[ROCK] When rootsy Canadian-American quintet The Band organized their farewell show for Thanksgiving Day, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom, few would have imagined the concert’s enduring legacy. After all, while The Band were highly respected among musician peers, they were not the stuff of huge album sales and media events.
[DANCE PARTY] From the folks that bring you Cure vs Smiths comes New Order vs Depeche Mode. Maybe the rivalry between these two bands isn’t as intense as the rivalry between Robert Smith and Steven Patrick Morrissey, but both bands have just as dedicated fan bases and the perfect music for a throwback 1980s party. Catch Transmission Dance-Party’s next New Order vs Depeche Mode party at Mohawk Place this Saturday, November 18.
[FUNK] What makes Big Mean Sound Machine so big? Well they’ve got brass instruments, synthesizers, guitars, and a bunch of drums—maybe even a few instruments you couldn’t even name. Sometimes the band has up to 13 musicians on the stage delivering their funky Afrobeat sound—and that sound can cause some serious dancing to break out in the crowd. Catch them Friday, November 17 at Buffalo Iron Works with support from Bellas Bartok.
[HIP HOP] Thanksgiving Eve is party night and if you’re looking for somewhere to dance, your best bet is Duke’s in Allentown. Expect a bunch of old school hip hop from DJs the Incredible Scott Down and Charlie The Butcher. Hip hop beats won’t be the only thing they’re chopping up, though—you can also prime your belly with some free (!?) turkey. Expect some giveaways too, this Wednesday, November 22 at DBGBs.
[TRIBUTE] Indie rock band Lazlo Hollyfeld blew the crowd away with an extraordinary performance of Arcade Fire hits at Mohawk Place the day before Halloween. Over the last few years the band has also tackled, and masterfully delivered, covered sets of songs by Radiohead and LCD Soundsystem, but it all really started with what has now become an annual tribute to the Talking Heads. And arguably, the Talking Heads were hugely influential to bands like LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, and Arcade Fire. Less arguably, they’re huge favorites of Lazlo themselves.
[ROCK] At the age of 69, Todd Rundgren is still experimenting and exploring the edges of progressive music. Rolling Stone has called Rundgren a virtuoso and that is certainly true, but unlike most musicians, he’s not virtuosic on simply one instrument, but in composing and performing, from jazz to pop, rock, and electronic music. The list of bands he’s either formed, produced, or played with is nearly endless.
[FOLK] An unlikely success, Rodrigo y Gabriela are touring to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their beloved self-titled debut, which has sold over 750,000 copies—quite a feat in this day and age for an acoustic Mexican duo. The album, which was picked up and released here by the Dave Matthews-owned ATO label after an initial release in Ireland—where it bypassed Arctic Moneys and Johnny Cash on the charts—was co-produced by John Leckie, known for his work with Radiohead and The Stone Roses.
[PUNK] Punky Ottawans Hollerado released their third full length, Born Yesterday (Royal Mountain Records) earlier this year and surprised fans and critics alike with its versatility. Built from striking contrasts, Born Yesterday showcases the band’s ability to dabble in pop, as they merge their punk core with chunky, radio-ready guitar licks and rhythmic prowess many didn’t see coming.
[ROCK] Canadian alt-rock band Lowest of the Low returns to the Town Ballroom for a two night stand on Wednesday, November 22 and Friday, November 24. Formed in 1991 in Toronto, the band has battled through two break ups while releasing iconic Canadian rock records from Shakespeare My Butt and Hallucigenia. Earlier this year, the band, lead by frontman Ron Hawkins, released their fifth studio album, and first since 2004 Do the Right Now.
[DISCO] For the final Public Presents show of the year, we’ve got another edition of Wax Meltdown—what’s become a monthly dance party full of weird disco, rare funk, groovy house, and beyond. This time around we’ve got three DJs with enough vinyl to build a fence around Paisley Park. DJs Sike, Lopro, and Reason will dig deep into their crates to pull out some of the funkiest disco basslines and in existence for this one—maybe some Peter Brown, Prince, or maybe even some Crystal Waters.
[COMEDY] Unless you watch Last Comic Standing, you may not be familiar with Lachlan Patterson. Well here’s an introduction: he’s the kind of guy who puts his pants on both legs at a time. He measures success by how much time he spends lying down. And he doesn’t understand how someone could commit suicide if there are still more Star Wars movies in production. A quick side note, you can learn all you need to know about a comedian from his Twitter feed.
[POST-PUNK] South-London post-punk band, Shame, comes to Mohawk Place on Sunday, November 19. The band maintains the uncanny ability to appeal to younger fans through their furious live show and to older generations by way of their nod to the early post punk vanguard. Since 2016 the band has only released a small handful of singles, but this past summer they played more than 40 festival dates, impressing fans and critics alike.
[PUNK] Want to stick it to Putin? Who doesn’t (besides our president, of course)? Now you can stick it to the homophobic, former KGB agent that is President of Russia and enjoy some raw punk rock at the same time. Punks Against Putin is a huge, locally organized, punk rock show and a benefit for Ukrainians fighting against Russia in their home country. The show will raise money to be donated to the Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation for medical supplies.