Latest Posts

Spring Fling Tour at First Niagara Center (03/28/16)

April 1, 2016

This past Monday, Buffalo was treated to arguably one of biggest indie tours of the year. The Spring Fling Tour packed the First Niagara Center, thanks to the four huge names on the tour.  Headlined by Cage the Elephant, the tour also brought along the up and comers, Bear Hands, alt-rock veterans Silversun Pickups, and the massive UK indie act Foals along for the ride.  All four bands were total crowd pleasers, the huge audience in attendance even brought the singers of two of the bands into the crowd for some face to face.  Check out some photos from the show below, and click here for a full gallery. Bear Hands Foals Silversun Pickups Cage The Elephant

Kerfuffle Before Christmas at the First Niagara Center (12/18/2015)

December 26, 2015

Last Friday, Alternative Buffalo hosted their second annual holiday concert, The Kerfufffle Before Christmas. This year’s show featured many notable artists  – Wolf Alice, Third Eye Blind, Matt and Kim, and Sublime tribute band, Sublime with Rome along with some radio up-and-comers SomeKindaWonderful and BØRNS sprinkled in there for good measure.  Check out the photos we snapped of radio station’s mega-holiday party. Some Kinda Wonderful  BØRNS Wolf Alice Third Eye Blind

Just Announced: Paul McCartney

August 25, 2015

It seems like rumors have been floating around town for nearly a year that Paul McCartney would be coming to Buffalo for a concert, and those rumors finally turned into a reality this morning as word got out that the “cute Beatle” would be performing at the First Niagara Center on Thursday, October 22nd. In a better late than never moment, this will be Sir Paul’s first show in Buffalo during his long career, and for WNY fans of the legendary musician, the show could not have come any sooner. After the Rolling Stones came to town earlier this summer, 2015 is shaping up to be a good year for fans of defining British Invasion acts. No word on whether Herman’s Hermits will also be making an area appearance before the year is up. Tickets will go on sale this Monday, August 31st, for $29.50 to a robust $253.50.

Metric

June 24, 2015

If any of our readers are avid listeners of 102.1 or 107.7, you are probably familiar with Metric, a band that has evolved into a cornerstone of the alternative format. Having formed in Toronto, the Canadian alt-synth-poppers have been Buffalo favorites since their breakout debut in 2003. Over the past decade, frontwoman Emily Haines and co. have scored several great hits, including (but definitely not limited to): “Combat Baby,” “Help I’m Alive,” “Gimme Sympathy,” and “Gold, Guns, Girls.” Tonight, Metric is playing quite the gig. They are opening for the kings of dad-rock, Imagine Dragons… On the bright side, guests won’t have to suffer through their 5000th listen of “Radioactive” before catching what is sure to be a great set from Metric. The show is at the First Niagara Center, doors are at 6pm, and tickets are $59.50, $49.50, and $29.50. We’re so excited, our hearts are beating like a hammer!

The Lone Bellow at The First Niagara Center (5/1/15)

May 3, 2015

Best. Opener. Ever. If you don’t want just one opinion, let’s take a look at the audience from Friday night’s show at The First Niagara Center. When The Lone Bellow first took the stage, the crowd was distracted. Most seats were empty. The filled ones held texters and selfie-takers. Nobody planned on paying attention to the opening act. Then the music started. By the end of the first song, the audience was hooked. Slowly, everyone sat down or moved a few steps closer to the stage. When “Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold” concluded, the selfies had stopped and texting had ground to a halt. Why? Maybe the audience was shocked by the cohesive sound. Maybe the energy of Zach Williams and Brian Elmquist had captivated them. Maybe it was the fact that a 5-piece folk band had a sound big enough to fill the entire arena. Or maybe[...]

The Lone Bellow

April 30, 2015

Tonight, Eric Church and The Lone Bellow are set to take over First Niagara Center. At this point, Church is a household name and one of the biggest stars in country, but The Lone Bellow, despite extensive blog coverage of the band, including a good from us here at buffaBLOG, isn’t quite as well-known. “Music does pay our bills,” singer Brian Elmquist said in a recent interview. “But we’re still in the fight.” Playing with Eric Church tonight in front of 15,000 people should help deliver a few blows. The last time the Brooklyn trio played in Buffalo was at a well-attended yet intimate show at The Tralf. This time, they’ll be playing an arena as big as any other in the country. “This will actually be the biggest venue we’ve played in to date, and we don’t really know what to expect,” Elmquist admitted. Certainly, they can expect a[...]

Just Announced: Fleetwood Mac

October 10, 2014

Dreams do come true occasionally, like they did yesterday when it was announced that 70’s and 80’s stalwarts (and Pitchfork, NME, and Brooklyn Vegan* favorites), Fleetwood Mac, would be making a surprise return to the Queen City on January 31st, 2015. We’d been left off this most recent tour, significant because it marks the return of co-founder Christine McVie to the band, but that’s all water under the bridge now that the band will once again be playing the building that is the First Niagara Center, as they had on both of the band’s 1997 and 2003 tours. The brilliant three piece harmonies and spectacular musical chemistry that defined an era and sold millions of albums have been restored again to their proper glory, and really, it’s a can’t miss experience. Tickets go on sale Saturday October 20th at 10am, and range from $49.50 to $179.50.

Just Announced: The Tragically Hip

October 6, 2014

Buffalo’s favorite Canadian act, the Tragically Hip, will be returning to town this spring, Saturday, April 18th, with a show set for the First Niagara Center. After a triumphant solo set this past summer at Canalside, Gord Downie and crew will be making their annual trip to the Queen City, back into the arms of a fan base that has pretty much adopted the band as its own. Geography aside, the Hip is a Buffalo band. Don’t let a silly border tell you other wise. The band will be on tour to commemorate the reissue of its third album, Fully Completely (originally released in 1992). The 2-disc reissue is set to drop on November 18th. As for the show, tickets go on sale Saturday, October 18th at 10am. Prices range from $32.50 – $99.00

Tonight: Justin Timberlake

July 9, 2014

If you’re going to First Niagara Center tonight for Justin Timberlake’s big show, you’ve probably had your tickets for quite some time now. The show was already sold out before its original date in February, which was postponed, with the re-scheduled date memorably being announced on The Tonight Show. Timberlake is still one of the biggest draws in pop music. While his 2-part album The 20/20 Experience received somewhat mixed reviews (I was a fan of both records), it was one of the best selling albums of the year, with “Suit & Tie,” “Mirrors,” and “Not A Bad Thing” all cracking the top 10.  Also, if you saw the NSYNC reunion at last years VMAs, you know that JT is just as much a showman as he ever was – well, I mean he’s only 32 – and tonight’s show should be quite a spectacle. This show was sold out[...]

Tonight: Lady Gaga

July 7, 2014

Mother Monster Lady Gaga takes the stage tonight at First Niagara Center, the latest stop on the megastar’s summer tour, the ARTPOP Ball. As the tour name suggests, the show promises to be more than just a concert. If it’s anything like what we’ve come to expect from Gaga, it will elevate the pop music genre into an artistic, theatrical experience, something no audience member will ever forget. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets start at $37.50 and are available through tickets.com and the First Niagara Center Box Office.