See you There?
Blonde Redhead
7pm Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (853-5483 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $20-$25
There hasn’t been another band quite like Blonde Redhead to come out of New York City in the past two decades. The story has it that vocalist/guitarist Kazu Makino, who was an art student at the time, met twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace (drummer and lead guitarist) at an Italian Restaurant in SoHo. They formed a band and took their name from a song by DNA, a short-lived but very influential no wave outfit from New York. Since their chance meeting, the band have released eight full-length albums and amassed a diehard fan base. On each record, Makino’s vocals float in an otherworldly fashion over the precise playing by the Pace brothers. In a live setting, this translates to a trance-inducing experience. The songs undergo a pleasing sort of metamorphosis that only those truly talented musicians can deliver. Blonde Redhead’s most recent album, Barragán (2014), Fused the band’s punk rock spirit with electronic instrumentation, creating a dream sound that feels almost lethargic ¬– on the edge of sounding close to easy listening. Over the past twenty years, many of their contemporaries have stopped making music, pursued solo careers, or embarked on (unsatisfactory) reunion tours. The industry has seen the rise and fall of grunge; several generations of boy bands and divas have come and gone; and hip-hop has become a caricature of what it once was. Through it all, Blonde Redhead have delivered albums that still hold up and the songs have not dated or faded despite the passage of time. Don’t miss your chance to see them live when they perform at the Waiting Room on Tuesday night (6/16 @7pm).
> Jeffrey Czum
Pattern is Movement
8pm Mohawk Place 47 E Mohawk St. (buffalosmohawkplace.com/(716)312-9279) $10-$12
After 14 years, Philadelphia-based rock band Pattern is Movement is calling it quits. For many fans, this news came as a complete shock. The group has gone on long periods of hiatus, lost band members, and eventually dwindled down from a five-piece to the duo of drummer Chris Ward and vocalist Andrew Thiboldeaux. It seems odd that a band in such a constant state of flux would come to a permanent end, but according to Ward, it just felt like the right time. “We’ve been making music since we were 14, and Pattern is Movement has been a band since 2001,” Ward said. “I think we’re both ready to move on and do other things. It’s amicable. The first amicable breakup in history, ever.” The group began as a math-rock project, but over the years it hopped from genre to genre, eventually shifting into a more baroque sound. The band’s most recent, self-titled album even incorporated some light R&B elements to showcase the duo’s diversity. The show isn’t quite over just yet though, you can catch Pattern is Movement on Sunday night (6/14 @8pm) when they perform at Mohawk Place on their farewell tour.
> Jeffrey Czum
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Glass Animals
7pm Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave. (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $17.50-$20
Describing the Oxford-based outfit Glass Animals is no easy feat. Their distinct sound combines myriad influences, from R&B and hip-hop to electronic and psychedelic rock, all anchored by frontman Dave Bayley’s sultry, smooth vocals. There is nothing else that sounds quite like it, and that’s exactly what fans love about the group. The effect of their music is almost hypnotic, drawing you into their hazy sonic soundscape with wobbling bass lines, thumping beats, and eerie vocal hums ¬– the listener becomes immersed in their world. What initially started as a solo project, Glass Animals grew into a quartet after Bayley brought three of his childhood friends onboard. The band’s first EP, 2012’s psychedelic Leaflings, sparked attention of super-producer Paul Epworth (Adele, Bloc Party, Florence & the Machine), who signed the group to his label, Wolf Tone. Since then, the band has toured with St. Vincent and polished off its first LP, ZABA, named after the children’s book The Zabajaba Jungle by William Steig. The album is a total head-trip. Packed with jazzy harmonies, hip-hop beats and a variety of hard-to-point sounds (Bayley admits some fuzzy interludes are his pets chewing on the microphone), the band is not afraid to get weird. You can catch these guys in action on Tuesday (6/16 @7pm) when they perform at Asbury Hall.
> Jeffrey Czum
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Mike Gordon
7pm Town Ballroom, 681 S. Main St., Buffalo, NY (townballroom.com/(716) 852-3900) $28-$32
It’s been over a year since Phish bassist Mike Gordon hit the road with his solo band, but the hiatus will soon come to an end. On Tuesday evening (6/16 @7pm), he’ll be making his way to Town Ballroom for one epic performance you won’t want to miss. Gordon – who released his fourth solo LP, Overstep, last year – will bring along his band comprising of guitarist and longtime collaborator Scott Murawski, percussionist Craig Myers, keyboardist Robert Walter and drummer John Kimock. Expect a wild performance with an intricate light and stage setup, complete with glowing, custom-made instruments, billowing moiré and the return of “the EEL,” a large interactive keyboard that sits at the foot of the stage where it can be played by fans (remember Tom Hanks in BIG?). Following this solo outing, Gordon plans to hit the road with Phish for a 25-date tour, including a three day festival, Magnaball, in Watkins Glen. Put those hacky sacks down for a night and come watch a jam-band legend.
> Jeff Czum
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Turquoise Jeep
7pm The Studio @ Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (853-5483 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $13-$15
You can search the Internet all you want, but unless you’re part of the hacking collective known as Anonymous, you’re not going to find anything about the true identities of the members of Turquoise Jeep. The group – which includes Flynt Flossy, Whatchyamacallit, Prince Raheem, Yung Humma, Slick Mahony, MoonRock, and Tummisscratch Beats ¬– is something of a mystery, but that only adds to the appeal. You probably won’t see their names at the top of Billboard, but that’s OK too. The hip-hop outfit would rather eschew fame and stay true to their goals as performers. “The point of Turquoise Jeep is total creative expression and freedom,” Fynt Flossy said. “We were tired of being judged or held down, of being told we can’t release this or that. We came together to do our own thing, and it’s all about total creative expression. Whatever idea we had, we put it on the record.” It’s tricky to pigeonhole the hip-hop of the group into a certain box. The beats are steady, infectious and greasy, and the rhymes are insatiable party anthems that make any live performance an experience to remember. You don’t want to miss these guys when they pop it off at the Studio at Waiting Room this Tuesday (6/16 @7pm).
> Jeffrey Czum
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The Howlin' Brothers
8:30pm 189 Public House, 189 Main St. East Aurora (652-8189 / oneeightynine.com) FREE
The Howlin’ Brothers are pure Americana. Their base is bluegrass and they show enormous skill with traditional instruments like guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, and fiddle. While some may think the term “Southern American” requires specific geographical conditions to be met, these guys prove this designation has more to do with inspiration than location. The trio all grew up in places like Wisconsin, New York and Massachusetts and ended up forming the band while attending college in Ithaca ¬¬– an area that’s definitely not known for country/bluegrass music. The group takes bluegrass and old-timey music as a starting point and ventures further into traditionally infected tunes with a verve and energy that wouldn’t feel out of place on a rock n’ roll album. Their debut album Howl kicks off with a lively banjo riff accompanied by a harmonica on the track “Big Time”, and the energy soon kicks in. The band, consisting of Ian Craft, Jared Green and Ben Plasse (not actually brothers), share vocal duties and bag away deftly on an assortment of acoustic instruments. Come see these guys howl away at 189 Public House located in East Aurora on Wednesday evening (6/17 @8:30pm).
> Jeffrey Czum
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The Soul Rebels
9pm Iron Works, 49 Illinois St. (200-1893 / buffaloironworks.com) $15
If you want to get down with a Nawlin’s style party, you cannot do better than The Soul Rebels at Iron Works this Wednesday night (6/17 @9pm). In the tradition of Southern style Brass Band music, The Soul Rebels bring the fun, funk, and jazz with a youthful flair. The eight-piece New Orleans band uses a wide array of techniques within their unique sound, including blues, soul, marching-band and hip-hop to create something that almost sounds like Louis Armstrong meets Dr. Dre (trust me on this). Unlike any other brass you may have seen in the past, TSR incorporates lyrics into their music, both in the form of singing and rapping. Their fresh take has landed them spots on tour and as special guest performers with the likes of Kanye West, Adele, Cee Lo Green, Dr. John, Maceo Parker, Metallica and Arcade Fire. You can expect the Rebels to bring the house down with their raucous, party-starting stage antics and lively tunes. It’s a great way to introduce younger audiences to the time-honored tradition New Orleans brass sound while keeping the contemporary vibes flowing. With two trombones, two trumpets, two percussionists, a saxophone and a sousaphone, these guys are going to kill it next week.
> Jeffrey Czum
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