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D.O.P.E. Collective Juneteenth Celebration

[CELEBRATION] The D.O.P.E. Collective is a locally based DIY organization focused on strengthening the alternative arts and music communities in Buffalo for people of color, LGBTQ, and disabled individuals. During this year’s Juneteenth Festival, the D.O.P.E. Collective, which stands for Dismantling Oppressive Patterns for Empowerment, will hold a hip hop, R&B, and poetry focused showcase and celebration.

Juneteenth in Buffalo

[CELEBRATION] The 42nd annual Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park takes place this Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18. Beginning in 1976 as Buffalo’s African American community’s response to the Bicentennial Celebration, Juneteenth is a yearly arts, music, and ethnic food festival. Festivities begin with the festival parade, which leaves at 11am. The parade travels down Genesee Street and Moselle to Best Street and finally into Martin Luther King Park. The corner of Fillmore Avenue and E.

Live at Larkin: John and Mary and the Valkyries

[FOLK] Live at Larkin continues this week with a performance from John and Mary and the Valkyries. John and Mary are of course John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey, who perform as a duo with the popular alt folk band 10,000 Maniacs—Lombardo the lead songwriter of the band, and Ramsey the talented vocalist and violist who replaced original singer Natalie Merchant. For this project, Lombardo on guitar and Ramsey on violin are joined by a local all-star roster—Kent Weber, Patrick Kane, Joe Rozler, and Robert Lynch—to perform their unique brand of folk rock.

Picnic in the Parkway: The Fredtown Stompers

[OUTDOOR CONCERT] The Elmwood Village Picnic in the Parkway Summer Concert series kicks off this Tuesday with a free outdoor concert from the Fredtown Stompers. The eight-piece ragtime ensemble are built for swinging, with a full brass section, and will be fully ready to entertain the crowd on Bidwell Parkway. The concert series is scheduled for each Tuesday through the summer (with the exception of July 4) and will feature acts like the BPO, the Albrights, the Steam Donkeys, and more. For a full schedule of events, see elmwoodvillage.org.

Height Keech

[HIP HOP] An indie-rap artist from Baltimore, Height Keech might be familiar to fans of acts like Future Islands and Beach House. The eccentric artist, who has toured with the aforementioned acts, recently released a single, “Ace,” as part of a collaborative project called Shark Tank. The high energy hip hop track follows Keech’s non-stop flow with a chunky guitar riff and grooving drum beats. Think Beastie Boys meet Danger Mouse.

Westside Gunn x Conway

[HIP HOP] Rappers Westside Gunn and Conway are a Buffalo success story. In 2016, Weside Gunn, who split his time in Atlanta, released his debut studio album, Flygod, in 2016 on his own label, Griselda Records. A gritty, street wise hip hop album rooted in old school beats, it features Danny Brown and Action Bronson among others. That record led to a deal with Eminem’s record label, Shady Records, on which Westside Gunn and his brother Conway have recently released a single, “MachineGun Black,” under the name Hall N’ Nash.

Train

[ROCK] If you’re not paying attention to pop, you might think Train’s ride of success petered out with “Calling All Angels” in 2003, but that’s not the case. The San Francisco-based band has continued to sell plenty of records and just last year went out on a limb by releasing their take on the classic, Led Zeppelin II, remaking the album in its entirety with proceeds going to charity.

Florida Georgia Line

[COUNTRY] The insanely successful “bro-country” duo of Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard achieved an industry milestone with the 2012 single, “Cruise,” which became the only song of its genre to achieve diamond sales status, selling in excess of 10 million copies. Their latest, Dig Your Roots, features Ziggy Marley and the Backstreet Boys. Already known for hybrids, the summer 2017 Smooth Tour, which includes a special guest set from hip-hop superstar Nelly and country-pop phenom Chris Lane.

Party on the Portico: Vinnie DeRosa and Vitamin D

[PARTY] The view of Mirror Lake from the portico of the Buffalo History Museum is one of the most relaxing and charming in Buffalo. It’s made even better when there’s live music and a bar. That’s just what you should expect when the Buffalo History Museum’s annual Party on the Portico concert series, sponsored by M&T, kicks off this Friday, June 16 with a concert by Vinnie DeRosa and Vitamin D.

METZ

[PUNK] Here in Buffalo, we’re lucky to have such easy access to a band like METZ, which hails from Toronto and makes a whole lot of noise. The band has visited Buffalo a few times before, including once with legendary art-noise band Lightning Bolt and once with the band formerly known as Viet Cong (now known as Preoccupations). Both bands were appropriate bedfellows for Metz, whose sound somehow expertly crosses psychedelia and avantgarde noise punk, but this time around the Toronto based three-piece is arriving as headliners.

BuffaBLOG's Herd Fest

[INDIE] If there’s a local band you like—maybe one you’ve seen once or twice, or one you’ve heard on the radio that you’re obsessed with (Made Violent, I’m talking to you)——and want to check out again, do it this weekend. Local music blog BuffaBLOG is hosting their fourth annual Herd Fest from Thursday, June 15 through Sunday, June 18 with over 70 bands playing between Buffalo’s music venues.

Gary Clark Jr.

[BLUES] He’s 33 years old, but don’t let his young age fool you. Born in Austin, Texas, Gary Clark Jr. is one of very few young guitarists paving an insane new path of creativity and sound. He’s been named by Rolling Stone and the like as modernly influential, mentioned alongside some solid blues guys like Derek Trucks and John Mayer. Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray, discovered his music years ago and introduced him to the scene.

Marc Tomko: Compulsion at the End of the World

[ART] According to our pals at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, who are compiling a biographical database of all working artists in Western New York: “Marc Tomko describes himself as a ‘psychonautic bricoleur’ and an onimedia artist’ whose ‘ideas may evolve into physical objects, virtual expoerience, installation environments, experimental soundscapes, or performative actions.’” Tomko’s new show, Compulsion at the End of the World, opens with a reception at the tiny BOX Gallery this Friday, June 16.

Null Point Present's David Dunn's PLACE

[PERFORMANCE] Is Silo City becoming what Artpark was in the 1970s? A place that inspires and supports all manner of innovative art and artists? This summer provides an opportunity to consider the similarities and differences, as the Buffalo-based arts collabaoriative Null Point presents PLACE, the long overdue world premiere of a 10-part sound work created by renowned composer and theorist David Dunn in 1975. On Saturday, June 17, it will be performed at Silo City.

Grant Peeples w/Gurf Morlix and Maddy Walsh

[MUSIC] Lovers of authentic country and Americana would do well to secure a spot at the end of the bar at the Sportsmen’s Tavern and stay put for the next month, because the place is on a hot streak. It starts with Kenny White on Friday, June 17 and continues with Commander Cody on Father’s Day, then heats up the very next evening (Monday, June 19) with the jawdropping lineup of Grant Peeples, Gurf Morlix, and Maddy Walsh. (On deck: Mary Gauthier, Jim Lauderdale, Dale Watson and Roy Benson.

Commander Cody Band

[MUSIC] It is dreadfully unfair that George Lucas chose to name a Star Wars character after the man who should be the one and only Commander Cody, a.k.a. George Frayne, even if Frayne himself nicked the name from a 1950s TV serial when he formed the seminal and soon-to-be legendary country rock act Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1967. Everyone knows Cody for his recording of “Hot Rod Lincoln,” but you don’t build a 50-year career and a devoted fan base on one hit single.

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