[TRIBUTE] For all of the Grateful Dead cover bands that come through Buffalo or are from the area, there are not a whole bunch that focus solely on the Jerry Garcia Band. Soul Roach, a five-piece band from Buffalo, will deliver your JGB favorites this Saturday, January 6 at the Tralf Music Hall.
[ROCK] The Saplings will take a quick drive down the 90 from Rochester to Buffalo for their show at Mohawk Place on Thursday, January 4. The 10-piece band are one of Rochester’s hidden gems—playing a fun brand of ska-punk complete with a full brass section. They’ll be joined by some of our favorites from the weird scene: Gray Space, Sack Abramson Duo, Welks Mice, Pam Swarts, and Little Cake.
[JAM] Jammy indie rock band Ponder the Giraffe return to the live stage for a show at Milkie’s on Elmwood on Friday, January 5. The three piece band will be joined by blues-funk band Hyzerflight and solo artist Andrew Kothen.
[TRIBUTE] If Elvis was alive today, we’d be celebrating his 83rd birthday. Unfortunately, the King of Rock and Roll died in 1977 at the age of 42 but his legacy and influence have certainly lived on, and the talented Lustre Kings will celebrate his life this Monday, January 8 at the Sportsmens Tavern.
[PUNK] Sure, four bands on a show can be considered an extravaganza. Why not? Check out this punk rock extravaganza, featuring City Powered Radio, Radical Operations, One Way Terror, and the Barksdales, this Saturday, January 6 at the Tudor Lounge.
[JAZZ] Nietzsche’s weekly Jazz Happy Hour this week features musician Lindsey Holland. Holland will deliver classic jazz standards with the help of fellow jazz musicain Harry Graser, on Monday, January 8.
[FOLK] Five-piece Americana band Little Mountain Band will bring some friends with them for a show at Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar this Saturday, January 6. Support comes from Someday Maybe Band and DJ the Incredible Scott Down.
[ROCK] A handful of local rock bands will come together for a good cause this weekend. Handsome Jack, The Spin Wires, and Max Muscato & Outer Harbor will perform at the Rock Autism kick-off benefit show at Buffalo Iron Works on Friday, January 5. Expect a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, drink specials and more.
[COMEDY] What is comedian Ron Funches’ favorite part about losing 140 pounds? Being able to have sex standing up—at least for a few seconds. His goal, he told Conan O’Brien on a recent appearance on his show, was to become the “most in shape pro-wrestling fan” on the planet, and it’s possible that he’s achieved that goal, maybe with the help of some Spanx. You’ve probably heard Funches’ squeaky voice as the voice of Cooper in the movie Trolls, or on animated series like BoJack Horseman and Adventure Time.
[INDIE] Local emo-enthused bunch, Passed Out, brings some pop orderliness to their punky crunch, which keeps the tunes bouncy and tight—in full evidence on their newly released EP, The Aforementioned and How It Pertains to Absolutely Nothing, which will likely dominate the set at Mohawk Place on Monday, January 8. Joining them are goth-revellers Orations, who’ve worked up a couple new tunes since the release of their impressive full length debut, Wych Elm, last year.
[INDIE] It’s that time of year when local lineups dominate the calendar at pretty much all venues, so it’s a good thing that Buffalo has lots of talent—both established and fledgling.
[REGGAE] California-based reggae band, Rebelution, has topped the Billboard Reggae charts quite a few times—with their albums, 2014’s Count Me In, and their 2012 triple album Peace of Mind. Fans and critics have recognized the band’s energetic, catchy fun brand of reggae.
[POETRY SLAM] A special kind of poetry slam comes up at Mohawk Place this weekend. The Pride Slam is a poetry event feature a whole bunch of local poets—Micheal Manning, Bianca Mcgraw, Brandon Williamson, Skyler Rutkowski, David Butler, Aaron L. Montgomery, Etcetera, Seth Tyler Black, and others—raising money for the Mocha Center and the Pride Center of Western New York. Check it out this Friday, January 5 at Mohawk Place.
[INDIE] The Toronto-based duo, Choir! Choir! Choir!, puts on a different sort of show. That’s because the audience is part of the show, but not in some gimmicky way; the audience is really the biggest part of the show. The members of the band, Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, are actually more like creative directors than performers. Show up to the show and they’ll hand you a lyric sheet and teach you how to sing whatever song they’re playing next; it could be something by Tame Impala or Gord Downie, or maybe even Pearl Jam.
[METAl] A solid line up of regional metal and hardcore bands will set up at Sugar City this weekend. Baltimore based Noisem takes the top spot with upstate New York’s Blame God, Pennsylvania-based Nightfear, Rochester’s Hallucination Realized, and Buffalo heavy metal band Disrepair rounding out the line up. Check it out this Friday, January 5 at Sugar City.
[FUNK] Tiger Chung Lee is not a professional wrestler or a less than professional Street Fighter. Nope, they’re a funk band from Youngstown, New York. And they’re pretty impressive, especially when all 11 of them are up there jamming on an epic groove. There’ll sure be plenty of epic grooves, and maybe some funky interludes too, when Tiger Chung Lee comes to Nietzsche’s for a show this Saturday, January 6 with support from Rhubarb.