DANIELLE SAEVA is a BFA student and SUNY Buffalo State. Her current exhibit is called Concerning Fate, at 1045 Elmwood Gallery of the Arts (1045 Elmwood Avenue) through April 16. There’s an opening reception Friday, April 12, 6-9pm.
[ROCK] It’s been about three years since the last one, but the Continental Reunion is back. For those that don’t know, the Continental was one of Buffalo’s original punk, post punk, and new wave rock clubs. The club closed its doors for good in 2005, the memories were not left behind and the close community of punk still congregates regularly to celebrate this legendary Buffalo venue.
It’s that time of year again: Record Store Day is upon us! Collectors have likely already made their want lists for the limited edition releases and will be lining up while it’s still dark out on the morning of Saturday, April 13, but don’t let that stop you from getting in on the fun. Yes, there are lots of collectible goodies coming out on Saturday (visit recordstoreday.com to see the list), but even if you’re just a passive collector or someone who likes the idea of having record stores around, RSD is for you, too.
[MUSIC] Last fall, singer Curtis Lovell released an album recorded during a live performance at Buffalo’s GCR recording studio, which is worth a listen: Lovell, who performs solo with an amp, a looper, and a microphone, is live-performance phenomenon. Which is to say, best just go see her live on Friday, April 19 at Pausa, which is the perfect venue for Lovell’s intimate, intricate songs.
[ROCK] This is a festival in the way a show feautring only one band can be a festival: This one band, Kurt and the Loders, will play the music of 18 bands. How did they choose which bands to cover? Well they went with Lollapalooza headliners, of course. So, starting with the year 1991, the band will play music by some of the most iconic bands that have graced the Lollapalooza stage. 1991 brought us music by Jane’s Addiction and the Violent Femmes. Then 1992 came along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana—a pretty good year if you ask me.
[METAL] BOOM, cuz, y’know, some stuff just lands with a thud. Nothing lightweight happening here, Folks. The faint of heart can move along, but fans of the heavy, sludgy stoner stuff should stick around for the debut release from local trio Nine Layers Deep, who recently had the honor of opening Clutch’s Town Ballroom gig.
[PUNK] A little bit comedy, a little bit sci-fi and a lot of Japanese punk mixed in with some wrestling (they’ve been featured in Kaiju Big Battel), Austin’s Peelander Z has been touring around boggling minds for 20 years. Though solid with a core trio lineup for the first 10 years, there’s been rotation among the Peelander Players since 2008, the resulting tumult having been documented in the film, Mad Tiger.
[COUNTRY] Alt-country troubadour Boo Ray is old school. For his new Tennessee Alabama Fireworks, he hones in on the hollow ‘selfie age’ culture that’s plaguing us and stilting our means of communicating with one another. Tracked live-to-tape over five days at Nashville’s Welcome to 1979 Studio, (Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Jason Isbell are all recent visitors), Tennessee Alabama Fireworks is both grim and hopeful, as the best country records often are.
[ROOTS] Essentially a husband and wife duo born from a former busking quartet, Spit Shine, Lost Dog Street Band makes music steeped in the bygone-era sounds of heartbreaking, noir-country. Think guitar and fiddle with natural, un-processed sounding vocals and an occasional kick drum to keep things moving. Now based out of Kentucky, these two are about as organic as it gets. Hear for yourself at Buffalo Iron Works on Tuesday, April 16 with opener Matt Heckler. Doors are at 7:00 p.m., $10/$12.
[ROCK] It’s hard to believe that The Church’s most successful single, “Under the Milky Way” (famously covered by Sia not that long ago) turned 30 last year, along with the album it came from, Starfish. Starfish went gold in the US, signaling a triumphant turnaround after the Australian quartet had been dropped by Warner, leaving them without a label in this country (until Arista took a gamble, putting a $500,000 investment into the making of Starfish).
[FOLK] From 2010-2018, Neyla Pekarek played in The Lumineers as cellist and enjoyed an increasing role as a featured vocalist as time went on. Eventually she began contributing her own songs to their catalog. Pekarek, who began playing cello at the age of 9, has expressed frustration about being the sole female member of an otherwise male ensemble, citing the same discriminatory elements of the music industry that have existed for far too long.
[CHORAL] This is the annual semi-fancy fundraiser for the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, and it gets held throughout the gorgeous lobby at Shea’s Performing Arts Center on the evening of Saturday, April 13. Not a formal concert, per se, the evening will feature shorter performances from the Chorus (who will be teasing their Singing with Pride program, coming later in the Spring) and a silent auction on some great locally made visual art. A cash bar will be open throughout to complement some delicious finger foods.
[BLUES] Granted, there aren’t as many releases vying for spots on Billboards Blues Album Chart as there are on the mainstream ones, but that doesn’t lessen bluesman Brandon Santini’s good fortune, having his brand new album The Longshot debut at #7 early this month. It’s a collection of songs that finds Santini embracing more of a blues-rock hybrid than ever before and paying homage to heroes like The Allman Brothers. The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, while still making good use of his trademark harmonica.
[BLUES] Although Ana Popovic hails from Belgrade, Serbia, her musical affinity is for American blues, something handed down by her father… and she’s cultivated an audience here by playing Buffalo at least once a year. 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. Her solo career eventually landed her in Memphis, where she has since made her home and where her second album, Comfort to the Soul, was recorded.