Fucking brutal. The two words I think best sum up the impending doom of the Mohawk Place are "fucking brutal," and for so many reasons: for what it will to the Buffalo music scene (especially metal), for serious injuries I've seen people receive, or even since the announcement precedes the impending Ragnarök.
The loss of Mohawk Place slashes an important sized venue from Buffalo's belt; it is one of those smaller venues that can book bigger than they actually are because there is a chance it will sell out. Mohawk is one of those venues that can accommodate both national and local headlining shows, and depending on the bands and the night, the local band could still be the bigger draw. But, in the process, Mohawk has seen incredible amounts of talent, has stayed true to itself, and became one of the best places to ever see a show in Buffalo.
I wish I could be that guy that could say "I saw the White Stripes at Mohawk in blah blah blah..." but I'm not. I have seen tons of shows, but none were necessarily "that show you had to be at". In fact, I dare say part of the reason I love Mohawk is the innumerable amount of shows I missed (like the Torche & Big Business show a few years ago, the Damned Things super group that had Scott Ian, or the aforementioned White Stripes show).
I have been no stranger to seeing small to medium sized metal, hardcore, or punk shows at Mohawk. I boast a number of Mohawk mosh pit battle scars, and the no-frills concrete was not forgiving if you happened to not be paying attention during the wrong shows. I've seen people lose or chip teeth, a number of fractures and concussions, and enough blood to freak out the Countess from Once Bitten. Fact of the matter is people are going to mosh, one way or another. Mohawk gave those big soft moshing masochists a way to have their cake and eat it too; you take your chances.
For me, when I think of Mohawk though, I think of two shows in particular. The first was the last show I saw there before I moved to Atlanta (where I edit buffaBLOG's sister blog, Hiplanta...*shameless plug*); OFF!'s first show in Buffalo as a band. For those who don't know, OFF! is fronted by former Black Flag / Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris. Seeing a guy like that perform, and seeing the difference between the senseless nonsense that happen before OFF!, and OFF! themselves (and being a man in his late 20's who is way too old to get his head kicked in every weekend), I got to see a bit of a juxtaposition of myself as a youth and me as a growing adult (I hope so anyway) alongside Keith regaling the audience with stories of punk rock past.
...and the other one is the first (and possibly the last) show I have been with buffaBLOG co-founder, Billiam Wright. We went to see Califone (indy rockers from Chicago), which wasn't in and of itself at all bad, but the real "prize pig" was the band that opened for them. I can't remember their name, and refuse to look them up on this "Google" everyone is talking about, but nonetheless, two of the four members wore bridal gowns gowns, and the others dressed as normal as possibly could be. In the set closer, the singer offered everyone in the audience some cocaine, and then made some menacing comments about suicide. I remember talking to him outside (well you have to talk to that guy), and kind of consoled him about playing a bad show. I remember him being little like Kurt Cobain, you know, if he weren't weighed down with all that creativity and talent. But that is part of Mohawk's charm; the "so close you can touch them" environment for a show.
Mohawk has cemented it's place in Buffalo's musical history, and now joins the Continental, Club Diablo, and the soon to be reopened Showplace Theater as casualties in the war on small venues (even though the Showplace is coming back, it was still long dead before that happened). Like it's cohorts in that category, Mohawk will definitely be remembered as a mainstay in the personal evolution of everyone that has seen a show there. It will be missed.
This past Thursday saw yet another installment of MTV's Video Music Awards; an award show that at one point in time had its finger so close to the pulse that you could swear it was on your neck. But, over the years, as MTV has degenerated into whatever the hell you could call it now, the once proud hip variety show has become...well...an atrocious cavalcade of commercial interests and assinine behavior. The VMA's are no more relevant to most music fans than a sporting event. Bearing this mind, I have taken it upon myself to list my top five reasons why this program is no longer relevant; if only to prove to those who read this that they should avoid watching them, lest they keep encouraging shitty music.
5. The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards: Viacom owns both Nickelodeon and MTV, as those who watched Ren & Stimpy will recall (it used to play on both channels for you Youngbloods). Viacom has, in a sense, just ushered those generations that were brought up on the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards onto the VMA's when they became teenagers. In fact, many of the same celebrities and performers are often featured on both. Britney Spears, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and Justin Timberlake have all been on or hosted both shows, which begs the question: aren't the VMA's really for post-adolescents?
4. Reality Television Celebrities: With the advent of reality television (a niche that MTV pioneered with its program The Real World), the VMA's, which used to be vehemently filled with A-listers, is now populated with a bunch of nobody's famous for acting like assholes or "privately" filming a sex tape. The VMA's used to be attended by the likes of the Beastie Boys, Madonna, Michael Jackson; real celebrities known around the world. Now you can't watch the VMA's for five minutes without seeing shots of Kim Kardashian, Snookie (I don't know if that is correctly spelled, but I refuse to look it up), Amber Rose, or a bunch of the Jersey Shore jack-offs; all of whom have absolutely no talent and have done absolutely nothing with their lives except bring shame to their families and piss away money. Anybody who is anybody phone's it in for the VMA's.
3. The Grammy's: With Bon Iver winning two Grammy's in 2012, the Grammy's are making a come back. Thanks to the likes of Pitchfork, Consequence of Sound, Brooklyn Vegan, and of course buffaBLOG, Hiplanta, and our entire 8 blog family, good music is once again making its presence known. In the digital age great music is much easier to come by; so much so that it can, at times, overwhelming trying to keep up with all of the great releases. 2011 was a banner year for great music, and it is tremendously invigorating to see that talented musicians are starting to get credibility at music's highest level. The trouble is the VMA's concentrate on pop music, and neglect indie, underground hip hop, and even hard rock scenes that are not only growing in popularity, but putting out music that is standing the test of time. There is no telling if 5 years from now anyone will even know who Nicki Minaj is, or care. I mean shit, where did Kings of Leon go?
2. Program Directors: Springboarding off the last reason, program directors seem to be their own worst enemies. This is not only a problem that is deeply rooted in MTV, but also American radio as well. People are drifting farther and farther away from their FM tuners because what they want to hear isn't there. It started with the advent of Satellite Radio, and has spiraled out of control. There are now dozens of cloud based streaming radio programs (such as Pandora, Last FM, and Slacker), as well as programs like Spotify which literally allows users to play whatever they want (practically speaking). Program directors can't keep up with the growing demand for variety on radio stations, so they play the same recycled garbage or whatever the record company promoters are paying them the most to play. When was the last time you called a radio station to request a song and they actually played it?
1. MTV No Longer Plays Music Videos: They don't!! Music video used to be an artform. It has actually given us talented film directors, such as Spike Jonze, and used to be a brilliant way to give songs depth and imagery, but have devolved at a rapid pace. As much as I love hip hop music, it is definitely one of the biggest reasons that music videos have less credibility. Taking a bunch of slow moion shots of you and your boys sitting around a bunch of chromed out cars with ice on and pouring champagne over a bunch of half naked women is NOTartistic at all, nor do I want to watch it. I am sorry, but that's how I feel (especially given all the video vixen stories). There are still many artists producing quality videos that are artistic and real (as our Picking Up The Slack For MTV is meant to highlight), but there is no real way for them to get airplay (aside from Youtube). Even MTV2 is populated with garbage TV now. MTV is as false a monicker as could be, and it is a shame that they still have an awards ceremony that is supposed to be dedicated to the music video. To exemplify my point, I have decided to use a Soulja Boy video and a video from TV on the Radio's series of videos from the Nine Types of Light movie (by the way, the Soulja Boy video has over 127 MILLION views which again shows that pop music caters to children).
One late addition to your already booked up Saturday night is the once a year Led Zeppelin tribute show at Nietzsche's, Blouses of the Holy. A yearly tradition for some time now, as the title boasts, the night features a plethora of acts covering Zep, including some female acts (as Robert Plante's falscetto is one of the best in the business). There are 7 acts doing there take some Zeppelin classics, including friends of the blog Slip Madigan (who go on some time after midnight). This is the 11th installment of this once-a-year fete, and features 7 different acts performing the likes of "Friends", "Whole Lotta Love", and probably about 7 different versions of the always epic "Stairway to Heaven". Visuals will be provided by nationally renowned visual artist and show promoter Jeff Garbacz. Things get started around 9pm at the Nietzsch, run very late, and will only cost you $6.
We are still several weeks away music fan Christmas, AKA Record Store Day, but the hype is already building. We recently received a list of Warner Bros. planned releases, and the list is praise worthy. It is quite lengthy, features a wide range of artists, and brings back the "Side by Side" series that they created last year, with both an original song and a cover on opposite sides of a record. This list has items to appease everyone's musical tastes, and personally, I cannot wait to spent a large portion on my tax refund this year on pocketing some of these raritites. Here's the list of Warner Bros. releases, and remember, nearly every label will have something dropping into stores this day...get there early. This is all directly from WB public relations, and are their words, not BuffaBLOG's (hence all the "We are proud" 's and promotional jargon; it was just easier this way):
The Black Keys: El Camino (Deluxe vinyl album)
A stunning and highly collectible deluxe vinyl issue of the critically acclaimed 2011 album from The Black Keys. Cut for vinyl from the master tapes at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Pallas for sonic perfection. This album will never sound or look better. This RSD exclusive package also contains a bonus CD, a limited edition poster, and a two song 45 rpm 7" single featuring previously unreleased live tracks: "Sister" and "Money Maker."
Gary Clark Jr.: Gary Clark Jr. Presents HWUL Cuts Vol. I (12" vinyl single)
A RSD exclusive contains two previously unreleased live tracks, "If You Love Me Like You Say" and "Bright Lights" capture over twenty minutes of music from one of the most anticipated guitar players in music today. This first-ever vinyl release from Clark is sure to be sought out by fans and collectors alike. Cut at 45 rpm by Bernie Grundman Mastering for the very best in analog sound quality and presentation.
Eric Clapton: Blues (Deluxe Vinyl Album Box Set)
Released to critical acclaim leading up to RSD's Back To Black Friday 2011, this limited edition box set is close to selling out. The set includes all three of Eric Clapton's seminal blues albums, From The Cradle, Riding With The King (with B.B. King) and Me And Mr. Johnson, remastered from original source material for vinyl. First time vinyl versions of these albums afford the listener an absolutely stellar new audio experience. With little more than 1,000 box sets left it's time to get your hands on this audiophile treasure.
Common: The Dreamer/The Believer (12" vinyl album)
A limited edition offering featuring exclusive album art of Common's ninth studio album for Record Store Day. The Dreamer/The Believer reunites Common with producer No. I.D., who produced the rapper's most acclaimed CDs. Robust tracks revere and update the past, such as the retro-soul, Curtis Mayfield-influenced "Lovin' I Lost" and tremulously beautiful "Gold."
Wilco / Billy Bragg: Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions (3 CD and 1 DVD)
On April 21, 2012 Nonesuch releases Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions, which includes: Mermaid Avenue; Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (re-mastered); Mermaid Avenue Vol. III, comprising 17 previously unreleased recordings made during the Mermaid Avenue sessions; director Kim Hopkins' 1999 film Man in the Sand, which documents those sessions; and a 48-page booklet with new liner notes by Nora Guthrie, full lyrics, archival photographs, and facsimiles of lyric sheets and sketches by Woody Guthrie.
Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr.: We Almost Lost Detroit EP (12" vinyl EP)
A Record Store Day exclusive containing three remixes and three covers, including Madonna's "Like A Prayer," "I Think Of You" by Sixto Rodriguez (both exclusive to this release only) and the memorable Gil Scott Heron cover "We Almost Lost Detroit" from their debut album IT'S A CORPORATE WORLD and remixes by Stepdad, Phantasmagoria, and Chuck Daniels. This six-song single disc is cut at 45 rpm by Bernie Grundman Mastering.
Disturbed: The Collection (Vinyl Album Box Set)
We are proud to announce the definitive Disturbed vinyl box-set edition, THE COLLECTION. A five-album, six-disc offering of the band's complete studio album discography featuring The Sickness (2000), Believe (2002), Ten Thousand Fists (2005), Indestructible (2008), and Asylum (2010). A career retrospective spanning ten years and 18 Billboard Top 100 hits of sophisticated and life-altering heavy music. For this box set, each album has been carefully mastered and pressed on 140-gram vinyl for the very best in audio quality. Each album has been meticulously showcased in a stunning art presentation that is unique and exclusive to this release. This is a limited edition box of only 2500 units worldwide.
Dr. John: Locked Down (Vinyl album)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted boogie and blues pianist with an inimitable growl of a voice, Dr. John's most enduring achievements have fused New Orleans R&B, rock, and the Mardi Gras party spiritto come up with his own brand of "voodoo" music. Dr. John's new album, Locked Down (due April 3rd), is a bold statement produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and will be Dr. John's first for Nonesuch Records.
Fleetwood Mac: Fleetwood Mac (Deluxe and Standard vinyl editions)
What can be said about this classic album that has not been said before? Originally released in 1975 and representing not only a rebirth of the band, with the edition of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, but really a second debut for a group firmly rooted in the rock genre, now reinventing themselves into a pop rock force in a way that few other artists can lay claim to. The album includes the iconic songs "Rhiannon," "Say You Love Me," and "Over My Head." Cut for vinyl at Bernie Grundman Mastering from the original analog tapes and pressed in both 33 rpm and 45 rpm for the very best in audio presentation. A collectible and definitive version for any generation.
Jeff The Brotherhood: Upstairs at United Vol. 3 (12" vinyl EP)
This release is a 3 song EP of JEFF The Brotherhood as a 5 piece band (recorded live to tape) performing "Master Of The Universe" by Hawkwind (from the album of the same name), a brain-melting new track called "In Space, Nobody Can Hear You Scream" plus a reprised "cover" of "I'm A Freak." Pressed at 45rpm for greater sonic impact at United Record Pressing and distributed by URP Music Distributors and 453 Music. You have no idea what you're in for...
Kimbra: Settle Down (Deluxe CD EP)
International newcomer Kimbra's digital EP is being re-released as a physical CD just in time for RSD and her tour with Gotye. The five-song release, which now includes the sultry "Good Intent," also features title track "Settle Down" as well as a remix of "Cameo Lover".
Metallica: Beyond Magnetic (12" color vinyl EP)
Beyond Magnetic consists of four outtakes from the 2008 Death Magnetic sessions and is available for the first time on silver vinyl just for RSD. A potent and exceptionally well-produced example of Metallica's most recent work, which can hold its own with anything within their vast heavy music cannon. Previously unreleased on vinyl and includes a limited edition Metallica sticker.
Mastodon / Feist "A Commotion"/ "Black Tongue" (7" vinyl single)
A very exclusive and highly anticipated RSD pressing features Mastodon covering the Feist song "A Commotion," while Feist covers Mastodon's "Black Tongue." A unique and highly buzzed-about Record Store Day prize.
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Stadium Arcadium (Deluxe 180 Gram vinyl Box Set)
On April 14, 2012, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and to commemorate this historic event, this classic Deluxe box set of the band's first number one album will be specially priced for Record Store Day. The Deluxe package was mastered for vinyl by Steve Hoffman and includes two 16-page booklets - "Jupiter" and "Mars." The Red Hot Chili Peppers won four Grammy® Awards for Stadium Arcadium including: Best Rock Album, Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package in addition to Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for their chart-topping, record-breaking single "Dani California."
Ximena Sarinana: Maps / La Llorona (7" vinyl single)
A two-song 7" from an exceptionally original and emerging artist, featuring two audio tracks: "Maps" (a Yeah Yeah Yeah's cover) from Rolling Stone Live and "La Llorona" (a Latin America folk song) from KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic." A special release to celebrate her Coachella 2012 appearance.
Regina Spektor: "The Prayer of François Villon (Molitva)"/ "Old Jacket (Stariy Pedjak)" (7" color vinyl single)
A RSD exclusive features two b-sides from Regina's upcoming album What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, due in May. This single on white vinyl, mastered by Bob Ludwig, features two songs originally penned by Russian Poet/Musician Bulat Okudzhava, and are performed completely in Russian.
Tegan and Sara: Get Along (12" color vinyl album)
A Record Store Day exclusive - never before on vinyl. Featuring music from the 2011 Get Along release, comprised of 15 favorites like "Alligator," "Call It Off," "Monday Monday Monday," and "Sentimental Tune." This single live disc, pressed on 12" white vinyl, finds the duo waltzing through its 15-year career with the kind of ease and amiable confidence that can only come from longtime friends who also happen to be siblings.
Side by Side 2012 Series
A continuation of the well-received Warner Bros Records "Side by Side" series, which was initially introduced in 2011. All are exclusive for Record Store Day on uniquely colored and extremely limited edition 7" vinyl singles, featuring Warner artists covering other historic and personally influential iconic artists. This year's series includes:
The Flaming Lips / Mastodon: "A Spoonful Weighs A Ton" (7" baby pink vinyl single)
The mighty Mastodon faithfully covers the Lips classic "Spoonful Weighs a Ton," from The Soft Bulletin album. Ferociously beautiful!
Sara Watkins(Featuring Fiona Apple) / The Everly Brothers: "You're The One I Love" (7" olive green with blue/black splatter vinyl single)
Sara Watkins covers The Everly Brothers classic "You're The One I Love" and features co-vocals from a very special guest, Fiona Apple. From Sara's new full-length album, Sun Midnight Sun, available later this spring.
Michael Bublé / Ray Charles: Georgia On My Mind(7" Georgia Peach vinyl single)
Michael Bublé's first ever 7" vinyl release featuring a cover of Ray Charles' classic "Georgia On
My Mind" on "Georgia Peach" colored vinyl.
Carolina Chocolate Drops / Run-DMC: "You Be Illin'" (7" Coke-bottle green vinyl single)
The Run-DMC classic rendered in an entirely new way by old-time string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The Drops' version was recorded at the same sessions as their February 2012 release Leaving Eden, which was produced by Nashville legend Buddy Miller.
MC5 / Afrika Bambaataa: "Kick Out the Jams" (7" White with red splatter vinyl single)
The incendiary original coupled with a cover version from the pioneer of The Electro Funk Sound.
Otis Redding / Aretha Franklin: "Respect" (7" gold vinyl single)
The seminal classics meet for the first time together on vinyl.
NEWS FLASH! Expect exciting news from The Flaming Lips regarding their very special, limited RSD exclusive release. Stay tuned!
It was announced today that on top of the previously announced Scion A/V sponsored EP The Bulls and The Bees that is set to release a week from this upcoming Tuesday (March 13th), that primary songwriters Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover are joining forces with Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, and Fatnomas veteran Trevor Dunn to release a full length entitled Freak Puke. The ensemble is being called "Melvins Lite", as the band will be playing with out their most recent rhythm section, which is comprised of Coady Willis and Jared Warren, the frontmen for Seattle slude act Big Business. This is great news for fans because the entire band is goes on tour April with Unsane, and on top of getting a slew of new music, odds are Big Business will be releasing new music soon as well, and it is likely that both Big Business and Melvins Lite end up on tour in the summer / fall. The Melvins won't be coming too close (NYC, Westchester), however we are optimistic that perhaps Melvins Lite and Big Business end up at a place like Mohawk Place over the summer.
04-11 San Jose, CA - The Blank Club *
04-12 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *
04-13 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour *
04-14 San Diego, CA - Casbah *
04-17 El Paso, TX - House of Rock *
04-19 Austin, TX - Mohawk *
04-20 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live *
04-21 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack's *
04-23 Orlando, FL - The Social *
04-24 Gainesville, FL - Double Down Live *
04-25 Atlanta, GA - The Loft at Center Stage *
04-26 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend *
04-28 West Chester, PA - The Note *
04-29 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
05-01 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom *
05-02 DeKalb, IL - Otto's Nightclub *
05-03 St. Louis, MO - The Firebird *
05-04 Nashville, TN- Exit/In *
05-07 Dallas, TX - Trees *
05-09 Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Brewing Company *
05-11 Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Concert Theatre *
05-25 London England - Alexandra Palace, All Tomorrow's Parties
05-28 Brigthon, England - Concorde 2
05-30 Manchester, England - Moho Live
05-31 Barcelona, Spain - Parc del Forum, Primavera Sound
Tonight Mohawk Place plays host to four of Buffalo's hardest working songwriters. The night features music from Roger Bryan, frontman of Roger Bryan & the Orphans, Sonny Baker from Wooden Waves and a Hotel Nourishing, Grim Repair and The Failures Union's Tony Flaminio, and Buffalo music journeyman Vic Lazar. All the performers are accomplished songwriters that have played in a plethora of Buffalo's best bands, and each will be performing solo sets that highlight their abilities as singer/songwriters. Though these men have been known to throw down some rock n' roll, tonight, most likely, will feature plenty of acoustics, showcasing their solo abilities, and their range as musicians. This is a great way to spend an otherwise boring and chilly winter Buffalo Thursday, and for only $3, you can't go wrong turning out for some cheap music, and even cheaper beer. Things get started around 8pm tonight, and will run 'til around 11pm.
Converse's "Three Artists One Track" feature is an attempt to revamp the company's hip image (similar to the Nike "Classic" Campaign with Nas, Kanye, KRS-One, and Rakim), and already has brought together Kid Cudi, Rotsam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend and Best Coast for the track "All Summer", Soulja Boy, Andrew WK, and Matt & Kim for "I'm A Goner", and in its latest installment does not disappoint. The track, to be released tomorrow (Feb. 23rd) via Converse's website is entitled "Do Ya Thing" features the Damon Albam's Gorillaz, James Murphy from LCD Soundsytem, and Outkast's Andre 3000. The track is deeply synth heavy, and there are already teasers floating around the internet, including links of radio burns of the track. The track will be released tomorrow, and there is no doubt that it will end up on Youtube by the end of the day, so fans of all three artists don't fret, it 's only a day away.
Tonight energetic Buffalo jam quartert and friends of the blog Autopunch celebrate the release of their full length album, Songs, with a record release party at the Tralf. The outfit had quite a 2011, releasing a few EPs, playing Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor, and being featured on the Best of Buffalo compilation CD, and is finally set to release this highly anticipated full length. Autopunch's bass heavy, improv laden funky jam style is roots Western New York jam, and incorporates blues and rock influence to amp their syle up and keep audiences interested. Those who have heard the album already are raving (including some members of Aqueous), and tonight will be the perfect night to get a look at what the boys have been up to. Opening up will be the experimental, well traveled (playing over 150 shows in the past 3 years), and musically articulate Universe Shark, who have been receiving many kind words at the behest of the Buffalo News, and Cleveland based progressive rock quintet Debussi. Things get started around 8pm, tickets will cost you $16, and you can scoop a discounted CD for $5 at the show.
As so many sources, including Brooklyn Vegan, have posted in the post grammy frenzy, one of the top trends on Twitter was the question "Who the F is Paul McCartney?", and I for one, am ashamed to even be included as part of the American music scene afet such nonsesne. The aptly named "Twit"-ter apparently is filled with numbskulls, but moreover, I personally feel this is a problem with American education. I shall indulge you as a reader, and for the record, these are my own personal opinions, not that of buffaBLOG.
For those who are connected to the internet, are reading about music, and still don't know who he is (a number I expect to be around zero), Paul McCartney is one of the primary songwriters, and bass player for the Beatles; the most influential rock band of all time. The Beatles are bar none the afformentioned mecha-band, and the predications of the modern music industry have been forged on have been based around their accomplishments, and have been attempt to find the next Beatles. The Beatles marked a cultural transition into the turbulent times of the 60's, and essentially played the soundtrack to things like civil rights, and the anti-war movement.
The Brittish Invasion was not only a piece of musical history, but human history as well; it is a time period and movement that have gone down in history books, and as stated earlier, the entire foundations of modern recording have been based around the accomplishments of the Beatles, of which Sir Paul was a humongous influence in. Paul has written some of the most notable, highest grossing songs of all time, and has paved the way for artists the likes of Madonna and Michael Jackson. Without the Beatles, labels wouldn't have understood the potential influence one group of artists could have on the world. The Beatles were a tremendous influence on society and politics, on the recording industry, and for song writing and pioneering studio techniques. What they accomplished in their time together was literally a surreal happening, the likes of which will never happen again.
But perhaps this has been where Sir Paul has done himself in. With the progression of music as we know it, the industry's realization of billion dollar sales, and musical mass production, the music industry subdivided into the plethora of genres that the Beatles invented; the primary of which is popular music. Labels saw how lucrative the Beatles were, and they have all tried to repeat what was a one time occurance. Right after they exploded, labels were clamoring to sign acts like the Rolling Stones and the Who, and that eventually into acts like Led Zeppelin; all of which were fantastic in their own right, however didn't have the "landing" that the Beatles did.
This brings us to where we are today; we are a society of popular music that people who actually follow music dismiss. We as a culture have just begun gobbling up pop stars by the minute with things like "American Idol" and "The X Factor", but digest them just as quickly. Even the indie scenes are becoming so dependent on the next big thing, without any of us realizing that there will never be another Beatles. It happened, and has become entrenched in the fabric of our popular music whether we like it or not. Unfortunately for us, one of the greatest musical collaborations in history may have convuluted that history to such an extent, that people will just eat whatever slop is fed to them. Like an an animal on an Orwellian musical Animal Farm, we are destined to eat what the industry pigs feed us whilst they feast immaculate on that which was created by Beatles. These events further prove to me that there is no going back, and that the influence of profits (unless debunked by online music and piracy) will continue destroy music, and water down the opinions and tastes of mainstream music "listeners". It seems it may be time for real music fans to abandon all hope, as even one of the greatest and most renowned musicians of all time is a relative nobody again. Maybe if he flashed his nipples or wore a dress of meat he might once again make himself a star...I think our option here was phrased best by Paul himself...
Tonight friends of the blog the Good Neighborhood give folks a taste of this year's reinvigorated lineup of their weekly Speakeasy Sundays sessions at Brawler's Back Room Deli, located in the basement of Pearl St. Tonight's event, labeled as a "preview", is a taste of things to come when the weekly charitable music event announces its official lineup; which starts later this month on the 26th. Tonight's edition features Toronto based trumpet troubadour and former trumpet player for Guru's Jazzmatazz project, Brownman, as well as typical partner in crime DJ Cutler, Buffalo emceee Mad Dukez, and more. Each event is free, though a collection / raffles are often held to support various charities and arts organizations, and this event is always a good way to spend an otherwise quiet Buffalo Sunday. Things get started around 6pm at Pearl St., so head down there to see a little live music, and find out the weekly lineup before the rest of us.
Today Metallica announced a number of the acts to be featured at this June's Orion Music Festival; a two day festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Black Album. To the surprise of many, the lineup is quite good. I, like most in the critic community, thought that this might be a collection of cheesy metal acts, however, it seems the band learned something when they performed at Bonnaroo. The lineup thus far includes: Modest Mouse, Fucked Up, Cage The Elephant, Liturgy, Titus Andronicus, Best Coast, The Sword, the Arctic Monkeys, and Avenged Sevenfold, among others. The full lineup, and schedule has yet to be released, however, the band has announced they will play The Black Album and Ride The Lightning in their entirety on alternating nights. The festival takes places the 23rd & 24th of June in Atlantic City, NJ, and 2-day passes will cost you anywhere between $125-$225, depending on what kind of access you want, and when / how you purchase. More information can be found on the festival's home page, which you can access here.
Tonight, in honor of this up coming Monday's 67th anniversary of Bob Marley's birth, Nietzsche's will be holding a celebration. The reggae / activist / Rastafari icon passed away about 31 years old, but despite his time away from Earth with Jah, remains one of the biggest musicians the world has ever seen; akin to the likes of John Lennon and Michael Jackson. What better way to celebrate the "Legend" than with a Toronto based reggae artist Neville Francis, and his backing band Riddim Posse. the Riddim Posse blends clean Marley-era, big band reggae, with trace elements of its electronic counterpart dub (not to be confused with it's bastard step child dubstep), but in tasteful amounts. Also playing will be Buffalo based roots reggae outfit the Dreadbeats. Together the acts will transform Nietzsche's into Zion tonight, and is definitely a great way to remember Bob. The show gets started around 10pm.
It was announced today metal heroes Mastodon will be co-headlining a U.S. tour with Swedish prog-metal powerhouse Opeth. The "Heritage Hunter Tour" is a mash-up of the two bands latest albums, Mastodon's The Hunter, and Opeth's Heritage, and will begin on April 4th. The tour consists of 30 shows, and will feature eccentric Swedish doom metal act Ghost as the opener. This will be a continuation of Ghost's first ever U.S. tour, and the masked ghouls are definitely not an act to miss. Though they are not coming to Buffalo, they will be reasonably close (Toronto and Pittsburgh), and could make a great road trip. A pre-sale for the show begins on Feb. 1st (tomorrow) at 3pm on Mastodon's website. Below are the dates, and Mastodon's video for "Dry Bone Valley", released last week.
Tour dates as follows:
(M) Indicates Mastodon closes the show
(O) Indicates Opeth closes the show
04/04 Portland, ME State Theater (M)
04/05 Boston, MA Orpheum Theater (O)
04/06 Montreal, QC Metropolis (O)
04/07 Toronto, ON Sony Centre (O)
04/09 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory(M)
04/10 Wallingford, CT The Dome (M)
04/11 New York, NY Roseland Ballroom (M)
04/13 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre(M)
04/14 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection (M)
04/15 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE (M)
04/16 Knoxville, TN TN Theater (O)
04/18 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom (M)
04/19 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom (O)
04/20 San Antonio, TX Back Stage Live (O)
04/21 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street (O)
04/23 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium (O)
04/25 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues (M)
04/26 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre (O)
04/27 Oakland, CA Fox Theatre (O)
04/28 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Resort (M)
04/30 Seattle, WA The Paramount (O)
05/01 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre (O)
05/03 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Events Center (O)
05/04 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall (M)
05/05 Saskatoon, SK The Odeon (O)
05/06 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre (O)
05/09 Washington, DC The Fillmore (O)
05/10 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore (M)
05/11 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues (M)
05/12 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Music Park (M)
Tonight, experimental Buffalo 10-piece Wooden Cities gets together for one of it's rare performances at Hallwalls to play, among other pieces, a version on John Zorn's Cobra.Cobra is an experimental, improvisational piece that rather than having written music, is scripted with cue notes. The number and type of musicians that can be associated and play the piece can change, and in this instance, the Wooden Cities crew is featuring a 10-person lineup, featuring band prompter / conductor Brendan Fitzgerald, acclaimed Buffalo sax player Steve Baczkowski, horn player Nathan Heidelberger, among quite a number of other musicians. The piece never sounds the same twice, as each time it will be imrpovised by groups of different instrumentation and size. It was created in an experimental scripted manner that was made famous by composers like John Cage, and the group will even include some pieces by Cage in their set tonight, as well pieces by 104 year old Elliott Carter, and band member Nathan Heidelberger. The show will no doubt take some unexpected turns throughout the improv, and much of the musical tension will be built by the musicians relationships and musical bonds with one another, rather than by scripted musical notation. This is definitely a great Friday night event for fans of classical, imrpov, and avant-garde music alike. Things get started around 8pm, and tickets will cost you $10, unless you are a student ($8), senior ($8), or a Hallwalls member ($5).
Earlier today, international human rights group, Amnesty International, released a tribute to a musical tribute in honor of its 50th year helping the people of the world. The 75-track (yes that's 75 tracks), 4 CD set is entitled Chimes of Freedom, and is a collection of artists paying homage to the music of legendary songwriter / activist, Bob Dylan. Named after the 1964 Dylan track, the album features over 80 artists including: Queens of the Stone Age, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Johnny Cash (posthumously) & the Avett Brothers, Adele, Ziggy Marley, My Morning Jacket, Raphael Saadiq, Seal & Jeff Beck, Sting, Sugarland, Diana Krall, K'NAAN, Elvis Costello, Cage The Elephant, Tom Morello & the Nightwatchmen, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Flogging Molly, and many, many more. This album is quite an accomplishment, and is an immaculate listen. Spearheaded by the producers of the John Lennon tribute Instant Karma; the album of covers put together in 2007 written to help victims of Darfur genocide. Proceeds of the album will go to aiding Amnesty International battling atrocities, towards battling for free speech, and those whom have lost theirs (here's one example). The album is available on Spotify streaming, the app "black-listed" by the Black Keys, however, Amnesty International will receive royalties from plays from the site.
Tonight the Tralf on Main St. plays host to a list of guitar players that have been deemed "Buffalo's Guitar Heroes". Playing tonight, in separate sets and in ensemble jams, will be Jamie Holka, Mark Krurnowski, Ron Locurto, and Bruce Wojick. With each guitarist playing since before they have been able to drive, the conglomeration of six string samurais brandish over 50 years of professional guitar experience, and have played alongside some of Buffalo, and the nation's best musicians. The brainchild of local music veteran Jeremy Hoyle, this is part 1 of what is hoped to be an ongoing series of local musician showcases. Each of these individual musicians has played in some of Buffalo's top bands, and it will truly be a pleasure to hear them playing together in a feature set. Tickets will cost you $10 if you don't have them, and things get kicked off at about 8pm.
Wilco rolled some of their momentum from their recent "mini-touring" into the studio to help Apple continue to begin taking over the world with an iTunes Session. The band's 8 track EP features five new versions of songs from the new album, some old recordings, and a recording of a song with songwriter Nick Lowe, that the band and Lowe had been playing in that brief Chicago run. To boot, the band has released a video for the track "Whole Love", directed by frontman Jeff Tweedy's son, Spencer. The digital only release will be available on iTunes on Jan. 24th.
One last late post for your first Friday the 13th of 2012. Are you a fan of the Buffalo Infringement Festival, or have you ever been to a free Infringement event? Well get to Nietzsche's tonight you freeloader and drop some money in the bucket! The B.I.F. is becoming a mainstay of the Buffalo summers, allowing all Buffalo artists a platform to publicly, and has quickly become one of the country's best fringe art festivals. The festival survives on contributions from people like you and me, however, so it is essential that people finance this amazing showcase of Buffalo's eclectic art scene. The show features a number of artists, including festival organizer Sparky singing a song, B.I.F. buffaBLOG rooftop veterans Sea Snake Vs. (on at midnight), and B.I.F. opener party favorites, Scantron and Rory. The shindig gets started around 10pm, and costs $5, but there will be a donation can for those who want to contribute more.
Yesterday the lineup for yearly California music festival, Coachella, was announced. We announced last summer sometime that they would be extending the show to two separate weekends to accommodate ticket demand, and that was a fantastic move for fans, as the festival hosts possibly the most amazing concert lineup in quite sometime. The lineup will be the same both weekends (April 13-15, 20-22) and features (but not limited to): Radiohead, the Black Keys, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg, Bon Iver, the Shins, God Speed! You Black Emperor, the Arctic Monkeys, M83, Beirut, Girl Talk, Amon Tobin, Explosions In the Sky, reggae idol Jimmy Cliff, the Black Lips, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Florence & the Machine, Flying Lotus, the Manchester Orchestra, Madness, and many, many more. Among the cavalcade of music, will be the reunion of two legendary hardcore acts; that being the rejuvenation of Omar Rodriguez Lopez and Cedric Zavala's relationship with their former band mates in At The Drive-In, and the much anticipated, petition induced reformation of Swedish prog-hardcore act, Refused. This is going to be a festival for the ages. The remaining tickets go on sale on Friday, and range from $285 for a regular 3-day pass, to $665 for a VIP pass. Get them, or don't, because that way there will be more for the rest of us. More info can be found at the Coachella website, or everywhere on the web.
Recently some music came across our plate from local act The Broken Vibes, and it was so good, we decided to spread the word. The Broken Vibes are a drummer / guitar two piece, in the vein of bands like the Black Keys and the White Stripes, and though they are as equally rooted in American Blues, the comparisons pretty much stop there. Formed in late 2010 after some successful jam sessions, the duo consists of drummer Dan Wilcox and guitar / vocalist Pete Torrey. The band produces a deeper sound than most two piece acts; Pete's riff writing is soulful, overdriven and reverb laden, and Dan's drumming is closer to that of John Bonham than it is to Pat Carney. The duo does more, and covers more genres of music than many acts can do with 3 or 4 members. Pete's voice is strong enough to be used with out vocal filters, unlike many other two pieces, though the band does occasionally use them for stylistic purposes. The band is currently in the studio, and we hope to be hearing a lot more from them soon. Check out their Facebook Page, as it has music, and links to both their Twitter feed, and Reverbnation.
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