[POP PUNK] Pioneering pop punk band Smoking Popes comes to Mohawk Place on Friday, October 20. The band, which formed in 1991 in Chicago, flirted with mainstream success in the mid-1990s amid the pop-punk boom with their angsty brand of honest, heart-on-their sleeve emo-punk. They’ll be joined by Naples, Florida-based “slacker pop” act Chris Farren.
[HALLOWEEN] The first wave of Halloween parties begins this week with Squeaky Wheel’s Peepshow: Scary-oke edition. If it’s not clear from the title, “scary-oke” is basically a Halloween-themed version of karaoke. So start brainstorming your favorite spooky, creepy, fun Halloween-ish songs to belt out drunkly on stage in front of strangers and friends. My personal favorite is Will Smith’s iconic 1987 hit “A Nightmare on My Street,” written with DJ Jazzy Jeff for the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 soundtrack.
[FUNK] Big Boi of Outkast once said “When I leave a room, it’s gonna be footprints of funk wherever I stepped because I’m a soul-funk crusader.” After getting to know Buffalo-based DJ Sike, I’ve found the same to be true of him. The dude just leaves funk footprints everywhere he goes, which means he’s going to leave those funky footprints all over Nietzsche’s this Thursday, October 19 for the next edition of The Public Presents: Wax Meltdown.
[JAM] Jam band O.A.R. returns to Western New York for a show at the Rapids Theatre on Sunday, October 22. The five piece alt rock band from Rockville, Maryland have made a career out of laying down groovy, jam-based rock music since forming in 1996. This show is presented by 103.3 The Edge.
Let’s dispose of first things first: Buffalo’s City Hall gets its close-up in Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall, and it looks fine. The striking, amusing faux Egyptological inflections and the Art Deco façade are there repeatedly, although it could have made more of an impression if Hudlin had moved his camera back and shown more of its 32-story elevation and symmetry. City Hall is standing in for a Connecticut superior court building, and across Niagara Square, the old federal courthouse supplies courtrooms and corridors.
[WRESTLING] Always fighting against the odds, Ring of Honor (ROH) Wrestling has slugged it out over the past 15 years to become the number two wrestling promotion in America behind the WWE.
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EP: Loss by Dirt War Recommended if you like: Weedeater, Sleep, Eyehategod |
[FOOD] An art gallery in the Five Points area of Buffalo’s West Side will throw an alternative art and music festival this Saturday, October 14. Rudeboyz Artworks will hold the second edition of their Counter Culture on the Corner festival featuring a line up of music, poetry, and delicious food. The Dopeness Project’s Cashis Green will perform along side poet Jared Benjamin and hip hop artist Dynomite Soul. Food selections will include Puerto Rican cuisine, indigenous recipies, and Italian specialties.
It seems nearly impossible, but the American watchmaking scene is now dominated by a flurry of micro-brands. Typically run by just one passionate person, these little watch companies resemble local distilleries in their regional identities, their intimate attention to detail, and their small production numbers. It’s an exciting development that brings what is often an extravagant luxury good straight down to Earth—perhaps right into your neighborhood.
[INDIE] Add Wolf Parade’s new Sub Pop release Cry Cry Cry to the lengthening list of musical responses to the Trump administration. The Canadian indie faves have always taken a “question authority” stance, but when the quartet writing began for the new record last year after a five year hiatus, the sense of political crisis was inescapable.
[ROCK] The show must go on. And so it will. When guitarist Walter Becker died early last month at 67, Steely Dan fans all over the world were shocked. Although he’d undergone an operation that had kept him from performing at a pair of high profile festival dates this summer, his longtime writing partner Donald Fagen seemed confident he’d be back sharing the stage soon enough.
[ROCK] When Ray Lamontagne played Artpark two years ago with My Morning Jacket as his backing band (minus Jim James), he misheard a fan shouting out a request. “I already played solo,” he responded warily, assuming that the audience was less interested in what he was performing (the Ouroboros album in its entirety) and would prefer to hear the more troubadour-esque Americana that informed his first three releases (and a short set at the start of the gig in question).
[ELECTRONIC/DANCE] Some call it bit pop, others call it chiptune, but what it is really is music inspired by early videogame systems. The Maine-based husband and wife duo Crunk Witch specializes in the bassiest brand of bit pop. Their over the top style is sometimes hilarious and creates a great atmosphere for a party. Catch them this Sunday, October 15 at Mohawk Place with support from Fawn, David Nolf Trio, and Pizzadoughnuts.