It's been nearly ten years since the legendary Buffalo venue, the Continental, shut its doors yet it still feels like yesterday. Every little detail remains crystal clear. The smell of that place, the dark, brooding ambiance, the dance floor upstairs and the creatures inhabiting it. The Continental was many things to many people. It was a sanctuary for the weird and dejected. It was a venue for "alternative" music however you choose to define that. All in all, it was a staple of our city and is (still) sorely missed.

But fret not! Tonight's all about celebration; not brooding. Tonight we celebrate the Continental Reunion party at Town Ballroom (8pm, $20). Obviously this couldn't be at the Continental...it's long since been destroyed. The Town B's the next best place though and what a way to wring in the party than with all those great bands who defined the place to begin with. You've got Terry Sullivan, you've got the Old Toys, you've got Bobo, you've got a host of killer DJ's that used to spin your favorite goth and IDM tracks. For a full list of bands, check the above flyer. Nostalgia can be a great thing if it's harnessed properly. Do it to it.

One of the best bands to ever come from Buffalo had one of the worst names. Bobo doesn't sound like a band. It sounds like a clown, and every time I hear that name I cringe. Fortunately, the music far exceeded their awful monikor. In the late nineties, Bobo took Buffalo by storm with their enthusiastic blend of swagger-induced rock'n'roll. The songs were tight, they were raw and they were catchy as all hell. Lead singer/gun-slinger Jimmer Phillips was Buffalo's answer to Keith Richards with all of the sleaze, spit and vibrant energy that is unique to "rock stars". It's a wonder he never found fame with all of that undefinable attitude.

What prompted this post was a recent dig through my CD collection. After unearthing the 6 track Bobo EP and popping it into my stereo I was shocked to hear just how fresh it sounded. It got me thinking about Bobo and all of the great shows at Mohawk Place small stage, including Jimmer taunting the audience, drunk and barely holding himself together yet still making it work somehow. I continued to dig and found Bobo's excellent live split with Girlpope (shown above) as well as their Mp3 disc for Mp3.com which contains their best version of "Broken Promises", Bobo's creme de la creme.

As far as I know, Bobo is currently inactive. They've played a few reunion shows in the past couple years, but I haven't heard anything beyond that. Which leads me to ask this question. Anyone remember Bobo?