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Tonight: Wild Gone Girls

February 19, 2015

Under the name Wild Gone Girls, Rochester audio/visual artists Martin Freeman and Cameron Farash have been performing shows presenting a kind of feedback loop between media where their electronic, often homemade sounds control the visuals being shown and vice versa. Described as an audio/visual dreamscape that morphs into an all sensory attack, the pair’s sets sit comfortably amidst this chaos, creating an atmosphere conducive to improvisation and spontaneity. Tonight, Wild Gone Girls will bring their idiosyncratic performance to Hallwalls Arts Center for a show with fellow Rochester experimentalists Pengo, a four-piece noise band who’ve drawn comparisons to Sun Ra, Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, and NNCK. Featuring synthesizers, drums, saxophone, guitar, and vocals, Pengo combine disparate styles of fringe genres to make for a consistently evolving sound that is rooted in the avant-garde ideal. Tickets for tonight’s show are $8 general admission, $6 students/seniors, $5 members. Show starts at 8pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/157079481″[...]

Tonight: Flatsitter’s SAFE WOR(L)D

February 14, 2015

Let’s start with a brief mental exercise, run through all the possibilities one has for a Valentine’s Day activity, with a partner or with friends…Pretty cliche, pretty ‘done-to’death’ right? Well, tonight at The Foundry Lounge, there is actually something a little bit more unique, which is probably why it appears to be sold out. SAFE WOR(L)D is billed as a “shared virtual reality” experience. Guests receive a one-on-one session with an Oculus Rift, being placed in a series of utopian environments. For those unfamiliar with the Oculus Rift, it is a virtual reality headset that allows for full head movement and an overall immersive experience. This isn’t the Tron like virtual reality you remember from the ’90s. Presented by Flatsitter, this is sure to be an incredible experience for those in attendance. The first run of SAFE WOR(L)D was sold out, and from the looks of it, so is this[...]

Tonight: Johnny Cash Birthday Bash

February 6, 2015

There is no ambiguity that exists in your cranial cavity when you hear the words “The Man in Black.” Without question, you know who that is: Johnny Cash. The late country music great is an anomaly, managing to bridge generations as well as integrate them, even though he has been gone from this world for over a decade now. Tonight, the Good Neighborhood will be hosting its annual Johnny Cash tribute show, celebrating his birthday at the Allen Street staple, Nietzsche’s. Everything gets kicked off promptly at 6pm, with Cash tribute band Boy Named Sue playing its monthly happy hour, only to be followed by a lineup of both annual favorites and new comers. On the bill are The CPX, Ten Cent Howl, Stoneflower, David Michael Miller of House Union, and Jim Candytree & Megan Brown of Whiskey Reverb. Everyone has shared their song selections, promising no repeats. The happy[...]

Tonight: King Buffalo

February 6, 2015

Rock’n’roll is alive and well in the Rust Belt, and in spite of the shit weather, is making a home at Mohawk Place tonight. Rochester’s King Buffalo makes its return to our fair city with a sinewy brand of stoner hymns (Think Quest for Fire), along with Buffalo hings of heavy, Malarchuk, rock’n’roll throwback machines, the Evil Things, and Merchants/Space Wolves-by-way-of-new-name, Kharlos. This show is quintessential Buffalo winter. Drink Pabsts, get loose, shake hips, fun, smile, party. Action Jackson at 8pm.

Tonight: Ani DiFranco

February 4, 2015

Everybody has their opinion about the Lil’ Folksinger, the Buffalo-native Righteous Babe, Ani DiFranco. She has a loyal pack of followers who catch every local show they can, and also follow her to other cities. Many wake up the night of a show with a wishlist of songs they hope to hear. The number of her album releases has grown exponentially over the years, whether they be studio albums or a part of her live series. Her merch, bearing the iconic flexing pixie-cut chick, continues to sell. Through activism and a fight for preservation, DiFranco helped save the old church on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, which is now coined Babeville. It is home to the headquarters for Righteous Babe Records, her self-established label, as well as Asbury Hall, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, and the Ninth Ward bar. It would be an understatement to say that Ani DiFranco has been busy[...]

Tonight: Genocide Pact

January 22, 2015

Whoa. Genocide Pact is heavy. Like, brain crushingly heavy. If your thing is old school death metal (ala low-end, riff bludgeoning), you’d best be advised to get to Mohawk tonight to check em out. I probably listened to “Despotism” off their bandcamp 5x trying to figure out how they got down to such a low register. There’s some cool locals to round the bill out too – Junk Drawer, Cal Dripkin and Armageddon – a beautiful sweaty mix of heavy. thrash, groove, and thunder, all at your fingertips. $7 for 7pm.

Tonight: Bill Nehill Tape Release Show

January 21, 2015

Bill Nehill should be no stranger to anyone who grew up in the Buffalo independent music scene. For years, he was Mohawk Place’s resident bartender, and, along with Pete, Marty and a slew of others, was one of the faces of our favorite neighborhood haunt. He’s also a fantastic musician and songwriter. Whether performing solo or with Magi Chippie, or anyone else for that matter, Bill speaks truth through his music, evoking the very real sense that he’s been there and lived it. Tonight, Bill would like you to join him for the release of Forward to Ministry Autumn, his new cassette tape. In his own words, Ministry is “six songs written in a hypomanic spree early in the summer and recorded on a September morning in a grey grain silo with one mic.” This couldn’t take place anywhere BUT Mohawk (7pm) and features some other familiar faces in Matthew[...]

Today: Cold Blood MMXV

January 17, 2015

Good fests come along once in a blue moon, and, with respect to our lovely little wintry wonderland, are somewhat of a anomaly here in the Queen City. Oh sure, you have your Veggie Fests and Decency Rallies, but Buffalo is a “what have you done for me lately” kinda place. We are blessed in that sense. Buffalo breeds the toughest and the most dedicated. Not quick to rest on their laurels, the movers and shakers of the scene embody the DIY ethic that has made punk and hardcore the most significant form of underground music in the last 30 years. Case in point: Cold Blood MMXV, a 17 band first-run fest featuring some of the best and most rippingest (fuck a vocab) in local punk and hardcore (and a bunch of out of towers too) brought to you by Josh Smith, owner of Black Dots and Melody Seymour from[...]

Tonight: Tribute to the Legendary Lance Diamond

January 9, 2015

My beginnings of seeing live music (and drinking while seeing said live music) will forever be intrinsically linked to the music and performances of Lance Diamond, and I doubt I am alone in this sentiment. While it was easy for me to get behind his James Brown-style groove mastery, almost all Buffalonians had a reason to see a Lance Diamond show, regardless of musical preference. The soul genre has always reached a higher level of expression from Lance, and his energy was infectious. His interactions with the crowd, especially one full of ladies, was always pure entertainment, and made the Elmwood Lounge (now Milkie’s) a spot of local heritage and funk for all our city to enjoy. And I haven’t even mentioned the costume changes! It would be admirable enough to wear sequined attire night after night, year after year, through all our Buffalo winters, but to also costume change,[...]

Tonight: The Silks

January 9, 2015

Here’s the key to being a cool rock’n’roll band: Authenticity. Real deal, tried and true grit, spunk and ‘tude. You can have the riffs, the looks…even the swagger can be faked. But Authenticity is something that can only be felt. The Silks are as true as it gets. Heavy, soulful, boogie-in-the-heels rock that harkens back to the days when rock’n’roll was the coolest thing on the planet. A true mish-mash of Mountain thunder, ZZ sleaze, and Hooker-blues, the Silks feel right…and that’s a cool thing. Along for the ride tonight our Silky Rhode Islanders are accompanied by Buffalo’s own kings of groove, Second Trip and Lockport Boogie-merchants, Handsome Jack. $5 to swing at where else? The ‘Hawk.

Tonight: Cruelster

December 28, 2014

Cleveland has a long history of cool, aggressive bands. See: Any of Tony Erba’s projects, Integrity, list goes on and on. Add Cruelster to that list; part rock’n’roll, part punk, full on aggression. They’re playing tonight too. Ocean Garden Oriental Foods on Niagara for a measly $fiver. Surf birds, Aaron and the Burrs, and lady elves, Cross Stitch, open the thing. Working on elf time, not punk time. 8pm sharp for a sunday night. Get it out.

Tonight: Rotten EP Release Party

December 27, 2014

The boys in Rotten have been called a lot of things but nice isn’t one of em. Glue splattered, filth-punk with some anarchistic flare, England’s favorite sons have been laying down a path of slime-strewn indecency since their inception. Whether live or recorded on wax these boys deliver the goods and do so in spades, inspiring sweet, sick madness. BUT BEWARE. They will ruin anything they touch and consume anything they can get their filthy hands on. They’re just a wee bit off-kilter. It makes sense then that their new EP is titled Bat Shit Crazy. You have to be a little crazy to inspire the kind of punk as hell attitude that these fellas cop. Do yourself a favor and head down to Mohawk Place tonight (6 bands for 6 bux!) and pick up a copy. It’s their release show and it would really make them happy. Then again,[...]

Tonight: Breakout

December 19, 2014

In this day and age hardcore and punk bands are a dime a dozen. It takes a special something to capture the ear, beyond the slosh and genre-defining milieu…we’re looking to be inspired. Breakout have all the intangibles to make them stick out from the pack. Their songs are bloody good; hooky and slightly unhinged. You can hear them pull elements from early SoCal punk bands, and make the link to modern hardcore. All with style and poise. Tonight you can find the lone star punks at Ocean Garden Oriental Foods (1233 Niagara St.) along with locals Pissing Match, New Vision, and out of towners Pure Disgust and Hard Stripes. A solid bill filled with some great bands and it’s only $8. Get down to the spot tonight. 7pm for doors, 8pm for punk.

Tonight: Bro Safari

December 16, 2014

Texas based producer Nick Weiller, better known as Bro Safari, has been producing trap, dubstep, and moombahton tracks since 2008 and has since become a mainstay in the American EDM scene with appearances on Mad Decent’s Jeffree’s imprint and BBC Radio 1’s Diplo and Friends mix show. With a versatile approach to production, Weiller is able to create sinister, stark sounding tracks with an underlying melodic sensibility that makes for a maximalist, relentless listening experience. Tonight, the DJ/producer with perform at Buffalo’s Town Ballroom along with Miami turntablist and DMC world champion DJ Craze. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here. Doors open at 8pm. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/73982474″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Tonight: Facility Men

December 4, 2014

Facility Men are messy in the best kinda way. Loose and gravelly, discordant rock, with a rough-around-the-edges approach…probably one of the coolest current bands in the Buffalo crop. Plus Teo’s a madman live so you should probably check em out. They’re playing tonight at the Jungle Gym (9pm), with those fleshiest of Fleshy Mounds and Slotfillers. You know where the Jungle Gym is and if you don’t, well, don’t ask me. $5 as per the usual.