Boom Days –
the best festival you’ve never heard of – is right around the corner, and I’m
going to get right down to the nitty-gritty: four great bands are playing
Saturday, April 6, at one of the coolest venues in Buffalo.
I’ll give
you some more details, lest you show up at Asbury Hall and scratch your head:
Electric Church, Steel Keys and Brass, Terry Sullivan-Low Lamp Sessions, and
Randle and the Late Night Scandals will be rockin’ the grain elevators. Yes,
they will all be playing inside the
actual grain elevator. If you don’t believe me, check out the picture below. That’s
the view from the stage, so get there early if you don’t want an obstructed
view.
My prior use
of the word “cool” to describe the grain elevators was brought to you in part
by laziness and bad habit, so I’ll clarify by saying that the grain elevators
are a highly unusual, very intriguing music venue. Do you want a glimpse of the
old Buffalo? Are you curious about the history of this great city? A few weeks
ago I was down there for all of 15 minutes, just poking around, and I left in
complete awe at the mystique of the place; this area, just south of the General
Mills factory, right on the banks of the Buffalo River, was once one of the
busiest places in the country. Being there, even alone on a dreary Wednesday
afternoon, is a powerful experience; throw in music, food, and beer and you’ll
really have yourself an afternoon.
The whole
festival is a revival of sorts, and has the potential to be very inspiring. I
understand there are people who enjoy live music and currently don’t give a
shit about grain elevators or being part of any kind of renaissance, so, you
people, listen here: Give it a shot. Even if you are unimpressed by the enormous
scope and raw beauty of the area, the good news is that the musical lineup was
not an afterthought. Some of the best live bands in Buffalo are playing, and
they are playing for free; in other words, getting down with great music at a
surreal venue will not cost you a dime.
Randle and
the Late Night Scandals, and Terry Sullivan-Low Lamp Sessions are big-time
names in the local music scene. The Scandals say they play dirty blues, but I’ll
take it a step further and call it filthy blues. Randle Rabbit has some serious
stank in her voice, and the best way to describe their music is infectious;
they are headlining this show for a reason. Terry Sullivan-Low Lamp Sessions play
music that’s a little harder to categorize, but if I call it keyboard-heavy
art-rock with scattered David Bowie covers I don’t think they’ll come after me.
Electric Church is a new, up-and-coming blues/funk band and will absolutely
keep things going on the right track.
But the
opening band – the band who will very likely steal the show – is Steel Keys and
Brass. These guys were simply meant to play in the basement of a grain elevator.
I realize that doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment, but when they play they
play big; they play with enough soul to scare whatever may still haunt the
silos out of hiding and enough sound to shake the remaining grain out
of the elevators and onto the floor.
Excuses: I will
not be accepting any of them. Further, I’ll have no time, after this weekend,
to hear anyone lament that they just never get a chance to see the grain
elevators. This is your chance. Please take advantage.
Festival
Info:
92 Childs
St.
2-10 pm
Music Starts
at 3
