buffaBLOG - The Buffalo music blog: matt

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family funktion and the sitar jams, Funktional Flow, heavy pets, matt, nietzsche's — 0 comments

Concert Review: The Heavy Pets

Last night, Nietzche's offered a full night of entertainment for those in attendance. Right after Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams completed their set on the main stage, Funktional Flow started into a Bob Marley cover at a performance area set up by the entrance. When they finished up their set, The Heavy Pets started into theirs and they kicked things off strong with guitar solos from guitarists Jeff Lloyd and Mike Garulli. Jim Wuest grooved while playing the keys and singing lead vocals. The rhythm section of Tony D’Amato on Bass and Jamie Newitt on drums was solid and heavy. They slowed down for their second song and offered a psychedelic show with rainbow lights and a fog machine on stage. The Heavy Pets showed their skills and connection with their instruments during long jams and used techniques such as slapping the neck of the guitar to produce a funky and unique sound. In front of the stage, a group of fans danced the night away for an entertaining show for any jam fan. The Heavy Pets showed last night why they are a fan favorite for festival shows throughout the country.

4/20, family funktion and the sitar jams, Funktional Flow, heavy pets, matt, nietzsche's — 0 comments

Tonight: Heavy Pets

Today is a certain unofficial holiday and it is being celebrated tonight at Nietzsches for a special 4/20 show. Heavy Pets are headlining with local bands Funktional Flow and Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams supporting. This will be a night of jam bands with an eclectic influence of psychedelic rock, jazz, funk, blues, and reggae. Heavy Pets came into the spotlight with the release of their double disc debut album, Whale, in 2007. In 2010, they released a self titled album that The Huffington Post named as one of the top ten albums of the year. Their next release due this spring will be a follow up to their last album, Everywhere Sessions: Volume 1. These albums are stripped down and raw to reflect their live feel. Heavy Pets can be found at numerous summer music festivals this upcoming season. Funktional Flow can be found almost every weekend to be playing somewhere in Buffalo with a crowd of fans grooving to their funky sound. One of the few bands to prominently feature a sitar, Family FUNKtion and the Sitar Jams most recently played at Trimania. This trio of sitar, drums, and bass will take the stage with a vague plan, but mostly rely on improv.

grunge, matt, nirvana, Pearl Jam, smells like teen spirit — 1 comments

Nirvana Did Not Write "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Smells like teen spirit? More like smells like something fishy. There is video proof that the band responsible for the smash hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was not Nirvana but Pearl Jam. There is footage of Pearl Jam playing the song and their rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard reminding the crowd that they played it first. This new development may taint Nirvana’s status as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” changed the music industry upon its release and this new development comes as a shock to everyone. Neither band was available for comment as of the posting of this article.

adele, buffablog shirt, chris brown, dem franchise boys, justin bieber, matt, zz top — 0 comments

The buffaBLOG Shirt

If you look up top at the tabs of this blog, you’ll see one that says “store.” When you click on the store tab, you will see a buffaBLOG T-shirt for sale. It’s a great shirt, but if you are still undecided about buying it, here are some true facts that might sway you to get one.

- There once was a band called Plain White T’s. After this shirt came out, they became Gray buffaBLOG T’s.

- Bieber Fever is out there and it is real, so be safe and wear protection. These shirts are 99% effective for preventing Bieber Fever.

- The price of these shirts is so good, not even Chris Brown could beat them.

- The Bare Naked Ladies saw these shirts and couldn’t help but wear them so they are now known as Ladies.

- ZZ Top wrote their song “Sharp Dressed Man” about a man wearing a buffaBLOG shirt.

- Adele did write her album 21 about a boyfriend that broke up with her however it wasn’t about him leaving. It was about him leaving while wearing her buffaBLOG shirt.

- They liked this shirt so much, Dem Franchize Boys are making a remix of the following song as "buffaBLOG Tee.”

Interview, matt, people with teeth, soundlab — 0 comments

Interview: People With Teeth

Before their show at Soundlab on Friday night, I got a chance to chat with the Brooklyn hip hop/punk act People With Teeth. It was hard to find a quiet spot in the building and it was very cold outside, so we settled for a damp back hallway to conduct the interview.

buffaBLOG: We are here in this backroom of Soundlab, with these weird cheetah print chairs that are kind of creepy.

A.K Williams: But… also a lil bit sexy.

Sue-Elise Peebles- And a puddle of what, god only knows.

A.K: Rust and asbestos.

Mike Gerbino: That was going to be our band name originally. Puddle of What God Only Knows.

bB: But now you are People With Teeth. You guys are from Buffalo and Rochester and now you’re based out of the NYC area.

SEP: Yep. Out of Brooklyn.

bB: How’s the scene there?

SEP: The scene in Brooklyn… it’s alright. It’s interesting. It’s one way or the other, good or bad. It’s full of a lot of material and influence and inspiration. It’s definitely bustling down there. Everyone’s doing something so it’s kind of hard to feel cool about yourself cause everybody’s awesome. It’s nice to come back home and be refreshed by playing with artists who don’t think they’re the next Michael Jackson and its nice being around audiences that give a shit.

MG: Yeah, I gotta say, I haven’t met anyone, any artist in Brooklyn, nothing against them, that I enjoyed as friends as I have in Rochester and in Buffalo. Tonight is a perfect example of a show that comes purely out of being really good friends and fans of everyone else. So that doesn’t happen so much in Brooklyn. It’s kind of like, you do your shit and everyone’s doing something so you show up and do it and maybe people show up.

SEP: It’s not that bad though. It is fun.

bB: How did you guys meet and form this group?

AK: Well, Mark and I met in high school and in slam poetry.

MG: Yeah, we met through the slam poetry scene in Rochester. So we got together and started working on stuff. We were in a live band together and in all that stuff and then Elise and I…

SEP: We met in a conference, a New York theater conference thing, stayed in touch, became friends and then we all coincidentally ended up going to college together in the New York tri-state area. So we tried to take what we did up here and mold it to fit down there. We didn’t really have a whole lot together as a group by the first show. We all had shit from our individual things.

AK: So we just jumped around a lot.

MG: Yeah. AK took his shirt off. I think we had no songs that were People With Teeth songs. It was just like, let’s get together and play and ‘oh we don’t have anything’ so we pieced together a half hour set.

AK: Also, probably, I don’t remember it that way, but it also may have been another reason for me to take my shirt off in front of people.

MG: I think it was Halloween and you were trying to be Iggy Pop.

bB: Is your shirt coming off tonight?

AK: We’ll see.

bB: How does the writing process work for you guys?

SEP: We all write. I’d say 98 percent of the time we write are own verses. There might be a couple instances when one person just wrote a piece and we jumped in on it. We all write our own stuff basically but it varies. Sometimes we’re each listening to a beat or each have an idea and we individually write something and present it to the others to see what they can come up with. Or sometimes two of us will be together and do that, and send it to the third person to see what he thinks so it’s rare that we are unified sitting down together but I think that’s most groups. I think it’s rare for that to happen.

MG: That’d be wonderful. Ideally that’d be the way to do it. Sitting down together, but we are all doing things and it’s hard for us to get together that much to create. So usually an idea will pass around and two of us will commit to it and usually the third person is in or vice a versa. Someone always decides like ‘How about we go in this direction’ and we all sort of go with it. Or we say fuck that, it’s stupid and throw it out.

AK: Sometimes, there are conversations were that are a big part of the writing process. A couple of us will get together and shoot the shit about an idea for a song.

MG: Or about something that’s pissing us off.

AK: Yeah or anything that ridiculous enough to make one of us, or all of us, laugh is just what goes in the verses.

bB: What projects do you got coming up?

SEP: We got a new album coming up that we have been working on. Ideally it will be coming out late to mid-summer. That’s what we’re most excited about right now. Hopefully we can shoot a video for a couple of the singles that come off of it. It would be our sophomore EP and its gonna be a little more refined in terms of what we’re trying to achieve sonically.

MG: It’s super refined. Cannot stress how refined its gonna be.

bB: Where did the name People With Teeth come from? I mean, it’s a fact yes.

SEP: It is a fact.

MG: As of now. Inevitably, one of us is going to lose their teeth.

AK: Name it Some People With Teeth.

bB: When you’re 80, it’ll be Nobody With Teeth.

MG: Right. Longevity is what we’re striving for so we hope to be together for the next 60 years.

SEP: The goal is to always be People With Teeth.

AK: I floss twice a day.

MG: I think we answered that question sufficiently.

bB: I think so too. Thanks for the interview.

People With Teeth then went on to give an energetic and interactive performance, evening playing on the floor with the crowd. One microphone was cutting in and so it looked like a relay race as they passed the broken microphone back and forth, but they overcame it for a great show.

bela fleck, buffalo philharmonic orchestra, kleinhans, matt — 0 comments

Tonight (And Tomorrow): Bela Fleck

When one thinks of the banjo, they don’t usually think of it in association with an orchestra, especially one as renowned as the Buffalo Philharmonic, but that is what will be seen tonight at 8:00 and tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 at Kleinhans Music Hall. Grammy winner Bela Fleck, who is perhaps the most famous banjo player in the world, will be bringing his banjo concerto to Buffalo for a unique performance. There’s only exists one other banjo and orchestra performance so this is a rare event and with a legend like Bela Fleck no less.

Tickets range from $27 to $74.

I got a chance to conduct an interview through email with the artist ahead of his performance.

buffaBLOG: The banjo is an unconventional instrument to make a career out of but you did it. What first got you into the banjo?

Bela Fleck: I first heard Earl Scruggs playing on the Beverly Hillbillies TV sitcom. I grew up in New York City, so it was a bit odd - but I fell headlong under the banjo's spell.

bB: You have crossed into many genres of music and have the distinction of being nominated for the most number of different categories at the Grammys. Is there a genre you haven’t done yet that you are thinking about getting into?

BF: I don't think that way actually - it's really not about musical world domination for me. I simply hear music sometimes that turns me on and then I have to try to learn it to understand what is going on in it. That's what led me to spend time learning so much music that's not typically played on the banjo. If I love it, I want to know how to play it. And there is so much great music to love!

bB: This weekend you will be performing a classical piece. Do you have any classical artists that influenced you?

BF: This is a classical piece that I composed. This is the first major composition for me, and it was an important step in my evolution. I have been listening to Bach, Chopin, Beethoven Bartok and so many others. I also am very inspired by Edgar Meyer, who has been my friend and a strong influence for many years. He's my road into the classical world, being the great bass virtuoso and composer that he is.

bB: You have gotten the chance to play with many artists over your career. Did you ever get the chance to perform with an artist who was an influence for you?

BF: Over and over I have had the amazing experience of performing with my heroes. It started in the bluegrass world and has continued into Jazz, African, Indian, and Celtic music. My next performances after Buffalo are duet shows with Chick Corea - who was a massive influence for me. Last week I played with Zakir Hussain, the Indian tabla icon. My life is impossibly good!

bB: While you are here, do you have any plans to check out some local sites or the local music scene?

BF: I'll just see what develops. Mostly I'll be practicing for the performances, and preparing for the next week with Chick Corea!

bourbon and coffee, matt, people with teeth, soundlab, subsoil — 0 comments

Tonight: People With Teeth, Bourbon and Coffee, and more

Fans of unusual lyrically driven music should head to Soundlab tonight at 8 for a bill of artists with genres ranging from Spoken Word to Hip Hop fusion. Local group Bourbon and Coffee recently released BC2013, which features two spoken word tracks on which one track someone received credit for playing the kitchen sink. Hip Hop punk group People With Teeth have released several albums already and are planning on releasing another one soon. They are known for being satirically political with such tracks as “Glenn Beck is Dead” and have made a name for themselves in the NYC area although the members are from Rochester and Buffalo. Subsoil's high energy shows have led to them being described as "stem-winding salesmen who know every razzle-dazzle switch in the picthman's trade." This Hip Hop fusion group, with influences as varied as Carl Sagan and Primus, will be performing tracks from their latest album, Dirt Worship. This full group contains eight members, including some people on horns.

jackdaw, matt, south buffalo, st. patrick's day — 0 comments

St.Patrick's Day and Jackdaw

In South Buffalo, the holiday that’s taking place Sunday is second only to Christmas. There is so much Irish pride in South Buffalo, that it can’t be contained to just St. Patrick's Day and that’s why there is Irish Fest also. On St. Patrick's Day, everyone will be clad in green; every restaurant will be serving corned beef and cabbage, and people will drink just a bit more than they normally do. For many years, local Celtic rock band Jackdaw was also a staple for St. Patrick's Day. They were as traditional of entertainment as the Celtic dancers.

A few years after they formed, I was entering high school which is the time when teens begin to go out with their friends and party. Jackdaw was one of the first bands I went out to see perform live and there are several reasons for that. For one, they were right in the neighborhood so getting there was easy. They also played at festivals which were free to enter, a huge incentive for a young teen that has no money. But the biggest reason, though, they were the first band I came to recognize and see live consistently was because it was South Buffalo and the atmosphere at a Jackdaw performance in Cazenovia park was incredible.

They disbanded in 2009 however, after 9 years of being together. Since then, they have played a couple fests at random and unless they are performing a surprise show this year, it looks like we will not be seeing them for this St. Patrick's Day and have to settle for their recordings.

matt, r.e.m., rolling stones, stone temple pilots — 0 comments

What Makes A Band?

Last week, Stone Temple Pilots announced that Scott Weiland was fired from the band. He responded in a statement that he was confused by how he could be fired from a band in which he co-wrote many songs, fronted, and co-founded. He later then tried saying that the incident was part of a publicity stunt. In fact, Scott Weiland just last night played Core and Purple in their entirety at the Rapids Theater, so would Stone Temple Pilots still be Stone Temple Pilots without him? What if they got a new lead singer and continued with the STP name and played their songs? What if Scott Weiland continued playing STP music with a different band at the same time? Could two STP exists and would both parties have a legitimate claim? All of this got me wondering about what a band’s identity is. Is it the name or is it the people who are in it that make a band? Are certain band members more important to a bands identity than others?

Take R.E.M for example. This band is a consistent group of people. Throughout their entire run, the same four people were a part of this band. When their drummer, Bill Berry, quit, R.E.M didn’t end, but they didn’t replace him either. Instead, they continued on as a trio. For R.E.M, they wouldn’t be R.E.M if a band member changed.

Some bands don’t have such a unity amongst members. In fact, the band seems more to like a backing band for a lead vocalist. The Foo Fighters are this type of this band. They should really be called Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters because besides their bassist, Nate Mendel, he is the only consistent band member and if he was gone, the rest of the band would be done. Foo Fighters has seen several drummers and guitarists come and go over their span but throughout, the same identity of Foo Fighters remained.

When the members of Rage Against the Machine, without their lead singer, teamed up with Chris Cornell as lead vocalist, they didn’t keep the Rage Against the Machine name, but rather became Audioslave. The three Rage Against the Machine members switched one member and changed their name while Foo Fighters switched several and kept going. The lead singer seems to be the key to a bands identity.

There is a famous anecdote involving the Rolling Stones about band member importance. As it goes, Mick Jagger called Charlie Watts and asked where his drummer was. In response, Watts punched Jagger. Fun story but let’s be real here. If Watts left the Stones, no one would notice at the next concert. But if an arena full of people showed up for a Rolling Stones concert and Jagger wasn’t there, people would want a refund.

That is part of a long standing stereotype that drummers are replaceable and so they don’t get much respect within the band. But could Rush be Rush without Neil Peart? This band is an example where if you took away any one of the band members, that band would probably cease to exist. But they too had a different drummer before Peart. That however was before they became famous. The integral members of a band then, who make up their identity, must be around when the band becomes famous. Is anyone going to argue that Pete Best was a Beatle?

Another common denominator in these bands is the lead singer and guitarist who exist at a bands high point. It is those two components that give a band its identity and without both of them the band does not exist. This can be seen in bands like \the Who and Led Zeppelin. Both of those bands continue without their original drummers but still have the lead singer and guitarist and so have kept the name.

But then there are two bands that are exceptions to this. One would think that it would be impossible to have Guns N’ Roses without Slash but they still exist and even released an album without him. Journey’s only consistent member throughout their history has been the lead guitarist though. Their vocalist, the one there for the biggest years of the band is no longer a part of the group and has been replaced.

There is no consistent pattern to what makes a band a band so it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Stone Temple Pilots.

cage the elephant, jerry garcia, keller williams, matt, the tralf — 0 comments

Concert Review: Keller Williams

Keller Williams wasted no time last night at the Tralf in showing his versatility by opening the show with three songs that exemplified his live performances. On stage were two acoustic guitars, a drum machine, an electric guitar, and a bass. Along with a grab bag of smaller instruments including an assortment of bells, Keller played each instrument and looped them all together to form a new age sounding song. He even provided his own backing vocals. He then moved onto "Sugary," a Jerry Garcia cover, which got a good reaction from the crowd. This was then followed by one of his own acoustic songs.

Williams was always moving on stage, not even content to relax between grabbing instruments and instead playing air guitar. He was interactive with the crowd from having them wave their arms to singing along with him to a song of mostly swears. The crowd was a sea of bobbing heads enjoying Williams' funky style and an early highlight of the night was a funky cover of Cage the Elephant's "Aint No Rest For The Wicked." This was a classic show for Williams which showed why he is famous for his live performances.

keller williams, matt, the tralf — 0 comments

Tonight: Keller Williams

Keller Williams is a hard worker and has an extensive discography to show for it. Over the years, he has worked and recorded albums with a variety of artists and bands, but most of his work is solo. He’s often referred to as a one man band and tonight he will be bringing his unique performance style to The Tralf for a sold out show. Williams is able to achieve the sound of an entire band by himself by playing his acoustic guitar through a Gibson Echoplex delay system and creating loops to accompany his singing and live playing. He has made a name for himself from these types of live performances for which no two are the same. This is a result of his tendency to do a lot of improvising and jamming on stage, a style which was influenced by The Grateful Dead. His most recent album, Keys, is actually a benefit album that consists of Grateful Dead cover songs performed on the piano. There is no way to know what to expect tonight but you can count on it being a fun performance and a great experience.

Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 8pm.

adele, cee lo green, mashups, matt, queen, system of a down, the beatles — 1 comments

Music Mashups: A Few Wishes

The following are a few song mashups I would like to see, but do not have the talent to create myself. I checked Youtube and was unable to find any of these mashups already existing either so I ask someone out there to consider creating them. Now before you read this list, I acknowledge that the songs may be too stylistically different to mashup and that's why they might not exist.

The first mashup is Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You.” These are both songs directed to an ex-lover but they are extremes to both ways you can take a breakup. One is very graceful and the other is full of malice. Combine these songs together and you will get a well balanced song in which the singer expresses best wishes for the ex but at the same time acknowledges that he hates them with a passion.

Watch out My Chemical Romance, this song could be the new anthem for emo teens. The Beatles' “Eleanor Rigby” is one of their more depressing and sad songs to begin with so combine that with “Lonely Day” by System of a Down, which may be their softest song and you have a song about being lonelier than the number 1. “Lonely Day” is about the singer having the most loneliest day of his life and “Eleanor Rigby” wonders where all the lonely people belong. Together, this is a lonely day in which a bunch of lonely people don’t know where they belong.

Men, there is nothing we like more than large buttocks on a female. We like them better than life itself and that’s why there are so many songs about them. Perhaps the two most famous are “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-a-Lot and “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen. A mashup of these songs would be the ultimate praise to well rounded behinds. We like big butts and we cannot lie. You other brothers can’t deny that fat bottomed girls make the rocking world go round.

cosmic shakedown, dbgb, matt, ronaldraygun, second trip — 0 comments

Tonight: Cosmic Shakedown, Second Trip, Ronald Raygun

Duke's will be hosting a stacked bill of great local rock bands tonight to keep you pumped all night. Each band has a unique sound that will make this a very eclectic night and have something for every rock music fan. The rock band Cosmic Shakedown came onto the scene in late 2010 and will be playing songs from their EP and first full length album, Fake American Dream, which was released last year. The trio Second Trip have a groovy psychedelic rock style and will serve up some extended jams. Ronald Raygun will perhaps be the most unique band of the night as they describe their style as raygun-gothic.

Doors at 9 and $5 to get in.

beyonce, marvin gaye, matt, Pearl Jam, tenacious d, the beatles, valentine's day — 1 comments

Valentine's Day Playlist

Music can evoke strong emotions in people. Some songs make you cry while others pump you up. Love is no exception and if you listen to any pop radio station you will realize that about 132% of all songs are about love in one form or another, from first meeting to breaking up.There are plenty of songs out there to bring about passion and sensuality for you this Valentine’s Day but it's hard to know what songs to pick without coming off as corny or creepy. Guys, I am here to help with this problem by setting up this playlist for you.

To start off the evening, play this song to set the tone for the evening. It doesn’t start off the night too strong and just suggests that the woman you are spending the day with is a splendid person who creates whimsical joy in you.

Next, perhaps during dinner, you play this to advance the night a bit more and let her know that you have intimate and strong feelings for her as a person.

Things are going great now and starting to get just a bit more physical. You’ve expressed the emotional aspect of your love for her so now you’re ready to let her know how sexy she is. This song is cliché but it is also perfect in every way. There’s a reason everyone uses it: because it never fails.

Now you are done making your moves. You have been wining and dining her all night and ready to get it on as Marvin Gaye suggested. It’s easy to lose focus though, so fellas, play this song to keep yourself in line.

That was a mistake. Your Valentine is thoroughly upset because you played such a stupid and childish song during what was supposed to be a romantic and passionate moment. She calls you names and questions why she ever wanted to be with you. Now you are upset too because you feel insecure. You get defensive and play this song.

Well if she wasn’t done with you before, she is now. Guys, I don't know what happened. You really let this whole situation get out of hand. Ladies, this is your turn at deciding the playlist so you choose this.

And there’s your night! Happy Valentine’s Day everybody!

dave grohl, matt — 0 comments

6 Degrees of Dave Grohl

So there is a game called the 6 Degrees of Separation in which you try to find a connection between two different things within 6 move. A variation on this game is called Degrees of Kevin Bacon in which one tries to connect an actor at random to Kevin Bacon. This version came about because Bacon once said he worked with everyone in Hollywood or someone who worked with them. I believe in the music industry that this game can be played with Dave Grohl.

Dave Grohl is a friendly guy and seems to take any chance he can to perform or work with someone. Just last month, he played an original song with Paul McCartney at the relief concert. One of rock's great drummers, he has had the chance to play with everyone from Tom Petty to Tenacious D. Currently, Foo Fighters is on hiatus while he drums for Queens of the Stone Age and this is just a small sampling of the people he has worked with.

For an example of the 6 Degrees of Dave Grohl, I will connect him to Jack White:

1. Dave Grohl played in the band Them Crooked Vultures with John Paul Jones.

2. John Paul Jones played bass in the band Led Zeppelin with Jimmy Page.

3. Jimmy Page was featured in the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud with
Jack White.

There you have it. Give it a try for yourself.

Cairo, experimental, matt, The vault — 0 comments

Tonight: Cairo

In support of their recently released album Cairo, the band of the same name will be performing their experimental, instrumental rock sound tonight at The Vault. This is the trio's first album and has only three tracks. Don't think this will be a quick show though because the tracks range from 7 to 15 minutes and since they are an experimental group, one can expect some extended jams and solos to keep the music going. The bass enthusiasts will enjoy this group which features two bassists: the accomplished C.J Boyd and John Horner. On drums will be Ariel Cruz.

Opening for them will be local rock group, Bear Flames.

Show starts at 8 and tickets are only $5.

coolio, juggalo, matt — 0 comments

An Unexpected Coolio Show

It was Saturday night and some friends and I decided to go downtown and visit some clubs. First club of the night for us was The Purple Monkey which had a $10 cover charge. This seemed very high for just a club, but my friend really wanted one of their famous fish bowls so we paid the cover and entered. Inside there was the usual assortment of people one would see at this bar on a Saturday night, all standing around, sipping on fish bowls filled with alcohol while screaming over the sound system to talk to one another. Then suddenly the music stopped and the DJ got on a microphone asking how the crowd was doing that night. The crowd cheered and the DJ then introduced Coolio to the stage. Coolio came out and asked the same question the DJ did. He got the same response and then started to perform some songs.

All I could think while this was happening was “Is this the Coolio of 'Gangsta’s Paradise' fame?" Rest assured it was him I was seeing play a virtually unadvertised show at a bar on a Saturday night. From what I saw of the show, it wasn’t bad. At one point there was actually a saxophonist who performed a solo. I didn’t stay the entire night so I did not see if he performed his hit song but it’s interesting to realize that this rapper who at one time had one of the hottest songs on the radio, is now playing shows to crowds that are more there for the alcohol than to see him perform. After "Gangsta's Paradise," he failed to make any albums or songs to achieve him the critical praise he once had and so he became another one hit wonder. And a Juggalo. Seriously, he’s a Juggalo.

dunlop, hallwalls, matt — 1 comments

Today: Boyd Lee Dunlop

This afternoon, the 86 year old Boyd Lee Dunlop will be holding a matinee CD release show at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center for his second album, The Lake Reflections.

This pianist has an interesting story behind him, including a more than near death experience. Just last year, he was in a nursing home when his first album was released which brought him into the national spot light. Shortly after the release and celebration of that CD however, Dunlop suffered a heart attack in which he was actually dead for several minutes before being revived.

That's part of what makes The Lake Reflections such a unique album. The other aspect that makes this collection of solo piano songs so incredible is the recording process behind them. Dunlop looked at a series photos of Lake Erie and played what the pictures made him feel.

The show starts at 2. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for students/seniors and $10 dollars for members.

dbgb, fresh jams, Funktional Flow, jam bands, matt — 1 comments

Video Interview: Funktional Flow

I recently got to sit down with Funktional Flow band members Jeff Kuebler, Ben Whelan, and Jim Edgar to talk about touring, jamming, and other funky topics. A special guest also hung out for the interview. He didn't have much to say, but he still wanted and received attention from all of us.

12 days of christmas, jimi hendrix, Little drummer boy, matt — 0 comments

buffaBLOG's 12 Days of Christmas: Day 7 - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is famous for his hits like “Foxy Lady” and “Purple Haze,” but he is equally as famous for his covers like “All Along the Watchtower” and his instrumental take on “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock.

Hendrix would again turn to his guitar to do all of the work for a cover with his rendition of “Little Drummer Boy.” This song appears with his covers of other Christmas classics on the album Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

While Bruce Springsteen's cover of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" fit's right in with all of the other Christmas songs on the radio, Hendrix's will stand out for its distorted guitar which is something not usually found in a traditional Christmas song. This is one of the only song's to help get you in the mood for a psychedelic Christmas.