Speaking of the Harbor Series, Buffalo Place officially announced the lineup last night at a press conference at their corporate office. The past two years, we were there to see the unveiling live. This year, no such invite. Oh well. Anyways, ever since the fine folks at Fun Time have returned as talent buyers for this series (and thank god they did), we have developed a bit of a tradition here of assessing the line up and giving it a proper grade, and I am going to give it a crack again this year. Before I move forward, I want to remind everyone, just as I did last year, that this report card is of my opinion only and does not speak for the entire writing staff of the blog, just incase anyone gets all pissy about me bashing their favorite 90s act. And before I break down the series, its important to remember a couple things about these lineups.
First, no one will like every act and that's exactly the point. Diversity is what keeps this series interesting to all demographics. If we only had jam bands, for example, you would be cutting out a large chunk of your potential audience who aren't exactly a fan of 20 mins of mindless noodling on guitar. You would also not see me at a single show. Second, there will be returning faces to Buffalo. One of my only complaints about not only this summer series, but all summer series in Buffalo, is that the promoters tend to bring back a whole lot of the same performers. Can't say I blame them. People like what they familiar with. Third, nostalgia rules. So if you don't like the 80s and 90s, then a few of the weeks are doing to leave you disappointed. And finally, I dislike a lot of acts, so if you don't agree with my opinion, then tell us what you think of the lineup. It's almost impossible to make a perfect lineup, and judging by the comments on Thursday at the Harbor facebook page, people have some strong feelings as usual. Anyways, here is my take.
The Hold Steady, June 6th
Now this is how you start a summer concert series! Last year, the Cult and Against Me! kicked things off (cool if its your thing), but the Minnesota beer guzzling, Kerouac line spitting bar band is way more up my alley. This is their first show in Buffalo since a 2008 show at Tralf (I am staring at that concert poster on my wall as I type) and I can not wait. I have seen them three times and have never left of show of theirs without being exhausted from the energy of both the band and the audience. While I feel they have lost just a little something since the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay, this is still the best act that Fun Time has brought in since they returned to the series. I know that Fun Time co-runner Donny Kutzbach is a huge Hold Steady fan, so this one has both his and my seal of approval.
Grade: A
Grade: A
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, June 13th
The hippie folk rock collective (cult?) played at the Square back in 2011, still one of the biggest crowds I have seen at that dump, which followed a sell out show (I think?) at the Town Ballroom the previous fall. With a new album coming out this summer, this is perfect timing to road test some new material. The band went from cult act (Get it? Cause I think they might be a cult) to nationally known in a minute due to their very accessible debut album Home, and despite some fans sleeping on their follow up, the cult like following (OK, I'm done) of the band is still really strong. While I am not the biggest fan of the group, this is a perfect act to play this series and I predict will have the biggest turn out this summer.Grade: A-
Steven Page, June 20th
You want to talk about nostalgia? The first live music experience of my life was seeing Page's old band, the Barenaked Ladies, do an in store appearance at Media Play in Amherst when I was in middle school. I waited in line for 30 mins to get all of them to sign my copy of Gordon. I thought I was pretty damn cool. While Page left the group a couple years back, I would imagine he will pull out some Barenaked Ladies hits if he knows whats good for him, cause I don't think people are going there for his solo stuff. Plus, Canadian acts are like hot ice in Buffalo. The Hip, Sam Roberts, the Arkells, etc. If you are from Canada and play music, Buffalo loves you.Grade: C (for only solo stuff), C+ (for solo and BL tunes), and B- (just BL tunes)
Teddy Reily and Blackstreet, June 27th
I have no who Teddy Reily is. I don't listen to R&B and have no intention on starting now, but it appears he is/was a member of Blackstreet, or BLACKstreet as the internet tells me, and I do remember them. "No Diggity" was a big song back in the 90s. This Thursday series always seems to have one throw back R&B/Hip Hop act on tap and while I don't expect them to draw quite like Salt-n-Pepa did last year (they practically shut down the city), people in need of an Urban music fix won't have any other options so expect this to be quite busy.Grade: C
G. Love & the Special Sauce, July 11th
The 90s nostalgia stretch continues as one of the worst named bands in music history, G Love & the Special Sauce, returns after playing the Town Ballroom a few months back. They always seemed to get lumped in the Dave Matthews Band/Blues Traveler scene way back when, and despite my former fondness for those two bands, I never got into G. Love. I don't even think I can name a tune of theirs. But, if I have learned anything from free Buffalo music series, its that people love the 90s (see Collective Soul a few summers back), and unlike a lot of those retreads milking their one or two big top 40 hits, G. Love is still kicking out new stuff, so you at least gotta give him some credit. Look for a lot of insufferable hacky sacks and hula hoops at this one. Grade: C+ (lost some points due to just being in Buffalo in Jan.)
Los Lonely Boys, July 18th
The only person I know that likes Los Lonely Boys is my best friend Stefan. Their (only?) hit, "Heaven," is actually one of his favorite songs. For some reason, I still like the guy. That song was catchy the first time I heard it, but after a few thousand more listens, I just can't, ever again. But you know what? This show will be packed. People love this easy, accessible stuff, especially after a few beers on a summer night. So does that earn this act a good grade or a bad one? I guess it depends what you want out of your Thursday night. I will pass, but what if Stefan asks me again? I went with him when they played the Square a few years back. We even missed "Heaven" and just stood there trying to figure out what to do next. Do I go again? Can I at least get drunk first?Grade: B or D (I can't decide)
The Fixx, July 25th
I only know The Fixx from their song "One Thing Leads to Another." I know it was a big hit in the early 80s. Other than that, I got nothing. But, this is another example of an act that will appeal to some of the 40-50 year old audiences, and as I mentioned before, this series has to appeal to a broad demographic. Also, if there is one thing that people like more than the 90s, its the 80s.Grade: B-
Yonder Mountain String Band, August 1st
While not exactly a jam act, the bluegrass four piece usually can be thrown into that scene, whether they deserve it or not. Their use of banjo and mandolin means I can tolerate them a bit more than the rest, because I do love me some twang. This is one of those shows that I will go to with a friend, have a drink or four, and sort-of, not really pay attention to what is happening on stage. To me, the music just is, but sometimes, that's a good Thursday night. I think I am going to do just that. Grade: B+
Halestorm, August 8th
Like Teddy Reily, I have no idea who is Halestorm though. Unlike Teddy Reily, I have no interest in looking them up. Call me lazy. I don't care.Grade: D+
Todd Rundgren, August 15th
I actually like Todd Rundgren though. Fellow blogger Cliff Parks really likes Rundgren. I am curious if any younger people know who he is now as his inclusion on a couple Cameron Crowe film soundtracks (Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous) may have earned him a few new fans. If not, the show will get all of your parents out of the house. Sometimes our parents need a night out too you know.Grade: B+
Adam Ant, August 22nd
Adam Ant was pretty big in the early 80s with his band the Ants. I saved writing about this date for last since I know almost nothing about him. Unlike Halestorm, its not all that fun to make fun of Adam Ant, because the little I do know about him was that he and the Ants were a solid post-punk/new wave group. I know Adam Ant was quite the interesting dresser, and by the looks of that picture, he still is. Finally, I know, like The Fixx, that this is a good show for anyone who misses the 80s. I want to research more on them, but at the time of this writing, its late and I am running out of gas. I'm sorry I failed you.Grade: B-
Lotus, August 29th
The only way you could get me to a show with a jam band these days is if the word "tronic" followed it. Don't get me wrong, I still don't care for the stuff, but if I have to listen to an endless groove, at least throw some effects on it for good measure. Lotus is no stranger to Buffalo as the group always seem to have a show here every other year or so, with their last appearance being September of 2012. I can't say I know a ton about them, but jam-tronic acts do really well in this town, and even though I will prob pass on this, you could do a lot worse closing out this series with Lotus. Oh, and there will be dancing. Lots of it. Grade: B
Final Grade: B
The one-two punch of the Hold Steady and Edward Sharpe is prob the best you could have expected from the lineup, and while I don't love every act, you can't say the series did not touch on nearly every appropriate genre for the Harbor. So for that, I think a solid B is well deserved. And at the end of the day, keep in mind that this is FREE LIVE MUSIC, so if you want to complain, save it and stay home.
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