI Isaiah Rashad Joey Purp P Jamila Woods American Football Solange

Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park (7/15/17)

July 20, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

In it’s 12th year, Pitchfork Music Festival continued to prove its longevity, boasting three sold out days and another jam packed, stellar lineup. Thousands flocked to Union Park in Chicago, making this year what seemed like the most crowded the festival has been in our three years of coverage. With another incredible year filled with countless memorable moments in the books, we take a look back at the weekend through the lens of our blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Take a look at some photos from Saturday below, featuring Vagabon, Jeff Rosenstock, Weyes Blood, Cherry Glazerr, Mitski, Francis and the Lights, Angel Olsen, S U R V I V E, and A Tribe Called Quest. Take a look at our photo gallery from Friday HERE. Vagabon Jeff Rosenstock Weyes Blood Cherry Glazerr Mitski Francis and the Lights Angel Olsen S U R V I V E A Tribe Called Quest

Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park (7/14/17)

July 19, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

In it’s 12th year, Pitchfork Music Festival continued to prove its longevity, boasting three sold out days and another jam packed, stellar lineup. Thousands flocked to Union Park in Chicago, making this year what seemed like the most crowded the festival has been in our three years of coverage. With another incredible year filled with countless memorable moments in the books, we take a look back at the weekend through the lens of our blog photographer, Brendan O’Connor. Take a look at some photos from Friday below, featuring Priests, Dawn Richard, Hiss Golden Messenger, Vince Staples, Frankie Cosmos, Danny Brown, Kamaiyah, Dirty Projectors, and LCD Soundsystem. Stay tuned for more photos from the weekend throughout the week. Priests Dawn Richard Hiss Golden Messenger Vince Staples Frankie Cosmos Danny Brown Kamiayah Dirty Projectors LCD Soundsystem

The Shins at the Rapids Theatre (7/11/17)

July 14, 2017 Brendan O'Connor

This past Tuesday, legendary indie act, The Shins, played a sold out show at the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. Even after all these years, the band still sounds incredible, Mercer’s voice sounds as great as it ever has, and they were able to absolutely pack the Rapid’s to the brim on a Tuesday. Check out some photos from their career spanning set below, as well as a setlist. Setlist: Caring Is Creepy Australia Name for You Mine’s Not a High Horse Girl Inform Me Gone for Good Mildenhall Saint Simon Kissing the Lipless So Now What Painting a Hole The Rifle’s Spiral Half a Million Phantom Limb Simple Song Encore: The Fear New Slang Sleeping Lessons