Late last year, Matt Smith's Hi/Lo Recording Studio in Eden, NY hosted a stripped-down performance from Micah Schnabel, member of Columbus' Two Cow Garage. Schnabel and his band were a Mohawk Place Staple over the last decade, and in fact, were the only non-local act to be a part of the venue's Last Waltz back in Jan of 2013. Opening for Schnabel that evening was Roger Bryan, local singer/songwriter and band leader of the Orphans, along with his band mate and former Mohawk Place bar manager/curmudgeon Erik Roesser.

Just today, Bryan released the 7-song performance, which includes a selection from Bryan and Roesser's old band The Old Sweethearts, via the band's bandcamp page as a free download. While you are busy downloading, you can listen to "Thresher," a b-side from the Orphans most recent album 37, below.

A year ago Buffalo music fans and Mohawk regulars gave the now departed Mohawk Place a proper two night Irish wake: there was copious drinking, clutches of devotees bittersweetly sharing reminisces and laughs, a plenty of music before the final goodbyes were said. Tonight, a year to the day since those goodbyes were said, Bring Me Your Vultures: A Mohawk Place Documentary, the cinematic epitaph and ultimate word on that storied spot makes its debut at the Town Ballroom. 

Produced by Highwatermark Films and Quiet City Audio, and directed by Roger Bryan & The Orphans drummer and documentary filmmaker Michael Sobieraj, Vultures is a true local labor of love, with filmmakers and musicians volunteering time, talent, and memories to a create a chronicle of a beloved music venue that defined Buffalo's music scene and maybe Buffalo itself before it's untimely demise. Tickets are $15, doors open at 8 PM with the screening at 9 and a Mohawk worthy after party to follow. Say goodbye again once more before we move on.

When I started writing for this blog, the first band that I heard about was this band from Toronto that I had to see at the Mohawk called Wildlife. I didn't get to the show, but of course immediately regretted it because the gig immediately became somewhat legendary, at least among those who were there, and when I saw them open for Hollerado and Arkells at the Town Ballroom, and listened to their debut album Strike Hard Young Diamond, I understood why. Rousing, passionate, soaring, purposeful, and sharply melodic, Wildlife channels (tastefully) bands you give a shit about, bands like U2, Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, and TV On The Radio; and puts on an intense and joyous live show that goes for your head, heart, and dancing feet. 

Tonight they make a hotly anticipated return to our fair city for a special headlining show in support of their excellent current album ...On The Heart at The Waiting Room with blog favorite Roger Bryan & The Orphans handling opening support at 8pm, and get this... it's only $10. Yes, you can see the next big thing to come out of Canada up close at The Waiting Room for $10. You should probably be there.

Following in the footsteps of Canadian acts like the Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts Band, and the Arkells, Wildlife appear to be the next band in line to continue Buffalo's man crush with acts from the north. I will never quite understand it, but this city has a thing for adopting Canadian acts as our own and I fully except/hope the same for the Toronto five piece.

The band dropped its stellar album, ...On the Heart, a collection of big and rousing anthems without some of the heavy handedness of acts like Arcade Fire and U2, earlier this year, and will make a return to the city later this month (Thurs, Oct. 17th) with their first appearance at the Waiting Room. I finally got to the venue for a couple weeks ago for a proper show, the devastatingly good Spiritualized, and was blown away by the sound in the place.

Opening for Wildlife will be one of Buffalo's musical gems, Roger Bryan & the Orphans (think Ryan Adams fronting the Replacements). The band has been rather absent from the stage since the closing of Mohawk Place, and with some new songs in works, this is as good of a time as any to catch them Tickets are on sale now at TicketFly for the very cheap $8, or $10 the night of. Shows starts at 8pm.
 

You guys know how it is... It's tough being an artist in a blue collar city like Buffalo. As far as Chosen Ones are concerned, they want to go tour the country, and who can really blame them?  So tonight, as part of a "California Tour Benefit," Roger Bryan & The Orphans will be joining them at Hardware. Chosen Ones will be playing their new record, They Called Your Number, from start to finish, as well as a set from The Orphans, and punk, reggae, and 80's DJ sets from Bill Page and Pub.

The show is at 10 at Hardware.  $5 cover, 21+ to get in.  DJ's in the front, bands in the back, kind of like some sort of Hardware-musical-mullet.

So Mohawk Place dies tonight, as we all know by now. There's been a profusion of obituaries in the local press (including this little blog) over the last few weeks. And everyone is getting sentimental, even Spicoli went a few paragraphs without being mean and sardonic. You'd think a fucking dog died or something.

Anyway, there's not really much I can say that hasn't already been said, so I'll keep this brief. The bands that are playing are some of the finest to have ever hit the notorious Mohawk stage over the years: Thermidors, Failures Union, On Beta, Semi-Tough, Roger Bryan and the Orphans, The Old Sweethearts, Johnny Nobody, Handsome Jack, Two Cow Garage, Chylde, and Girlpope. And it's been sold out for a while. I have to lock up to go get drunk at my favorite bar for the last time tonight, fellas. Let's tie ourselves to the mast and set this ship on fire.

(But don't actually, maybe!)

Who doesn't love the spontaneity of a last minute show? This time, the band is Cheap Girls, a rock outfit from Lansing, MI reminiscent of traditional Midwestern rock like the Replacements. Fresh off a tour with folk-anarchy-punks Against Me!, Cheap Girls has decided to add a last minute show in Buffalo. But the band is used to filling their off dates with random shows - they apparently played a show in a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf/arcade serving a vegan potluck. Wow. 

Opening the show will be Buffalo favorites Roger Bryan & the Orphans and Red Delicious. It's at Mohawk Place. Doors are at 7:00pm and it's only $8.
 

Buffalo's triple guitar attack roots rockers Roger Bryan & the Orphans return to Mohawk Place tonight to celebrate the release of their latest collection of music, the four track Start to Stop EP.  The EP is currently streaming on their bandcamp page and will be available to purchase starting on Tuesday, October 16th.  Opening for the Orphans tonight will be the garage rock trio Johnny Nobody and the Talking Heads meets Broken Social Scene sounding Aye Karou.  Music begins at 9pm tonight with a cover of $7.

Things have been on the quiet side lately for Roger Bryan & the Orphans since playing our holiday party this past December.  The band is at work on their follow up to last year's great album 37, but along the way, found time to make and release a music video, thanks to Orphans' drummer and film maker Mike Sobieraj, for the great 37 cut "White".  The video captures the band in the studio playing (or not), and making their way down to Little Rock, Arkansas, with a few stops captured along the way, for their fellow musicians, friends, and frequent Mohawk Place playing Two Cow Garage as the band celebrates their 10th anniversary show.  As the band continues to work on their upcoming EP, which you can get a sample of right here via Roger's contribution to Couch by Couch West, this should at least keep you busy until a formal release is available.

Power pop is a genre so tastefully delicious that it's hard to resist, and if it's done right it moves beyond those candy coated plains and finds a special place in your heart. That said, few can pull it off, without being reduced to caricature.

That's why I'm extremely excited about the recently formed Matt Smith and the Immediates. The name Matt Smith might ring a few bells if you follow local music circles. That's because he's the creative force behind Hi/Lo studios as well as Roger Bryan and the Orphans' guitarist. Toss in a new backing band (White Whale), who are awesome in their own right, and what you have is the ingredient for incredibly charged, pop-flavored rock'n'roll done right. You can't help but hear traces of Elvis Costello in these songs and that's alright by me. Check out the track below, or visit their bandcamp page to hear some more. The groups first show is coming up in May with the Cheater Slicks at Mohawk Place. I strongly urge you to go.

Well tonight is the night.  After months of planning, the buffaBLOG Holiday Party is set to go down tonight at Nietzsche's.  We have been posting artist spotlights all week on our stacked lineup, which includes Roger Bryan & the Orphans, The Wakos, Bryan Johnson & Family, Wooden Waves, and our house DJ, Mario Bee of the Queen City Cartel.  Keeping with the festive spirit, each band will be playing at least one holiday tune, mostly covers, but you may see an original thrown in their for good measure.  And remember to dress in the spirit of the holidays.  It is a holiday party after all.  Please join us tonight at Nietzsche's for what is sure to be an evening full of great local music.  Doors for tonight's show open at 9:00pm with a cover of $5.  Mario Bee will be getting things started a bit after 9:30, with our first main stage act, Wooden Waves, starting at 10:00pm sharp.

Roger Bryan & the Orphans - Tell You by buffablog

Ghosts by wiseandkindoldsouls

Curse of the Wooden Wave by WOODEN WAVES

Our final buffaBLOG Holiday Party Artist Spotlight focuses on tomorrow night's headliner:  Roger Bryan & the Orphans.  Carrying the torch for Buffalo's great local label Harvestsum Records, Bryan and company take  the best parts of The Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, and  Ryan Adams to create a sound that is both a throw back to the great college rock of the 80's and 90's and the current Americana & Roots genres.  The band has been playing all year, both locally and on the road, in support of their latest record, the summer released 37.  Tonight's set will sure to be full of cuts from 37 in addition to some newer material that Orphans' guitarist Erik Roesser told me will be soon released on a follow up EP.  Come see Roger Bryan & the Orphans finish off a great night of live and local music, tomorrow night at Nietzsche's