[POP PUNK] There’s been a lot of drama surrounding this band—mostly surrounding the behavior of frontman and founding member Ben Liebsch. After about five years, a series of EPs and a full-length disc, You, Me, and Everyone We Know announced a mutiny of sorts, resulting in all members except Liebsch walking away from the project in 2011.
[BATTLE OF THE BANDS] There is a lot going on down at Canalside this summer. Like a lot: acoustic acts every Sunday, an open mic every Monday, the Tuesday movie series, and trivia night on Wednesdays, among many other activities. One activity that isn’t to be overlooked is the Battle of the Bands series, which will be held every Friday and sponsored by us, The Public.
[RAP] Horrorcore rapper Tech N9ne has officially achieved prolific status. Since his 1999 debut album, Calm Before the Storm, the Kansas City-based rapper has released 14 additional studio albums—many of which include collaborations with friends like Three 6 Mafia and Eminem. The storm that Tech N9ne refers to isn’t necessarily the storm of music he’s released in his lengthy career, but the storm that torments his mind. “[I’ve seen] so many dark things.
[FUNK] Funk might be an older genre in many people’s eyes, but new bands are breathing new life into it—whether people take notice or not. Chicago’s the Heard are a new act, rife with talent and enough players to fill a full horn section, keyboards, and all of the other instruments you’d expect. 2013 is when the band started taking steps outside of the Windy City, with festival appearances and collaborations with many of funk’s current all-stars. The group is set to take on Buffalo Iron Works next Wednesday, May 27.
[FUNK] Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band is a diverse cast of musicians who bring a vast array of influences together into one cohesively funky amalgamation. Their new album is set to hit on June 2. When asked about the direction, guitarist J.P. Miller said: “For this album, we trimmed the fat. The band members all listen to such a broad range of music, it is hard for us sometimes to stick to one genre. For this album, we narrowed it down to essentially funk and rock.
[MAGIC] Harry Houdini was the most famous magician and escape artist the world had ever known, until Criss Angel changed the illusionist game with his rock star persona and use of modern television. He has reigned over the magic realm since 2005, with the launch of his A&E reality TV series, Criss Angel: Mindfreak. An instant success, he subsequently partnered with Cirque du Soleil, developing the live, Vegas show, Criss Angel Believe.
[TOUR] In these times of widespread architectural preservation, it’s mind-boggling that (in 1950) the city of Buffalo authorized the demolition of Frank Loyd Wright’s first major public work, the Larkin Administration Building. The Larkin Company was a prospering soap manufactory and premium-based mail-order business, but by the mid-1900s, as with neighboring corporations, profits fell, forcing it into extinction.
[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Longtime fans of Kill Paris (AKA Corey Baker) and his gleeful brand of EDM are no doubt rejoicing about the release of his first full-length, Galaxies Between Us, out on his own Sexy Electric label last month. Electro-naysayers be damned, Baker learned to play guitar, bass, piano, and drums in his teens before moving in a decidedly synth-driven direction; now he uses a wireless Roland AX on stage.
[DANCE PUNK] Nic Offer and company are baiting us with the preview from the next !!! (Chk Chk Chk) disc, a sinewy groove that dropped on Record Store Day called “All U Writers,” in which we are encouraged to get out our pens (and pencils) and write, get on our horses and ride, etc.
[SCREENING] In February of 2003 the DEA raided comedian Tommy Chong’s Pacific Palisades, California home. The comedian, known for his pot headed character in dozens of films, was arrested for selling bongs. For this offense he was sentenced to nine months in prison. In 2006, filmmaker Josh Gilbert premiered his feature documentary film, a/k/a Tommy Chong, chronicling the DEA’s raid on Chong. On Wednesday, May 20, Burning Books will screen a/k/a Tommy Chong, presented by the Buffalo Committee Against State Repression.