Hypothetical: It's the biggest drinking night of the year, and you want to get smashed, but you also want to bombard your aural senses with stimulating rock n' roll of the most powerful nature. While I'm sure there are plenty of fine establishments looking to rock your body into Turkey Day, Nietzsche's boasts a line-up to be feared. Handsome Jack, Johnny Nobody, Bobo, and The Merchants will rock the hangover right out of you and leave you salivating for that turkey dinner. You won't even be able hear your family screaming at each other, so thank the talented musicians above. The show starts at 10, and it's a measly 5 bucks.

It's Halloween night, baby! Tonight at 8:30, Nietzsche's is a portal to hell, so if you feel like you deserve some eternal damnation with a side of inebriation, (or vice versa) you should stop by (with 5 dollars. Gotta pay for your pain!) You may or may not be surprised at some of the contorted faces that appear in Nietzsche's corner of the inferno.

Well Worn Boot, for example. While it's not a huge surprise that these hell-raisers have found their place in the fiery pit, one has to be curious as to exactly what crimes against humanity became their downfall. They will likely be found in the fourth circle of gluttony, and at that rate who wouldn't? Maybe Baby Buckingham robbed too many trick 'r treaters of their candy. Maybe Plainsman had a good time that went too far. Billy Klubb is practically undead, so I assume he just visits the guys on weekends. Can the Horse be guilty of sin? Does this make them Hell's house band?

Aircraft lives in the first circle of poets and philosophers. Lesser bands have committed suicide after hearing the aural strains of Aircraft's haunting and heavy sounds. This alone shouldn't be the cause for the band's struggle in limbo, so these nice fellas must be hiding some dark secrets.

We can only assume that The Merchants' place in Hell can be attributed to the burn wounds left on their victims from the scorching guitar that is a primary weapon in much of their music. Mild mannered gentlemen, you'll find them surrounded by red in the lust circle. It's Halloween, so of course you want to get laid, right? Well, not if you want to survive... (see: horror films with teenagers.)

Not only does Mr. Boneless round out to be an awesomely Halloweenie name, but their music is also freaky and spastic. Along with Folkfaces and Pants and the Family, you'll hear them crying out from the Eight Circle, which encompasses more sins than you can count with all your digits. 

Who wouldn't want a peek into Hell, on Halloween of all nights?

My power came back on this morning just in time for me to remind you that the inaugural Buffalo Porchfest will be going down this afternoon, hopefully rain free. Apparently all the rage in cities like Ithaca and Cleveland, the Elmwood Village Association will be hosting today's festivities, along with the dozen or so houses that donated their porches to the fest. The concept is pretty simple: a band plays on a porch/balcony, you watch, but with the fall season treating us well so far, its a nice excuse to get out of the house and put down a couple pumpkin flavored libations during the afternoon.

Featured bands include Merchants, an act that has not been up this early on a Saturday in months, Bryan Johnson & Family, the Albrights, and more. You can find the complete Porchfest map right here. Music begins at 1pm and runs to 5pm.

The other week, I saw Iration - a sunshine reggae band - at Waiting Room. It was a pleasant experience. Tonight, I'm going to a show in the basement of a house on the west side, a show that features the return of a band named after an ex-Sabres goalie who once had his jugular slashed during the middle of a game. The show will be a lot of things, but pleasant might not be the word. It will be painful, probably. It will be scary. And that is exactly how these bands like it.

I'm a rookie here, because I've never been to the venue, and I'm a rookie here, because I'm using the word venue. But these are four of the best bands to be trapped inside of a basement with, and I'm pretty fucking excited about it.

Show starts at 9. Bring a flask and a couple of bucks to donate.

Parquet Court's excellent Light Up Gold slipped under everyone's radar last year, only picking up steam earlier this year when it was rereleased. Comprised of former members of Teenage Cool Kids, Parquet Court's quick taut songs bring to mind now canon 80's bands like the Minutemen, Wire, and a less experimental Mission of Burma. Feeling like they could run off the rails at any minute, these songs are tensely held together, possessing a nervous edge. Short, simple and twitchy.

Giving this show a little "something for everyone" motif, local openers Second Trip and Merchants lean towards heavy and slow so you will have a bit of a warmup for Parquet Courts.

Parquet Courts w/Second Trip and Merchants
Tralf Music Hall
Doors @ 7pm/ Show @ 8pm
$12

As you probably know, Thursday at Canalside begins it's season this evening with a performance from the Hold Steady. I am sure if will be a wonderful show, even if it is a litte soggy. If you are still want to keep that music kick going long into the night, head over to Nietzsche's for the (un)official Hold Steady after show starting at 10pm. The club features a very formidable triple bill including the whiskey soaked, grunge torch bearers Merchants, the frantic math rock duo of All of Them Witches, and the jagged, early Modest Mouse sounds of Drone Wars. That is a pretty solid local bill if I don't say. $5 is all it will take to get in, so make sure to make a pit stop on your way back from the harbor and get in on the fun.

Tonight Nietzsche's has a ludicrously killer WNY line-up that's going to be a cannot miss show featuring Handsome Jack, Velvet Elvis, and Merchants working the main stage and Zak Ward, Andy Vaeth, and Sonny Baker manning the front stage for a night of non stop rock. And get this, $5 gets you in the door to enjoy this festival of fine local music ($.83 a band!). You can't beat that. Come on. Handsome Jack and Merchants are certified buffaBLOG favorites, Velvet Elvis are Rochester favorites making a welcome return to the 716, and Ward, Vaeth and Baker are the icing on the cake. This can't miss show kicks off at 10, and again the cover is a measly $5. You should go to there.

Merchants' The Red Room is currently spewing out of my computer's speakers in what might be the filthiest sound wave I have ever experienced...  It makes me feel like I should take a shower.  I guess what I am trying to say is, if I had a theme song written by Merchants, nobody would ever want to mess with me.  Am I painting a good enough picture?

I had the pleasure of catching the Merchants at their CD release show this past Saturday.  By the end of the night, the four-piece had the room writhing under fog machines, lasers, and most importantly, a steady stream of glorious grunge-revival.  Normally I would say that the bottle of community Jameson had something to do with it - but I think it was more than that.  That "something" about Merchants caught the eye of Admirable Traits Records - the two teamed up to release their debut EP, the four-song The Red Room.

"Moth" has this sort of circuit-bent Southern swagger that embodies all that is Merchants - spaced-out grunge with soulful and gritty vocals...  I can almost smell the cigarette smoke.  Singer Benjamin Maries sings with ferocity in a distorted almost unintelligible drawl - "I don't want to be the one who tells you all those things you did wrong - you say more when you speak less..."  There's a reason buffaBLOG included it in their top 20 local tracks of last year.

I found "Roadtrash" to be the pleasant surprise on The Red Room. What surprises me most about Merchants is their ability to slip a keyboard into their fuzzy bliss.  They even manage to tuck some chimes into the background.  The main guitar riff is a downward spiral into something that sounds more like Arcade Fire or Radiohead than Nirvana.  "Roadtrash" might be my favorite moment on The Red Room if only because it shows that Merchants are capable of much more than just grunge.

"Mountains" is also a high point on the EP.  Another spiraling guitar riff is accompanied by prominent keyboard from guitarist/keyboardist Steven Gordon.  "Mountains" is about as moody as Merchants get - they add to the slow tempo ambiance with a radio broadcast pushed back into the mix.  They wrap up the EP with "Ecstasy" which is the kind of music I'd expect to hear in a dark alley somewhere.  In fact, this whole EP could probably fuel some heavy drinking in a dive bar somewhere...  Or just a room full of Buffalonians passing around a bottle of Jameson.  

If you find yourself at the Aretha Franklin show tonight and you start thinking, "this is great, but where's the grunge?", you may still have time to make it to The Vault for Merchants' EP Release show. Celebrating the release of their debut EP The Red Room on Admirable Traits Records, Merchants are a four piece fuzz bomb of distorted riffs, soulfully scratchy vocals, and moody atmospherics. They'll also be taking the stage at the buffaBLOG 3rd Birthday Party, so tonight is your chance to check them out early. Joining them will be psychedelic garage band Sleepy Hahas and JOHNS, who are fresh off the release of their tape House of Wrongheads. Doors are at 8pm and the $8 cover includes a copy of The Red Room. 

Nearly three years to the day of our very first blog post, and what an epic post it was, we here at buffaBLOG are gearing up to celebrate another great year in the books.  To commemorate our three year anniversary, we will be throwing ourselves a birthday party at Duke's (253 Allen St.) on Saturday, March 30th.  Like all of our past shindigs, we have put together an impressive bill of musical acts,  showcasing some of the best bands the Western New York area has to offer.  This year's bill includes sets from Cinnamon Aluminum, Merchants, Joywave (Rochester), Young Suns, along with Space Wolves (DJ Sets).  The fun kicks off at 10pm, with a cover of $5.  We look forward to you joining everyone at the blog for this celebration.

P.S. Make sure to check back in on the blog the week leading up to the show for a special spotlight on each of our performing acts.

If there are any saviors of grunge left in Buffalo, they're the men in Merchants.

The four piece, Benjamin Maries (guitar, vocals), Gabriel Nasca (bass), Steven Gordon (guitar, synth), and Yoav Ehrenhalt (drums), have been carving out their niche in the Buffalo area since 2010 and even used to use the now defunct Mohawk Place as their practice space.  

Brooklyn/Buffalo-based record label Admirable Traits took notice of Merchants' penchant for self-depreciative grunge - they will be releasing Merchants' new four-song EP, The Red Room, on March 5th. The EP may be purchased on the band's bandcamp page, iTunes, and Amazon, among many other outlets.  

On Saturday, March 2nd, the Vault will host the release show for The Red Room. Sleepy Hahas and JOHNS will open the show. Doors are at 8:30, cover is $8 bucks. Added bonus: $1 beers will be available all night and every paying guest receives a copy of the EP.

In the meantime, give a listen to "Moth," the first single off The Red Room.

So the Betterdays Festival kickoff starts tonight and will be raging all weekend. Betterdays is a celebration and tribute to the city's diversity and raditude when it comes to local music, and if you haven't heard of the bands playing it, you probably haven't been following our blog. Here's what you need to know: the fest is taking place under one roof (the Tralf) this evening and will continue Saturday and Sunday beginning at 7pm each day. I'll spare the music descriptions...put simply Victory for Poland, the Merchants, Wakos, Anytime Anywhere and Early Attic are some of the best bands going right now. They've officially got my sealed endorsement, not that that means much. So I'll say they've got Obama's endorsement! A bit more credible I think although wholly untrue (I'm a liar). Either way, this is not to be missed...after all $10 for three days is nothing to scoff at. That's correct. 10 DOLLARS...for THREE DAYS. Do it to it.

On this Monday morning, I can guaranteeeee, that you should infringe a time or two... or even threeeeee... because Monday evening, oh Monday evening you will surely beeee, listening to music at Mohawk or DBGBeeeeeeees!

We're several days in, now, and already there have been successful performances in abundance around downtown.  What's in store for today?  Read on to find out:

Listen to your inner movie buff and start the day at Filigrees (on the corner of Elmwood and Forest) with their Monday Film Fun event.  Three movies will be screened and the event goes from 12:30-5:30PM.  Red Green Totem, Decency in Kind, and Thin Red Line are the the films to look forward to this afternoon.

Crane Library (Elmwood Avenue) is playing host to a myriad of unique events today and, had I not been scheduled to work today, would probably be my destination of choice (I go out to see music quite a bit... gotta change it up sometimes, oui?).  There will be Celtic Storytelling from 1:00-2:00PM featuring stories of healing and repose shared in the Bardic style and accompanied by the soothing sounds of a Celtic harp.
Take a break, grab a bite to eat, and head right back to Crane Library at 4:00PM for the performance of Incident at Deer Lick, a satirical piece dealing with the three M's (murder, mystery, and marriage, of course).  Franklin LaVoie will be performing as Buffalo's former editor of the Courier Express... Mark Twain.
The final event of the day at Crane Library, "Symphony #3", starts at 7:00PM this evening.  'Tis a puppet show featuring a man and his dog who attmept to rediscover and reconnect with society after living in solitude... in a hand-dug hole underneath a highway billboard.  All set to the music of Aaron Coplands' "Symphony #3".

Nietzsche's will be holding the aptly titled Best Monday Ever today.  The event goes from 6:00-10:00PM and features 30 minute sets from the following bands (in order of appearance): Jamey Kern, Autoverse, Chacko P. Coltrane, Frigid Giant, Lloyd MacHardy, Blue Lazer, and Lazy Ass Destroyer.  Nietzsche's is the de facto epicenter of Infringement Festival and always promises to have killer shows throughout.

My personal pick for music event of the night however is a "choose your own adventure" of sorts... it will be a fairly easy choice for most.  Do you prefer rock music (in the vein of indie/alt)? THEN CHOOSE PATH A!  Tend to lean towards electronic music stylings?  THEN CHOOSE PATH B!

Path A leads you to Mohawk Place from 8:00-11:00PM for sets by various alt and indie rockers Mob From Atlantis, The Merchants, and The Screaming Jeans.

Path B takes you to DBGB's at 10:00PM and keeps you there until question mark PM/AM (who knows?) for Monday Mixdown with Drop D, Nobez, and DJ Soma.  Plus, bonus for those who show up early, DBGB's will be hosting the Monday Funday Open Mic Night from 7:00-10:00PM.

Enjoy your day, Infringe away!

Well I am clearly a little late with this writeup. The 2012 Infringement Festival is already kicking my ass. Last night started with the quaint, cordial Love Scenes show at The Vault and quickly devolved into Allentown mayhem with Ronald Raygun performing both of their double booked sets at Nietzsche's and Duke's an hour apart from each other (with a chaotic caravan of musicians and fans hustling equipment across Allen Street so the band could make both shows).  Such is the nature of Buffalo's most frenetic and adventurous festival. Let's see what's in store for today.

buffaBLOG's Broadway Market Rooftop Extravaganza
This is going on right now (it started at 1), so stop reading this post and get your ass to the Broadway Market! From 1-7, festival goers will be treated to sets from Victory For Poland, Sleepy Haha's, Merchants, The Albrights, Handsome Jack and Trakbenders spinning in between sets.  This was a lot of fun last year, so don't miss your chance to catch it this time.  Bring a chair!

Merge Electronic Circus
Taking place in the parking lot next to Merge, this should be one of the more interesting concerts of the week.  A who's who list of Buffalo electronic artists will be playing from 9pm-1:30am, including Eppo, Bear Skin Rug, Medison, Mario Be, Trakbenders (busy day, guys!) Jeff Repeater, Ay Fast, Drop D and Nobez.  This is a rare chance to enjoy some of Buffalo's finest electronic artists in the great outdoors, so be sure to drop by.

Nietzsche's - Wham Bam Thank You Slam part deux
 Sort of the de facto nucleus of the Infringement Festival, Nietzsche's has a packed lineup tonight once again. Performances by DJ Soma, The Hell's Harlots, Wham Bam Poetry Troupe, The Buffalo Burlesque Collective, MC Vendetta, Lazyrus, Tim Sentman and the Essential Vitamins Crew.  Stop pretending like you're not going to go.


The Best of the Rest
Don't forget to drop into Duke's at 11 to catch Armageddon Party. Also, Slyboots, Broadway Joe's and Filigree's all have good music going on tonight if you're looking for something off the beaten Allentown path.  In the eternal words of 311, my favorite band from high school: "Don't Stay Home!"  (and you thought I couldn't work in a 311 reference)