Preview

Tonight: Kevin Scoma

October 18, 2019

Longtime Buffalo songwriter Kevin Scoma recently released his first solo EP Into The Dreaming Sea and will celebrate with a show tonight at Duende at Silo City. Full of lush harmony, gentle electronics and a deeply indie-folk vibe, Into The Dreaming Sea is an extremely strong showing from an already established songwriter. Scoma blends influences in a compelling way, especially on a track such as “I’ll Be Around,” a tranquil ballad that incorporates a lightly strummed guitar and banjo pattern accentuated with shimmering electronics. At the risk of comparing, the overall aesthetic of the EP fits neatly into Carrie & Lowell-era Sufjan Stevens. Another standout track is “I Was Never Afraid to Die,” which gradually builds to a brief yet stirring guitar solo. Lyrically, the album is deeply introspective and pairs beautifully and at times heart-wrenchingly with the music. Scoma has created a deeply cathartic release, further highlighting his talent[...]

Tonight: Electric 6

October 15, 2019

Detroit DIY rock heroes Electric 6 bring their MC5 meets New Wave meets 80’s hair metal assault on the milquetoast status quo to Mohawk Place tonight. Dangerous, trashy, and righteous, the prolific act is back in town after five long years to play some filthy jams from their latest release, 2018’s Bride Of The Devil. Opening the show will be davetv and heavy duty local punks Super-Tugger.  Doors are at 7pm and cover is $15. Bride of The Devil by Electric Six

Tonight: The Burkharts

October 12, 2019

Welcome The Burkharts back to Buffalo as they cap off their eight city tour with a stop at Milkie’s for a Saturday night showcase. The Buffalo boys bring home some supremely sweet and catchy tunes, recently on display in their May debut Lazy Dazing. Grip tightly onto your last memories of the summer and vibe out to their surfy, lollipop guitar riffs and indie rock earworm choruses. Fans of Mac DeMarco are going to be stoked with the songs and if their videography is any indication, it’s going to be a heckin’ fun performance as well. Ex-Pat and Coral Collapse round out a loaded evening at Milkie’s. $6 to get into the doors, opening at 9pm. Wear your finest mustard attire.

Tonight: 21 & Under Battle of the Bands

October 11, 2019

Local DIY powerhouse label Steak and Cake Records will be hosting the first official matchup in their 21 & Under Battle of the Bands tonight at Sugar City. The winners will be determined via an audience choice secret ballot. The winner from tonight will square off against the winner from another battle in March 2020, at a final battle in June of 2020 which will feature a panel of guest judges. An often-overlooked demographic, label mastermind Brandon Schlia is once again showing his commitment to the local scene by highlighting and elevating these emerging talents. Tonight’s matchup will feature 4 emerging local bands: Muddle, Gunther’s Radio, Not For Nothing, and Oscar’s Cash. Muddle plays a grungy style of pop-punk, akin to early Green Day or Foo Fighters. Gunther’s Radio leans more towards a 90s alt-rock style, in the vein of Spacehog or Sponge. Not For Nothing is a buzzy indie[...]

Tonight: Anamon

October 11, 2019

13 years ago Buffalo was transformed forever when it got nailed with an October Storm it had never seen before: there was snow, thunder, and lightning, and huge, wet snowflakes brought down powerlines and hundreds (thousands?) of trees all over the fabled “City of Trees.” It was traumatic (and kind of fun), and young local indie heroes Halo Nellie are commemorating the whole thing tonight at Nietzsche’s with a killer indie show featuring Anamon, Circular Logic and Passed Out. Headlining visitors Anamon are a heartbreaking swell indie new wave outfit from Rochester with a sweetly dark sound that encompasses lo-fi, roadhouse blues, classic French pop, and new wave, with local thrashers Circular Logic,  emo punks Passed Out and gracious hosts and curators Halo Nello getting everything started. Doors are at 9pm and cover is $5. Purple, Green, and Yellow by Anamon

Tonight: koko.neetz

October 9, 2019

Allen Street is hosting an intimate night of up-and-coming Buffalo-based singer/songwriters in the front room tonight. Sharing the floor will be koko.neetz, Andrew Kothen of dreambeaches’ intricate solo works. This will be a preview of koko.neetz’ upcoming album release, due out next month. Also on the bill will be soulful acoustic act Yali, the brainchild of Humble Braggers guitarist, Bryan Zellz. Rounding out the lineup is Derick Evans, a fresh face to the local alt-Americana/indie scene. Doors are at 8:30pm and there is a $5 cover. Stay long enough to wish Kothen a happy birthday. Written by Matt Burgerhoff

Tonight: Gloin

October 9, 2019

Tonight, get on down to Mohawk Place to get your over the Hump Day blues, as an evening of shoegaze and space rock will ensue. Toronto’s Gloin will be making a pit stop here in Buffalo as part of a larger U.S. tour. Their latest EP, Soft Monster released in April earlier this year, has been described as sounding “similar to some of the earliest Ty Segall stuff you can find.” This show will sure be one to remember, as Buffalo doesn’t get many heavy-hitters from north of the border. Joining Gloin on stage this evening is Buffalo’s Chevron Bloom, who’s EP Henry, released earlier this year is certainly one that deserves your attention. Lastly, Niagara Falls’ Ekohta will also be making an appearance. Overall, this might shape up to be one of the better psychedelic music nights we’ve seen in a while. You’ll certainly not want to miss this one, doors are[...]

Tonight: Operators

October 7, 2019

Canadian electro-pop outfit Operators return to Buffalo this evening for an upbeat dance music at the Rec Room. Fronted by Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs), the band has quickly amassed a loyal following with their eighties new wave pop hits and certified jammers. Operators will be in town in support of their May 2019 album, Radiant Dawn. Released through Last Gang Records, the new album is a bit more cinematic than previous efforts, with a bit more of a dark sci-fi feel. i Opening the night will be Buffalo’s Shallow State, a new electronic project headed by scene veteran Brian Gorman. Doors are at 7pm with a $20 cover.

Tonight: Wine Lips

October 4, 2019

North American neighbors and garage punk trio Wine Lips will headline Electric Avenue tonight, with a moniker that conjures images of a look I may or may not choose to sport later. The Toronto band is touring in support of their 2019 self-titled album. Wine Lips is a head-banging tribute to the blues and garage rock of decades past. Their new album Wine Lips (2019) serves soulful surf punk excellence, tying up a pretty package of catchy rhythm guitar, bluesy riffs, groovy bass lines, and gritty vocals. If you need another reason to come down, yesterday was drummer Aurora Evans’ birthday, and it’s my birthday today. It’s a certified Libra party, and a punk one at that. Also on this rockin’ bill are Woodstock’s The Bobby Lees and Buffalo bands Tony Rocky Horror and Facility Men. Doors for this 21+ show open at 9pm. $7 cover. Stressor by Wine Lips

Tonight: Alex Berkley

October 2, 2019

Poetic indie-folk bard Alex Berkley headlines a very diverse bill tonight at Nietzsche’s. A mainstay of the local scene for many years, Berkley has been devoting his time to other pursuits, namely marriage and fatherhood. Among his more interesting projects is his 3 part Days of Fun series; where he wrote a song every day for the month of February in 2013, 2014, and 2015 respectively. But it was his 2008 debut Lists and Listlessness that still garners widespread acclaim. With his everyman persona and deeply poetic and relatable lyrics, Berkley has cemented his status as one of the finest singer-songwriters in the Buffalo music scene. Those who have been lucky enough to catch one of Berkley’s rare appearances in the past few years have been treated to intimate performances with a deep emotional staying power. It’s very exciting to see his return to the circuit, and one would hope[...]

Tonight: WSTR

September 30, 2019

Tonight beloved DIY arts and performance space hosts Liverpool, UK pop punk band WSTR with Springfield Missouri’s emo punk outfit Hold Close. According to reports, WSTR have generated considerable buzz at home and it’s not hard to see why because their take on American pop punk is turned up to eleven, incredibly shiny, and very sharp elbowed thanks to their Northern, working class spirit (in England governmental, political, financial and media power is entirely concentrated in the south; you’re welcome), humor, and natural proficiency with profanity. Show openers Hold Close, have a whole midwestern arena friendly emo pop punk thing going on that kicks and hits you right in the emotions. Doors are at 7pm and cover is $15.

Tonight: Sons Of Luther Album Release Party

September 28, 2019

Tonight Mr. Goodbar is hosting a killer lineup of hot local bands headlined by The Sons Of Luther and featuring Deadwolf, The Leones and Cooler, giving you the perfect excuse to hang out with college kids on a Saturday night. The Sons Of Luther, the brainchild of musical polymath (and podcaster) Wren Werner, have been tastefully releasing some very tight modern rock singles over the past month and it all culminates with the release of their sophomore EP Do What You Can tonight when the full band bring it all together for your listening enjoyment. The beyond space-and-time psych rockers Deadwolf will be opening the show with  vibe heavy Batavia desert space rock outfit The Leones and Buffalo emo heroes Cooler. Doors are at 8pm and cover is $8. Do What You Can by Sons Of Luther

Tonight: Cat Power

September 27, 2019

Indie-folk songwriter Cat Power will be making a stop at the Rapids Theater tonight. After the release of her critically acclaimed third album, 1996’s What Would the Community Think, Power has become one of the most celebrated voices in the indie scene. Her powerfully soft voice and deeply poetic lyrics have put her into a class of musicians such as Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, and P.J. Harvey. Her most recent release, 2018’s Wanderer, marks a departure from her longtime label Matador. Instrumentally simple featuring very little beyond piano, guitar, and voice the record feels very intimate. Power has an uncanny ability to summon and convey an array of moods, and that is extremely apparent on Wanderer. Lou Reed inspired songwriter Arsun will open the show. Doors at 7pm, music at 8pm. Tickets are $40 Day of Show. \ Written by John Smigielski

Tonight: Worse Things

September 26, 2019

Tonight, make your way down to Nietzche’s in Allentown to catch hard rockers Worse Things perform a headline set. Though it might be a Thursday night, in our opinion it’s really just Friday part 1, and that’s as good a reason as any to catch more than one great Buffalo act. Worse things, who released a self titled EP last spring, are one of The Queen City’s most underrated bands, and it’s only a matter of time before they work their way up to larger stages. If that’s enough of a reason to head out tonight, they will be supported by one of Buffalo’s newest groups, Canetis, who’s newest single is a banger in and of itself. Also joining them is former Rochesterian turned Buffalonian Karsten Brooks as well as newcomers Shid. You’re not going to miss this one. Doors are at 8pm, cover is $5. We’ll see you there.[...]

Tonight: Com Truise

September 25, 2019

Synthetic astronaut Com Truise brings his super chilled out brand of retro-futuristic electronica back to downtown Buffalo tonight at the Rec Room with special guests Photay and Beshken. On tour in support of his recently released fourth album Persuasion System, NYC native Com Truise aka Seth Haley has been patrolling the musical fusion borderlands that exist out of time and space between subsonic electrofunk, vaporwave, roller rink ecstasy, and neon soaked Vice City for the last decade, and his live show is a full on experience felt in the electrical impulses that are you soul and right on down to the quantum level, which basically means it’s a really good time. Opening the show and working on the crowd with experimental vibes will be NYC inner ear wizard Photay and Los Angeles DIY electronica act Beshken. Doors are at 7pm and tickets are $20.