To be honest with you, my first buffaBLOG post was going to be in the form of a lamentation until I concluded that that would be a terrible first post. It's negative and a bit dickish to introduce yourself to people pissing and moaning about something or another, and one of the things I like the most about buffaBLOG is it's positivity(note, positivity is a word, a word created by Prince in 1988), so that's out. No, this is going to be more in the form of a pep talk, something full of kind thoughts and words of encouragement because we've got work that needs doing and a mission that needs to be accomplished, and I'm talking about selling out that M83 show at the Town Ballroom in May.
When I met with Mac McGuire about writing for buffaBLOG one of the first things we talked about was how we couldn’t believe that show hadn’t sold out yet. For my part, I don’t think its right. A ho-hum crowd for The Flaming Lips at Artpark last year was one thing, but M83 in a 500 person room in downtown Buffalo? Come on now. But I digress. I don’t want to get into all of that. Still, it is true that after the St. Vincent cancellation last month, when word came down that something awesome was about to be announced that would make everything all right, the subsequent M83 announcement indeed seemed monumental, in part due to the hype (well done promoters), but also because it is monumental. A few years ago Phoenix seemingly came out of nowhere, suddenly seemed tastefully everywhere, and 18 months later were playing a sold out Madison Square Garden with Daft Punk, and with M83 one can sense a similar trajectory- thus making the Buffalo show significant. 2012 is going to be a big year for M83, and the fact that they are playing here kind of is a big deal. In some regards, it’s even a make it or break it situation.
You see, music fans just want good shows, and Buffalo music fans just want good shows to come to Buffalo. At least, that’s all I want. Sure of course I want a strong local scene to provide solid opening acts for visiting national bands, absolutely; but more importantly, I really just want a music scene that can support and brings national acts to Western New York. The good news is we’re doing pretty good for a city that’s definitely not Toronto or New York, in part because we’re a city in between Toronto and New York, and that’s where the M83 show comes in, with this “ascending star” band playing our area on their way east after playing Toronto. In the wake of the implosion of the recording industry if you want the new (and affordable) music economy to have Buffalo circled on it’s map, if you want Yeasayer, Best Coast, Grizzly Bear, and Radiohead, shows like M83 are huge.
In Friday’s Gusto, Jeff Meirs had a wish-list for 2012, and the two I felt the strongest agreement with were the wishes that Buffalo became a primary concert market, and that a permanent amphitheatre be built down at the waterfront. I am with him a 100% but in the end there has to support for the shows that do come here. We can’t get to that happy, wonderful place without people, college kids, kids, whatever- supporting the local scene. Of course it doesn’t help that 103.3 sucks epic, spectacular donkey balls, or that they play Nickelback at Sabres games (there’s yer problem right there Ted- mediocrity everywhere), but there are encouraging signs: an expanding and interesting local band scene, a promising turn by Thursday in the ______ towards less pedestrian fare for that potentially awesome free show series, and quality show bookings at the Town Ballroom, Mohawk, Soundlab, and Babeville. Yes, there is promise and potential, but in the end, there is certainly more work to be done.
That said, we’ll sell that M83 show out eventually, of this I have no doubt, if nothing else because I believe we our area can support shows like this… and because of the grassroots evangelical effort already underway by M83 fans to get this job done. You’ll be hearing tasteful and emotionally resonant electronic music seemingly everywhere over the next 5 months, and odds are very good that it will be a certain band from France playing Buffalo May 7. Don’t worry, it will sell out. Failure is not an option.
When I met with Mac McGuire about writing for buffaBLOG one of the first things we talked about was how we couldn’t believe that show hadn’t sold out yet. For my part, I don’t think its right. A ho-hum crowd for The Flaming Lips at Artpark last year was one thing, but M83 in a 500 person room in downtown Buffalo? Come on now. But I digress. I don’t want to get into all of that. Still, it is true that after the St. Vincent cancellation last month, when word came down that something awesome was about to be announced that would make everything all right, the subsequent M83 announcement indeed seemed monumental, in part due to the hype (well done promoters), but also because it is monumental. A few years ago Phoenix seemingly came out of nowhere, suddenly seemed tastefully everywhere, and 18 months later were playing a sold out Madison Square Garden with Daft Punk, and with M83 one can sense a similar trajectory- thus making the Buffalo show significant. 2012 is going to be a big year for M83, and the fact that they are playing here kind of is a big deal. In some regards, it’s even a make it or break it situation.
You see, music fans just want good shows, and Buffalo music fans just want good shows to come to Buffalo. At least, that’s all I want. Sure of course I want a strong local scene to provide solid opening acts for visiting national bands, absolutely; but more importantly, I really just want a music scene that can support and brings national acts to Western New York. The good news is we’re doing pretty good for a city that’s definitely not Toronto or New York, in part because we’re a city in between Toronto and New York, and that’s where the M83 show comes in, with this “ascending star” band playing our area on their way east after playing Toronto. In the wake of the implosion of the recording industry if you want the new (and affordable) music economy to have Buffalo circled on it’s map, if you want Yeasayer, Best Coast, Grizzly Bear, and Radiohead, shows like M83 are huge.
In Friday’s Gusto, Jeff Meirs had a wish-list for 2012, and the two I felt the strongest agreement with were the wishes that Buffalo became a primary concert market, and that a permanent amphitheatre be built down at the waterfront. I am with him a 100% but in the end there has to support for the shows that do come here. We can’t get to that happy, wonderful place without people, college kids, kids, whatever- supporting the local scene. Of course it doesn’t help that 103.3 sucks epic, spectacular donkey balls, or that they play Nickelback at Sabres games (there’s yer problem right there Ted- mediocrity everywhere), but there are encouraging signs: an expanding and interesting local band scene, a promising turn by Thursday in the ______ towards less pedestrian fare for that potentially awesome free show series, and quality show bookings at the Town Ballroom, Mohawk, Soundlab, and Babeville. Yes, there is promise and potential, but in the end, there is certainly more work to be done.
That said, we’ll sell that M83 show out eventually, of this I have no doubt, if nothing else because I believe we our area can support shows like this… and because of the grassroots evangelical effort already underway by M83 fans to get this job done. You’ll be hearing tasteful and emotionally resonant electronic music seemingly everywhere over the next 5 months, and odds are very good that it will be a certain band from France playing Buffalo May 7. Don’t worry, it will sell out. Failure is not an option.
Midnight City by M83
cliff speaks the truth!
Welcome to the fold Cliff! I admit, I'm a bit shocked as well that M83 hasn't sold out, however the fact that they're playing here at all gives me a great deal of hope for our music scene. Nowhere else in the country can a city with a population of around 320,000 pull the kind of acts that we do. With that said, shout out to all the promoters who have done an excellent job in the past couple years (Supernaut, Funtime, MNM, ESI, etc.) End transmission.
~jon
definitely positive, which i like! You guys are more than a little off on the numbers involved, but , this show is over 50% sold out as of now...that's without any of the area colleges having it advertised to the student population and it being 5 months away... so, get your tickets, because it will sell out, there is no doubt about that....more exciting shows to come, and you can get tickets at the ballroom's box office without all the annoying service fees! Thanks for such positive press buffablog!
Great job Cliff! Unfortunately I don't know much about M83, but I love the way you write!
I just bought my tickets two days ago. I totally believe it will sell out. Being a student at UB, I honestly think my fellow students might not know about it yet. Once the semester starts next week though, I know people will start to buy. I was in the 400's as far as numbers go, so it's almost half-way (assuming it's out of 1000). We still have almost 5 months though, so I have faith.