Greg Klyma has been part of Buffalo's music scene for over 20 years now, winning fans over with his mix of virtuoso guitar and banjo picking and lighthearted lyrics. On Friday night, Klyma appeared at The Ninth Ward at Babeville for the release party for his new album Another Man's Treasure. It was an uproariously fun evening that featured a great deal of crowd participation. If you didn't know who Klyma was going into the show, you were likely a fan of his when you left.

Opening the show was folk singer-songwriter Savannah King. King saw her profile increase considerably last year due to The Alphabet Project, a once-a-week video project where she released a cover (and a few originals) for every letter of the alphabet. King will be releasing her third EP in the spring, and while it doesn't have a name yet, if Friday's performance was any indication, it will be very strong. New tunes like "Habit" and "Bonnie And Clyde" were huge hits with the crowd, and illustrated how King has matured as a lyricist.

Klyma took the stage without introduction (he didn't need one) and quickly launched into a raucous rendition of the bluegrass standard "Cripple Creek," which had everyone clapping and dance by the time it was over. From there, he went into the original composition "How's It Goin'," the lead track from Another Man's Treasure. Klyma was energetic enough that while he was playing by himself, it often felt like there was a full band with him.

Klyma's ability to combine the silly and the serious was best evidenced with a song left off his new album (he wants to get it just right when he records it) in which he contrasts his Grandfather's more quirky traits with his reluctance to talk about his experiences in World War II. The song is genuine, heartfelt, and likely relatable for a wide portion of the audience.

In Klyma's second set, he dipped into his back catalog, and the crowd sang along with older tunes such as "One Foot In The Grave (Ballad Of The Self-Abusers)," a song that could be a theme for anyone who has a few too many drinks now and then, and "Ex-Girlfriends Are Cheaper Than Ex-Wives," a tune that was sung along to with equal gusto by the men and women in the crowd. The heart of set, and arguably Klyma's signature song "Two Degrees In Buffalo," in which he laments that our fair city's achievements in art and culture will never been as well known as the chicken wings.

The show was uproariously fun from start to finish; a real hootenanny if there ever was one. Hopefully, this excellent gig will lead to some strong sales for Klyma's new album. He's one of the finest artists in Buffalo's folk scene, and after 20 years in the business, he's honed his craft as well as anyone else.

A day after Cut Copy announced their return to Buffalo, another Queen City repeat, St. Vincent, will make her return to town this spring with a performance as Asbury Hall on Saturday, April 12th. Annie Clark just announced the release of her forthcoming self titled album (2/25), and with it, came the jagged single "Birth in Reverse," which you can listen to below. It appears pre-sale begins tomorrow on her website beginning at 10am. Tickets are $23 in advance/$25 day of and go on sale to the general public this Friday, Dec 13th. With 2014 in site, concert dates are starting to roll in and luckily, Buffalo is in route for some good ones so far.

Winnipeggers Indicator Indicator are stopping by Babeville's Ninth Ward for a night of catchy-in-a-good-way electro-pop. Their self-titled debut EP has already been making waves throughout Canada, gaining comparisons to artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to Wilco. Structured with well-realized pop songwriting, the band's shimmery sound is perfectly suited for the Ninth Ward's intimate space. Grab tickets for only $7; doors open at 7pm.

This past Monday evening, Elephant Revival serenaded the halls of the Ninth Ward for a sold out show, debuting many songs off their new album These Changing Skies. Babeville is a solid venue for their delicate, mesmerizing tunes. The stage was lit with scented candles (a touch of popcorn, a touch of strong herb) that provided a luminescent and comfortable ambience.

Around 8 p.m., Bridget Law came out onto the stage, barefoot and glowing, to announce that her long-time friend Lindsey McGuire would be reading a few poems to kick off the night. McGuire read from three, the first titled, "I Fucking Love You," the second "Economy," and the third, pulling memories from a shared dream, "Bird Chest." Her lyrics spanned time, comparing her lover to an ancient sylvan jungle, the strength in Michelangelo's precision when he made the statue of David, and recalling how our lives are so small in lieu of the giantess, Mother Nature. She read with ease and precision directly from memory, emphasizing the lines we needed to hear, such as "spirituality was freed from the confines of religion," and "By the time I die, existence will have spent 36,750 pounds of rainfall, sunshade, soil, plant, and creature to keep me alive, so I think it's fair to say I indeed am in debt." McGuire's words urged the listener to think about balance, in love and in nature.

Bonnie Payne made a comment during the show about how uncanny their new album's title, These Changing Skies, certainly reflected the unexpected flooding that is happening over in Boulder, Colorado and the surrounding area. They came back one day to find their homes collapsed and destroyed, thousands of dollars of studio equipment lost. Elephant Revival's lyrics and songs seem to be in tune with the cycles of the seasons, slow and entrancing, or staccato and riveting. The first half of the evening, they pulled mostly from their new repertoire, with songs such as "Birds & Stars," "Remembering a Beginning," and "The Pasture." Compared to their studio recordings, I insist that their live pitches are equally as perfect, if not more enchanting. Each song built off the other, weaving a spell of inspiration.

Throughout the evening I noticed Sage Cook, Daniel Rodriguez, and Dango Rose switch on and off between double bass, electric banjo, and guitar. The shift in instruments seemed to show the bones of their composition process and varied the performance for me. Since Bridget's family from the area, was in town, the band made a few comments that in their honor they would play more "Irish" tunes. One is "Currach," sung at an andante pace, with haunting moans from Bridget's masterful fiddle and Bonnie's pensive washboard heralding a rising storm. Elephant Revival's intriguing range of harmonies and styles captured my steadfast attention the entire evening. Peace radiates from their aura. For their encore, in honor of the harvest moon, they sung "Ring Around The Moon." This featured Bonnie on the musical saw, an instrument that croons high-pitched wails with the smallest vibrations from her bow.

As they finished their performance, I noticed a few stickers on various instrument cases like "Fractivist" and "Ban Fracking Now." For sure they are conscious about what is happening on the Earth, especially concerning a controversial issue such as hydraulic fracturing. Coming from a musical act that is gaining in popularity as the moons wane and wax, I consider it reassuring and brave.

Sage Cook was kind enough to offer me the setlist:

Slam poet turned musician Saul Williams confidently chases down dark and unexplored avenues, seeking answers and questions alike. His music is so soulful to have become like an extended part of his body, and tonight (8pm) he is showing off that appendage at Babeville for all to witness.

Williams is most assuredly one of today's 'renaissance men.' The art he creates is inherently personal and political. Vast thoughts and ideas pour through the colorful and rhythmic mixture of words in Saul's cauldron, waiting to be ingested, questioned, and understood. The man and his work are constantly evolving.

Given the amount of detail and ingenuity he puts into all of his work, one can imagine that seeing him live will be quite the experience, and definitely better than whatever else you had planned on doing tonight.  Admission is $20 and will require an open mind.

After gracing the living room of Boratin/Tanner residence earlier this summer, Brooklyn's Graph Rabbit will be returning to Western NY this evening, this time to the comfy confines of the Ninth Ward. Fans of the Album Leaf, Dntel, and Radiohead at their most tender would be wise to check out the electronic folk duo, whose minimal analog sounds, autumnal guitar picking, and hushed vocals could not have been more perfect fit for the intimate setting of the Babeville basement. 

Local do-it-all musician Sonny Baker will open up the evening with a solo set of his ever growing catalog. Tickets are $10 at the door. Music begins at 8pm.

These are indeed the High Holy Days of Buffalo Summer: summer is at its 'summeriest,' Shakespeare in the Park returns for its round 2,  and the arts establishment pulls out all the stops with great shows. And of course, Buffalo Infringement runs wild across the city for 11 days and nights, with art happenings in all manners of places emphasizing  DIY, standing apart from soul crushing corporate culture, breaking down walls,  reclaiming public space, and adventure. Today is Day 2 of the festival and here's a brief sample of all the wildness and excitement happening in the city (the frankly spectacular full schedule can be found here):

Infringement Festival Sundry Friday Night at Babeville: Starting at 6pm, one of Buffalo's most wonderful spaces will host an "esoteric evening" of music and performance featuring Ancient Alchemy performing "Movement Through Sound Is Sound Through Movement" with audience participation, klezmer music from Ahavaraba, Gander, mind melting avant folk by Shubbaluliuma, and Rochester's one man orchestra 23 Psaegz. $5 is the suggested donation because these things don't pay for themselves (unless you want corporate sponsorship... swine). The full schedule with better descriptions of the evening's entertainments can be read here.

Space will be the place at Nietzsche's, the spiritual and physical home of Buffalo Infringment, when the mind expanding dance party that is Space Junk kicks off a night of electronic explorations into inner and outer space with DJ Soma, Scantron, and Groove Force.

The beloved Essex Street Pub will be featuring shows on both Fridays of Infringement, with tonight featuring Brooklyn troubadour and Buffalo activist Pete Sorkin (6pm - 7:15pm) and New York indie minimalist visionary David Cloyd  (7:45pm - 9pm).

Hallwalls will be hosting a Friday Film Festival featuring films about the Queen City starting at 7pm, an excellent way to honor our fine city and its local filmmakers.

Milkies on Elmwood will be putting on "Milkie's Musical Mind Melt Masterpiece" from 9pm - 4am featuring Jezkova, N3WT, ghettotronics, PINJA, and Short Circuit. The electronic funk and bass will be heavy, and you will dance.

Calexico is a difficult band to pigeonhole. A spicy mixture of jazz, folk, gypsy rock, surf and country, theirs is a sound that can only be described as their own. And that's a good thing, because they are excellent at what they do. Swaying, hypnotic travel tunes for long desert drives might be the most apt description.

Calexico have many albums to their name but it's this writers humble opinion that they are best personified by their cover of the classic tune, "Alone Again Or." It is a song that seems to signify the breadth of their material in sound and style. Plus it's a really excellent version of an oft-covered yet seldom-delivered tune.

It's a pleasure to have Calexico back in Buffalo tonight, especially at a venue as intimate as Asbury Hall (Doors at 7pm, $27). I'm picturing how great the acoustics will sound as Joey Burns voice fills that old church and I get chills on my arms. Opening the show is Depedro. Hint: Get there early, as this is a seated show and it will fill up fast.

According to the band's official website(and my student Katie), Los Angeles indie folk band Sea Wolf, will be performing a solo acoustic show at Babeville on Saturday, April 13th.  Normally a five piece act, it appears that frontman Alex Brown Church will be on his own for the evening.  The band's latest release, Old World Romance, was dropped in September of 2012.  While it doesn't note on Sea Wolf's site, this is the same night as Josh Ritter's show at Babeville, so this very well could be a supporting gig.  If that's the case, tickets are currently on sale for $28.
 

The folk duo Brown Bird will be performing tonight at the Ninth Ward at Babeville. David Lamb and MorganEve Swain, based out of Providence, RI, have been growing in recognition over the past couple years  with their performances at the reputable Newport Folk Festival. Their newest album Salt For Salt is self-proclaimed to be all folk sans commercial characteristics. On a continuous rise, Brown Bird has opened for major acts like Trampled by Turtles, The Low Anthem, and Yonder Mountain String Band.  

Opening for them will be local Buffalo folk band, Hokan & Friends of the Sun. 

Tonight ESI Events brings NYC based indie electronic band Hooray For Earth to town for an intimate show at the Ninth Ward at Babeville with local bands Steel Keys and Brass and blog favorites All Blondes Go To Heaven. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Noel Heroux, Boston's Hooray For Earth has been described as "like M83, but weird," which is about right and more importantly, an excellent indicator of a good time to be had at one of the best venues in the city. Tickets are $10, and doors open at 7 PM.

A few years ago when a new Neutral Milk Hotel website surfaced announcing a tour and selling a definitive box-set, it was the first official, uncontroversial communication that the band had given anyone in many years. And while the initial two batches featured performances in Toronto and NYC, there were no Upstate dates and the odds of a Buffalo show were pretty slim. The last time Jeff Mangum played in WNY was in 1998 at the Bug Jar in Rochester. Then back in October, it was announced that Mangum would visit cities he had never played before on one final acoustic tour. Buffalo was at the top of that list. And the WNY chapter of the Neutral Milk Hotel cult rejoiced.
Wednesday night was something of a reverie. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, Mangum’s last and most lionized release with NMH before they broke up, was released on my 9th birthday; I was introduced to his evocative sound like millions of college students in the early to late aughts were: through crummy laptop speakers in a dry and grungy dorm room. Who, before wednesday night, had ever experienced Mangum’s vocals via the expensive speakers of a concert hall? I’m guessing less that 1% of those in attendance. 
So when a heavily whiskered Mangum came out, sat down and picked up his acoustic guitar and started singing a wide-eyed “Two-Headed Boy,” it was extremely surreal. A shot of adrenaline tore up my spine, something I hadn’t felt the slight of since I saw Bob Dylan or Sufjan Stevens for the first time, but it was still very different. I was seeing and hearing a ghost. Mangum’s vocal composure hadn’t changed a bit. 


He went on to play “The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” without mics, which all mysteriously failed for just that one song. He dragged his chair and scurried up to the right of the stage and belted the song across the dark sea of heads that filled the cavernous church hall. Bright flash lights from behind the stage glowed on the musician in an attempt to make up for the lighting which also subsequently went dead. He fittingly went right into “The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 2 and 3” as all the power came back on and starred maddeningly into the crowd beckoning us to sing along as he half-yawped, “I love you Jesus Christ!” We all chimed in, even singing the triumphant horn melody, “Da! Da! Da-da-da-da-da-da-da...!” How could we not?
Mangum had four guitars on stage with him and changed between them intermittently, but the set was pretty strait-forward as he maintained strumming patterns identical to his records, and even had a stellar french horn accompaniment from Jeremy Thal of Briars of North America (who played an awesome opening set) on “Oh Comely” and the encore “In The Aeroplane Over the Sea” which brought down the house with applause. Mangum also sang a few favorites off On Avery Island with “Gardenhead” and “Naomi” which was wonderful.


While it didn't make a huge impact on the night, the only down side at points were people obliviously chatting during the show and giving Mangum some playful crowd yells, which Mangum would smile at and reply wryly “What?” 
Jeff Mangum’s performance at Asbury Hall proved to be very memorable as he wailed and swept across a most adored and storied catalog of folk music. What makes Mangum such a great musician is so striking evident in the way he carries himself. He takes his songs seriously, but wields a wise smile all along, until his powerful gust of a voice knocks us over with its poetically poignant unadulterated force. I’ll never forget Wednesday night’s show, as it will most likely be the first and last time Buffalo will ever see or hear from the legendary artist in our midst again.