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Tonight: Lydia Loveless

There’s an emerging consensus that holds that Columbus, Ohio native Lydia Loveless can do no wrong. A singer/songwriter of uncommon clarity, grit, and conviction, she seems to defiantly hold the very promise and potential of American music in her hands. Having just stuffed the sophomore slump in the trunk of her car and on the road behind her just released Somewhere Else, Loveless returns to the Sportsmen’s Tavern stage tonight along with Toronto alt-country trio Elliot Brood. Tickets are $17 and doors open at 7pm.

Tonight: Max Garcia Conover

After ending his Bon Iver-like exhile and hitting the road for a few weeks with fellow Maine folkies, the Ghost of Paul Revere, the Portland based Max Garcia Conover will bring his tour to WNY tonight with a weekend ending set at the Sportsmen’s Tavern in Black Rock. Tonight will be a homecoming gig of sorts for the Jamestown born musician, and despite spending the last month on the road, Conover has still been keeping up with this (near) weekly release of new songs/videos as part of his unique crowd funding project through Patreon. Further info can be found here. Conover and the Ghost of Paul Revere, will hit the stage at the Sportsmen’s later on this evening, beginning at 8:30pm. Cover is $10 at the door.

Tonight: Two Cow Garage

It’s not often that we get to write about a show at the Sportsmen’s Tavern, but then again, it’s not that often that we get to feature a show from Two Cow Garage. The Columbus, OH based band was once a Mohawk Place mainstay. The band (think an alt-country Gaslight Anthem) has been swapping shows with bands like Roger Bryan & The Orphans for quite some time. Tonight, Two Car Garage is slotted for a three hour performance. Please note that the artists have a 3 hour window to complete the show. This does not meant the performance will be 3 hours in length, but here’s hoping. Show starts at 8pm for $10 at the door.

Tonight: Elliott Brood

The Sportsmen’s Tavern will be rocking tonight when Canadian band Elliott Brood takes the stage to wow concertgoers with the rootsy music upon which it’s built its reputation. Referred to in the past as “death country” or “frontier revival,” Elliott Brood’s music has oft-explored the pains of growing up and the universal discomforts of youth; today, fresh off the release of Work and Love, the band explores the nature of more-mature-but-just-as-painful lost loves, broken hearts, and the universal discomforts of being all grown up. Tickets were $14 in advance and $17 today at the door and are selling fast. Doors open at 7pm, with the show slated to start at 8pm.

Just Announced: Centro-Matic

This past weekend, Denton, TX  indie outfit, Centro-Matic, posted on its website that its upcoming December tour would be last as the quartet plans to go on an indefinite hiatus following the tour dates. The four-piece has been kicking around since the mid 90s, releasing some great, under-the-radar records, including its most recent, 2014’s Take Pride In Your Long Odds, a record that appears to be the band’s final. The farewell tour is set to include a stop in Buffalo at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Sunday, December 14th. The show is presented by Funtime, the talent buyers behind most of the shows at the Town Ballroom, Thursdays at Canalside, and the Outer Harbor Concert Series. The Centro-Matic show will be a part of a new series from Funtime at the Amherst Street venue, following last month’s Lydia Loveless show and this month’s Mike Watt date. Local crunchy, alt-country act, Roger Bryan &[...]

Tonight: Lydia Loveless

The name Lydia Loveless may not ring a bell, even though it should. The alt-country goddess hailing from Columbus, Ohio has been churning out recordings like it’s her job since she was fifteen. Loveless (who is no relation to Nashville great Patty Loveless) was born with the music business pumping through her veins. Herfather owned and operated a country music venue in her hometown, which Loveless remembers fondly. “There were always musicians around from a very early age for me, and I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s ingrained,” she says. Loveless has also built a reputation for herself, due to the subject manner of her material Song subjects have ranged from a stalker who resembles Steve Earle to one about Jeffrey Dahmer. “Sometimes I try to re-examine certain situations I’ve experienced or read about, not necessarily for a song, but just to think about it from a[...]

Tonight: Honey Spine

Local backwoods folk sensations, Honey Spine, will be bringing their intimately gritty bluegrass sound to shallow Black Rock’s Sportsmen’s Tavern tonight. The banjo-led trio could best be described as a Tom Waitsy- stripped down bluegrass stylings of William Elliott Whitmore. Lead singers Tim Martin and Brian Chieco grainy dual vocals emphasizes the group’s by-the-campfire-story-telling vibe.  A $10 cover for a show with one local band advertised on the bill may be a little steep, but #yolo. Doors at 9:30pm. Photo Credit – Rik Napoli