[METAL] Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band signed to the popular punk label Resist Records. Since their inception in 2003 the band has released five studio records including their latest, 2015’s Ire, which marks a move away from their signature metalcore style into straight metal territory. They’ll come to the Town Ballroom on Wednesday, May 11.
[ART] Max Collins is a visual artist whose art you’ve likely seen in local galleries and even on the streets of Buffalo, as he’s know for his striking wheat-pasted street murals. His next show, titled Natural Processes, will open at the Castellani Art Museum in Lewiston on Sunday, May 15. The exhibition will consist of photography, instillations, and a film that ruminate over life cycles in nature—or as Collins puts it “wilderness therapy.”
[POP] Essentially the project of singer-songwriter Zach Schwartz (a.k.a. Zach Rogue), Rogue Wave has persevered through all the music industry tumult over the past decade-plus, having launched a career with a promising Sub Pop Records contract only to get dropped after a pair of releases.
[ROCK] Whether or not it’s really Foreigner is a matter of perception—only Mick Jones remains from the original 1976 lineup, which went on to sell over 35 million records in the States alone. Still, the band’s shows have been well received with current frontman Kelly Hansen (since 2005), consisting of an all-hits setlist.
[INDIE] Toronto-based indie-rock quartet Born Ruffians returns to Buffalo in support of 2015’s Ruff (and the new companion EP, Extra Ruff, out last month), perpetuating the post-punk revival sound that’s always been at their core—raw, scrappy anthems that exude frustration cloaked in an anthemic wash.
[INDIE] “New York singer-songwriter writes the most depressing songs EVER… and you’ll love him for it,” reads one headline for an interview with artist Mishka Shubaly. Another reads “Mishka Shubaly on forgiveness, authenticity, and life as a sober artist.” Needless to say, the young musician takes his art seriously and he’s got plenty of serious life experiences to pull from, including recovering from teen alcoholism.
[INDIE] Jeremy Quentin may come from Flint, Michigan, but he’s spent quite a bit of time in Buffalo. He’s also spent a lot of time not really having a home, living the nomadic existence of a troubadour—perpetually touring (200 shows last year), living out of his car, and couch surfing. But all that changed recently when he decided to sprout roots in Austin, Texas.
[INDIE] This is not a plug for your uncle’s shitty radiator repair company, though the folk/punk band from Boston might have been inspired by the side of his truck. No, this is Radiator King, a.k.a. singer/songwriter Adam Silvestri, a student of the school of Dylan and maybe one who spent a little too much time in detention listening to The Clash.
[ROCK] Only a lady punk-rock from Hollywood could have a name as glamorous as The Fabulous Miss Wendy. Inspired by the Misfits, Dead Kennedys, and the Ramones, the glam-punk band comes to Mohawk Place on Monday, May 16 with support from Crazy Eyes and Big Classic.
[DANCE PARTY] Transmission Dance Party’s Bill page returns for a new dance party, Can’t Get Enough, this Saturday, May 14 at Milkie’s. Expect a mega-mix of indie dance electronic music. No cover.
[JAZZ] Local jazzist Adam Bronstein will present a performance titled J@zz on the Edge this Friday, May 13 at Nietzsche’s accompanied by his band, the Freehand Band.
[FUSION] Consider The Source plays progressive rock and jazz-fusion with a touch of intergalactic shimmer—all drenched in a Middle Eastern glaze. The results could easily sound like an overwrought mess, but instead it’s earthy, original and hypnotic. Dubbed “Sci-Fi Middle Eastern Fusion,” the sounds of Consider The Source have captivated millions by way of a relentless touring schedule that’s put them in front of a wide range of fans across the country and beyond.
[JAZZ] Marco Benevento strikes the ivory of his upright piano, meticulously calculating each note’s effect on the one that precedes it. Filling his piano lines in with rich textures and tones, his songs grow into their own atmospheric soundscapes that are as creative as they are harmonious. Through five albums, Benevento wrote, arranged, and played his largely instrumental anthems; leading a band from behind his piano and army of drum machines, sequencers, keyboards and pedals.
[COMEDY] Actor and comedian Faizon Love is best known for roles in the films Friday, Elf, The Replacements, Made, and Couples Retreat. Love also co-starred in the sitcom The Parent ‘Hood, and made guest-appearances in The Real Husbands of Hollywood and on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. His brand of comedy mixes his own charismatic personality with his observational wit to discuss racism, women, and pop culture, amongst other things.
[ROCK] Alternative rock band Blue October hits Niagara Falls on Wednesday, May 18 with a can’t-miss all ages show. Best known for their platinum hits Hate Me and Into the Ocean off of 2006’s Foiled, Blue October is still making music, releasing their eighth studio album Home last month. This band prides themselves on having a fan base that is very diverse and spans every age range.
[ART] Stanzi Vaubel, a Media Studies professor at the University at Buffalo, wears many hats. In addition to being a classical cellist and radio show host, Vaubel is an artist, displaying her hard work this Thursday, May 12 at Hi Temp Fabrications downtown in the form of a show titled Excursions. A truly immersive experience, the art Vaubel displays is more than just something you observe—Excursions features music with active performances going on around the viewer.
According to multiple sources, and as reported in the Buffalo News, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is expected to convene a “special grand jury” in connection with the allegations of criminality arising out of the raids that took place on May 28, 2015.