buffaBLOG - The Buffalo music blog: ESI Events

Showing posts with label ESI Events. Show all posts

Cliff, cults, ESI Events, the tralf, tonight — 0 comments

Tonight: Cults

Tonight, NYC dream pop group Cults make a welcome return to Buffalo at the Tralf with Mood Rings. Arriving a few years back as if out of a dream, Cults seduced audiences with a timeless 60's girl group sound exquisitely curated and updated by Brian Oblivion, the ethereal vocals of Madeline Follin, and a sweet air of darkness to balance it all out. Touring behind their excellent 2013 sophomore effort Static, Cults are back in Buffalo after memorable shows at Soundlab, The Ninth Ward, and Town Ballroom, and I for one am somewhat gratified that they've made a point of stopping here because not a lot of national acts do. Openers Mood Rings, from Atlanta will be kicking things off and setting the stage perfectly for Cults with their reverb drenched and deeply resonant brand of dream pop showcased on their 2011 ep Sweater Weather Forever. Tickets are $17 (and amazingly/laughably still available), doors open at 7 with the show at 8. See you there.

buffalo iron works, cloud nothings, ESI Events, just announced, mac — 0 comments

Just Announced: Cloud Nothings

A couple years back, former lo-fi turned angst rockers Cloud Nothings played one of the best shows that Babeville's Ninth Ward has had the privilege to host. This April, the Cleveland, Ohio based band will return to Buffalo, this time at Buffalo Iron Works, maybe the best show the still newish venue has landed yet. The band will be releasing its much anticipated follow up to 2012's Attack on Memory, titled Here and Nowhere Else, on April 1st, and will include a Buffalo stop on its tour on Friday, April 4th at the recently opened Cobblestone District venue.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Feb 14th, at 10am for $14 in advance/$16 day of. In the mean time, listen to Here and Nowhere Else's first single, "I'm Not Part of Me Here," below.

~ Photo by Tom Dennis

ESI Events, just announced, mac, The Lone Bellow, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: The Lone Bellow

Mumford & Sons. The Lumineers. Of Monsters and Men. The Head & The Heart. All of these acts are a part of this next wave of folk that is just hugecillo right now. Add The Lone Bellow to that list as well. The Brookyln based trio's self titled, debut album made a big splash when it dropped earlier this year, and whether they get quite as big as the previously mentioned acts, you can at least say you saw them back when as they are scheduled to make a stop at the Tralf on Thursday, Nov 21st. Tickets go on sale this Friday (8/9) for $12 in advance, $14 day of.

blitzen trapper, ESI Events, just announced, mac, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: Blitzen Trapper

Nearly every week I find myself writing a post about a newly announced Tralf show. On the heels of a deafening Swans performance this past Friday and buzz worthy set this evening from Wild Nothing, the downtown venue is set to welcome Blitzen Trapper back to Buffalo on Friday, October 4th. Over the course of 4 full length alums, the PAC NW band has covered genres from space rock, to freak folk, to autumnal Neil Young/Bob Dylan inspired rock. The band is no stranger to Buffalo. A few years back, they were the only positive to what was an otherwise insufferable and boring solo Iron and Wine show at Asbury Hall, and a couple Octobers ago, they played to one of the fullest rooms I have ever seen at Mohawk Place.

Tickets for the show are currently on sale for $16 in advance, $18 day of.

ESI Events, just announced, mac, quasi, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: Quasi

The Tralf's self proclaimed "Summer of Indie" appears to have a longer shelf life initially expected, rolling right into a suddenly busy fall season. The latest land for the revitalized downtown venue is Quasi. The PAC NW duo, which features Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag fame, will be stopping in town on Thursday, October 17th. The former husband/wife duo is prepping the release of their forthcoming album Mole City (10/1) in addition to celebrating their 20th anniversary. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (7/23) at noon for $13 in advance, $15 at door.

ESI Events, just announced, mac, man man, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: Man Man

The Tralf's recent and welcoming indieplosion (indie + explosion) continues as they just announced that Man Man will return to Buffalo on Wednesday, October 16th. The Philadelphia experimental act, which is known for it's frantic live shows, is prepping the release of 5th studio album, On Oni Pond (9/10), and should be debuting a handful of those tunes on the Buffalo stop of the tour. Tickets go on sale this Friday (7/19) for $16 advance, $18 day of.

baths, ESI Events, just announced, mac, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: Baths

As of late, the Tralf has been booking some fresh and interesting acts. With recent and upcoming shows for Wild Nothing, Parquet Courts, DIIV, and others, the revitalized downtown venue has been a hotbed of up and coming national acts thanks to ESI Events. These up and comers have, historically, been something Buffaloians usually had to make the drive to Toronto to see. ESI's latest land is Baths, the project of California electronic musician Will Wiesenfold. Baths' latest release, the dark Obsidian, has been getting rave reviews, and lucky for us, we will get the chance to see him live on Tuesday, October 1st. Tickets will go on this Friday, July 12th, at noon for $12 advance/$15 day of.

ESI Events, just announced, mac, the tralf, titus andronicus — 4 comments

Just Announced: Titus Andronicus

ESI Events has had a pretty good week. After announcing Wild Nothing and Stars earlier in the week, they could have easily packed it in for the weekend. But no, they had one more show up their sleeve. On Monday, August 26th, New Jersey punks, Titus Andronicus, will make their raucous return to Buffalo. Having played both headlining shows at the Ninth Ward and supporting gigs for Okkervil River at Town Ballroom a couple years back, the Civil War loving rockers will be in town to support their third LP, Local Business, which we at the blog enjoyed very much. Tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow at noon for $12.

ESI Events, just announced, mac, Stars, the tralf — 1 comments

Just Announced: Stars

Canadian indie romancers Stars will be making their first Buffalo appearance in a few years, announcing a return to the Tralf Music Hall on Saturday, September 28th. During their last performance at the Tralf, the band, having a penchant for theatrics, showered the audience with white roses at various points. Let's just say that if you brought a date to the show that night and you grabbed a rose, you were looking good...

The Toronto based band formed in 2000 and is a part of that ever growing family tree of Broken Social Scene. Most members of Stars, Amy Millan and Evan Cranley in particular, have been a part of BSS in some way or another throughout the years. The band recently played the Arts & Crafts 10 Year Anniversary show, Field Trip, earlier this month, and their latest album, The North, came out last September. Tickets for the show will go on sale for $20 on Friday, June 28th.

ESI Events, just announced, mac, the tralf, wild nothing — 2 comments

Just Announced: Wild Nothing

Continuing their recent run of solid bookings through the folks at ESI Events, the Tralf Music Hall will welcome dream pop act Wild Nothing on Monday, July 29th. Conceived by Jack Tatum in 2009, Wild Nothing has pleasantly evolved its sound over the course of four releases (two LPs, two EPs). Most recently, their 2013 EP Empty Estate has taken their sound from hazy bedroom pop to something more rhythmic and sprawling. Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, June 26th, for $13 in advance, or $15 day of.

ESI Events, just announced, lower, mac, the tralf — 0 comments

Just Announced: Lower

It's always satisfying when a band comes through town that is just starting to gain some buzz. Being a secondary market, Buffalo does not always get to host these kinds of acts, normally being passed over for the bigger cities, but here and there, we luck out. Take Lower, a punk band out of Copenhagen who happen to be swell pals with fellow buzz punk act Iceage, for example. Their new single, the thunderous and tense "Another Life," has been getting some nice pub this week, and a debut full length is on the very near horizon. The band will be on their first North American tour and you can check out the hype for yourself on June 19th at the Tralf Music Hall thanks to ESI Events. Local support has yet to be announced. Tickets to the show will be $7

~Photo by Lasse Dearman

Cliff, ESI Events, ninth ward, rochester, second trip, sleepy hahas, tonight, velvet elvis — 0 comments

Tonight: Velvet Elvis

Tonight, Rochester's Velvet Elvis is playing a special show at the Ninth Ward to celebrate their new full length album In Deep Time with Buffalo's Second Trip and Sleepy Haha's providing opening support. I chatted with one of the dude's in Velvet Elvis a few years back at a Vampire Weekend show in Rochester and I adjudged his rock and roll soul to be true, and Velvet Elvis's heavy duty Black Mountain vibe is sure to please, while blog favorites Sleepy Hahas will be playing cuts from their latest ep I Am Not A Happy Person (reviewed here) and raising the usual hell. It's always a good time when the Rochester and Buffalo scenes collide (ie the 2012 buffaBLOG Holiday Party), and tonight's killer riff fest has all of the ingredients for a memorable night. Doors open at 8 PM and tickets are $10.

babeville, Cliff, ESI Events, hooray for earth, ninth ward, tonight — 0 comments

Tonight: Hooray For Earth

Tonight ESI Events brings NYC based indie electronic band Hooray For Earth to town for an intimate show at the Ninth Ward at Babeville with local bands Steel Keys and Brass and blog favorites All Blondes Go To Heaven. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Noel Heroux, Boston's Hooray For Earth has been described as "like M83, but weird," which is about right and more importantly, an excellent indicator of a good time to be had at one of the best venues in the city. Tickets are $10, and doors open at 7 PM.

Cliff, ESI Events, the tralf, tonight — 0 comments

Tonight: Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Orchestra

Brooklyn loves it's bands big. Afrobeat outfit Zongo Junction couldn't have gotten any more people on the stage at Nietzsche's a few week's back if they tried, and tonight Buffalo gets to check out another mighty troupe from that great city when Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Orchestra take over the Tralf for a night of serious soul. A 12 piece specializing in feel good New Orleans party music, vintage soul, and secular gospel, Brother Joscephus and the Love Revival Orchestra is dedicated to sharing the love (as their name clearly suggests), saving souls, and most importantly moving asses. The scene at the Tralf is sure to be mental, thoroughly funky, and uplifting- a perfect evening of hot New Orleans style vibes in our cold and snowy Buffalo. Tickets are $12, doors open at 7, and the show starts at 8. Buffalo's very own Steel Keys and Brass and their otherworldly blues funk open the show.

Cliff, ESI Events, sloan, the tralf, tonight — 0 comments

Tonight: Sloan

Tonight, legendary Canadian alternative rock / power pop band Sloan brings their 20th Anniversary tour to Buffalo for a show at the Tralf featuring a performance of their Twice Removed album in it's entirety. Buffalo music fans have always had a special affinity for this four piece band from Toronto and their pure sound that goes waaaay back, and tonight's show ought to be a genuine celebration of the band for fans new and old. Tickets are $23 at the door, doors open at 7 PM with the show kicking off at 8 PM.

aircraft, babeville, caveman, cemeteries, Cliff, Concert Review, ESI Events — 1 comments

Concert Review: Caveman w/ Cemeteries & Aircraft

Saturday night the crowd at the Ninth Ward at Babeville were on the receiving end of a solid and frequently brilliant night of music from NYC's Caveman and local up and comers Cemeteries and Aircraft. There's been some buzz on the Interwebs about Caveman and locally about Aircraft, and it was real nice and genuinely exciting to have that buzz totally justified.

The show kicked off sharp and on the money with new local favorites Aircraft. It was my first time seeing Aircraft, and yes, I am officially now down with Aircraft. They have the four minute new wave pop song down pat, but because they're more psychedelic than strictly new wave, the pop songs come off explosively, big and shiny within that pleasingly tight song structure. Phoenix by way of early Pink Floyd with terrific vocal harmonies and a fun Talking Heads vibe, that's my initial take on Aircraft, and because I'll certainly be on the lookout for them this summer that's my first of many takes on this excellent up and coming band. Yes, it all works for Aircraft. Local band Cemeteries followed, offering a more atmospheric and moody take on their indie shoegaze rock with nice Ezra Koenig by way of Roy Orbison vocals. They're still a work in the progress inasmuch a lot of their songs just kind of end abruptly, but there wasn't anything wrong with what they were doing up until that point, and like Aircraft they sounded terrific in that excellent brick basement space.

The stage was perfectly set for up and coming NYC buzz band Caveman, and they did not disappoint. Kicking off their set with dual percussion reminiscent of early 00's Radiohead, Caveman settled into a mighty and tasteful groove they maintained throughout thanks to their pleasing Beach Boys vocal harmonies, powerful melodies, and exceedingly solid rhythm section. At a time when indie music is awash in (plagued by?) trends and the never-ending churn of the quest for the next big thing, it was most gratifying to see a "buzz band" operating comfortably above and beyond the fray. Caveman said they were keen to come back to Buffalo and I for one hope they do, and often.

I just hope their lead vocalist survived the Mighty Taco. That could be a deal breaker.

Special kudos are also in order for ESI Events for putting this fine show on, and the sound guy at the Ninth Ward for another magnificent job. The sound in that wonderful venue was astounding.

aircraft, caveman, cemeteries, ESI Events, gorman — 0 comments

Tonight: Caveman

There aren't many places you can go after starting with the headline, "Tonight: Caveman". Whether you're a fan of indie rock, or a person that giggles at people like me who use the word "indie" as a nonsensical genre description, you can't deny that ESI Events has put together a fantastic bill tonight at Babeville's highly underrated Ninth Ward. Caveman have been riding high off the success of their debut album Coco Beware, featuring the "why-can't-I-stop-listening-to-this" single "Old Friend". They'll be treating Buffalo to an intimate performance tonight backed by a couple of the city's finest up and coming bands. Aircraft blew me away with their performance at Mohawk Place a few months ago opening for Wildlife, so much so that I'm sure I've annoyed my fellow bloggers by bringing it up so much. Also on the bill is Cemeteries, who I'll be checking out for the first time. Their virtual 7" Home/Cobwebs displayed a very mature songwriting approach that I'm looking forward to catching in a live setting. Both bands are indicative of a swelling local music scene that is making it a pain in the ass to find bathroom breaks at shows.

Doors at 7, Tickets are $10 at the door.