Live Music Reviews and Photographs / NYC, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh
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"
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 …
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, …
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
This year wasn’t quite as productive as last year but I was fortunate to attend and photograph some major events, including Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. That being said, it was also disappointing to be denied for some of my favorite bands like Depeche Mode (twice!!) and the Cure. A nice surprise towards the end of …
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 …
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"
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'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"
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"
Why are jam bands so tightly associated with hippie culture and drugs? It's understood that 60s era hippies and psychedelics were an influence that drove some of the music of early jam bands like the Grateful Dead. However, it continued to persist with Phish in the 80s to even current day jam bands like Goose. …
Continue reading "Goose jams through the night at ArtPark – June 8, 2022"
It was a hell of a night for punk rock at Mohawk Place on Thursday with a trio of Sad Place, Skating Polly, and Together Pangea. Whether you call it emo, ugly pop, or garage rock, it was hard, heart pounding punk rock. I had been following Skating Polly since their collaboration with Veruca Salt …
Continue reading "A Skating Polly punk sandwich at Mohawk Place in Buffalo – April 14, 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"
James Taylor and Jackson Browne wrapped up a long US tour at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo on Monday. I was lucky enough to attend and photograph for QRO Magazine. All their respective hits were in play as well as a number of covers, evoking memories from my younger days. Taylor, at points, hopped …
Continue reading "James Taylor brings back memories at Key Bank Center – Dec 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"
When I shot my last show at NYC’s Mercury Lounge in March 2020, little did I know that it would be 18 months and a move up to the Buffalo area before my next concert. When Nashville-based Halestorm announced a nearby stop at the OUTDOOR amphitheater at ArtPark in Lewiston, I knew I had to …
Continue reading "Beautiful evening for Halestorm at ArtPark – Sept 1, 2021"