Latest Posts

Tonight: Yonatan Gat

July 12, 2016

Yonatan Gat, former guitarist to traveling psych-band, Monotonix, brings his slick licks to Mohawk Place tonight for surely what will be a mind-melting performance. Since Monotonix’s break-up at the tail end of 2011, Gat went solo, evolving his sound from heavy guitar riffs a la Led Zeppelin to more intricate, jazzy psych vibes similar to a playful Mars Volta. Gat’s work is incredibly awe-inspiring, to quote SPIN  “…cults have been formed over less.” Without a doubt, this is well worth heading downtown on a Tuesday night. Also on the bill are local punkers Slow Cooker and Radiation Risks, along with returning psych-folk act via Austin, Calliope Musicals. Doors are at 7pm and there is an $8 cover.

Tonight: Herd Fest Day Three

June 18, 2016

Herd Fest day three – another full day of banging musical acts highlighting the best of the best in the WNY region and beyond. Today’s programming spans six of Buffalo’s finest venues. Right about now, you should be lacing up your converse and smoothing your hair to make it to the Record Theatre showcase at 2:00pm. Indie-poppers Good Neighbors, gritty DIY-ers Slowcooker, avant-garde act Lifemusic Mit Andre, songstress Velvet Bethany, and glammy Whiner are all playing today. It’s a $5 cover all across town tonight (unless you have our all-access wristband). After Record Theatre, Mohawk Place is hosting an early showcase starting at 6:30pm. Spooky rockers FKA SHEDS are starting the night out, followed by lo-fi grungers Nylon Otters, calculated post-punk act Hundred Plus Club, and Rochester garage twang Cantelope. We suggest you snag some dinner and head over – this showcase would be a great way to start off your[...]

Tonight: Secret Pizza

June 9, 2016

If the big crowds at Canalside ain’t your thing, or if you just want to keep the fun going well into the night, then head on down to Mohawk Place later on as Rochester’s Secret Pizza heads west to headline a stacked indie rock bill. The fuzzy four-piece, fresh off the heels of releasing its debut record Nothing Needs to Happen (one of our most recent Albums of the Week) via Dadstache Records, is on night two of its 10-day tour of the Northeast to support the album. Nothing Needs to Happen has a bit of everything: post rock, grunge, shoegaze, plus the joined forces of co-singers Phil Shaw and Gina Caliolo carrying the booming songs through heavy riffs, sneaky melodies, and plenty of distortion. The full album can and should be listened to here prior to tonight’s set. It’s pretty great. Band buddies Del Paxton will be supporting Secret Pizza, along with a[...]

Tonight: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires

June 8, 2016

The Thursdays at Canalside Concert Series kicks off tonight in magnificent style with the return of Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. One of the new soul legends on the mighty Daptone Records label headquartered in Brooklyn,  Bradley has emerged as one of the most potent voices on this scene or any scene, a soul man of incredible range, dexterity and smooth grit who has walked the walk and talked the talk during his 67 years on this Earth. In the last week of his current tour behind his latest release Changes, named after his wonderful cover of the Black Sabbath classic, Charles Bradley will be unleashing his realer than real and instantly vintage brand of soul with opening support courtesy of Vin DeRosa, winner of the Public’s Battle of the Bands. The show starts at 6pm. Admission is of course free with VIP tickets available for $55.

Tonight: Catfish and the Bottlemen

June 2, 2016

There’s a few styles of music that I hold a certain soft spot for, but perhaps none are as near and dear to my heart as British indie rock, whether it’s the pop-infused satirical musings of bands like Blur and Pulp or the working class rock of bands like Oasis or the Libertines. Catfish and the Bottlemen are definitely a band born out of the tradition of the latter; a capital-R rock band who’s anthems of being young, drunk, and in-and-out of love are custom built to sing along to at football stadiums and summer music festivals. Tonight, the Welsh lad rockers arrive in Buffalo fresh off the release of their impressive sophomore record, The Ride. An album which demonstrates the band continuing to grow their sound and ambition. Catfish and the Bottlemen are know for their dynamic and energetic live show which was the talk of Glastonbury when I[...]

Tonight: Jeff the Brotherhood

May 7, 2016

Tonight, one of indie rock’s most celebrated “it” bands will be gracing the stage at the Waiting Room (Studio). Jeff the Brotherhood has been a consistent highlight of the scene for the past few years. Their assorted mix of sounds, ranging from punk to garage rock to psychedelic heavy-fuzz crunch, has made them a constant talked about band, especially since they’ve split releases with other great bands such as Best Coast and Ty Segall. The duo will be sharing the stage tonight with another celebrated “live act” (one of many bloggers favorites for best live shows), Diarrhea Planet. Don’t let the name dissuade you. Diarrhea Planet write some of the catchiest songs in the pop/punk/garage realm and kill audiences consistently with their all-out assault. Openers tonight include Buffalo’s own MAGS and Deadwolf. Get there at 7 to check out all the bands ($17).

Tonight: Reverend Horton Heat

April 29, 2016

In the year 2016, no band quite embodies the spirits of the ’50’s like Reverend Horton Heat.  With an obsession for Buddy Holly meets Chuck Berry style rock’n’roll, stand up bass slides, flame colored everything, and rollicking rockabilly licks the Rev have steadily built up a loyal fanbase, as crazy about hot rods, bikes and those “good ol'” years, as you’re gonna find. Tonight, along with Nashville Pussy, another  hard-edged, slighty more worshipping of AC/DC hard rock band, Unknown Hinson and Lucky Tubb the band will play the Tralf, in what has seemingly become a tradition.  There are still tickets left at $28 but get there early (7pm). Chances are this one’ll sell out.

Tonight: Attic Abasement

April 23, 2016

Attic Abasement are undoubtedly one of the breakout upstate New York bands of 2016. If If you are unfamiliar with the Rochester-based trio, think a mopier Parquet Court, and a teensy amount of instrumental comparison from the abrupt, explosive leads of Make Believe. Perhaps an even better comparison would be a bedroom-ridden Pavement. With positive reviews from Pitchfork and Spin Magazine endorsing Attic Abasement, you know these guys are certainly worth checking out. The band will be playing selections from their upcoming release, Dream News (our May 27th), along with some of their greatest hits. Come out to their show tomorrow at Milkie’s at 9pm. Also on the bill are backwoods indie band Mr. Boneless and agressive indie-punkers Passed Out. $5 cover.

Tonight: Hundred Plus Club

April 17, 2016

Mohawk Place is set to host a sleepy Sunday show this evening, headlined by touring indie power-pop musician, Sam Vicari,  but the band that has really caught out eye is Buffalo-based quartet, Hundred Plus Club, who will be on support. Hundred Plus Club’s got a sound like Tokyo Police Club: matter-of-fact drums, near spoken singing, and exciting, colorful riffs on both the bass and electric guitars. The band recently released an EP recorded at World of Noise sSudios titled Three Songs.. The brief three song snapshot of the band’s repertoire are all equally upbeat, despite some dwelling lyrics. New listeners will appreciate the dance-and-sway vibes of Hundred Plus Club. Also on the bill are Small Smalls and Andrew Kothen. Doors at  8pm with a $5 cover.

Tonight: TORCHE

April 11, 2016

TORCHE is set to play Studio at The Waiting Room this evening for undoubtedly one of the best sleeper shows this year. Upon releasing their fourth full-length album, TORCHE received many blessings from their stoner rock forefathers in Sir Lord Baltimore and Kyuss. The songs and videos they’ve been slinging certainly hit that psychedelic-metal atmosphere, and I have to admit, I played the TORCHE VS. ROBOTS video game for quite a bit. The Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game-like recreational computer game was utilized to forward their latest release, Restarter. Songs like “Annihilation,” “Minions,” and”Blasted” grant listeners a provocative taste of TORCHE’s most current offer. “Barrier Hammer” plays exactly how the words are interpreted; get together with your desert rock brethren and have a hell of a time invading each others’ spaces via headbanging, moshing, or just standing around. Doors are at 8pm with a $15 cover. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWt7V-E9S7U]

Tonight: Kurt Vile

March 31, 2016

Much could be said about Kurt Vile; He is seen at once as indie’s Dylan, a lone troubadour with a unique voice; he co-founded indie darlings, The War on Drugs, he has released some of the most iconic, unclassifiable albums in recent years. I prefer to think of him as an “artist”, in the truest sense of the word. He is a purveyor of truth in a sea of passer-bys. I remember when I first heard Kurt. Smoke Ring for My Halo had just come out and I was recommended the album by my sister. Released as a companion piece, the So Outta Reach EP was, in effect, disc two, and one particular track endeared me to Kurt right from the go. “Life’s a Beach” came as a storm at a time when I was trying to figure out where I was going in life, and, as if in an “a-ha”[...]

Tonight: BAMBARA

March 28, 2016

Brooklyn’s BAMBARA are finishing up their largely southern and midwestern SWARM-promoting tour circuit within the Empire State. This noisy three-piece plays punk, noise rock with a bluesy, southern twang. BAMBARA, at its core, sounds like a less sibilant METZ mashed with Dads’ ballsy instrumentals. Their songwriting and live performances earned them a spot in this year’s SXSW roster, and they achieved a third place rating in Paste Magazine’s “The 20 Best Bands We Saw at SXSW 2016.” This might make up for fellow SXSW buzzband, Bethlehem Steel, and their bad luck last weekend by being unable to play at Nietzsche’s due to van trouble. Tonight’s show is at The Glitterbox. Supporting acts include Pretty Girls Make Graves-like Alpha Hopper, the garage delinquents in Hot Tip, and the punk rockers forming Facility Men. Doors are at 6. Bring $6.

Tonight: Mac Sabbath

March 27, 2016

The concept of people dressed as McDonalds fast food characters playing Black Sabbath songs, whilst condemning the wrongs of the fast food industry, shouldn’t work. It’s so over the top; so patently ridiculous, that if I was to tell you there was such a group, you would probably say the juggalo’s are running out of ideas. But for some strange reason Mac Sabbath not only works it’s caught on like wild fire. The purveyors of “drive thru metal” have certainly found a niche in the world of “let’s party while we take a satirical approach to metal music and parody some pretty bad-ass songs”. A Mac Sabbath show is like a true nightmare wrapped in a day dream; equal parts Manson as it is Andrew WK, and this clash of ideas, makes it work. The Tralf hosts our viral heroes (Mac rose to power through their impact on metal media[...]

Tonight: Unearth

March 18, 2016

In the metalcore sphere, bands are a dime a dozen. One here, one there; most of whom are indecipherable from one another. Formula;  intro, fast part, chorus, fast part, scream, breakdown to fade. Unearth, pioneers of the movement and stylistic shred wizards are the exception to that rule. Since their inception in the late 90’s they have continually upped the game with a series of transcendent hardcore-influenced metal albums, equal parts mosh and melody. Nobody can rip a lead quite like Buz, or Ken for that matter. And nobody wails quite like Trevor. Ear shredding vocals, thunderous breakdowns and traces of tasty Pantera-like groove, make Unearth one of the most dynamic and interesting bands in the genre today. Still riding high off of their excellent 2014 release, Watchers of Rule, Unearth will be calling Montage Music Hall in Rochester home, if just for the night (doors at 7:30, $20). Also[...]

Tonight: Carcass

March 7, 2016

Carcass is a name that bears a lot of weight in the metal community. One of the pioneers of technical melodic death metal and grind, the band hit their stride most infamously with their seminal album, Heartwork; a daring display of brutality and harmonized chaos. After breaking up in the mid-90’s the band reformed roughly ten years later, and have since released Surgical Steel, a worthy album to add to their worshipped catalog. Tonight see’s Carcass on a rare Buffalo visit as they visit the Waiting Room, along with highly touted locals Gas Chamber and Rochester’s Blurring. This is one of those rare “I can’t believe they’re here,” show-of-the-year candidates. Certainly one of the most talked about metal shows in recent years. My advice: Get there early; tickets could sell out, and you don’t want to hear your friends talk about what a memorable time you missed out on either.