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Spotlight: Billy Club

Most regulars of the bars on the west side of Allentown know there’s a certain look that more than a few of these establishments share. The dark wood and black surfaces; the intense dimness, sometimes cut only by gloomy red lighting; the more-is-more decor aesthetic, with adornments that run from gaudy to outright weird. If this is the status quo of bars on west Allen Street, then the new kid on the block, the Billy Club, is the odd man out. But it’s a role that owners Dan Hagen and Jake Strawser happily embrace.

Ben Folds and yMusic

[ROCK] Ben Folds has always been an unlikely rock star, and he’s made it his stock in trade. Going back to the Ben Folds Five (a trio, incidentally), he celebrates the plight of the nerdy underdog, giving voice to guys hidden behind thick Buddy Holly specs like none other and maintaining a dark sense of humor about it all along.

The Paper Kites

[ROCK] Rock band the Paper Kites comes to the Studio at the Waiting Room on Wednesday, July 20. The Australian band is expected to play cuts from their highly anticipated upcoming record, twelvefour. They’ll be joined by local bands Larkin Poe, and new-comers Mutual Friends. 

Cages with the Buffalo Gamelan Club

[EXPERIMENTAL] Buffalo experimental noise duo Cages, Nola Ranallo and David Bailey are regarded by on their ability to collaborate. In the past, they’ve combined forces with the Buffalo metal group Gas Chamber to exceptional results. Their next collaboration will feature Buffalo Gamelan Club leader Matt Dunning and his colleagues for a special performance inside the Unitarian Universalist Church on Elmwood Avenue on Saturday, July 16.

Pharoahe Monch

[HIP HOP] You might say that quality over quantity is one of Pharoahe Monch’s philosophies. Since going solo in 1999, the 43-year-old MC has only released four albums, but those albums have been comprehensive, meticulous statements about East Coast hip hop made by an exceedingly technical rapper. Hailing from Queens, New York, Monch launched his solo career after a brief but promising run with Prince Poetry under the alias Organized Konfusion.

Rezz

[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] In between dates at Movement Festival in Detroit, where she shared the stage with Caribou, Green Velvet, Four Tet, and others, and at Hard Music Festival in Fontana, California, where she’ll perform alongside acts like Major Lazer, DJ Khaled, and Ty Dolla $ign, the hard-techno master Rezz will bring it (close to) home for a set at Buffalo’s Sky Bar on Friday, July 15.

The Black Lips

[ROCK] The luxury to say “Fuck you”—we dream about standing by our visions and working to make that beautiful tactful message clear whether by art, or in this case garage rock.

Meet the Black Lips. No sir, not just any band we are honored to host in this revived city, but “the band” on many lists of must-see-once-in-lifetime acts. Yes, I said it. They have reached that level and this is no PR message but comes from a witness to their visceral and sweaty onstage musical allure. 

Tiny Rhymes

[FOLK] Buffalo’s own Tiny Rhymes describes themselves as “indie alt-folk chamber,” but the best way to describe them is to go see them for yourself, which you can do this Thursday, July 14 at Nietzsche’s. Featuring “tight vocal harmonies, richly melodic string lines, and introspective songwriting,” the band is playing their hometown as part of a tour that will see them in Pittsburgh, D.C., Nashville, and more.

Canalside Afterparty featuring Annasun

[ROCK] After the free Shakey Graves show winds down at Canalside, take a quick walk over to Lockhouse Distillery where Buffalo’s own indie rock band Annasun takes the stage to perform at the official Canalside after party. Lockhouse is the place to be on Thursday nights this summer, as they are hosting an afterparty for each of the free Canalside concerts. This week’s show, along with the weeks to follow, start at 9pm, and have a cover of $5.

Silo City Reading Series

[LIT] A night of music, poetry, and art at Silo City for the venue’s Reading Series will feature the works of Natalie Shapero, Janet McNally, Jaime Schmidt, and Buffalo indie band Difficult Night. The Just Buffalo Literary Center event nurtures an arcane connection between the audience and the acts that is particular to the confines of the rusty silo walls.

Elmwood Village Picnic in the Parkway: Dee Adams

[ROCK] Dee Adams and Her Band will be performing for The Elmwood Village Picnic in the Parkway session this Tuesday, July 19. Adam’s material covers topics for the heart and the mind in an earthy style reminiscent of Dylan and Sheryl Crow as she sings about gun control and nature. Adams toured with The Roadtrippers in 2003 and her rich, jazzy vocals and lyrics have earned the singer several songwriting awards.

Direct Hit

[PUNK] Direct Hit’s tour featuring their new album Wasted Mind will come to the Town Ballroom’s Leopard Lounge on Friday, July 15. The entire concept album is a punk menagerie of various characters experimenting with, getting hooked on and/or discovering various drugs—particularly the psychedelic kind—due to suburban boredom and sick minds. It’s a pop-punk energy shot replete with mildly trippy music videos that feature beat up buicks, coke-addled zombies and, of course, a shit ton of smoke.

Baila Brazil

[DANCE] The internationally acclaimed show Baila Brazil is being brought to Artpark for a two-day stint from Friday, July 15 to Saturday, July 16. For their North American premiere, a group of performers including the dancers of Balé de Rua choreographed by Marco Antonio Garcia, sambistas, musicians, capoeiristas and singers will deliver a burst of infectious Brazilian music and dance to the audience.

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