Category: Buffalo

Big Gigantic Sell Out Buffalo’s Town Ballroom

EDM legends Big Gigantic wrap up their last dates of their Brighter Future Tour. The duo are no strangers to the electronic scene, especially in Buffalo where they sold out the Town Ballroom on July 27.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

Buffalo had multiple DJ’s preforming for hours before Big G took over. Special guests Covex, MEMBA, and KASBO opened up the night getting the crowd pumped up.

Big Gigantic are veterans at mixing edm beats with multiple instruments to give a sound that is both danceable and intuitive. The Denver natives Dominic Lalli and Jeremy Salken utilize saxophone and drums to layer over samples. They don’t shy away from any style of music. Their range stretches from jazz to hip hop, and funk to dubstep. Alongside their cinematic production, Big G knows how to put on a show. Whether that be headlining a major festival like Electric Forest or filling up the Town Ballroom, these two do not disappoint.

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

The duo opened up the show with their single “Future’s All I See” off of their latest 2022 album Brighter Future 2. They immediately captured the stage with their animated visuals and energetic crowd welcome. Their impressive instrumentation matched with their colorful lasers had everyone getting rowdy.

Big Gigantic never stopped once during their set. It was continuous beats and melodies blended into the next. This allowed them to play both old and new hits which left no one disappointed. Some of which included “The Little Things,” “Open Your Mind,” and “All of Me.” They managed to mix in some popular covers as well like Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Night.”

Photo Credit: Maddie McCafferty

To top off the night Big Gigantic brought Covex back on stage to sing their song “Second Time” and closed out with “Love Unlimited.” No matter the size of the venue or location Big G proves again that they know how to put on a show.

Make sure to stay up to date with shows coming to the Town Ballroom. Joyce Manor has a show on August 10 and Cody Jinks performs August 17.

All photos by Maddie McCafferty

July 30, 2022
Buffalo Jazz Festival to Bring Live Music Labor Day Weekend

On Sunday, September 4, Buffalo Jazz Festival brings four acts to the area for a full day of live music during Labor Day Weekend.

From noon until 6:30 pm, the West Plaza of the Seneca One Tower in Buffalo will bring audiences live music, food trucks, refreshments, and entertainment for all ages. In the second year of the festival using the venue space, people can enjoy a free community concert.

To open up the Buffalo Jazz Festival, NYC-based John Troy Quartet will perform from 12 noon until 1:15 pm. John Aaron Troy is a saxophonist, multiple woodwind musician, and educator. The artist picked up the saxophone at age 10 and his music is ever-evolving since then.

From 1:45 pm to 3:00 pm, Trigger & the Sermon will take the spotlight. Trigger & the Sermon Organ Jazz Quartet play classical soul-jazz while mixing in unique rhythm and groove. The group has played at multiple venues in the Buffalo area, including at the Four One Six and Duende at Silo City.

Trigger & The Sermon

The Dave Hill Group brings more entertainment to the Buffalo Jazz Festival, with a performance from 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm. Dave Hill Group consists of Jim Linsler (drums), Pat Georger (keys), Tim Sheldon (bass), Colin Brydalski (bass), and Matt Harris on saxophone.

To close out the festival Wendell Rivera Latin Jazz Ensemble will play from 5:15 pm to 6:30 pm. A Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inductee who has played with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Arthuro Sandovar, and Ben Vereen, the performance is sure to be one to remember.

Wendell Rivera

JazzBuffalo promotes the genre of jazz in the Buffalo area with news, live performances, festivals, events, education, and more. The organization uses music and events to bring the community together and the Buffalo Jazz Festival is one such event. For more information about the organization and ways to get involved, visit the website available here.

July 29, 2022
eberwine closes out July with DeadPhish weekend

Buffalo-based fusion rock quintet eberwine will celebrate the music of the Grateful Dead and Phish this weekend. The band will play two sets each night, including one set of original music featuring songs from the project’s forthcoming studio album One Vision. The weekend takes the band to the Riverboat Bar in Alexandria Bay on July 29, Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs on July 30, and Flour City Station in Rochester for a brunch set on July 31.

The three-show run will highlight the band’s collective passion for the music of the two jam giants. “Everyone in the band grew up on the Dead and Phish,” noted lead guitarist and frontman Todd Eberwine. “We’re looking forward to crafting sets that intermingle the two bands. So much of the bands’ respective histories are rooted in setlists that mixing their catalogs is exciting in an artistic and energetic way.”

eberwine will be joined in Saratoga Springs by Albany-based genre-bending improv quartet Hilltop, who will celebrate the music of the String Cheese Incident. Eberwine recently released Live at the Strand across all streaming platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify.

Known for innovative jams, soulful lyrics, and high-energy shows, eberwine is fronted by guitarist Todd Eberwine (Dive House Union, Todd Eberwine Band, Soul Roach). The five-piece pulls musicians from the Buffalo music scene into a Western New York supergroup featuring Aaron Ziolkowski (Little Mountain Band), Jay Race (Dead Alliance Buffalo), Scott Molloy (Lazlo Hollyfeld, BEU) and Paul Zabrycki (Dead Buffalo Alliance). For those who haven’t checked out the band, according to Eberwine, they can “expect plenty of hooks and plenty of jams that range from a dance party to psychedelia.” More information about show details and tickets can be found through the band’s website at www.eberwineband.com.

July 28, 2022
David Loss of Aqueous Takes Time Off To Start a Family

David Loss from the band Aqueous announced he is taking time away from the band to welcome his new baby into the world. Fans speculated a breakup but were met with a sweet and emotional announcement.

David Loss

Aqueous is a Buffalo-based groove band with a loyal following who put on spectacular shows. David Loss is the guitarist and keyboardist who does vocals with the band and is gaining notoriety as one of the most skilled, actively touring guitarists in the industry. His sound is unmistakable and keeps fans coming back show after show.

The band has been quiet lately and should have announced a fall tour, however, they proudly announced that Loss is welcoming a child with his wife. He is taking the rest of the year off to take care of his child. The pandemic has taught us life can be disrupted abruptly, and we take the little things for granted. Life is all about balance and being present, and Aqueous are taking this time to reevaluate the culture of the band by not touring as much to get back to their roots.

David Loss spoke about the decision with me, and the band’s future.

I knew it was the right decision for me to make. When my son is born it’s going to be such a life changing experience that I want to fully be there for all of it. I don’t want to miss a thing! A lot of first time things and time you just can’t get back later. I know my wife will be very happy to have me home more as well. She has always been so supportive of me in everything I’ve done, which makes me feel ever more that I need to be there with her as much as I can. The only hesitation that I had really was that I didn’t want to let anyone down. That includes all of our fans and friends as well as the rest of the band. Especially since the guys are some of my best friends. We’ve been doing this thing for a long time now! It’s tough to take that long of a break from playing shows, but again I knew it was what I had to do and I feel very lucky that everyone has been very supportive of my decision. I’m happy that the guys will be able to play a handful of shows without me too. So keep an eye out for those sets!
David Loss

It is beautiful to bring a child into the world, and even more complicated when you are a musician with a hectic touring schedule and music to make. Loss taking the time and being present for a while is something all father’s with hectic schedules should do. Fans may be sad they won’t be able to see Aqueous for a while, but the music is still there, and they also teased a new album for next year, as well as more tours.

July 27, 2022
Rage Against the Machine’s Tour Rips Buffalo to Shreds

On Monday July 25th, Rage Against the Machine (RATM) stopped in Buffalo for one of their many stops on their current tour. After an eight-year hiatus, Rage Against the Machine announced in November 2019 that they were reuniting for a world tour, which was initially scheduled to start in 2020, but was ultimately postponed to 2021, and then to 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The opener of the show was Run the Jewels, an American hip-hop super-duo comprised of EL-P and Killer Mike.

photo credit- Mike Miller

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles during 1991. RATM consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk.

It has been many years since RATM has played in Buffalo, but on their current tour they just played Toronto, Canada on July 23. A fan jumped on stage and security tackled the guitarist Tom off the stage in error. Luckily for everyone he was ok and able to continue playing shows. Earlier in the tour the singer Zack injured his foot and has had to sit during each performance now. This tour will be visiting 12 countries, 40 cities and 51 shows in total.

photo credit- Mike Miller

The whole night the crowd was filled with energy and singing along to all of their hits. “Testify”, “Killing in the Name Of”, and “Bulls On Parade” were some of the songs the crowd was seen screaming along and head-banging to.

photo credit- Mike Miller

August 8th through the 14th, Rage Against the Machine will be playing as MSG in New York City

Rage Against The Machine – Keybank Center, Buffalo – July 25, 2022

Setlist: Bombtrack, People of the Sun, Bulls on Parade, Bullet in the Head, Testify, Take the Power Back, Wake up, Guerrilla Radio, Close Your Eyes, Down Rodeo, Know Your Enemy. Calm Like a Bomb. Sleep Now in the Fire, War Within a Breath, The Ghost of Tom Joad, Freedom, Township Rebellion, Killing in the Name

July 26, 2022
Aqueous Sets Last Show Of The Year With Buffalo’s Inaugural Great Flamingle

Aqueous has announced one last final appearance before year’s end and the band is making the very most of it. The Buffalo natives have just announced the inaugural The Great Flamingle which is scheduled to take place Saturday, September 3 at the outdoor lot stage at Jack Rabbit in the band’s hometown. The event, with music, vendors and other experiences curated by the band will mark the last full band show on record for 2022, with keyboardist David Loss set to take paternity leave shortly.

The Great Flamingle will feature two sets from Aqueous as well as performances from lespecial and The Talking Dead Heads, plus supporting acts from fellow locals Space Junk and Tortoise Forest on an outdoor lot stage.

This is something we’ve wanted to do forever…We’re all very excited to throw a unique, AQ-curated experience from the music, the vendors, the fan experiences, and beyond! We’re looking forward to building on The Great Flamingle in the years to come, too.
~ Aqueous guitarist Mike Gantzer

Tickets for The Great Flamingle, this last scheduled Aqueous gig of 2022, are on sale now here with both VIP and general admission options available. VIP ticket holders will have access to an intimate indoor performance along with a meet and greet with Aqueous plus complimentary food and two drinks from the Jack Rabbit Kitchen and Bar.

July 23, 2022
NKOTB Mixtape Tour 2022 stops in Buffalo at Keybank Center

On Sunday July 17th, The Mixtape tour 2022 invaded Buffalo with multiple acts appearing. It featured multiplatinum selling pop super-group New Kids On The Block (NKOTB), Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley, and En Vogue who last visited Buffalo in 2015.

One of the first big ‘boy bands’ of the 1980s, New Kids On The Block hail from Dorchester, Massachusetts and consists of brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood.

Fans heard chart-topping hits and legendary catalogues spanning generations all night long. It follows the colossal commercial and critical success of NKOTB’s 2019 tour by the same name. Which was their biggest since reuniting in 2008 which grossed $53.2 million, sold more than 650,000 tickets and pioneered a super-sized show each night with multiple acts (Salt-N-Pepa, Tiffany, Naughty By Nature and Debbie Gibson).

Donnie from NKOTB walking around the floor taking photos with fans. Photo credit- Mike Miller

The crowd was mostly filled with female fans, but all the fans in attendance seemed to know the words to every song. There were two stages on each end of the floor which made some fans closer than usual. With a bar style single row seating layout along the edges of each stage, fans got up close and personal.

En Vouge Photo credit- Mike Miller

NKOTB hit the stage on the MixTape Tour 2022 to perform fan favorite #1 hits like “Hangin’ Tough,” “I’ll Be Loving You (Forever),” and “Step By Step” while tour mates Salt-N-Pepa (“Push It,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man”), Rick Astley (“Never Gonna Give You Up,” “Together Forever”) and En Vogue (“Don’t Let Go [Love],” “Free Your Mind,” “Give It Up, Turn It Loose,” “Hold On”) kept the party going with music that catapulted them to stardom and solidified their places in music history.

Throughout the show, confetti was blasted in the air with cannons. Everyone got covered in it almost like snow falling. On the main stage, they used pyro vertical fire blasts for multiple songs. There was a huge video screen above the main stage so people in the back could see what was going on. The security and the guest experience was top notch at Keybank Center. Everyone had smiles on and enjoyed the night which brought back memories from the 80’s and 90’s.

Rick Astley at Keybank Center. Photo credit Mike Miller

Over the past two years, Rick Astley has amassed million YouTube followers with a series of covers from his studio. Rick has become a major force on TikTok with 1.7 million followers. “Never Gonna Give You Up” was recently featured on the critically acclaimed series Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ and its video has been viewed more than 1 billion times.

NKOTB. Photo credit- Mike Miller

At the very end of the show, all of the acts got on stage to perform “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley.

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July 19, 2022
In Focus: Spoon at Town Ballroom in Buffalo

Spoon opened their second leg of their summer tour at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo on July 7. Touring in support of their recent release Lucifer On the Sofa. Though it was the first show they had played since June, you wouldn’t know it. Opening up the leg with a Smog cover of Held, the show was an eclectic mix of old and new, playing 5 songs from Lucifer on the Sofa, along with an impressive mix of their older catalog. It really highlighted the deep well they can draw from and keep the audience on their toes.

Spoon is a band that serves no bullshit; no stage theatrics, no elaborate light setup or costumes. Britt Daniel (vocals, guitar), Jim Eno (drums), Alex Fischel (keyboards, guitar), Gerardo Larios (guitar, keyboards) and Ben Trokan (bass, keyboards) are just 5 guys on stage who are focused on just playing their music. The band represents their cool Austin roots from the 80’s and 90’s where bands were cool without trying too hard. The show moved along like a locomotive, it didn’t slow and keep chuggin along and gaining momentum. Their 5 song encore started with a cover of John Lennon’s Isolation and ended with their musical nod to The Rolling Stones with 2014’s Rent I Pay. Some people say that rock is dead, but Spoon is proof that it’s alive and well.

Setlist: Held (Smog Cover), The Devil & Mister Jones, Don’t You Eva, Wild, The Beast and Dragon, Adored, The Way We Get By, Don’t Make Me a Target, The Underdog, I Summon You, My Babe, Feels Alright, My Mathematical Mind, Do I Have To Talk You Into It, Inside Out, I Turn My Camera On, Got Nuffin

Encore: Isolation (John Lennon Cover), The Hardest Cut, Do You, Small Stakes, Rent I Pay

July 16, 2022

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Announce US Tour Dates with 6 Shows in NY

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will begin their 2023 US tour with 31 shows across the country including 6 shows in New York.

The long-awaited tour marks the first time Springsteen and The E Street Band have toured together in the U.S. since 2016. This newest tour will launch in Florida on Feb. 1 and continue through April 14 with the finale in Newark, NJ.

The NY part of the tour includes one-night stops at MVP Arena, Keybank Center, Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and two nights at UBS Arena in Belmont Park. UBS Arena is the only venue across the entire tour to host two nights on April 9 and 11. The state-of-the-art arena is designed to accommodate 19,000 people and previously showcased the talents of international stars such as Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, John Mayer, Eagles, and more.

The most recent release from Springsteen and the E Street Band, Letter to You, debuted at No. 1 in eleven countries. The album also was the first time in decades that the group recorded live in decades. At almost an hour-long, Letter to You was recorded in 2019 at Springsteen’s NJ home studio.

Springsteen and the E Street Band will tour across Europe from April to July 2023, after which more North American tour dates are expected to be announced for August. The U.S. tour is set to be a great success, as the 2016 River Tour was in the past.

The members of the E Street Band include Roy Bittan (piano, synthesizer), Nils Lofgren (guitar, vocals), Patti Scialfa (guitar, vocals), Garry Tallent (bass guitar), Stevie Van Zandt (guitar, vocals), and Max Weinberg (drums), Soozie Tyrell (violin, guitar, vocals), Jake Clemons (saxophone), and Charlie Giordano on keyboards.

The first of the ticket sales will begin on July 20, at 10 am local time, through Ticketmaster. The Springsteen and the E Street Band tour will also be utilizing Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program, and fans can register now for the program through July 17 with more information available here.

For the full list of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour dates, see below.

Date	City	Venue
FEB 1	Tampa, FL	Amalie Arena
FEB 3	Atlanta, GA	State Farm Arena
FEB 5	Orlando, FL	Amway Center
FEB 7	Hollywood, FL	Hard Rock Live
FEB 10	Dallas, TX	American Airlines Center
FEB 14	Houston, TX	Toyota Center*
FEB 16	Austin, TX	Moody Center
FEB 18	Kansas City, MO	T-Mobile Center
FEB 21	Tulsa, OK	BOK Center
FEB 25	Portland, OR	Moda Center
FEB 27	Seattle, WA	Climate Pledge Arena
MAR 2	Denver, CO	Ball Arena
MAR 5	St. Paul, MN	Xcel Energy Center
MAR 7	Milwaukee, WI	Fiserv Forum
MAR 9	Columbus, OH	Nationwide Arena
MAR 12	Uncasville, CT	Mohegan Sun
Mar 14	Albany, NY	MVP Arena
MAR 16	Philadelphia, PA	Wells Fargo Center*
MAR 18	State College, PA	Bryce Jordan Center
MAR 20	Boston, MA	TD Garden
Mar 23	Buffalo, NY	KeyBank Center
MAR 25	Greensboro, NC	Greensboro Coliseum
MAR 27	Washington D.C.	Capital One Arena
MAR 29	Detroit, MI	Little Caesars Arena
APR 1	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden
APR 3	Brooklyn, NY	Barclays Center*
APR 5	Cleveland, OH	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse*
APR 7	Baltimore, MD	Baltimore Arena
APR 9	Belmont Park, NY	UBS Arena
APR 11	Belmont Park, NY	UBS Arena
APR 14	Newark, NJ	Prudential Center

July 13, 2022

moe. Returns To Its Roots In The Outer Harbor

New York jam icons moe. continued their recent revival on Thursday, July 7 with a headlining gig in their old hometown of Buffalo. As part of the Seneca Casinos Outer Harbor Concert Series, moe. played at the Lakeside Event Lawn in the outer harbor. With founding member Chuck Garvey still on the sidelines, Suke Cerulo filled in on guitar while Nate Wilson was also added on keys for this tour.

moe. kept it fairly old school this evening, in the community in which it grew up as a band. A “Kyle’s Song” > “Seat Of My Pants” got the evening started off right. The first set also offered up the newer composition “Prestige Worldwide” before “Time Ed” later closed out the set.

An even older tune “Johnny Lineup” opened up the second set, followed close behind by other legendary moe. tunes like “Timmy Tucker” and “Sensory Depravation Bank.” A powerhouse combination of “Recreational Chemistry” > “Meat” to close out the set preceded the all too fitting “Skitchin’ Buffalo” encore.

moe. Outer Harbor Drive – Buffalo, NY 7/7/22

Set 1: Kyle’s Song > Seat Of My Pants, Haze, Prestige Worldwide > Rickey Marten > Time Ed

Set 2: Johnny Lineup > Timmy Tucker, Sensory Depravation Bank, Meat > Recreational Chemistry > Meat

E: Skitchin’ Buffalo

July 11, 2022