The Albrights

Friday, January 9th

Buffalo’s own rust belt pioneers, The Albrights will be bringing their powerful set to Iron Works this Friday (1/9 @8PM). Although the quartet has been has been performing in venues all over the city and beyond since 2009, their popularity only increases. Since the release of their debut album, Ask, Tell in 2011, the group caught the attention of music fans all over Buffalo. Voted The Best Original Music Act for Artvoice’s 2014 Best of Buffalo Awards, the band proves they have what it takes to succeed for years to come. The Albright’s sound is a mixture of rock and blues roots with great harmonies, an accessible sound that anyone can appreciate. Lead singer/pianist Joe Donahue leads the band with his catchy vocal melodies and hard-hitting chords and riffs that fall into the classical, jazz and soul genre. Guitarist Brandon Barry adds the rock element with his combative guitar leads, while the rhythm section tightly holds it down with smooth grooves with Matt Crane on bass and Aaron Odden providing the beats to complement the band’s pop-rock vibe. If you haven’t seen these guys perform yet, be sure to make it down Friday night.

- Jeff Czum

8PM Iron Works, 49 Illinios St. (200-1893 / buffaloironworks.com) $5-$8 Ages 18+

Thursday - Saturday, January 8-10

Colin Quinn

A dynamic theme for Saturday Night Live alumni Colin Quinn, has been historical mockery. He premiered his Off Broadway examination of world history, “Long Story Short” back in 2011, and continues to give his interpretation of world events in every set he performs. Quinn takes the audience on an irreverent journey through the entire United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Sure, the Constitution might not seem like a hilarious topic, but it’s much more than just a history lesson with the Brooklyn comedian. His show is just as much about modern American as it is about the country’s founding. Quinn throws in jokes about the Articles of Confederation, Cryus Griffen, and Bill O’Reilly, and there’s still plenty of commentary on the Kardashians and Maury Povich to keep the show accessible. Aside from appearing on SNL, Quinn has appeared in films including Night at the Roxbury, Adam Sandler’s Grown Ups, as well as many late night talk show guest spots. Quinn will be bringing his witty and intelligent set to Helium Comedy Club Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.

- Jeff Czum

Thursday 1/8: 8PM / Friday 1/9: 7:30PM & 10PM / Saturday 1/10: 7:30PM & 10PM | Helium Comedy Club, 30 Mississippi St. (853-1211 / heliumcomedy.com) $20-$36

Friday, January 9

Martha Davis and the Motels

Led by the hypnotic Martha Davis, the Motels were once one of the most successful and upcoming bands to emerge from the Los Angeles new wave scene, reaching the Top Ten in 1982 with their biggest hit, “Only the Lonely.” Davis formed the group in 1972 while living in Southern California, recruiting guitarist Jeff Jourad, his saxophonist/keyboardist Marty, bassist Michael Goodroe, and drummer Brian Glascock. The group signed to Capitol Records in 1979 and released their self-titled debut LP, landing a minor hit with the ballad “Total Control.” Davis left the band during the 90s after going through a cancer scare and made her solo debut with under the name Policy. In 1998 she re-formed the group and released a half-dozen compilations from 2000 to 2007. Martha Davis and the Motels are now back in full force and will be performing at the Studio @ Waiting Room Friday night (1/9 @ 7PM).

- Jeff Czum

7PM The Studio @ Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com $18-$20

Sunday, January 11

Woody Pines

The phrase “Americana” was never popular in the vocabulary of musician Woody Pines. For him, it denoted a certain style of music that had seen its day. But he has to admit, with changing tastes among listeners today and a younger generation of musicians looking to get back to the basics of songwriting, Americana again shows great promise. “The genre is basically people harnessing the original spirit when old time music in the ‘20s and ‘30s was a new and exciting style,” Pines says. “Today, it’s a continuation of that sound, and it’s having a new renaissance.” The acoustic folk artist got his start in Oregon (Woody Pines, figures, huh?) in 1998 with the popular jugband, the Kitchen Syncopators. Since then, he’s led his own band and has continuously toured North America and Europe. Pines blends the sounds of new and old. From the pre-rock era of the late 40s/early 50s, to modern rockabilly and occasionally hip hop, Pines is an artist worth seeing. If you don’t have any plans for Saturday afternoon (1/11 @4pm) and have $5 to spend, Sportman’s Tavern is the spot to be to catch this guy in action.

- Jeff Czum

4PM Sportman’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734 / sportsmanstavern.net) $5

Sunday, January 11

Head North

Although they’ve only been together for two years, Buffalo’s newest indie pop-punk band, Head North have already broke out of the local music scene and reached national notice. After self-releasing their debut EP, Scrapbook Minds in the winter of 2014, the band headed on a DIY tour with Connecticut band A Will Away, and released a split album that following summer. Head North hits home with huge raunchy guitar lines, aggressive punk rock drumbeats and an emotional complexity behind singer Brent Martone’s lyrics and melodies. Martone’s raspy voice contains elements of anger and sadness, adding a layer of versatile energy to back up his passion. The band’s popularity will become more apparent on an upcoming six-song EP, which will be released in the spring of 2015 through Bad Timing Records. It’s going to be a great year for these guys as they have plans to tour the country as well as performing at the annual Skate and Surf Festival held in New Jersey. Catch these guys in action for an epic hometown show at the Studio @ Waiting Room this Sunday (1/11 @ 5:30PM). Pop punk bands Del Paxton, Watermedown, Contender, and Well Kept Things are set to open the show.

- Jeff Czum

5:30PM The Studio @ Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $10-$12

Monday, January 12

That 1 Guy

Mike Silverman- better known as That 1 Guy , lies somewhere between a nursery rhyme, a Looney Tunes character, and an acid trip. Silverman is a one-man band whose performance is truly elaborate and unique. Classically trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in jazz and classical music, he took his role of bass player and pushed it to extremes that few ever have. Silverman straps himself head to toe with instruments and noise making material. Homemade contraptions and gadgets, beat-boxing to his own bass playing, and more have put him in a musical category of his own making. The main instrument on stage is an intricate, self-designed contraption called The Magic Pipe, a harp shaped device, which stands at seven feet tall, with thick bass strings and pivoting pipes that emit funky bass lines. The one-man ensemble has toured with many great artists such as, Yo La Tengo, Primus, and Buffalo’s Ani DiFranco. He’ll be bringing his peculiar yet impressive set to The Forvm with DJ Feels Goodman Monday (1/12 @7pm).

- Jeff Czum

7PM The Forvm, 4224 Maple Rd (831-3271 / theforvmbuffalo.com) $12 Ages 18+

Tuesday, January 13

Larkin Author Series Presents: Cathy Gildiner

On Tuesday (1/13 @ 5:30PM) The Larkin Square Author Series will be hosting a night with Cathy Gildiner at The Filling Station for an informal talk and book signing. Gildiner is a New York Times bestselling author of Too Close To The Falls and After the Falls, the first two pieces in a three part memoir series. Her most recent work and the final book in the series Coming Ashore has already reached a large audience. The touching yet hilarious context for Coming Ashore takes readers through seven years and three countries set in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The adventures that take place throughout the book include an ill-advised solo climb up a mountain in Wales, facilitating a friend’s dying wish to have sex with Jimi Hendrix, and living (at different times) in a residence meant for the blind and with one of Canada’s biggest drug dealers. Enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers as Cathy Gildiner talks about her memoirs and success as an author. Hydraulic Hearth (located across the street) will also be serving food and drinks until 10pm.

- Jeff Czum

The Filling Station, 745 Seneca St. (362-2665 / larkinsquare.com) 5:30PM Free