Where the Bands Are: This Week in Live Music and Concert News
The Flaming Lips return to Artpark, Veronica Swift, Bit Brigade, Organ Fairchild and more
Thanks, Artpark! You just made my summer!
On Tuesday, The Flaming Lips announced that the second leg of the tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their transcendent Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots album will kick off in April, and include a July 22 stop on the outdoor stage at Artpark, right smack in the middle of the Lewiston landmark’s 50th anniversary season.
We last witnessed the majestic splendor that is a Flaming Lips concert in 2022, when the band headlined the Borderland Music & Arts Festival in East Aurora. It’s taken me the two years since that show to wipe the smile off my face, and during that time I’ve reflected on the many times I’ve experienced the Lips live - among them, three unforgettable shows at Artpark, in 2010, 2013 and 2019. All of these shows make my Top 25 Face-melting Concerts list - which is an actual thing that does indeed exist, though it is amended rather often, since my appetite for live music remains insatiable. I fully expect this summer’s show will find its place on that list as well.
The Lips will perform Yoshimi in its entirety at Artpark, and then offer us delectable psychedelic snacks from their goodie bag for the rest of the evening. It’s hard to pick a single Flaming Lips album as the one - a strong argument could be made for 1999’s The Soft Bulletin, but then again, old school Lips fans might swear that Clouds Taste Metallic is the truest masterpiece , or maybe you’re partial to the gorgeously bleak The Terror?
Any of these choices are valid, to be sure. But Yoshimi has a magic all it’s own, so ably does it balance a child-like sense of wonder against some rather profound existential observations, all so beautifully orchestrated and elegantly garbed, with Dave Fridmann’s still state-of-the-art production sealing the album’s fate as one of the greatest ‘headphone albums this side of Dark Side of the Moon. Hell, Yoshimi’s even got a ‘hit song’ in the form of the heart-rending ‘Do You Realize,’ and ‘hits’ are not exactly a common occurrence in Lips land. So celebrating the album’s 20th birthday - even though it’s been 22 years, technically speaking - with a whole bunch of our fearless freaky friends seems like a no-brainer. I’ve officially started counting down the days…
Oh, and don’t sleep on the tickets. If the recent rapid-fire sell-out of the Khruangbin show at the AKG Art Gallery offers any indication of our collective desire for super cool rock shows, these Lips tickets could go pretty quickly. Ticketmaster pre-sale kicks off at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 22, and general on-sale starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 23, though ticketmaster.com or via the Artpark box office phone line (716-754-4375) only - no in-person sales at Artpark will be available, due to ongoing construction on the grounds.
Summer can’t arrive soon enough, but there’s plenty of great music to experience in the meantime…
Sunday Night Jazz Series: Rod Bonner & Friends
Sunday, February 25, 6 p.m. at The Buffalo History Museum. $25
The Colored Musicians Club Sunday Jam Session series returns to the Buffalo History Museum with the absurdly talented pianist/keyboardist/vocalist/producer Rod Bonner, who will bring along a few of his equally talented friends.
Blaze Foley Tribute Night with Folkfaces
Saturday, February 24, 8 p.m. at the Sportsmen’s Tavern. $10
Folkfaces will pay tribute to one of the true greats, Austin, TX, legend and punk-Americana singer/songwriter/poet Blaze Foley, with friends Tough Old Bird, Cody Barcroft, Jungle Steve, and Richie Sasala.
Veronica Swift
Wednesday, February 28,7:30 p.m. at the Mary Seaton Room, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY.
Kleinhans teams with Jazz Buffalo to present an intimate evening with the stunningly virtuosic and iconoclastic jazz vocalist Veronica Swift. This one promises to be mind-blowing.
The Big Easy In Buffalo: Organ Fairchild & Carina & Six String Preacher
Friday, March 1, 9:30 p.m. at the Sportsmen’s Tavern. $15.
It’s about to get funky in here… Organ Fairchild will take it to New Orleans, organ trio-style, and Carina & the Six String Preacher will offer up their evocative blend of noir-jazz, torch songs and sultry pop.
A House Safe For Tigers with Odiorne
Friday, February 23, 8 p.m. at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. $10.
A double bill of incisive indie and alternative sounds with A House Safe for Tigers, marked by the return of Jimy Chambers and Odiorne, for their first gigyears.
The Ultimate Doors - A Tribute to the Doors
Thursday February 22, 8 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $18.
This touring ensemble does an outstanding job of summoning and celebrating the sense of ceremonial magic that made the Doors such a uniquely brilliant live band.
WBNY 91.3 FM Showcase: Trails and Tales
Friday, February 23, 8 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $10.
The Patrick Jaouen Band, Tsavo Highway, Little Liar, and Clayton Duffy join forces to celebrate contemporary Americana and folk music.
Star People
Friday, Feb 23, 7 p.m. at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $10.
John Bacon (drums), Joe Goehle (bass), George Caldwell (piano), Tim Clarke (trumpet), John Haselback (trombone), and Andy Weinzler (tenor saxophone) will do a deep-dive into the unparalleled and extensive catalog of Miles Davis.
Wordism: Jam Sessionz
Saturday, Feb 24,7 p.m. at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $10.
An open-mic event for spoken word artists, with improvised backing provided by a cast of top-notch cats, including keyboardist Rod Bonner, bassist Chuck Brown and drummer Carl ‘Flute’ Johnson.
Unity Jam Session
Thursday, February 29, 7 p.m. at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $10.
Pianist/organist Walter Kemp 3 leads this fellowship jam, with drummer Damone Jackson, trumpeter Tim Clark, percussionist Joey Gonzalez and saxophonist Will Holton joining in to bridge the Main Street divide and celebrate the life of Buffalo drummer Tim Webb. All instrumentalists and vocalists are invited to join in.
Bit Brigade performs ‘The Legend of Zelda’ and ‘Castlevania’
Tuesday, February 27, 7 p.m. at The Rec Room, Buffalo, NY.
A combination of live gaming and jaw-dropping shred technique, Bit Brigade tackles Nintendo soundtracks like the band members’ lives depended on it. “Combining the dread and daring of a live video game speed run with the spot-on technique of a live band covering the musical accompaniment to everything you're seeing on-screen in real time, Bit Brigade will have you swinging between the two mediums,” reads the band’s press release. Game on!