[ROCK] There are many roads to a successful musical career, but usually the road less traveled is the one with the most gripping story. This is the case with Lowest of the Low. The roots-rock outfit arose in Toronto in the early 1990s and through grassroots efforts were able to garner a rabid local following and sell over 10,000 copies of their self-released debut, Shakespeare My Butt—quite a feat for a band with no distribution or label support.
[COMEDY] You can’t change the way you were born, but you can laugh about it, and that’s exactly what legal dwarf and comedian, Brad Williams, does and invites others to do. “They should give midgets to cancer patients,” he remarks, before launching into a slew of gut-busting dwarfism jokes, all of which have one common denominator, that laughter may not change one’s situation, but it certainly makes life more fun. Williams has joked that dwarfs could end the war in Iraq, and coincidentally has performed for troops overseas.
[ROCK] At their best, Styx are a group that’s never shied away from diving head first into new waters, boasting a catalogue that spans across four decades and countless musical styles—from metal and guitar-heavy rock to classical and techno pop. This penchant for experimentation has a sort of Bowie-esque consistency, but it’s their remarkable adoration for grandiose sounds that sets them apart from their contemporaries.
[ROCK] With the Eagles now officially a thing of the past as a result of Glen Frey’s death early this year, Don Henley carries on to support his rootsy solo disc, Cass County, out last fall on Concord. His fifth solo album in total and 15 years on from his last, Cass County features a staggering roster of guests, including Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, and, oddly enough, Mick Jagger.
[ROCK] When one of the most commercially successful rock musicians of all-time, Gene Simmons of KISS, claims that “Rock is Dead,” it may be worthwhile to get a second opinion from another practitioner. And who better to get an expert analysis from than “The Voice of Rock” himself, the man with the endless vocal range, Glenn Hughes?
[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Parties like The Bunker might be akin to a spiritual predecessor of parties like Buffalo’s Strange Allure. Though, where The Bunker is done at established venues and art spaces like Good Room, Market Hotel, and Trans Pecos, Strange Allure is done all in various underground locations. The reason we bring up The Bunker is because Strange Allure’s next guest, Eric Cloutier, is a notable artist on the label, The Bunker, which essentially acts as a release outfit for the party.
[ROCK] Counting Crows and Matchbox Twenty both encountered massive levels of commercial success in the mid-1990s with their respective debuts, thus defining the sound of a hit radio format that also included Dave Matthews Band and The Wallflowers. Though touring without Matchbox Twenty this time out, front man Rob Thomas is a perfect complement to Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz, since their voices evoke a moment in time not that long ago when guitar-centric pop still reigned supreme.
[LIT] Poetry, live electronic music, and visual performances come to Silo City on Saturday, August 13 for the next edition of the Silo City Reading Series. The Silo City Reading Series will host poets Ocean Vuong and Sherry Robbins, an acoustic set from experimental artist Space Cubs and a light centered installation from electronic artist Projex for a night that will explore the art of Buffalo and beyond.
[COMICS] When a new comic con is set to debut, there’s a reasonable expectation of growing pains. New organizers must navigate the complicated web of procuring locations, guests, and vendors while making sure advertising and marketing are on point, leading up to the big day of the event. With so many moving parts to keep in order, it’s no wonder that early forays into the booming business often sputter out.
[FOLK] Marian McLaughlin, the experimental folk musician from Baltimore is making moves. Not too long ago she was featured with her band on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, which gave the band a mighty boost. She’ll bring her trio to Babeville’s Ninth Ward on Thursday, August 11 along with a special performance by Buffalo’s Lesionread.
Within the cache of emails my colleagues and I revealed at WNYMedia.net in 2010 was one from tea party Assemblyman David DiPietro. It claimed that President Obama was a Muslim.
When the history of Donald Trump’s political rise and fall is written, the Erie County Republican Committee will feature prominently. Few political organizations have done more to enable him than it, and its official party organ, WBEN.