NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
The Houston based trio Khruangbin hit ArtPark in Lewiston, NY last night. In the midst of their cross country Space Walk Tour, the Buffalo show was a late addition and the fans in western New York could not be happier. The venue was packed before the opener even started, with many dressed as if they were at Woodstock! Cool vibes indeed!
Opening was Montreal based Men I Trust, a jazzy bluesy (and whatever other adjectives you want to throw) band, who’s my personal favorite act of the year so far. Very chill and makes you want to close your eyes and sway. With fantastic lead Emmanuel Proulx providing breathy silken vocals, I feel like their set could have started a bit later than 6:30pm and would have been an amazing companion to the sunset. People really should show up for the opening act.
It’s not clear to me what to call Khruangbin’s musical style. It’s an it funk, a bit would, and a bit psychedelic. Whatever you want to call it, their mostly instrumental set went over like gangbusters with the fans dancing everywhere you looked. With Laura Lee Ochoa on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, and everyone on vocals, the music thumped through the night to a rhythm you couldn’t keep out of your head. Both Lee and Speer would sway and bend in unison, a choreography unusual for a band that’s out there jamming. Also eliciting huge positive responses were a medley of covers including “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie, “I Keep Forgetting” by Michael McDonald, and “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak. The stage also jutted out into the crowd allowing Lee and Speer to get even closer to the audience. Check out their 2020 album Mordechai. You won’t be disappointed.x`
