Events

[HARDCORE] The drums pound as the guitars chug and squeal, the vocalist pushes his voice to its breaking point and bodies in the crowd flail as they stomp their feet, swing their limbs and slam into one another. Fans pile on top of each other singing along to every word. Sweat pours as the crowd works itself into a frenzy, and the singer beckons the crowd for more—you are at a Buffalo hardcore show. 

Hardcore punk music has a rich history in Buffalo. Bands like Zero Tolerance, Snapcase, and Buried Alive set traditions that are carried on today. Hardcore is a subgenre derived from punk rock but more abrasive in nature—with faster time signatures and an overall heavier sound.  For generations, Buffalo natives have piled into basements, warehouses, VFW Halls, and bars—anywhere that’s been willing to host these underground concerts.  Now fans of this extreme style finally have a place to call their own—Sugar City.

On Sunday June 6, Buffalo hardcore heavyweights Rhinoceros return after a long hiatus to headline a regional hardcore punk showcase at newly opened Sugar City. The local hardcore legends have returned to headline this show fresh with a newly released EP—RHINOCEROS—recorded with Jay Zubricky at GCR studios right here in Buffalo. The new record has all of the intensity one would expect based on Rhinoceros’s previous releases, and then some. Boasting some of the fastest tempos and heaviest production to date, the EP shows that Rhinoceros is back and still a force to be reckoned with.  The standout track is “Pressure,” featuring a guest vocal by Andy Williams of Every Time I Die. Rhinoceros has done several US and international tours always representing their hometown city in their lyrics or on their merchandise. But when asked, Rhinoceros frontman Joe Riverside insists that nothing tops playing in Buffalo.

The bill also includes some great up-and-coming hardcore acts from Buffalo and surrounding areas including fast-paced hardcore group New Vision, featuring members of Malfunction; Burn Book, who delivers a darker, more metal-derived style of hardcore; Rochester’s self-described hate punk band, Holy War; and lastly, Ontario’s Exalt, who earned Every Time I Die’s stamp of approval when they opened their annual Christmas shows.

Like Sugar City, the tight-knit Buffalo hardcore scene is always encouraging new people to get involved, so much so that this show has incentivized the cost of admission. Regular hardcore show attendees will be charged $10, but if they bring a friend who is new to scene each person will be charged $5. See you in the pit!