NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography 2025
The Thursday and Main concert series at the Fountain Plaza in Buffalo is always a good time and popular with locals. On July 13th, Canadian indie rock band Tokyo Police Club graced the stage, their first show in Buffalo since 2017 even though it’s just a skip and a hop from Toronto. Just One More Concert was lucky enough to catch this fun band in New York City for their “Champ 10th Anniversary” tour in 2021 post-lockdown. With many still donning masks, it was an eerie sort of celebration. Fast forward to 2023 and this promised to be a renewal of sorts.
Opening at 5pm was local rock band Handsome Jack which many in the crowd were already familiar with. With searing licks from vocalist/guitarist Jamison Passuite, groovy baselines from Joey Verdonselli, and smooth percussion from Bennie Hayes, their soulful was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience in the increasingly crowded Fountain Plaza.
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Tokyo Police Club entered the stage very casually as was their wont. After two years, there were some changes in their look. Gone were lead vocalist/bassist Dave Monks’ flowing locks, replaced by a much shorter mullet. Guitarist/keyboardist Graham Wright was also sporting a mustache, although he said he had also grown long hair and a full beard during the hiatus but decided it wasn’t a good look. They kicked off the set with “Breakneck Speed” from their debut LP Champ. Both the band and the crowd seemed reasonably sedate during the first third of the set, with the exception of Wright, whose boundless energy brought him back and forth across the stage constantly. But the crowd slowly found its groove, singing and dancing in the plaza, also injecting energy into the band as well. By the time they sung “Argentina”, the party was in full swing. They closed out the set with another oldie “Tessellate”. Chants of “one more songs” rang through the crowd and the band obliged. Monks came out solo to perform “Ready to Win” to an amused audience as he first apologized to all the kids in the audience for all the swearing. “Hot Tonight” and “Your English is Good” completed the evening’s festivities with a band. Afterwards, a line formed to meet the band and many others enjoyed the lovely evening with food and drink available at tents in the plaza. Tokyo Police Club is working on finishing a new album and plans to tour next year in support of that record so stay tuned!!
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