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Sufjan Stevens at UB’s Center for the Arts (10/30/15)

So we may not have been treated to a very random cover of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” but we were still undoubtedly treated. Sufjan Stevens, in his long-awaited return to Buffalo this past Friday, delivered one of the most spectacular live performances the city has seen all year. I thought Carrie & Lowell—Stevens’ 2015 full-length written in dedication to his late mother—was already a masterpiece, but seeing, hearing, and feeling the album performed live at UB’s Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre brought an entirely different light to the songs, a poignancy so thick it was nearly tangible. I wasn’t sure what to expect from opening artist Gallant; I hadn’t sampled his music before the show, but was confident that an opening slot on a Sufjan Stevens’ tour was already a testament to his ability. I wasn’t wrong—the young R&B singer (23) had an incredible falsetto and exuded a great deal[...]

Tonight: Sufjan Stevens

It’s rare enough for an artist to produce an album revered as a masterpiece once in their career. And to do it twice is nothing short of remarkable. But that’s exactly the kind of artist Buffalo will welcome to tonight as eclectic singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens will take the stage at the UB’s Center for the Arts. While Sufjan already had a host of great releases behind him (including 2004’s excellent Seven Swans), it wasn’t until 2005, with the release of Illinois, the second album in his now defunct “50 States Project,” that he truly broke through. The album was a sweeping baroque pop masterpiece, a stunning humanist collage built from history, folklore, and personal experience. It rightly received mass acclaim and produced a chart entry by way of lead single, “Chicago.” And while Stevens has continued to produce beautiful work over the years, including The BQE, his inspired Christmas double album, Silver &[...]

Just Announced: Sufjan Stevens

After a run of somewhat gimmicky releases – the electro 180 turn of The Age of Adz, a second round of Christmas albums, an experimental ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway – Sufjan Stevens returned in prime form earlier this year with the stark and devastating Carrie & Lowell, a front runner for album of the year and what could be a personal best in the singer/songwriter’s eccentric catalog. This fall, he will once again take Carrie & Lowell on the road, this time including Buffalo on his latest itinerary. On Friday, Ocotober 30th, Stevens will perform in the Mainstage Theater at UB’s Center for the Arts, his first area performance since his magically bonkers holiday show at Asbury Hall a couple years back. Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 24th at 10am for $43.50. A portion of all ticket sales will go towards Stevens’ Plus One charity organization.

Werid Al at UB’s Center for the Arts (7/15/15)

Weird Al is typically viewed as a comedian more often than a musician. In the public’s eye, musicianship is hard for any comedian to earn, especially one that parodies. So before going to Weird Al’s sold-out show at the Center for the Arts last night, I thought of it more as a chance to see a legendary comedian than a rock star. But then again, would I be this excited to see a comedian who I could recite (sing along with?) most of their punch lines? With an extensive songbook spanning decades of musical genres and pop references, the show was not only a culmination of Weird Al’s career, but also a two and a half hour history lesson of our modern culture—from Jeopardy to Forrest Gump to eBay. And like many artists who have too many hits to play, songs would run into one another in long, tightly choreographed[...]

Tonight: Weird Al

You know that moment when you hear the first few notes of “Gangster’s Paradise” and you aren’t really sure if it’s Coolio or Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise” yet? Then subsequently start singing Weird Al anyway because those are the lyrics you know better. As a child of the 90’s, this was my experience, but I’d bet children of both the 80’s and 00’s have similar experiences with Weird Al songs, whether it’s “Eat It” (“Beat It”), “White & Nerdy” (“Ridin’ Dirty”), or one of his new hits like “Handy” (“Fancy”). After decades of his satirical wackiness, Weird Al doesn’t just parody culture, he helps shape it. Coming off the huge success of his latest album, Mandatory Fun, Weird Al will play the Mainstage Theater at UB’s Center for the Arts for a sold out show tonight. He has always had a dedicated following here, and with Weird Al’s career reaching his[...]

The Decemberists w/ Alvvays @ UB’s Center for the Arts (4/1/15)

I had seen The Decemberists once before. The Portland, OR natives played an outdoor, midday set on a sweltering day at Bonnaroo 2011, and I was excited to be able to cross one of the “bucket list bands” off of my list, despite the heat. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t show up hours early for a good spot in front of the stage, and the sun was entirely unforgiving—curse my fair skin—making the experience distant, hot, and less than magical. Luckily for me, the indie-folk storytellers made their most welcome return (and second sell out) to UB’s Center for the Arts this past Wednesday evening, and this time the magic prevailed. Toronto-based girl-pop group Alvvays opened the show promptly at 8pm (the CFA doesn’t mess around when it comes to start times), kicking things off with “Adult Diversion,” the opening track off of the group’s excellent 2014 self-titled debut. For[...]

Alvvays

The Decemberists are in town tonight, making a triumphant third return to UB’s Center for the Arts. Guests will be treated to the Mainstage Theater’s wonderful acoustics (not to mention the comfortable chairs), but one of the biggest treats of the night will come from opening band, Alvvays. Alvvays excels at swimmy, reverb-laden tracks that have more in common with the beach than their snowy hometown of Toronto. Nevertheless, the group’s self-titled debut was highly praised, having made many best-of 2014 lists. Singer Molly Rankin is a true delight – her voice a combination of innocence (a la fellow v-ers CHVRCHES) and mature, glassy-eyed indifference. Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard called lead single, “Archie, Marry Me,” his favorite song of the year (but the verdict is still out on whether Ben and Decemberists singer Colin Meloy are actually doppelgangers). Unfortunately for those of you who don’t have tickets, tonight’s performance[...]

Just Announced: Weird Al

One of the more unexpected success stories of 2014 was the comeback of Weird Al Yankovic, who dropped his well received new album, Mandatory Fun, last summer, and surprisingly (or maybe not depending on how you feel about the guy) gained his first #1 album on the Billboard charts of his long career (watch the pretty touching reveal here). The artist, who for nearly 30 years now, has made a career of parodying acts from Michael Jackson to the Presidents of the United States of America to Lorde, in addition to dropping countless viral music videos, just announced a massive tour in support of the album, one that will include a stop in Buffalo later this summer. Yankovic will bring his “Mandatory Fun Tour” to the University at Buffalo’s Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre on Wednesday, July 15th. Tickets will on sale on Friday, January 30th at 10am, for $49.50.

Just Announced: The Decemberists

Hyper literate folk outfit, the Decemberists, will make a return appearance to the Center for the Arts’ Mainstage Theatre at the UB North Campus on Wednesday, April 1st. The band is prepping the release of its latest album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, set to drop on January 20th. Check out the album’s strong first single, “Make You Better,” below. The show is a nice land for the CFA, a venue that had a nice run of indie-esque artists a few years back. Opening for the Decemerbists will be buzzing Toronto indie pop act, Alvvays. Tickets go on sale this Friday, November 21st, at 10am for $33-$38.