Boyd Lee Dunlop CD Release Concert

Sunday, January 20

A couple months ago, I visited pianist Boyd Lee Dunlop in the assisted care facility where he lives, on Utica and Delaware, to listen to some tracks from his new record, a collection of solo improvisations called The Lake Reflections. (The name comes from photographs by his friend Brendan Bannon of Lake Erie, which producer Allen Farmelo used, among other images, to inspire Dunlop.) Listening to one track, Dunlop described the piece as a dialogue between a man and a woman. An argument, in fact: the man, the blunt bass; the woman, the melancholic treble. Through the piece, he seems to be seeking resolution between the voices, but they come only so close to one another before turning away, or talking over one another and sometimes at cross-purposes. Finally they align, but only at the conclusion, and so sweetly that it feels less real than the argument—a happily-ever-after achieved through art. It’s pleasing if you believe in it, and desperately, brilliantly sad if you don’t. The Lake Reflections is a clear and magnificaent departures from last year’s Boyd’s Blues, which caused a minor sensation last year because the story was so captivating: the first-ever solo recording by one of Buffalo’s legendary hidden treasures. This record may well cause a different kind of sensation, by capturing the nimble, inspired improvisations of a musician who, at 86, retains remarkable virtuosity, as well as an enviable command of the musical idioms of his considerable life. The CD release concert for Boyd’s Blues was extraordinary, one of the cultural events of the year, packing Babeville’s Asbury Hall. The CD release concert for The Lake Reflections on Sunday (Jan 20) will be equally special. Get your tickets now.

- geoff kelly

2pm Asbury Hall at Babeville, 341 Delaware Avenue. (hallwalls.org) $10-$15

Friday, January 18

Megalodon

American dubstep producers tend to get a bad rap. There are a few extremely well known names but that list falls off pretty quickly into a sea of unknowns. Megalodon might not be on that list but he’s a name that any fan of the genre should make themselves familiar with. His tracks don’t stray far from dubstep’s signature characteristics like a 140bpm tempo and 1-3-1 beat but his bass sounds stretch and contract like no other, as heard on releases like 2012’s Twisted Metal EP, and his grimey live sets are unmatched, especially in an intimate setting like Soundlab. Since forming in the San Francisco Bay area in 2008, an area that has kick-started America’s dubstep scene, Megalodon has released a handful of hard and dark tunes that would satisfy the needs of any hardcore dubstep fan or just anyone who wants to hit the dance floor for the night. Hosted by Loki DNB, Megalodon comes to Soundlab this Friday (Jan 18). Loki, Basha, Perceptor, and Mark Kloud will spin sets in support so get ready for a night of heavy West Coast bass.

- cory perla

9pm Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. (440-5907 / bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab) $12, 18+

January 19 - March 2

Midnight Rockumentary Series at Amherst Dipson

For music fans, the rock documentary, or rockumentary is a special kind of treat. It lets us know a bit more about favorite artists, and gives us a better understanding of the music we hold so dear. Luckily, the Amherst Dipson Theatre understands the value of films like this, which is why they’ve begun the Rockumnetaries series, which will run every Saturday at Midnight from this Saturday (Jan 19) up through March 2nd. Several great rock films will be shown in this weekly endeavor, including Peter Gabriel’s New Blood, and Led Zeppelin’s Celebration Day. The inaugural screening, however, will feature the greatest guitar god of them all, Jimi Hendrix, in the film Hendrix 70: Live at Woodstock. Produced in honor of Hendrix’s 70th birthday last year, the movie shows his performance at the immortal music festival, which includes highlights such as “Fire,” “Foxy Lady,” and of course, his legendary version of “The Star Spangled Banner.” A film like this is a must not just for Hendrix lovers , but for anyone who wants to watch a truly amazing musician at the peak of his powers, with the whole world listening. Every film in the series should be fascinating, and Hendrix’s set at Woodstock will get things off to quite a rollicking start.

- john hugar

Midnight, each Saturday at the Amherst Dipson Theatre, 3500 Main Street. (834-7655 / dipsontheatres.com) $5

Saturday, January 19

Allentown Music 11 Year Anniversary Party

It’s been 11 years since Allentown Music opened their doors. One of the only musical instrument shops in the Elmwood Village, Allentown Music has been a savior for every guitarist with a broken string or drummer with a busted head panicking before a gig at the Town Ballroom, or Nietzsche’s, or the now defunct Mohawk Place. Owner Joe Maniaci moved the store from its location in Allentown, where Sample Restaurant now is, to the location on Elmwood near Forest in 2006. His band, the Waves formed around the same time that Allentown music opened and Maniaci joined the band shortly thereafter. “We’re pumped to play again, we really only get together once a year for this show now,” Maniaci said of the Waves, who toured England in 2005. The Waves get together this Saturday (Jan 19) at Nietzsche’s for the annual Allentown Music Anniversary Party with friends the Poor Boys, Pink Tiger, Ould Pound, Bourbon & Coffee, the Madeline Cons, and Venomous St. Claire.

- cory perla

9pm Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (886-8539 / nietzsches.com) $5

Sunday, January 20

Buckcherry

When Buckcherry’s “Lit Up” crashed mainstream radio in 1999, listeners were hearing something that had been gone from mainstream music for nearly a decade: sleaze. Frontman Josh Todd’s proud shrieking about debauchery and cocaine use was the sort of thing that had vanished from radio in the wake of the grunge revolution. Musicians had become more likely to talk about the sadness that drove them to drug use rather than the glorious decadence of actually taking them. “Lit Up” briefly brought the sleazy joy of Sunset Strip glam rock, and it was good. Unfortunately, after that, they disappeared for over half a decade, finally resurfacing in 2006 with the smash hit “Crazy Bitch.” The song likely doesn’t get much play at NOW meetings, but it became an enormous hit with rock radio listeners, launching the band back into the limelight. Since then, they have been one of the most consistently popular bands on the radio, bridging the gap between 1980s hair metal, and modern active rock. This Sunday (Jan 20), they’ll be bringing their raucous noise to the Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls. If you’re the sort of person who complains every year that they don’t make records like Appetite For Destruction anymore, you won’t want to miss this one.

- john hugar

7:30pm Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls. (205-8925 / rapidstheatre.com) $25 advance, $30 day of show

Tuesday, January 22

Brown Bird

With the plucking of a banjo, the thunder thumping of an upright bass, all the talk of hard labor and salvation, fallen angels and dancing devils—the fathers (and mothers) of American folk music would be proud of Brown Bird. The Providence, RI duo consisting of the well-bearded David Lamb and well-voiced MorganEve Swain carry on the fine tradition of a music as old and mythic as the ghosts of the characters within their songs. Their album, Salt For Salt, is filled with sermons of stomping feet and clapping hands, like some dusty revival in a field of wheat after dark. Lamb’s voice has all the cracked character and world-weariness to preach his message. “Finger To The Bone” finds Lamb channeling Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “16 Tons” as sung by William Elliott Whitmore or Justin Townes Earle. 2012 was a big year for Brown Bird, in which they conquered the hallowed main stage of the Newport Folk Festival, and opened for the likes of Trampled By Turtles, Horse Feathers, the Low Anthem, and Yonder Mountain String Band. 2013 will find the folky pair releasing a new album entitled Fits of Reason which promises “a more prominent display of the band’s Middle Eastern, metal, and psych-rock influences.” Brown Bird will perform this Tuesday (Jan 22) at the Ninth Ward at Babeville with Hokan & Friends of the Sun. Brown Bird will show you how the blood of angels can be made beautiful by pouring it into a song. Sort of scary. Sort of sweet. I’m sold.

- peter vullo

7pm Babeville’s Ninth Ward 341 Delaware Ave. (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $10

Wednesday, January 23

Black Veil Brides

Have you missed the makeup, hair spray, and attitude in rock? Well, Black Veil Brides can fill that void, and they’re coming to town next week to give you everything your eyes have missed about the 1980’s. The glam metal band will be playing at Club Infinity on Wednesday (Jan 23) with support from William Control and Don’t Be a Hero. Don’t come to the show though expecting party-anthems that past glam bands have made popular. Black Veil Brides have a modern metal sound, and only take their fashion queues from that era. Their latest album, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones, was released last week and is the first concept album the band has put together. The idea behind it started as a short story that was written by lead singer, Andy Biersack. It was then developed further into a full-fledged concept album which takes place in the future and follows a group of rebels who are fighting against a unified, yet omnipotent, church/government. Judging from their picture alone, you might expect something along the lines of Kiss or Mötley Crüe, but clearly this band is a new hybrid. Anyone who is a fan of Avenged Sevenfold should definitely check these guys out as that seems to be the general direction their music is headed in.

- jeremiah shea

7pm Club Infinity. 8166 Main St., Williamsville (565-0110/infinityconcerts.com) $18 advance, $20 day of show

Thursday, January 24

Two Fresh

Twin brothers Kendrick and Sherwyn Nicholls, or Kendo and Shweez if you’d like, couldn’t have picked a better name than Two Fresh. It works on every level intended. Their sound is broad to say the least and when I clicked on their track “Leaving Here” “fresh” really was the first word that came to mind. I was surprised by the quick footwork beat and choppy vocal samples that I heard blasting from the speakers. The young duo had piqued my interest. With another click of the mouse I had moved onto “Aloha” a straight-up hip hop track featuring their friends Purpl Monk & Miyagi of Ziggurat. With one more click and I was on a trap kick with “Some Purple” and another click brought me to a track called “Galapagos’d” simply labeled “trill shit.” Yeah, this was trill shit if I’d ever heard trill shit before. Two Fresh are talented producers, which left me wondering how their sound transfers to a live setting. Their dynamic certainly shifts with live drummer Colby Buckler rounding out their line-up on stage, as they present a proper live performance that does their production justice. The duo was signed to 1320 Records at the age of 21 and in 2009 released their debut record The Baker’s Dozen while gearing up to hit the festival circuit for sets at SXSW, Electric Daisy, Starscape, and North Coast. Their follow-up, Air Mail, was released last year and contains the same kind of trill shit that has come to be expected of this duo. Don’t miss them when they perform live at Duke’s next Thursday (Jan 24) as part of their Watch This EP release tour with support from Dr. Ooo and Mario Be.

- cory perla

9:30pm Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar, 253 Allen St. (240-9359 / dukesbohemiangrovebar.com) $10