Live Music Reviews and Photographs / NYC, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh
There are many pros and cons to living in western New York. It's beautiful and affordable but it's also cold and wintry nine months of the year. But one not so obvious benefit, given our proximity to Ontario, is being able to see Canadian electro-pop artist Lights (aka Valerie Anne Poxleitner-Bokan) at least once a …
Continue reading "Lights closes out US leg of tour with a killer show in Buffalo – Mar 14, 2026"
Up and coming pop star Benee (aka Stella Rose Bennett), like many young artists nowadays, started by uploading her music online when she was just in high school. Her offbeat funky style gives me early Lily Allen vibes, very apropos since she ended up supporting Lily Allen on her New Zealand tour stop in 2019! …
Continue reading "Benee brings a taste of New Zealand to Electric City – Mar 13, 2026"
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 …
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 …
Continue reading "The Beths rocked the sold-out crowd at Brooklyn Paramount – Dec 5, 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 …
Continue reading "Buffalo goes dancing with Cut Copy on Thursday night – Nov 20, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Modest Mouse and Built To Spill conquered The Capitol Theater – Oct 22, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Shonen Knife blew the roof off Littlefield – Sept 25, 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 …
Continue reading "Garbage rocked sold out Brooklyn Paramount – Sept 20, 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, …
Continue reading "Pulp played a perfect game at Forest Hills Stadium – Sept 11, 2025"
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 …
Continue reading "Miki Berenyi Trio to play their last show in NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg"
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 …
Continue reading "Fitz & the Tantrums bring their funky grooves to ArtPark – Aug 12, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Grace Potter wows ArtPark on a beautiful night in Buffalo – July 19, 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 …
Continue reading "BANKS cast a spell over the Brooklyn Paramount – June 20, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Mannequin Pussy threw a late night party at Warsaw – June 7, 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 …
Continue reading "The Doobie Brothers reunited with an intimate show at Irving Plaza – June 6, 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, …
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 …
Continue reading "The Wedding Present went Bizarro at Music Hall of Williamsburg – May 23, 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 …
Continue reading "Sunflower Bean had an epic homecoming at Warsaw – May 22, 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 …
Continue reading "Phenom Audrey Nuna packs Music Hall of Williamsburg – May 13, 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) …
Continue reading "Neon Trees sink their teeth into Buffalo – Apr 27, 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 …
Continue reading "Mogwai shred their way to the heavens at Brooklyn Steel – Apr 10, 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 …
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 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 …
Continue reading "The Weather Station conjured a spell over Bowery Ballroom – Apr 1, 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, …
Continue reading "Tsunami and Ida teamed up for the perfect storm at Bowery Ballroom – Mar 29, 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 …
Continue reading "Buffalo welcomes Queen of hip hop Mary J Blige to KeyBank Center – Mar 22, 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 …
Continue reading "Lauren Mayberry plays Electric City supporting first solo album – Feb 8, 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, …
Continue reading "Buffalo danced to Rubblebucket to stay warm – Jan 18, 2025"
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 …
Continue reading "NewDad wraps up first North American tour in NYC – Nov 7, 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 …
Continue reading "The Hu play to a costumed crowd at Electric City – Oct 31, 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", …
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 …
Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club’s “Final Tour” hits Buffalo – Oct 8, 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 …
Continue reading "UPSAHL melts down Buffalo – Sept 28, 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 …
Continue reading "Atlas Genius stop by Rec Room for one-off solo show – Sept 20, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "The Erie County Fair loves the 90s – Aug 10, 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 …
Continue reading "The Linda Linda’s are setting an example for young punks – July 31, 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 …
Continue reading "Buffalo shows up to dance with Two Door Cinema Club – July 29, 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 …
Continue reading "The Flaming Lips battle the pink robots at ArtPark – July 22, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Buffalo partied with Nation of Language at Electric City – Jun 19, 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 …
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 …
Continue reading "Soccer Mommy opens The Lost Shows mini-tour in New York – May 31, 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 …
Continue reading "Gary Clark Jr fires up ArtPark with his searing guitars – May 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 …
Continue reading "A manic frenzy accompanied Minneapolis punks Vial at Mohawk Place – Apr 25, 2024"
It’s been non-stop touring for Canadian band Softcult the last six months, first supporting Movements and Mannequin Pussy, then headlining a tour this month up and down the east coast of the U.S. They closed out their current tour with a packed show at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on a frigid Friday night. Softcult’s last …
Continue reading "Softcult wraps up their US tour in Buffalo – Feb 23, 2024"
The last time we saw Grace Potter was towards the beginning of the Covid pandemic when she visited the Paste Studio and was touring in support of “Daylight”. In fact, she was sick at that NYC show in January 2020 and could possibly have had Covid when we were all just a bit clueless. She …
Continue reading "Grace Potter closes out ArtPark’s season in style – Sept 9, 2023"
If it seems like just yesterday when Duran Duran brought their hits to venues around North America, it’s because their Future Past Tour has been going on for the last two years! It’s obviously never enough for their enormous fan base as they continue to sell out venue after venue across North America, Europe and …
Continue reading "Duran Duran bring their hit parade to Canandaigua, NY – Sept 3, 2023"
Indie rock was in full swing at ArtPark last night as nineties stalwarts The Pixies and Modest Mouse stopped by in the midst of their co-headlining tour across the US. The Pixies released their eighth studio album (fourth with the current lineup) “Doggerel” in September of last year. Modest Mouse released their fifth studio album …
It’s been less than a month since Berlin-based singer/songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou released fifth studio album “Shelter” and she stopped in Brooklyn for the final stop of her 2023 US tour before heading up to the Newport Folk Festival. Since there were only seven US stops on the tour and two of them were in …
Continue reading "Alice Phoebe Lou wraps up US leg of solo tour at Brooklyn Steel – July 26, 2023"
When legendary guitarist Peter Frampton announced that he had inclusion body myositis (IBM) and that he would embark on his farewell tour in 2019, it was a tour that everyone wanted to attend, not only because it was the culmination of a glorious career with a hiccup caused by starring in the ill-fated "Sgt Pepper's …
Canadian singer/songwriter Luna Li (aka Hannah Bussiere Kim) played a one-off show at the Elsewhere Rooftop in Bushwick, NY on Monday, July 24th. After last year's tour, we hadn't expected her to grace us with her presence so soon but were happy to see this hit our schedule. The show was quickly sold out and, …
Continue reading "Luna Li enchants Brooklyn at Elsewhere Rooftop – July 24, 2o23"
Australian singer/songwriter Julia Jacklin first caught our attention when she released her sophomore studio album “Crushing”. Her live performance of “Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You” at the Paste Studio in 2019 is so achingly good, way more emotional and heartbreaking than the studio version. After she released her third studio album “Pre-Pleasure” in …
Continue reading "Julia Jacklin making us cry at Asbury Hall – July 16, 2023"
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 …
Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club play free show in Buffalo – July 13, 2023"
Over fifty years since Styx released their debut album in 1972 and over forty five years since their classic album "The Grand Illusion" became certified triple platinum, the band continues to tour even through personnel changes including an acrimonious separation from former lead singer Dennis DeYoung. They've even been making new music, the latest being …
Continue reading "Styx still rocking at ArtPark – June 2, 2023"
It’s hard to believe it’s been over eight years since a young Declan McKenna (not that he’s not still young) won the emerging talent competition at the Glastonbury Festival. His first single “Brazil” was released on his YouTube channel and expressed dissatisfaction with FIFA and its governing body. That doesn’t change the fact that it …
Continue reading "Declan McKenna brings excitement to Town Ballroom – May 31, 2023"
It's not often that you get to see a living legend on the stage. The word "legend" has been thrown around way too much but in the case of Graham Nash, it's not debatable. Being a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a two-time Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee can attest to that. …
Continue reading "Legend Graham Nash inspires Asbury Hall – May 8, 2023"
If you watched the Grammy's last weekend, you'd think that rock and roll is now just a tiny fringe music genre with few followers. While rock acts are finding it much harder to earn a living with record sales and streaming, the music continues to live on with touring and merch sales being the primary …
Continue reading "Mac Saturn and Billy Tibbals bring glam rock to Town Hall – Feb 9, 2023"
After touring for much of the year, Toronto band The Beaches surprised Buffalo by announcing a one off show in December. On the heels of winning the 2022 Juno Award for best rock album and an extensive tour, we were happy that the band was able to find the time to stop by Buffalo Iron …
Continue reading "Buffalo loves Beaches in December! – Dec 10, 2022"
Normally, I'd say that moving from NYC to Buffalo makes it more difficult to see all the bands I want to see but somehow this year, I've been lucky enough the have the English Beat hit Buffalo twice!! First, they opened for Culture Club this summer at ArtPark and, on Tuesday, they graced us with …
Continue reading "The English Beat help melt the snow in Buffalo – Nov 29, 2022"
If you haven’t heard of the Linda Linda’s, you may be living under a rock. They exploded onto the scene, not necessarily the music scene, when they released a song and video for “Racist, Sexist Boy” after a schoolmate made a racist remark to the band’s drummer early in the Covid pandemic. That song became …
Continue reading "The Linda Linda’s rock Music Hall of Williamsburg – Oct 2, 2022"
There are cover bands and there are good cover bands. Wednesday saw Zoso, the Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience, come to Brooklyn Bowl in NYC and evoke strong memories of the golden age of 70s rock and roll. Having been formed over twenty years ago, the band has honed its craft and is one of the …
Continue reading "Zoso and the shades of Led Zeppelin invade Brooklyn Bowl – Sept 28, 2022"
If you haven’t heard of Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum, you’re not alone. For a couple of years after they formed, they were primarily only known by a rabid group of fans in the NYC area, even though the band is fronted by award winning actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Six Feet Under on …
Continue reading "Princess goes to the Bowery Ballroom – Sept 15, 2022"
Austin based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mobley (aka Anthony Watkins II) stopped by the offices of LiveNation in NYC to preview his latest record "Cry Havoc!" ahead of its release on September 23rd. I first saw Mobley at Rockwood Music Hall back in 2016 (see photos here) before he started playing drums as well as guitar …
Continue reading "Mobley previews new record at LiveNation – Sept 12, 2022"
If you've been following Just One More Concert, you'll find that we've recently been covering quite a number of top 80s bands who have discovered that, not only are their old fans still eager to see them perform live, they have built a new generation of younger fans who love the retro sounds of ska, …
The 80s were the heyday of the hard hitting hair bands, shredding the stage but with smiles on their faces. They played to sold out stadiums of eager young’s fans and partied like there was no tomorrow. Not privy to backstage antics, I don’t know if they’re still partying and the hair is definitely not …
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 …
Continue reading "Khruangbin brings some funk and some fun to ArtPark – Aug 1, 2022"
When New Kids on the Block announced their "Mixtape Tour" would include Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, and Rick Astley, I was in! Not having been much of a boy band fan, I did listen to the other three acts quite a bit back in the day. As I entered the KeyBank Center in Buffalo on July …
Continue reading "New Kids on the Block brought some friends to the KeyBank Center – July 17, 2022"
Music fans in Buffalo were treated this past weekend to the annual Cobblestone Live music festival, located on the old cobblestone streets of Illinois and Columbia in Buffalo. Sponsored by Twenty6 Productions, Buffalo Iron Works, and Lockhouse Distillery, the two day event featured local bands and national acts like Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, who anchored …
With a new LP "Asphalt Meadows" set to be released in September, Death Cab for Cutie hit ArtPark's mainstage in Lewiston on July 11th for a welcome back party. The band is touring extensively through 2022, first with Illuminati Hotties supporting (as they did at ArtPark), then with Low, and finally with Yo la Tengo. …
Continue reading "Death Cab for Cutie plays to packed ArtPark – July 11, 2022"
At the age of 67, 80s hit-maker Howard Jones continues to tour extensively. Yes, those high notes are a little harder to hit now but his fans are there to help him through those. I covered his Acoustic Trio tour when he, bassist and ex-Kajagoogoo member Nick Beggs, and guitarist Robin Boult performed in Ithaca, …
Continue reading "Howard Jones and Midge Ure keep the 80s alive in Buffalo – July 7, 2022"
Everyone has a significant other that adores the handsome operatic crooner Josh Groban. With his boyish good looks, dazzling smile and smooth voice, I can see why. Yeah, it's may not be cool to enjoy what's considered "old people music" but you can't deny the fact that he's been immensely successful and has developed quite …
Continue reading "Josh Groban has Darien Lake swooning – July 1, 2022"
Noga Erez is Israel’s biggest pop star…at least according to Erez’s brother Gon. But who can argue with him. Having won Best Newcomer of the Year in 2018 (VIA), her sophomore album “Kids” critically acclaimed, and touring along the likes of Tove Lo and Florence and the Machine, her bona fixes are solid and indicate …
Continue reading "Noga Erez plays JCC Buffalo’s inaugural Creekside Concert – June 28, 2022"
If there was one way I would describe Tash Sultana, it would be a one-person jam band. The multi-instrumentalist from Australia makes full use of the available technology and is able to seamlessly able to create music incorporating any number of instruments from guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums to mandolin, trumpet, saxophone, panpipes, and recorder!! …
Continue reading "Tash Sultana parties with Buffalo at Babeville – Jun 22, 2022"
Superstar Patti Labelle picked a great evening to play the beautiful outdoor ArtPark on Tuesday, June 21st, and she was in fine form. Regularly engaging with and waving to individual members of the audience, she showed that she still has the pipes, with a little support from her excellent backup singers. She even danced a …
Continue reading "Patti Labelle wows ArtPark in Lewiston – June 21, 2022"
Canadian punk rock band PUP (aka Pathetic Use of Potential) wrapped up the spring/summer portion of their North American tour in Buffalo, NY at Babeville/Asbury Hall on Saturday, June 18th. This final show in support of their latest record "The Unraveling of PUPTheBand" was a high energy affair with a capacity crowd from start to …
Continue reading "PUP shoot their wad at final tour stop in Buffalo – June 18, 2022"
When I first heard about the most recent Oh Wonder album "22 Break" and how Anthony Vander West and Josephine Vander Gucht (now Vander West) had been in the midst of possibly breaking up while writing the record, I was completely devastated! I had met them at their Paste Studio session in 2019 and they …
Continue reading "Oh Wonder celebrates life at Brooklyn Steel – May 15, 2022"
If all you know about Gary Numan is his big 80s hit “Cars”, then you’re missing out. Yes, he was an icon back in the 80s but he’s been putting out new music and touring regularly ever since. If you’ve ever been to one of his shows, you’d remember it vividly. And his music has …
Continue reading "One of the best shows of the year? That’s right…Gary Numan! – Mar 12, 2022"
In late 2019, I had just started to get into The Regrettes' sophomore album "How Do You Love?" after kicking myself for missing their show in NYC. I was hoping for another tour in 2020 but, unfortunately, that was not to be. However, the band stayed busy during the lockdown, releasing two stand-alone singles "What …
Continue reading "The Regrettes slay Rec Room Buffalo – Mar 2, 2022"
I was enjoying the warm almost summer-like 68 degrees in Washington Square Park as I anticipated the show I was to see last Wednesday night. The lineup was definitely something to look forward to with British indie folk singer Fenne Lily as the headliner. Her beautiful voice had been hanging on the skirts of my …
Continue reading "Fenne Lily’s music was warm and soothing on a cold night – Feb 24, 2022"
Did you know that on Tuesday 2/22/22 Pluto completed one revolution around the sun after 246 years? Ok, so we missed by one day and it hasn't really been that long since we last saw Grouplove. However, for some of us die-hard fans, it SEEMS that long. The band had just started doing promos in …
Continue reading "It was a GROUPLOVE birthday celebration at Brooklyn Steel – Feb 23, 2022"
I was just eighteen when “Human’s Lib” was released. With new wave music in full swing at the clubs and “What is Love?” being pondered by young men and women everywhere, Howard Jones and his music became an integral part of my college experience. I had said debut album, “Dream Into Action”, and “One to …
Continue reading "The Howard Jones Acoustic Trio re-ignites at the Hangar Theater – Feb 11, 2022"
Canadian indie-band Tokyo Police Club was originally going to celebrate the ten year anniversary of their Juno nominated second full length album "Champ" in 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic shut things down but when live music started to come back, the band immediately put together a "replacement" tour and a re-issue of that great record. The …
Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club celebrates “Champ” at Bowery Ballroom – Nov 19, 2021"
For two consecutive nights in November, young fans of FINNEAS (AKA Finneas O'Connell, AKA Billie Eilish's older brother and collaborator) could be found lined up for blocks around Irving Plaza. And why not? His debut studio album "Optimist" (released Oct 15, 2021) is stupendous. His charming good looks (kinda reminds me of a young Darryl …
Continue reading "Finneas brings the house down at Irving Plaza – Nov 17, 2021"
When talented Norwegian singer/songwriter/activist/fairy Aurora announced just two shows in the United States for 2021, I knew I had to be at Terminal 5 on November 14th. Having attended every one of her NYC shows since 2017, I've had the pleasure of watching her grow and evolve as an artist. Besides having a beautiful voice …
Continue reading "Aurora makes Terminal 5 the happiest place on Earth – Nov 14, 2021"
UK rock band Wolf Alice stopped by the Bowery Ballroom in NYC (Nov 12/13) as they wind down their first tour in three years. Their critically acclaimed third album "Blue Weekend", released last June, has the been the source of much press coverage and garnered them a nomination for the 2021 Mercury Prize. After attending …
Continue reading "Wolf Alice crushes two nights at Bowery Ballroom – Nov 13, 2021"
Blues/rock guitarist and singer/songwriter Samantha Fish, in the midst of a worldwide tour supporting her seventh studio album "Faster", stopped by Asbury Hall on Tuesday night. Winner of many awards for her blues albums and performances, her new record does skew a bit more pop. That being said, her consummate guitar playing is evident and, …
Continue reading "Samantha Fish was on fire last night in Buffalo – Nov 2, 2021"
What a night of constant searing guitar solos and good old rock and roll!! Are we talking about Eric Clapton? Led Zeppelin? Lynyrd Skynyrd? Nope! It was Larkin Poe who played an electric show at Asbury Hall/Babeville in Buffalo last night and wowed my socks off! The Nashville-based sister duo (Rebecca Lovell on lead vocals …
Continue reading "Larkin Poe rocks the house at Asbury Hall – Oct 12, 2021"
Shot for QRO Magazine. You can also view the gallery here. After seeing the crowd at the Sea Hear Now Festival (see my coverage here) singing along to every Billy Idol song just this past weekend, I kinda knew what to expect as I drove up to Port Chester for his headlining show at The …
Unless you are an indie rock fan, Phoebe Bridgers was a relative unknown (even though she had four Grammy nominations) until she played Saturday Night Live and smashed (up for debate) her guitar. All of a sudden, everyone knew who she was! Those of you already in the know had heard and loved her debut …
Continue reading "A Dreamy Night with Phoebe Bridgers at ArtPark – Sept 15, 2021"
Ok so maybe it won't be the last concert ever but, with the COVID-19 pandemic, voluntary social distancing, and many tours/venues cancelled in the near future, Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum's show at Mercury Lounge sure felt like it was going to be the last concert ever. Princess (I'll abbreviate from now on), with …
Continue reading "Princess slays Mercury Lounge for last concert ever – Mar 12, 2020"
NOTE: All photos are copyright of Howard Shiau Photography except for setlist photo thanks to Gabrielle Pires I have to admit that for much of the late 1990s / early 2000s, I was working so much that I didn't pay too much attention to music that was coming out during that time. It wasn't until …
Continue reading "Spending the day with Silversun Pickups – Mar 6, 2020"
Today may be International Women's Day but a few days ago on Wednesday, March 4th, female artists helped Mercury Lounge celebrate early. Two Rochester based bands with female leads, Roses & Revolutions with singer/keyboardist Alyssa Coco and KOPPS with singer Patricia Patrón, were the co-headliners but, like me, many were here for opener Caroline Vreeland. …
Continue reading "Caroline Vreeland gets the party started at Mercury Lounge – Mar. 4, 2020"
As an introvert, there are some weeks where I just don't want to get out to concerts. Even though being in a large crowd can be a very lonely experience, it's sometimes nice to just have fewer people around. During the last week of February, I skipped full shows and stopped by the Paste Studio …
I seem to have been on the Echosmith promotion tour the last few months, having seen them at Paste Studio and Songkick even before they kicked off their Lonely Generation Tour at le poisson rouge in the Village in NYC. This sibling band (Sydney, Noah and Graham Sierota), with their dad as manager, producer, tour …
Continue reading "Echosmith leads young LA bands at LPR – Feb 13, 2020"
Swedish pop star Tove Lo (aka Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson), known not just for her danceable tunes and high energy live shows but also for her sexually direct lyrics and for flashing the crowd, hit NYC for two shows as part of her Sunshine Kitty Tour. Having celebrated her record release back in September at …
Continue reading "Tove Lo throws party at Brooklyn Steel – Feb 12, 2020"