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Tonight: Difficult Night

July 2, 2015

Mohawk Place will host an all-locals show tonight to enjoy this long Buffalo Fourth of July weekend with some American music. Hometown mainstays Difficult Night plays rock and roll that falls somewhere between Violent Femmes and either the White Stripes or the Goo Goo Dolls, maybe some Springsteen. Lifemusik Mit Andre is making his way downtown with his experimental home recording sound, while the gritty and spooky girls of Space is Haunted thankfully have taken a break from their summer hiatus. Finally, Peter Kirsch, kinda weird and kinda dance-y, rounds out the night. Doors are at 8pm and for $5, you can kick off, or continue, your weekend.

Herd Fest 2015: Day 1

June 23, 2015

This past Thursday night, local haunt Mohawk Place hosted the opening ceremonies to Herd Fest 2015, featuring performances from Bryan Johnson & Family, Attic Abasement, Pleistocene, and DJ sets from Mohawk regulars, Transmission Dance Party. Herd Fest photographer, Canadace Camuglia, was on hand to catch all of the action. Browse through some select photos below and visit Herd Fest’s facebook page for a full gallery of day 1. Check back in all this week for the remaining festival galleries.

A Place to Bury Strangers

June 19, 2015

Quintessential Brooklyn band  A Place to Bury Strangers descends upon Mohawk Place tonight. The noise rock trio is on tour promoting its new album Transfixiation and the band is still not afraid to take any chances. The album comes off the heels of the closure of iconic Brooklyn venue Death by Audio, where APTBS was closely affiliated, and in the spirit of the scene, the band is maturing and evolving. With elements of spacey shoegaze to supplement its loud chaos, the band’s feedback laden wall of sound is an intense experience. Instrumental post-rock band Sannhet from Brooklyn and Buffalo cool crew Alpha Hopper are opening up the gig at 8pm. This show is special addition to Herd Fest and the first fifteen people to show up with Herd Fest wristbands get in for free! Otherwise its going to be $15 at the  door.

buffaBLOG Opening Ceremony

June 18, 2015

Even before last year’s inaugural Herd Fest was complete, we were already starting to think about what we wanted to do differently for year two. Shuffling up some showcases and venues were near the top of the list, but the first priority was to expand. And that’s exactly what we did, taking a two day, seven showcase festival and pretty much doubling it. In doing so, we were able to feature more acts, different genres, and team up with some of the most creative minds in the Buffalo music scene. Tonight at Mohawk Place, we will kick the festival off with our “opening ceremony,” the blog’s featured showcase. As with all of ours shows, we like to mix local and out of town acts on the bill, so joining local lake-poppers, Bryan Johnson & Family, will be Rochester’s Attic Abasement and a late add to the festival, Pleistocene. And we[...]

White Lung w/ Obliterations, Utah Jazz at Mohawk Place (6/15/15)

June 17, 2015

This past Monday, Vancouver punk outfit, White Lung, brought its frenzied live show to the Mohawk Place. Local punks Utah Jazz kicked the night off with a short but sweet set, followed by some blasting hardcore tracks from Obliterations. White Lung commanded the show with its squealing guitars and piercing vocals, keeping the crowd moving the whole time. Check out our photos below. Utah Jazz Obliterations White Lung  White Lung Setlist “Sycophant” “Face Down” “Monster” “Bad Way” “Bag” “Wrong Star” “Snake Jaw” “I Believe You” “Just For You” “Down It Goes” “Thick Lip” “Two of You” “Blow it South” “Take the Mirror”    

Just Announced: Bully

June 15, 2015

After receiving some serious buzz throughout the blogosphere for its debut LP, Feels Like, the Nashville quartet of Bully is set to ride said buzz into Mohawk Place this fall on Saturday, September 26th. Referred to as a female fronted Cloud Nothings by some, the band’s debut record is a collection of anthemic punk-pop filled with angst and aggression, so the comparison seems apt. While Feels Like does not drop until June 23rd, its currently streaming in full over on NPR’s First Listen. While ticket prices have yet to be announced, you can grab one for the fall engagement starting this Friday.

Pattern Is Movement at Mohawk Place (6/14/15)

June 15, 2015

If you missed Pattern Is Movement last night, you didn’t miss a show, you missed an opportunity to hang out with a couple of really cool guys. Andrew Thiboldeaux and Chris Ward, the two members of the band, are nearing the end of the project, and made one last stop at Mohawk Place last night that was nothing short of intimate. As the forgetful, muggy, and grey Buffalo summer day drew to an end, and a light crowd slowly filled up the reddish insides of the Mohawk, three drum sets sat at the stage in the back of the venue, which probably broke some sort of drums-per-capita record inside the venue as the only other instruments up there were the two keyboard-synths Thiboldeaux would later sing through. CCDS (Death Squad) ended up being tapped in as the opening for Pattern after a whirlwind of changes to the opening act, and the[...]

Michael Tripi of Buffalo Beer Mug Co.

June 15, 2015

Last week, we had the chance to grab a pint with Buffalo Beer Mug Co. founder Michael Tripi at one of his old watering holes, Mohawk Place, to talk music and beer. Tripi’s company creates custom branded barware for local businesses and breweries. In addition to working with local craft brewers, Tripi also sells his own line of fictitious beer branded bar ware inspired by local icons, people, and places. This month, his company launched some new products including a pint glass titled “East Mohawk Punk Bock.” And with our Herd Fest Opening Ceremonies just a couple days away at, you guessed it, Mohawk Place, we figured this was as good as a time as any to talk to him. buffaBLOG: So tell me about East Mohawk Punk Bock? Michael Tripi: I’ve always been one for nostalgia, and Punk Bock is a tribute of sorts to my college years when[...]

Tonight: White Lung

June 15, 2015

White Lung is a cool band from Vancouver, British Columbia which reminds me of Nardwuar and gets me wondering what he might show the four piece about its past albums and sounds. Maybe it’s that Canadian Indie Music Award nomination or all that good press from music magazines about 2012’s Sorry (because every song on that release is a jam). White Lung plays gritty punk for fans of RVIVR, The Measure [SA], and Priests. Obliterations, hardcore from Los Angeles, are on tour with White Lung, and local band Utah Jazz (with members from Mayday! and Brown Sugar) have the garage punk niche covered for tonight. Be at Mohawk Place tonight at 8pm with $12 at the door or you might be sorry.

Tonight: Pattern is Movement

June 14, 2015

Philadelphia indie duo, Pattern is Movement, is going on one last run before throwing in the towel this summer. After nearly fifteen years and five studio albums, the band will come to an end this coming Saturday in the pair’s Phily hometown, but not before making a stop in Buffalo this evening at Mohawk Place. The genre shifting duo, which over the years has incorporated elements of math rock, r&b, hip hop, neo-soul, and gospel into its cerebral catalog over the years, dropped its ultimately final album, Pattern is Movement, last year. The self titled swan song should appeal to fans of Dirty Projectors, Gayngs, Volcano Choir, and TV on the Radio. Opening for Pattern is Movement is Buffalo’s experimental drum duo, CCDS (Death Squad). Music kicks off this evening at 8pm with a cover of $10.

Tonight: Humble Braggers

June 13, 2015

After a dreary day of shopping for flower sprinklers and silhouette cut-outs at the Allentown Art Festival, you’d best find yourself at Mohawk Place this evening. Humble Braggers will be releasing their excellent new EP, Disposable Friends, full of lush synth-heavy tunes a la Passion Pit or Joywave. This release is the next strong contender to come from record label Admirable Traits. Rounding out the night are two newish Buffalo bands, the ex-ICSM led THICK WINTER BLUD and The National-esque Sixties Future, as well as the Rochester synthmasters in Sea Planes. All in all, tonight should be an incredible show. Doors are at 8:00pm and $8 gets you in – don’t forget, that admission price comes with a copy of Disposable Friends. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/202715178″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: Sebadoh

June 4, 2015

Sebadoh is hard to describe. The trio’s career, and subsequent sound, spans over a decade. They are kind of lo-fi, kind of all-American rock and roll, sometimes screamy, and a little experimental. I can only liken listening to their discography to that Dinosaur Jr. cover of “Just Like Heaven:” chaotic. But I am probably projecting; founding member Lou Barlow took a hiatus from Dinosaur Jr. to start Sebadoh in 1989. The lo-fi Cleveland act, Total Babes, which feature members of Cloud Nothings, open the show. The group sounds like it records in your bedroom, which is a good thing. Total Babes are cool, effortless, and clever. This should be a sweet start of summer gig. Sebadoh and Total Babes play at Mohawk Place tonight for $15. Doors open at 7pm.

Wildhoney Band, Baltimore

Tonight: Wildhoney

June 2, 2015

Baltimore-based Wildhoney has been pegged as the latest ‘shoegaze’ band, which is a box they quite dislike. While they do incorporate elements of gazing into their tunes, Wildhoney’s melodic trajectories are quite clear, whereas groups like My Bloody Valentine & Slowdive integrate deeper walls of sound and repetitive, other-wordly chords. Wildhoney strays away from drowned out sensations, and creates an upbeat, pop-tinged array. Think 60’s chick bands vibin’ with 80’s bands like The Cure or The Sundays. The elements of shoegaze, therefore, are a stylistic approach to the indie-pop music they classify themselves as. This year, the group put out their first full length LP, called Sleep Through It. The album includes early song releases, personal favorites such as “Seventeen Forever” and “Get Out Of My Dreams.” Lauren Shusterich’s lush chords sing catchy lyrics that we can all relate to on a personal level, touching on the nostalgic and depressive[...]

Tonight: Matt “MV” Valentine

June 1, 2015

Today is Monday. If you’re one of those people who just can’t seem to say goodbye to that sweet, sweet weekend (acute weekend separation anxiety syndrome, or AWSAS), then take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay. Tonight, underground-ish experimental psyche superstar Matt “MV” Valentine makes a return to the Queen City in support of his sprawling new double LP Midden Mound, an album that will probably make you forget what day of the week it is, anyway. Valentine, one half of folk duo MV & EE, is known for his mind-bending neo-psychedelia; his new album conjures up a good Dark Side of the Moon feel, albeit seared with his signature style of experimentation that will melt your weekday blues away. Opening talent for Valentine’s stop at Mohawk place includes indie folk singer/songwriter Chase Huglin (Fort Wayne, IN), Scott Valkwitch / Bill Nehill duo (of Mohawk Place royalty), Steve Baczkowski /[...]

Staff Picks: Most Anticipated Shows of the Summer

May 22, 2015

The Public kind of beat us to the punch with its whole “Best Summer Ever” proclamation in this week’s issue, but we have to agree with the paper on this one, at least in a live music sense. Every year, the city’s summer music schedule seems to get better and busier, with bands coming to town they may have passed us for Toronto or Cleveland in the past. Between the revitalized Canalside schedule to the endless club shows that get announced on a seemingly daily basis,  this very well may be the best (music) summer ever. Below are a list of staff picks, selecting our most anticipated Buffalo shows of the season (Spoiler: a bunch of us are pretty hyped for Spoon). For more summer options, make sure to check out our events calendar here. Jon Krol Ceremony w/ Pity Sex at Mohawk Place (7/5/15) Anyone who’s ever seen Ceremony[...]