RSS Feed

Kyle Kinane

[COMEDY] Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably heard comedian Kyle Kinane’s voice. He’s the “voice of Comedy Central,” who introduces each ridiculous new episode of South Park or the Daily Show in between commercials on the comedy network. He’s also known for his “scumbag stories” approach to comedy, and he’s a master of it. Seedy motel rooms, various forms of self-pleasuring, weird eating habits, and butt stuff are among his favorite topics.

Kevin Devine

[INDIE] What kind of artist does a recorded cover of an entire Nirvana album? An artist like Kevin Devine who has such a strong back catalog as to feel safe to pursue something that’s purely a passion. Devine put out a full Nevermind cover album in 2011—since then he’s released three records, including his latest, 2016’s Instigator—so don’t be surprised if the Brooklyn-based artist dips into some Nirvana among his many solo cuts.

Vinyl Mania

[VINYL] The next edition of Vinyl Mania, the semi-regular record convention, happens this Sunday, May 21 at Sugar City. Expect a boat load of vinyl records from a variety of vendors, as well as CDs, cassettes, DVDs, books, and other memorabilia and collectables. $2 gets you in the door, but for an extra $3 you can have first crack at the collection from 12pm-1pm. 

The Public Presents: Wax Meltdown

[DISCO] “Disco music is for dancing and people will always want to dance,” said famous disco producer Giorgio Moroder. Sometimes you get the urge to dance on a weeknight, or maybe have a beer and then dance, or maybe just have a beer and listen to some cosmic disco music. That’s what we’ll be doing at the next The Public Presents at Nietzsche’s on Thursday, May 18.

Mustard Plug

[SKA] Mohawk Place is keeping the ska scene alive. The classic ska band Mustard Plug is coming through the famous downtown Buffalo venue this Saturday, May 20. Formed in 1991, the band is surprisingly still pretty well intact, as they’ve been touring with essentially the same line up for more than a decade.

Volbeat

[HARD ROCK] If Johnny Cash started a heavy metal band, he’d probably end up with something like Volbeat. Of course, that’s taking the easy way out to describe these guys. These Danish rockers (Michael Poulson on vocals andguitar, Jon Larsen on drums, Kaspar Boye Larsen on bass) assisted by Rob Caggiano of Anthrax on guitar, are hook masters.

Golf Calp

[HOUSE] A pretty large contingent of Buffalo-folks have made the habit of making the five hour drive to Detroit for the annual house and techno festival, Movement in recent years. The guys from Eyes Everywhere have also made a habit of throwing an annual (official) pre-Movement party here in Buffalo, and this year’s party features the Detroit-based house duo Golf Clap.

David Lynchfest

[SCREENING] If you’re like most David Lynch fans, rabid or casual, you’ve probably already binged on the 30 original episodes of his 1990-91 series Twin Peaks in preparation for Twin Peaks: The Return, premiering this Sunday on Showtime. If you need more, the North Park is offering a week of big screen Lynch to whet your appetites.

Ana Popovic

[BLUES] Ana Popovic may be from Belgrade, Serbia, but her musical affinity is for American blues, something handed down early in life by her dad. Before going solo, she fronted the band Hush, melding a blues sensibility with funk grooves that proved to be a hot European touring commodity until disbanding in 1998. She then recorded her solo debut over here in Memphis, a place she eventually decided to call home.

Oh Wonder

[POP] UK alt-pop duo Oh Wonder (Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West) turned heads with their prolific song-a-month project, which they launched online in September 2014. The 12 tracks eventually found a proper release as a self-titled debut exactly one year later.

Wavves

[POP PUNK] Just a warning to those planning to attend the Wavves show at the Tralf this Friday, May 19; maybe stay away from the balcony. Not because the Tralf is structurally unsound or anything like that, but because Wavves frontman Nathan Williams was recently videotaped doing a front flip swanton bomb into the crowd from the balcony of a New York City night club.

Pup

[INDIE] Vancouver, British Columbia-based Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard apparently knows quality modern punk when he hears it. He also seems to know how to suss out a good opportunity (with a little help from his dad). One thing leads to another and, voila, Wolfhard found himself starring in Toronto quartet PUP’s 2014 video for “Guilt Trip” (pre-Stranger Things), portraying a younger version of the band’s front man, Stefan Babcock.

Whitehorse

[ROCK] Guitarist/songwriter Luke Doucet may have lost out on the Canadian Juno Award for Adult Alternative Album twice, in 2006 and 2011, but it was to none other than Neil Young both times – a hard act to beat. He finally snagged the award in 2015 as half of Whitehorse for Leave No Bridge Unburned (Six Shooter). The duo, which he formed with wife Melissa McClelland, has agreed to put their respective solo careers on hold to concentrate on making music together.

The Struts

[ROCK] There’s a reason why glam rock comes back again and again—it’s about androgyny. As long as male rockers who are mostly straight and comfortable in their sexuality continue playing the makeup-and-glitter card, boys and girls will continue to flock. It’s part and parcel to rock and roll: a daring sensibility that squeals “I’m breaking all the rules” on the most basic level, and it still speaks to us loud and clear.

Bread and Puppet Theater

[THEATRE] As the German playwright Bertholt Brecht said, “First comes the feeding, then the morality.” Bread and Puppet began in the 1960s with a communal breaking of bread followed by dramatic skits with politically radical over and undertones, often personified in the troupe’s choice of costumes and puppets themselves. A self-contained communism of sorts, B&P touches down next Tuesday, May 23 inside Buffalo State College’s Donald Savage Building.

Pages