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Tonight: M.A.G.S.

August 18, 2019

Tonight, Buffalo-native turned California rock and roller M.A.G.S. makes yet another long-awaited pilgrimage back to the Queen City to dazzle us with a night filled with incredible music. Starting in 2015, the mind behind M.A.G.S., Elliot Douglas, has been steadily writing and recording some of the most anthemic garage-rocky songs with no signs of slowing down or downturn in quality. Head on down to Milkie’s on Elmwood this evening and you will catch not only him, but some of the best indie-riffage that Buffalo has to offer. Supporting M.A.G.S. on stage tonight will be some of our favorites in local up-and-comers Johnny & the Man Kids as well as the grungy-yet-catchy Nylon Otters. Doors open at 7pm, cover is $8. Written by Mike Rakiecki

M.A.G.S. at Nietzsche’s (12/22/18)

December 27, 2018

Elliott Douglas, the multi-talented musical force behind M.A.G.S. came home for the holidays for a headlining slot at Buffalo’s Nietzsche’s on December 22nd. Having recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his artistic muse, this rare opportunity for M.A.G.S. to play the Queen City was met with a rapturous response, as friends, peers, and fans came out of the woodwork in support of Douglas. A gifted singer-songwriter and a serious multi-instrumentalist, Douglas was joined by his brother Christian on bass and Deadwolf’s Tyler Mendola on drums for a raucous evening of impactful indie-punk classics, including a selection of brand-new songs. Supporting acts that evening included Feverbox, playing in support of their new Political Theater EP, Rochester’s The Demos, keeping the spirit of The Strokes alive and well, and powder-keg punks SMUG, setting the stage for a night of playful mayhem. SMUG The Demos Feverbox M.A.G.S.

M.A.G.S. Returns with New Single “Demon”

July 21, 2017

Buffalo-based multi-instrumentalist M.A.G.S. released “Demon,” the first single off his forthcoming self-titled album, due out September 8th via Admirable Traits Records. M.A.G.S., the moniker for Elliott Douglas, has proven to be on a quick rise to popularity. After his debut EP Cellophane in in 2015, his work was featured on the soundtracks for TV shows including Shameless, The Flash and Famous In Love. Douglas looks to continue his rise through “Demon.” Nestled under dreamy guitar riffs, we find Douglas’ falsetto vocals. Effects draw these vocals out further, giving them some grit and character. All the instruments on the track are played by Douglas, so we are left with a consistent product throughout. Check out the music video for “Demon’ below via YouTube.

Tonight: Herd Fest Day 2

June 16, 2017

After a successful night one of Herd Fest where we saw Sammus take the crowd in the palm of her hand and Award Show burst our eardrums, we are psyched to continue on to night two. Mohawk Place starts early at 6pm with loop artist Griffin! and indie folk singer Kerry Fey playing Happy Hour. If you are there before 8pm, there is no cover and $2 PBRs and $2 off all drafts. Doors start at 7:30pm with a $7 cover. Slotted to open the night is atmospheric producer qwelis, followed by raw indie rock act Jack, and Rochester slackrockers Big Fred. At 10pm, soaring synth rock act Humble Braggers hits the main stage followed by up-and-coming indie rockers Nylon Otters, cavernous experimental rock act Bold Folly and  hip hop wordsmith Dean Chatham capping of the night. Milkie’s is set to host a night of local hip hop with sets[...]

Tonight: Tyler Mendola

December 16, 2016

Milkie’s is set to feature three Buffalo-based musicians performing stripped down acoustic sets. Set to play tonight is Tyler Mendola, from the retro, psychedelic Deadwolf-pack. His music is sure to swoon, and his performance should shine new light upon what is typically expected of the frontman. Supporting Mendola are Yes Yes and Elliot Douglas (M.A.G.S.): Yes Yes (Michael Ersing) is a unique, Xiu Xiu-esque take on the singer-songwriter stance with and Elliot Douglas is a local garage rocker also turning to the face’s acoustic cheek. Word on the street is he may be doing some Malones covers. Doors are at 9pm and there is a $5 cover. Stream Deadwolf’s “Shine” below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/284849978″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

M.A.G.S.

September 1, 2015

M.A.G.S. is the main project of Elliott Douglas, the multi-faceted Buffalo musician who has been a member of, by his count, about 14 different bands in the area over the years. Somehow distantly related to Jimi Hendrix, through marriage or something like that (you can hear his story about his relative in the interview halfway through the session), Douglas effortlessly fronts the his three piece band with creative little guitar riffs and vocal belts that sometimes come out in focused and graceful yells. Bassist Andy Wesner and drummer Adam Lilley complete the trio that create a sound that could fool you into thinking they had something crazy, like four members in their group. However, as this handy buffaBLOG session will show you, they only need themselves to “rock out,” no matter the venue. Even if it’s outside of a warehouse at dusk on a hot summer night. Oh, and it’s[...]

Tonight: Attic Abasement

August 7, 2015

If you like Fridays, if you like Nietzsche’s, if you like stacked bills at Nietzsche’s, there is a 100% chance that you should locate your physical being there for tonight’s gem of a lineup. Hailing from Rochester, Attic Abasement is a low-fi indie trio who’s slack-rock sound unites a quiescent attitude with effortlessly disheveled vocals and instrumentals. Frontman Mike Rheinheimer’s voice, at times, bears sonic resemblance to Dave Bazan’s (Pedro The Lion) mellow but emotionally pointed croon. It’s basement music with a simple exterior, but there’s a lyrical complexity woven in that heightens the captivation factor. Opening the show are three beloved local bands including Sixties Future, a new Gaslight Anthem-like band, MAGS, and Newish Star. Cover is only $5 and music kicks off around 10pm. Check out the Facebook event for more information.

Tonight: M.A.G.S. w/ the Soft Love

July 30, 2015

While Elliot Douglas has been part of the Buffalo music scene for quite awhile, but it wasn’t till his formation with Adam Lilley and Andy Wesner as M.A.G.S. that it seemed as if everything came into place. The trio finds itself in a middle ground between garage rock and post-punk but with hooks to rival any major pop act. This is a band that can be absolutely blistering live while still delivering sugary sweet singles. Tonight, the band continues to ride the wave of momentum its been on since the release of the Cellophane EP earlier this year. Joining them will be the Soft Love, the much-buzzed new kids on the block who’s debut single “ALL OF IT” introduced the world to their particular gritty and aggressive blues rock sound. The band has gained a glowing reputation for its live shows at local clubs and this year’s Herd Fest. This stellar[...]

Tonight: buffaBLOG 5th Birthday Party

March 28, 2015

Later tonight at Nietzsche’s, we return to the seen of the crime: our first birthday party. Looking back at the bill from that night, a lot has changed since then. Love Scenes and Arctic Death are no longer active. The birD day moved out to Portland, and the Tins just returned from SXSW. All week long, we have been spotlighting all of our birthday acts, a mix of both seasoned acts and fresh to the scene bands. In case you missed any, now is the time to catch up: Zak Ward M.A.G.S. Difficult Night Comfy Applennium Wooden Waves Music kicks off at 10pm sharp with a cover of $7. Thanks in advance for all of the support over years. We hope to see you all tonight.

M.A.G.S.

March 25, 2015

That Made Violent homecoming show the other week at Waiting Room was great for a variety of reasons, but one of my favorites was watching the crowd meet M.A.G.S., who played second at the show. It’s always enjoyable watching a crowd get introduced to an new act, but that Friday night something more happened: that audience watched M.A.G.S. with rapt attention, all eyes seemingly fixed on the three guys onstage, main man Elliott Douglas in particular. Cloaked in dreads and coiled purposefully behind his guitar and mic stand, he unleashed a mesmerizing set of bold post punk and new wave grooves that got the growing audience on his side in no time, and by the time the trio finished up, Made Violent might’ve been the hometown heroes on the verge of breaking out, but M.A.G.S. was the starlet serving notice that it were next. Which brings us to Saturday’s 5th[...]

M.A.G.S. – Cellophane

February 23, 2015

“Tonight was beautiful.” posts Elliott Douglas, the musical fulcrum behind Buffalo’s hottest new indie rock outfit, M.A.G.S. The three-word post hits Facebook at 3:11 a.m., shortly after (and undeniably in reference to) the band’s highly successful EP release party at Mohawk Place. The show was destined for success from the day it was announced; M.A.G.S. has picked up a noteworthy amount of buzz around Buffalo since self-releasing a handful of demos late last year, and the bill—rounded out with other big Buffalo acts such as Bryan Johnson & Family, The Slums, and Kharlos—was solid gold. Armed with their riot-of-a-good-time Cellophane EP and a fresh spot on the roster of Admirable Traits Records, M.A.G.S. is here to stay. Cellophane, as a whole, is the purest representation of Douglas’ ability to write hook after hook… after hook. Each of the expertly-arranged tracks brims with personality, whether it’s rhythm guitar played with the perfect amount of upstroke pep or a bass shred[...]

Tonight: M.A.G.S. EP Release

February 20, 2015

M.A.G.S., better known as wunderkind Elliott Douglas’ solo project, will be releasing its highly-anticipated debut EP tonight. Chasing the positive reception from a two-song demo released late last year, Douglas has been hard at work on Cellophane, a six song EP full of garage rock with an indie-pop tinge (think Cloud Nothings or Tokyo Police Club’s earlier days). Cellophane comes to us via Admirable Traits Records. As if that weren’t enough, support tonight comes from The Slums (featuring Douglas’ ex-Malones bandmate, Steven Floyd), Kharlos (ex-Merchants and a current Space Wolf), and everyone’s favorite lake-pop band, Bryan Johnson & Family. A copy of Cellophane will be included with admission, which is $10. Doors are at 8:00, see you at Mohawk Place.