My Top Five Concerts of 2025
It's been a bit of a slow concert year for me since, between travel, medical issues, and an increased challenge in obtaining photo passes, I've only made it to thirty-five shows as opposed to over one hundred in 2019! This makes doing a top ten a bit silly so I'll just do five. This doesn't …
The Beths rocked the sold-out crowd at Brooklyn Paramount – Dec 5, 2025
During The Beths show at Brooklyn Paramount, someone in the crowd screamed out “We love you!” prompting lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes to answer coyly, “We’ve only played four songs. That was easy!”. New Zealand’s premiere alternative band swung through NYC on their latest tour in support of their fourth album Straight Line Was A Lie …
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Buffalo goes dancing with Cut Copy on Thursday night – Nov 20, 2025
It's been less than a month since we covered synth-pop legend Andy Bell, singer for 80s hitmaker Erasure, and we're back with another synth-pop act, this time Australian band Cut Copy. Formed by lead vocalist and keyboardist Dan Whitford in 2001, they had a number of hits during that decade, primarily "Hearts on Fire" and …
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The Saints ’73-’78 threw a punk rock revival at Music Hall of Williamsburg – Nov. 14, 2025
The revival punk project called The Saints '73-'78 swung through NYC and played the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday with a host of prominent guest stars like Mudhoney’s frontman Mark Arm who provided the vocals. The Saints are a sadly far too overlooked band in punk rock history books but are definitely a band …
Synth-pop legend Andy Bell stops by the Roxian Theatre on solo tour – Oct 28, 2025
Back in the late 80s through the 90s, Andy Bell and Erasure were a permanent fixture on the charts, providing GenX with non-stop catchy synth-pop tunes. Erasure had been formed after Vince Clarke had left Depeche Mode, then Yazoo (Yaz in the US), and was looking for a lead singer for a new project. The …
Shudder To Think rocked intimate show at Nightclub 101 – Oct 25, 2025
90’s alt rockers Shudder To Think played an extremely intimate show at Nightclub 101 in the East Village of NYC toa celebrate the release of a brand new 7-inch called Thirst Walk, their first new music as a band since 1998. In honor of this slow-building comeback, they’ve embarked their first tour in over a …
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Modest Mouse and Built To Spill conquered The Capitol Theater – Oct 22, 2025
90’s alt rock masters Modest Mouse played the historic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY as the last stop on their national tour, bringing along the complimenting legendary indie rockers Built To Spill as their opening act. Located about an hour North of NYC, the Capitol Theatre is a gorgeously regal movie palace built back …
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Ella Jane’s homecoming at Baby’s All Right – Oct 21, 2025
“I came from New York and, even though I now live in LA, this will forever be very special to me and Baby’s All Right is the very first venue I ever played,” said Ella Jane at her one-off appearance in her old stomping grounds of Brooklyn. This intimate setting was a change of pace …
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Yes played Fragile in its entirety at The Paramount in Huntington, NY – Oct 7, 2025
The archetypal progressive rock band Yes swung through Huntington, Long Island to play their seminal 1971 album Fragile in its entirety (along with many other classics) at the Paramount, a former vaudeville theater that opened in 1926, rich with history of its own. To many of their serious fans, Yes is not just a progressive …
Shonen Knife blew the roof off Littlefield – Sept 25, 2025
The all-female punk pop trio Shonen Knife from Osaka, Japan, who had gained a ferocious following in the mid 90’s with their brand of bodacious bubblegum indie rock, played two sold out nights at the intimate venue called Littlefield in the lowlands Gowanus area of Brooklyn. I was lucky enough to catch the second night’s show which …
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Garbage rocked sold out Brooklyn Paramount – Sept 20, 2025
90’s alternative rockers Garbage played a sold out show at Brooklyn Paramount on Saturday during which singer Shirley Manson recounted “A long, long time ago we were told we are not a Brooklyn band, and we’re not gonna put you on in Brooklyn, and I don’t wanna toot our own horn, but we sold out …
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Softcult returns to Buffalo to kick off their tour – Sept 19, 2045
The sister duo Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn, also known as Softcult, brought their grunge/shoegaze styled riot grrrl show back to Buffalo on Friday night, September 19th, at Buffalo Iron Works. Handling everything from songwriting to production to video direction to artwork, the talented duo has really been all about the messaging. Their direct lyrics targeting …
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Soccer Mommy score a perfect free show at Central Park Summerstage – Sept. 16, 2025
Singer Sophia Regina Allison came out during the set by her band Soccer Mommy and asked “Aren’t these free shows great? I wish I could do them all the time, but I have two cats to feed.” Nashville native Soccer Mommy played the last free show of the Central Park Summerstage lineup of concerts as …
Wet or moist, Wet Leg’s second Toronto appearance was a big hit – Sept 12, 2025
It's been four years since Wet Leg seemingly exploded out of nowhere, filling our senses with catchy tunes and tongue in cheeks lyrics. It seemed like their debut hit single "Chaise Longue" was heard everywhere you went! The band from Isle of Wight, UK, at the time consisting of the extroverted Rhian Teasdale (lead vocals, …
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Pulp played a perfect game at Forest Hills Stadium – Sept 11, 2025
Pulp, 1990’s Britpop forefathers, played the historic Forest Hills Stadium in support of More, their first album of new material since 2001, and they came ready to rock the packed crowd to its core. Frontman Jarvis Cocker was in prime shape as he wooed the audience with his captivating weirdness and wildly insane dance moves, …
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Miki Berenyi Trio to play their last show in NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Shoegaze sorceress Miki Berenyi will bewitch Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, October 11th with a mix of classics from her beloved 90’s indie band Lush and critically acclaimed solo material from her recently released Miki Berenyi Trio album called Tripla on the Bella Union label. Berenyi was rock royalty in the 90’s indie rock …
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Babymonster kicks off second leg of North American tour by blowing the roof off Scotiabank Arena – Aug 30, 2025
With almost ten million subscribers on YouTube, it’s hard to believe that K-pop act Babymonster has been around for less than three years! But why not? They hit one million subscribers in just fifty two days and their debut video “Batter Up” had 22.59 million views in the first twenty four hours!! That’s crazy! Comprised …
Time to experience the All Things Go Music Festival
The All Things Go Music Festival is returning to melt our music-loving brains once again this year. This is the 11th year of the genre-bending musical jubilee, and after starting this party outside of DC in 2014, they’ve been expanding our musical frontiers and making each weekend an epic party. The hometown fest is held …
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Fitz & the Tantrums bring their funky grooves to ArtPark – Aug 12, 2025
I'm not sure if I should have been surprised when Fitz & the Tantrums released their sixth studio album Man on the Moon last month. While they haven't experienced the success of their first three albums, they have been pretty consistent in putting out new music and touring. I first caught them in 2013 whilst …
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Thomas Anders brings Modern Talking magic back to Toronto – Aug 8, 2025
If you were an 80s pop fan in Europe, Asia, South America, etc (basically any non-primarily English speaking country, you knew Modern Talking, with Thomas Anders on vocals and Dieter Bohlen writing, singing background, and playing guitar, as one of the biggest pop acts to come out of Germany. Whether you called it New Wave, …
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Charlotte Lawrence pours her heart out at the Drake Underground – Aug 4, 2025
It seems we're seeing more multi-talented Gen Z artists nowadays; young men and women who make music, act, model, paint, etc. One such talent Charlotte Lawrence is currently on tour to support her debut studio album Somewhere, released on June 27th of this year. Coming from an artistic family (mom Christa Miller is an actress …
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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard got classical at Forest Hills Stadium – Aug 1, 2025
The Aussie absurdist surrealist rock outfit known as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard staged a two night stand at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY with radically different setups for each night. I was in attendance for the first night, which was classically inspired, backed by the Orchestra of St. Luke's conducted by Sarah …
The Struts kick off tour to celebrate tenth anniversary of Everybody Wants in Toronto – July 31, 2025
It's been ten years since British rock band The Struts released their debut studio album Everybody Wants on July 28, 2015. Since then, the band has collected a dedicated following across the globe with their 70s glam style rock and energetic, almost theatrical, live shows. In April, they announced that they would be embarking on …
Grace Potter wows ArtPark on a beautiful night in Buffalo – July 19, 2025
It's hard to believe that Grace Potter has been releasing music for over twenty years! She's an artist that never seems to age and her musicianship, personality, and onstage presence makes you understand why there are Potter groupies. You can't help but fall in love with her. This year, she released Medicine, an album that …
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Betty Who turns Spirit Hall into a club – June 25, 2025
It's pretty hard to believe but the last time we saw Betty Who (aka Jessica Anne Newham) was when she played a private show at a furniture store (CB2) in New York City back in 2018. This doesn't mean she hasn't been touring regularly; quite the opposite actually but somehow we've managed to keep missing …
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BANKS cast a spell over the Brooklyn Paramount – June 20, 2025
Alt-pop priestess BANKS cast a spell over the Brooklyn Paramount on Friday night as she swept through town supporting her newest album Off With Her Head. Jillian Rose Banks has been bewitching audiences since 2013 with her genre-bending blends of enchanting sounds that always seem to flirt with the darker arts of goth and industrial …
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The Beaches and Lights headline AKG Art Museum’s Rockin’ 2025 with a Canadian flavor – June 14, 2025
This year's Rockin' 2025 at the AKG Art Museum in Buffalo saw a quartet of Canadian acts play on June 14th. Being so close to the border, many of us in western New York and our neighbors in Canada traverse the border often to see friends and family, dine out, or see cultural and sporting …
Vinnie Stigma rocked out a Spaghetti Western party at Brooklyn Bowl – June 12, 2025
Agnostic Front guitarist/vocalist and revered Godfather of Hardcore Vinnie Stigma played a wild and countrified show at Brooklyn Bowl with lots of special guests that included guitarist and frontman Eugene Hutz and violinist Sergey Ryabtsev from the band Gogol Bordello. This was the first show to celebrate the release of his newest solo record Outlaw …
Mannequin Pussy threw a late night party at Warsaw – June 7, 2025
The Philly punk band Mannequin Pussy played an intimate late night show at a sold out Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for an event called Gov Ball After Dark, an after-hours shindig that took place the day after they performed on the big stage at the Governor’s Ball Festival in Flushing Meadows, Queens. This band has …
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The Doobie Brothers reunited with an intimate show at Irving Plaza – June 6, 2025
The Doobie Brothers threw a delightfully enchanting reunion show and release party for their new album Walk This Road in the intimately cozy venue Irving Plaza, and they left a lucky bunch of their diehard fans floating on air. This is the first album to feature the “classic lineup” in its entirety performing together in …
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Bibi hits Toronto with First World Tour [EVE] – June 5, 2025
The multi-talented Bibi (aka Kim Hyeong-seo) is a singer, a songwriter, an actress, a philanthropist, and, now, a touring musician! After taking second place in The Fan, she released her first single "Binu" in 2019 and has explored making pop, R&B, and hip hop music as her popularity grew. Here latest studio album Eve:Romance is …
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Canadians join Buffalonians to welcome the Wallows at the Outer Harbor – June 3, 2025
Can you believe the members of the Wallows are turning thirty(!!!) next year? Yeah, neither can I. It seems like they were just a bunch of kids, including that high school kid actor, when they released “Pleaser” but I suppose that’s already eight years ago so…. The band turned out not to be a flash-in-the-pan, …
Samia brings “Bloodless” to Toronto – May 24, 2025
It's been interesting to watch Samia (aka Samia Najimy Finnerty) evolve as a performer, a singer, and a songwriter. The first time we saw her was when she opened for Sunflower Bean at Warsaw in Brooklyn on December 7, 2018 and she left an impression: young and talented but a bit raw but perhaps still …
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The Wedding Present went Bizarro at Music Hall of Williamsburg – May 23, 2025
The classic indie pop band The Wedding Present played The Music Hall of Williamsburg in celebration of the 35th anniversary of their second album Bizarro from 1989 (which they played in its entirety). I was lucky enough to catch them the last time they came through town in 2017 and played the Bell House, promoting …
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Coming off of Pearl Jam tour, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers throw headlining show in Toronto – May 22, 2025
You’ve probably never heard of them and, yes, their name is a bit of a tongue-twister but Australian rock band Teen Jesus and the Jean Twisters (I’ll refer them as Teen Jesus from here on) are starting to make waves abroad. Formed in 2015 when the original members met in high school, after releasing a …
Sunflower Bean had an epic homecoming at Warsaw – May 22, 2025
NYC alt-rockers Sunflower Bean returned to their Brooklyn home ground for a big headlining show at Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn to celebrate their new album Mortal Primetime which they self-produced featuring mixing by Caesar Edmunds of The Killers & Wet Leg fame. The trio has been a staple of the Big Apple DIY scene for …
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B0RNS to headline Sound Mind Live’s seventh annual music festival for mental health at Brooklyn Paramount On Sunday, May 18th
Sound Mind Live has been holding its mental health music festival since 2019 and Sunday marks its seventh year. Alternative (now indie) pop artist B0RNS (aka Garrett Clark Borns) will be the headliner. Prior to festival weekend, we sat down with B0RNS for an interview (see below). The Sound Mind Live Music Festival for Mental …
Phenom Audrey Nuna packs Music Hall of Williamsburg – May 13, 2025
In listening and watching LA-based R&B/rap artist Audrey Nuna's (aka Audrey Chu) music & video, it feels like she's ready to explode all over the music industry. She somehow appeals to R&B and pop fans alike and, with an EP and two studio albums under her belt, she is still young and evolving as an …
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Went to Toronto to get yelled at by Lambrini Girls for ninety minutes. It was glorious! – May 6, 2025
Have your heard of the UK punk band Lambrini Girls? If not, it won’t be for much longer. They’ve already started to become well known not only for their kick ass performances but also for their extremely vocal stance on many of today’s political and social issues. With their one EP You’re Welcome, released in …
80s star Alison Moyet sounds as good as ever – May 5, 2025
There was a time when Upstairs at Eric's stayed at repeat in my household. Ah, those high school days when New Wave was dominant and electronic bands like Yaz (Yazoo for those not in North America) permeated the airwaves. Fast forward to 2025 and vocalist Alison Moyet (aka Geneviève Alison Jane Ballard aka Alf) is …
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Even on a Saturday, Sunday (1994) wows Toronto – May 3, 2025
If dream pop is your jam, here's your next favorite band: Sunday (1994). Yes, there are a bunch of movies such as Sunday (1997) and Sunday (2002) but no actual movie called "Sunday" came out in 1994 so they're safe. Our main protagonists, Paige Turner and Lee Newell, did meet on a Sunday in 2020 …
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Neon Trees sink their teeth into Buffalo – Apr 27, 2025
I can’t believe it’s been twenty five years since the Neon Trees’ debut album Habits was released and thrust the Utah indie-pop band into the spotlight. With the album and singles “Animal” and “1983” making waves on the Billboard charts, it seemed like you heard and saw (lead singer Tyler Glenn and his signature mohawk) …
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Amazing to watch the Linda Lindas grow up in front of our eyes – Apr 26, 2025
We last caught the Linda Lindas when they made a surprise stop in Buffalo to do a solo show in the midst of touring with Green Day. It has been wonderful watching these young performers grow up (so to speak) as the oldest, guitarist/vocalist Bela Salazar, is only twenty and the youngest, drummer Mila de …
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St Vincent takes over Stage AE for All Born Screaming tour – Apr 13, 2025
Whether it's writing and performing her critically acclaimed music, stretching the boundaries of fashion which often maintaining a very classic look, breaking stereotypes by becoming one of the most accomplished guitarist of any generation, or collaborating with Spotify on an escape room event for fans to promote her sixth studio album Masseduction, St. Vincent has …
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Mogwai shred their way to the heavens at Brooklyn Steel – Apr 10, 2025
The Scottish post-punk icons Mogwai brought their latest tour to Brooklyn Steel for a massive show, and they also brought along some very surprising guests as openers. The band have been going since 1995 and they never really stopped moving forward since their inception. Late last year, these art rock punks released their eleventh studio …
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Disturbed celebrates 25th anniversary of The Sickness at KeyBank Center – Apr 4, 2025
It's hard to believe it's already been twenty five years since nu-metal band Disturbed released their debut classic album "The Sickness", propelling themselves into immediate stardom! Their hit single from the album "Down With the Sickness" with its inimitable "ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah" from lead vocalist David Draiman seems to still be everywhere from movies to television to …
Pom Pom Squad light the fire at a sold out Music Hall of Williamsburg – Apr 4, 2025
As they embraced their growing legions of rabid fans and their increasing level of fame amassed over the last decade, rocking people’s worlds, the local rising star indie rock band called Pom Pom Squad returned home to play the finale of their Mirror Ball Tour at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. Lead singer Mia Berrin …
The Weather Station conjured a spell over Bowery Ballroom – Apr 1, 2025
The experimental folk-rock band The Weather Station came down from their Toronto homeland to grace NYC with a pair of performances for their Humanhood Tour and I was fortunate to catch their first show at the Bowery Ballroom, for which I received every ounce of artful display and deep conceptual artistry that I expected from …
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mxmtoon stops in Toronto on Liminal Space Tour – Mar 31, 2025
We've been following mxmtoon (aka Maia) since we photographed her at the Paste Studio in 2019, after the release of her debut studio album "The Masquerade". We then caught her at the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto in 2022 after she released her second album. Now that she has released her third studio album "Liminal …
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Tsunami and Ida teamed up for the perfect storm at Bowery Ballroom – Mar 29, 2025
In the mid-90s, Tsunami were indie rock darlings and Ida were slow core sweethearts. The bands crossed paths on the scene, sharing bills, side projects, and even members many times in the past. Both bands have also been largely inactive for the last decade or two, with most fans feeling like they may never re-emerge, …
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Buffalo welcomes Queen of hip hop Mary J Blige to KeyBank Center – Mar 22, 2025
I don't think you can possibly over-emphasize Mary J Blige's accolades and impact to hip hop and R&B. We won't list all her accomplishments and even her latest, induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, was a long time coming. On the heels of the release of her fifteenth studio album “Gratitude” in …
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JoJo captivates Toronto at the Danforth Music Hall – Mar 19, 2025
As R&B singer/songwriter JoJo (aka Joanna Noëlle Levesque) embarked on her "Too Much to Say" Tour in 2025, it seemed like she has been around forever and maybe that's because she was only thirteen when her 2004 debut single "Leave (Get Out)" hit number one on Billboard's US pop chart. While her first three studio …
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Kim Deal gets reborn at the Brooklyn Paramount – Mar 13, 2025
Alternative rock icon Kim Deal brought her very first solo tour to Brooklyn’s gloriously beautiful Brooklyn Paramount to support Nobody Loves You More, the first solo album of her lengthy and illustrious career which has become my most adored and heavily-played album of the year so far. I grew up outside of Dayton, Ohio and, …
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NCT 127 closes out North American leg of tour with a banging show at the Crypto.com Arena – Mar 12, 2025
NCT 127, a sub-unit of Korean k-pop boy band NCT, is currently on their fourth world tour, NEO CITY – THE MOMENTUM, in support of their seventh studio album "Walk", which was released last July. The tour is called "The Momentum" to symbolize continuing the growth of the band and that momentum has followed them …
Morgan Saint celebrates her debut album “Out of the Blue” at the Moroccan Lounge – Mar 6, 2025
After releasing three EP's over the past eight years, Long Island based pop singer/songwriter Morgan Saint (aka Morgan Gildersleeve) finally released her debut album "Out of the Blue" last month. Having moved back to her hometown in Mattituck, New York after getting her degree at the Parsons School of Design, she lives with her wife, …
Apocalyptica sets Toronto on fire at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Feb 13, 2024
When Finnish symphonic metal band Apocalyptica released "Plays Metallica by Four Cellos" twenty eight years ago, they were a revelation and, even though orchestral arrangements has historically been a part of metal, there were questions about whether this band would be a flash in the pan and quickly forgotten. Fast forward to last year's "Plays …
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Lauren Mayberry plays Electric City supporting first solo album – Feb 8, 2025
After previewing a lot of new music during Lauren Mayberry’s first solo tour in 2024, we were finally able to listen to her full studio album “Vicious Creature” when it was released in November. The songs on the album can’t really be locked down into a single genre, poppy but not, dance but not, punk …
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Phantogram enchanted their hometown fans at Brooklyn Paramount – Feb 6, 2025
The electronica duo Phantogram brought their Running Through Colors tour back to their old stomping ground of Brooklyn with an epic performance at the newly renovated Brooklyn Paramount. This stunning venue that’s history takes you way back to the Roaring 20’s and played such a major role in the Jazz and R&B scenes all the …
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Slowdive casted a spell over Starland Ballroom – Feb 5, 2025
NOTE: All photos are copyright of Dean Keim 2025 The groundbreaking dreampop gurus and shoegaze spellcasters Slowdive are back on the road again after spending the last couple years crossing the globe in a triumphant revival after 2023’s divine Everything Is Alive album was so warmly received. They even attracted a surprising amount of young …
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Soccer Mommy fills the Concert Hall in Toronto – Feb 4, 2025
We got a preview of Soccer Mommy’s (aka Sophia Regina Allison) fourth studio album “Evergreen” during her “Lost Shows” mini-tour last May. The album, released in October, once again solidifies her as one of the best young songwriters. The lyrics on this record feel even more melancholy, if possible, than ever and while “Color Theory” …
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It was disco night at Rebel with L’Impératrice – Jan 23, 2025
It’s been a busy year for French disco band L’Impératrice. They released their third studio album “Pulsar” last June, toured all over North America and Europe, lost their long time lead vocalist Flore Benguigui, and signed a new vocalist Maud "Louve" Ferron. The band had to postpone a number of their 2024 shows due to …
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Buffalo danced to Rubblebucket to stay warm – Jan 18, 2025
Remember that time at band camp when a bunch of campers started jamming and turned a quiet evening into a dance party? Yeah, neither do I but that's what watching indie rock band Rubblebucket reminds me of. Every show is so much fun, where you don't know what to expect, whether it be outrageous costumes, …
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Dramarama rocked out for a good cause at Wonderbar – Jan 17, 2025
NOTE: All photographs are copyright of Dean Keim 2025 90’s alt rock band Dramarama played an intimate show at their old stomping ground of Wonderbar in Asbury Park on a chilly January night as part of The Light of Day Festival that raises money and awareness for ending Parkinson's disease, fighting the good fight since 1998. "Light of Day" …
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Katie Gavin gets close and personal at Opera House – Dec 16, 2024
The last time we saw Katie Gavin, she was blowing the roof off at History with her band MUNA. That persona was a bundle of non-stop energy bounding around the stage. On her first solo album “What a Relief”, released on October 25th, Gavin goes full singer/songwriter, putting out an album of mostly folk songs …
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Toronto gets emotional with Aurora at History – Dec 2, 2024
Having covered Aurora (aka Aurora Aksnes) since she was 18, the prolific singer/songwriter/activist from Norway continues to amaze us as she evolves and transforms with every record. Her latest studio album, "What Happened to the Heart?" is no different, asking the world why caring and empathy have become anathema to so many and selfishness and …
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NewDad wraps up first North American tour in NYC – Nov 7, 2024
Fast rising Irish dream pop band NewDad have only been around for six years but it's been a hectic ride. I say dream pop but you can say shoe gaze, lo-fi, or even grunge and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. After forming and releasing several singles in 2020, the pandemic halted things for a bit …
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The Hu play to a costumed crowd at Electric City – Oct 31, 2024
Five years ago, if you had said that a Mongolian throat singing band would be a huge up and coming metal band, no one would have believed you. It was just not on anyone’s bingo card! Since they opened for Halestorm in 2019 at ArtPark, they showed up on every metalhead’s radar big time! They’ve …
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The Warning put on an epic show in Toronto to close out tour – Oct 30, 2024
It’s been a magical run for the Warning since the world re-opened after the pandemic. Since they first gained a measure of fame when their cover to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” went viral when sisters Daniel, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal were just 14, 11, and 9 respectively. They had released their second album and were gaining …
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Elyanna dazzles at Rebel in Toronto – Oct 28, 2024
Palestinian/Chilean pop star Elyanna (aka Elian Marjieh) is starting to take the world by storm. At just 22 yrs of age, she has released two EPs, released her debut album "WOLEDTO" this April, and has been dubbed by some as the Beyonce of the Arab world!! Her blend of dance, pop, and Arabic music have …
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Hinds rock Lee’s Palace – Oct 23, 2024
Hinds, the indie band from Madrid, has gone through a lot of change over the last few years. It's not surprising since their third studio album "The Prettiest Curse" was due to be released in April 2020, followed by an extensive tour. The record release was delayed until the summer and even thought they toured …
Joywave closes out North American leg of Permanent Pleasure Tour in Buffalo – Oct 18, 2024
Indie rock band Joywave, from Rochester, NY, has been making music for a dozen years now, generating new fans with every release, ever since "Dangerous" (Big Data featuring Daniel Armbruster) hit the clubs and had everyone dancing! Five studio albums later, this funky band announced a North American tour to support their latest "Permanent Pleasure", …
Indie pop sensation Sarah Kinsley thrills Toronto – Oct 9, 2024
The last several years have seen the rise of female Asian American artists (perhaps not in mainstream pop music except for Olivia Rodrigo) in the indie pop and rock scene. This often overlooked demographic has found its voice, previously with the likes of Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, …
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Tokyo Police Club’s “Final Tour” hits Buffalo – Oct 8, 2024
The Tokyo Police Club are breaking up. Yes, it's true. After twenty years as one of the bands you immediately think of when you say "indie rock" and not having released new music since 2018, they have decided to call it quits. Living in NYC during the aughts, it felt like you couldn't go for …
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Nilüfer Yanya brings chill vibes to Phoenix Concert Theatre – Oct 5, 2024
Nilüfer Yanya, the Turkish/Irish singer/songwriter from London, is not to be pigeonholed into a specific musical genre. She can be anywhere from indie rock to jazz to bossanova to soul. Whatever you want to call it, it's music that I could listen to anytime and anywhere, something that I can't say about most artists. For …
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UPSAHL melts down Buffalo – Sept 28, 2024
Arizona pop singer/songwriter UPSAHL (AKA Taylor Cameron Upsahl) has evolved quickly over the ten years of her young career. It's odd to say young career and ten years in the same breath but that's because she released her first EP (as Taylor Upsahl) at the tender age of fourteen!! Fast forward to 2024 and while …
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Hotel Fiction brought their Staring at the Sun tour to Toronto – Sept 25, 2024
Just five short years ago, Hotel Fiction was just a figment of someone's imagination. Jade Long and Jess Thompson, both coming from a family of musicians, met through friends when they were students at University of Georgia and decided to form a band. After releasing their debut album "Soft Focus" in 2021, releasing their first …
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Jinjer headlines a great night of metalcore in Toronto – Sept 23, 2024
In 2017, Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer was just another act trying to make it after complete lineup changes and had just released their second studio album “King of Everything” in 2016, a make it or break it moment for the band. Then they uploaded a “live” performance of “Pisces” that went viral and everything changed. …
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Atlas Genius stop by Rec Room for one-off solo show – Sept 20, 2024
It's been over eleven years since Aussie alt-rockers Atlas Genius released their debut studio album "When It Was Now" and their first single "Trojans" invaded our collective consciousness. That record ended up on my top ten albums of the decade with its enticing melodies, toe-tapping beats, and well thought out lyrics. We managed to catch …
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Cage the Elephant and Young the Giant pack incredible one-two punch at ArtPark – Sept 7, 2024
When Cage the Elephant announced a new studio album "Neon Pill" and an accompanying tour with support from Young the Giant, it brought together two extremely popular alt-rock bands that both came up around fifteen years ago. After the release of the previous album "Social Cues" in April 2019, Cage the Elephant did tour in …
The Erie County Fair loves the 90s – Aug 10, 2024
In the current day when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is ruling the world, there exists a huge appetite for acts that dominated the charts when Gen X was growing up. “Nostalgia” tours have typically been dominated by 80s bands but the 90s are now raising their hands and saying “hold up!”. The I Love the …
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The Linda Linda’s are setting an example for young punks – July 31, 2024
The Linda Linda's exploded onto the scene in 2021 when their song "Racist Sexist Boy", written about a...well, you know...who said something to drummer Mila de la Garza (who was 10 at the time), went viral. Formed in 2018 in LA, this band of teenagers include guitarist Bela Salazar (19), bassist Eloise Wong (16), guitarist …
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Buffalo shows up to dance with Two Door Cinema Club – July 29, 2024
If you were paying any attention in the 2010's, chances are you were going to hear one of Two Door Cinema Club's songs at clubs, on TV, or in commercials and video games. The indie rock band from Bangor, Ireland was a staple during that decade and their 2010 debut studio album "Tourist History" was …
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Totally Tubular at the Great Canadian Casino Resort. Everybody wins!! – July 24, 2024
Over the last ten years, we’ve seen a resurgence of New Wave/synthpop bands from the 80s coming out of retirement to tour, discovering that their fans from forty years ago were nostalgic for the music of their youth and now had disposable income!! Besides bands like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and the Cure who never …
The Flaming Lips battle the pink robots at ArtPark – July 22, 2024
Many words can be used to describe the Flaming Lips: Eclectic? Brilliant? Or maybe just weird?? If you search for a band formed maybe ten years earlier than the Flaming Lips, you might be referring to the Talking Heads! But what’s one body part amongst friends? This year brought the second leg of the band’s …
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Train hits Buffalo – July 19, 2024
Train, those hit-makers from the aughts, are on tour! If you haven’t been paying attention, the popular rock band from San Francisco, led by vocalist Pat Monahan have never gone away. Granted there is more time between studio albums (numbering eleven now) and their singles don’t make the impact on the charts like “Drops of …
Horsegirl hits Rec Room in Buffalo – June 22, 2024
I must admit I get very excited every time a young band emerges from high school and their parents' garages to come out rocking their guitars and drums. With technology allowing more and more new artists to make music on just their computers, it's refreshing to see young people pick up and get excited about …
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Buffalo partied with Nation of Language at Electric City – Jun 19, 2024
What can I say about Nation of Language that I haven't already said when we covered their shows in Toronto in 2022 at Lee's Palace and last December at the Phoenix Concert Theatre? On the heels of their third Studio album "Strange Disciple" being named Best Record of 2023 by Rough Trade and UK/EU and …
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Sarah McLachlan celebrates 30 years of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy at ArtPark – Jun 18, 2024
The last time we caught Sarah McLachlan, she performed with the New York Pops at Forest Hills Stadium in NYC. Fast forward through the pandemic and it's now been thirty years since her breakthrough album "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy" was released! That record was also my introduction to this amazing artist and it remains one of …
Pomme brings all “Saisons” to Toronto – June 10, 2024
Many Americans are not yet familiar with Claire Pommet (aka Pomme), a French folk singer/songwriter/actress who has already released four studio albums and won the award for 2021's Female Artist of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique (French Grammy Awards). Her 2022 duet with Aurora, "Everything Matters", brought her a new army of …
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Soccer Mommy opens The Lost Shows mini-tour in New York – May 31, 2024
Soccer Mommy fans were excited when Sophie Allison announced a small number of intimate events that she called The Lost Shows. She said that she would be playing some hits, some rarities, as well as new songs that portended a new Soccer Mommy studio album! These shows would be scaled down: just a guitar and …
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Gary Clark Jr fires up ArtPark with his searing guitars – May 25, 2024
In the midst of his Hyperwave Tour, Austin-based blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr made a stop at ArtPark in Lewiston, NY near Niagara Falls. In support of his latest studio album “JPEG Raw”, Clark is a throwback to old rock and blues days of yore, playing his screaming guitar accompanied by his smooth vocals including …
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Geeks of Toronto unite! Good Kid is in town – May 10, 2024
NOTE: All photographs are copyright Howard Shiau Photography 2024. Apologies to drummers Colanthony Humphrey and Jon Kereliuk who I somehow missed College students meet and decide to form a band, start playing some gigs, and through hard work and gigging non-stop, they make a name for themselves and get popular. In this day and age, …
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The Driver Era closes out tour with a party in Toronto – May 8, 2024
The Driver Era has been around for around six years but the brother duo of Rocky and Ross Lynch have been making music together since 2010, back when their band R5 included Riker and Rydel Lynch. They haven't released a record since 2022's "Summer Mixtape" but that's not a reason not to tour, which they've …
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Laufey plays first of two sold out shows at Massey Hall – Apr 30, 2024
Icelandic phenom Laufey (aka Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir) played the first of two nights in Toronto as part of her completely sold out North American tour. If anyone had jazz singer releasing her first EP in 2021, a debut LP in 2022, a Grammy winning sophomore album in 2023 and going from playing the NYC’s …
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Blu DeTiger gets all she ever wanted in Toronto – Apr 29, 2024
Exactly one month after she released her debut studio album “All I Ever Want is Everything”, Blu DeTiger stopped at the Velvet Underground in Toronto as part of the tour to support new new record. This amazing performer, named one of the "30 under 30: Music" people to watch in 2022, she has spread her …
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A manic frenzy accompanied Minneapolis punks Vial at Mohawk Place – Apr 25, 2024
The indie punk band Vial has been around for around five years. However, with Covid hitting right in the middle, I feel like they've really only been a band for three years. Not that they didn't make full use of that lockdown time, making music and establishing their social media presence with TikTok videos that …
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Alice Phoebe Lou kicks off solo tour at the Sinclair – Apr 2, 2024
It feels like we just saw South African singer/songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou (aka Alice Matthew) in Brooklyn last July. Maybe because she has been on the road non-stop. After taking just a couple of months off in 2024, she flew from Berlin to Cambridge, MA to kick off her 2024 North American tour. The first …
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The Last Dinner Party, the latest “it” band, plays the Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Mar 30, 2024
You might have heard about The Last Dinner Party . . . ok, there's probably no way you haven't heard about them already. They are the hottest indie band right now and, yes, I've also heard the complaints. They're an industry plant, living off their rich parents, and pretentious as hell. But they write their …
Danforth Music Hall was the place to be for Arlo Park’s smooth vocals – Mar 25, 2024
In the early mornings, when I'm staring out of the window with a coffee cup in hand, the silky voice and chill vibe of English singer/songwriter Arlo Parks (aka Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho) is the perfect soundtrack to those mornings. She was well on her way to success with her first single "Cola" in 2018, …