Saturday night is alright for fighting, as long as you’re names are either Sir Elton John or Floyd Mayweather (however if you’re reading this I’m assuming you're not one of these men) other than that you best put the gloves away. However Saturday night isn’t only for prizefighters and grammy winners, oh no, there’s a little fun in store for all of us. 

For the general non trophy/ title holding population, Saturday night is perfect for cutting loose and checking out some local bands. It’s not every weekend you get a show like this waving its ass in your face begging for you to give it firm slap. The Sleepy Hahas, Bearhunter, Johnny Nobody, and Wonder & Fury will be taking the stage at Mr. Goodbar this fine evening, and hey mother nature is supposed to grace us with some double digit temperatures too. The Sleepy Hahas will be bringing the ‘chain smoking, bird flippin, wife stealin’ neo grease rock n roll’ along with fellow rust belters Bearhunter, Johnny Nobody and Philadelphia's Wonder & Fury.  Besides, what else are you going to do, stay home and watch the cast of Saturday Night Live “try.”  

The show kicks off at 9pm at Mr. Goodbar (upstairs) 1110 Elmwood Avenue. Five bucks at the door.

Tonight, the Good Neighborhood's ongoing Tributaries series at Nietzsche's benefiting the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper continues with an important installment featuring new original music from the bands that convened 3 weeks ago in honor of Neil Young. Seamus Gallivan's rounded up Bearhunter, Ten Cent Howl, The Albrights, and Astrid Young for a night showcasing their own compositions in an effort to not only do right by our region's waterways, but also our local artists and their art. The doors for this inaugural Tributaries tribute to original music open at 9 with the show starting at 9:30 and non stop music all night long... all for $5. 

It was 10 years ago in a field in Manchester, Tennessee that I saw the best live set I've seen thus far, and it was a night one religious experience against which the rest of Bonnaroo paled. Time lost all meaning as Neil Young and Crazy Horse laid down a super heavy groove that saw them render each song in almost epic terms while retaining a liberating looseness that kept things from getting too heavy and serious. Songs stretched out as the band inhabited every song, jamming out while building to properly dramatic and thoroughly satisfying flourishes of guitar godhood. "Cortez The Killer" seemed like it was 20 minutes long as Neil and Crazy Horse rained riffs down on us, and nobody wanted it to end. It was mind boggling, and simply the best set I've seen thus far (with Radiohead in Toronto, 2008 in 2nd). So yeah, Neil is a special artist who's touched a lot of souls over the span of his legendary career, and tonight The Good Neighborhood, Nietzsche's, and a host of Buffalo bands and special guest Astrid Young will be paying tribute to the man himself while raising money for a good cause.

Tonight at 9 in the heart of Allentown, Bearhunter, Ten Cent Howl, The Mustn'ts, Folkfaces, and Tom Maynor will be joined by Neil's sister Astrid for a special night of music honoring one of North America's finest rock (and folk) heroes, with proceeds going to the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, an excellent organization dedicated to the protection, preservation, and celebration of the bodies of fresh water central to our way of life in Western New York. It's going to a night of non stop music (with no repeats) honoring a tireless artist and force for good and the community of souls he's affected over the decades. See you there. 

I have a lot of respect for three-piece acts. I don't care if we're talking about about the adolescent pop punk of blink-182 or even the bizarre rock of Primus, but it takes a certain sort of finagling to make a group of three musicians sound full without some sort of studio magic. In this case I'm talking about Buffalo's Bearhunter. (And no, they don't sound like blink-182 OR Primus.)

In Bearhunter's bio, they mention that, "they began writing music that extracts the most appealing elements of rock history without being over indicative." It's a pet peeve of mine when bands try to mimic music from decades past, so I have to hand it to Bearhunter. This is exactly where they excel. I can tell these guys have been influenced by bands like Pavement and Smashing Pumpkins (those are more accurate comparisons), but not one song on this album sounds like it belongs in a historical archive somewhere. The album opener, "Chugger," is an excellent example of this. Bearhunter sounds like an eclectic mix of several genres, blending jazzy chords and bluesy indie rock, and when they take a step outside of the box, it's always warranted - the octave-shifted clean guitar part in "Chugger" is killer.

Bearhunter strikes me as the kind of band who would normally set up a few microphones in their garage and let it rip; however they have benefited from a nice studio treatment. What makes Call It A Red so refreshing is the fact that there very rarely is  any backing guitar or any lush, layered tracks to "fill in the empty spots" on this album. That doesn't mean they don't have a little fun - some of the vocal harmonies on this album are killer.  But for instance, "Happier than You" takes a few chords and some wistful vocals and turns it into one of the catchier moments on the album: "Shouldn't it be true?  I should be happier than you."

Bearhunter explores a lot of territory on Call It A Red, including the Jack Johnson-esque "Worry." Honestly, if someone compared my band to Jack Johnson, I'd be really pissed off.  But, I promise that I make this comparison with the best possible intentions. Not only is there a bit of JJ in the vocals, but "Worry" has that laid-back beachy vibe. I'm not sure Jack Johnson would drop the f-bomb in his songs either, but neither would he tear into a huge guitar solo in the middle of one of his songs about banana pancakes. One thing I had to chuckle about though, no matter how slow the song, for example the slow and pretty "Letters," is the fact that Bearhunter manages to launch into some sort of fuzz-laden freakout. I guess what I'm trying to say is Bearhunter explored some territory outside of their comfort zone and I really enjoyed it.  

But for every song Bearhunter steps away from their roots, there is another to reel them back in. "Fuzz Box Freak" is as anthemic as they come, with a climactic "I'M WASTED" chant at the end...  or it could be "I'M WASTIN'..."  Either way it ruled.  This song is followed by the bluesy, riffy rager "Set Off The Alarms." This song is a perfect example of the algorithm behind Bearhunter. Somehow, these musicians are able to start and stop, push and pull, and wax and wane during every song. They could be blasting a fuzz solo one second and hovering just above ground at barely audible whispers the next...  And when it comes down to it, it all just translates into really good rock and roll.

Since 2004, Harvestsum has been releasing a steady collection of albums from some of the city's best acts past and present, including the Old Sweethearts, (at sea), and Nick Gordon. Next month, the catalog will grow as long time three piece Bearhunter will drop their third record, titled Call It A Red, on June 7th. Their first release since Still Life Terrarium (2010), the trio of Robert Pusateri and Mike and David Calos will celebrate the album's release at Nietzsche's that Friday night with support from Aircraft and Johnny Nobody. Last night, the band released the first bit of music from Call It A Red, with the single "Worry," which closes out with an excellent 90's alt rock riff.  Listen below and grab a copy of the album next month. 

Unless you've already plunged into your Thanksgiving leftovers, 24 hours should give us all plenty of time to break out of that Tryptophan-induced turkey coma. If you're still having trouble, a wonderful Buffalo showcase is taking place tonight, featuring three excellent bands - the Pavement-esque Bearhunter, On Beta, and Fairweathers.  

Some loud music could do us all some good. This is, of course, assuming you've survived Black Friday. For the brave souls who managed to make it through the workday, or even the savvy shoppers who sold their souls for some good deals, if you need to blow off some steam, the show starts at 9:00PM at Mohawk Place.

DBGB’s will be hosting the essential Friday night gig this evening with Albany natives Sirsy and local favorites The Tins and Bearhunter. The soulful indie-rock duo Sirsy, is the project of singer/drummer Melanie Krahmer and guitarist Rich Libutti who have built a reputation as tour warriors, playing as many as 200 shows a year. While the twosome march to their own beat, they have a sound that appeals to a wide range of rock music palates, citing numerous influences, such as The Beatles, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Black Keys. Check out their Facebook page for more links to Sirsy’s websites and media. With three very talented bands on one bill tonight there should be no excuse for having the end-of-summer blues just yet. The show starts at 10.

Heres the short and sweet. Handsome Jack is one of Buffalo's best rock'n'roll bands, period. Bearhunter is up there too. After listening to Goodmorning Valentine I'd put them a close third (even though they're from Cleveland). Tonight all three are playing at Mohawk Place. Drink beers, do stuff good and get down to support these fellas. Shows at 10.

Applennium is somewhat of a super group, with Dave Calos (Bearhunter) pairing up with Chris Groves (Fourem), folk singer Stacey Stoll and drummer Antonio Giuseppe Poletto.  The result is some of the finest songwriting to grace our city's humble indie scene.  The group have released a new song "Swing-jump" and have made it available for free download from their Soundcloud page.  It's a bright, sunny number with some great vocal harmonies.  Temperatures are supposed to cross 100 degrees this weekend, so if you're hitting the beach, let this be your farmer tan soundtrack.

Nietzsche's. Rock. Tonight.

The lineup of bands playing at Nietzsche's this evening should easily be enough to erase the question mark bouncing around the inner walls of your skull, clouding your mind, and making you unsure of what your plans for the evening are.

You've got The Found.
You've got Bearhunter.
You've got Sleepy Hahas.

You've got a plan and a half to toss back a six-pack of M. Lite Shyamalan's and rage it up on Allen Street...

...and that's a good plan!

All three bands share the common denominator of being influenced by psychedelia.  From there, however, each band strikes out in their own unique direction and, ultimately, stakes a claim on their individual plots on the map of rock.

I could tell you about the driving percussive force behind The Found, or the fuzzed-out riffs of Bearhunter, or even the impressive way Sleepy Hahas keys and guitar play off one another... but I think you should just take a listen to each band instead.  Show begins at 9:30pm.

If you're looking to get your face melted off tonight, the Mohawk is the place for you because they've got a triple bill guaranteed to do the trick featuring Cosmic Shakedown, Bearhunter, and Johnny Nobody. There's a little something for everybody: Cosmic Shakedown brings the gritty psychedelic blues, Bearhunter is straight up garage rock, Johnny Nobody is fun 90's alternative, and all are known for getting their shred on. The cover is unknown but almost certainly reasonable, and the show starts at 9:30 PM.