Where the Bands Are: This Week in Live Music and Concert News
New concert announcements: Jon Batiste, Stray Cats, Dead & Brothers and more, plus this week's picks
Some impressive show announcements this week.
First among them is a gift for Buffalo. Multiple Grammy winner and supremely gifted musician, singer, bandleader and composer Jon Batiste will be perform one of the four shows that comprise his Streams: Jon Batiste at the Piano East Coast Tour at UB’s Center for the Arts on Friday, May 10.
The CFA announced the show on Monday, and pre-sale tickets moved quickly, so if you’d like to catch this rare gig, make sure you’re ready to go on Friday, March 29, when the general public on-sale kicks off at 10 a.m. Visit ubcfa.org or jonbatiste.com for more info and to purchase tickets, which are priced $54, $79, $99, and $134. And, seriously, if you hope to catch this rare offering, don’t wait. This show will sell out.
Speaking of rare opportunities, Artpark dropped three new shows on us this week, and the first among them has me pretty pumped. It’s not often that The Stray Cats get together these days, at least in our neck of the woods. Perhaps there are some among you who attended the band’s (now legendary) 1982 appearance in the Clark Gymnasium at UB. We’ve been treated to some incendiary appearances from Brian Setzer’s various ensembles over the years, but to the very best of my recollection (and research), the last time the Stray Cats played Buffalo was in 1992.
They’ll break that streak with their August 13 appearance at Artpark Ampitheatre. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m., through ticketmaster.com or by calling 716-754-4375. They’re priced $79 for reserved seats, $69 for front of stage (standing only), and $25 for general admission.
The Lewiston venue also announced the Backroads Blues Festival featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd with Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Rush, and Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, on the Ampitheatre stage Saturday, August 10.
This one also has a Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. general public on-sale. Tickets are $59 for reserved seats, $49 for front of stage (standing only), and $25, through ticketmaster.com and 716-754-4375.
A perennial Artpark favorite returns on July 24, when Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo arrive, with their enduring partnership and suitcase stuffed with hits in tow.
Tickets - priced $79 for reserved seats, $59 for front of stage (standing only), and $20 for general admission - go on sale (you guessed it) Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m., through ticketmaster.com and 716-754-4375.
Finally, Live Dead & Brothers - that’s the absurdly deep roster of all-stars featuring keyboardist Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead 1968-70), bassist Berry Duane Oakley (Allman Betts Band), guitarist Les Dudek (Allman Brothers Band), guitarist Mark Karan (The Other Ones, RatDog), keyboardist Scott Guberman (Phil Lesh & Friends), and drummer Pete Lavezzoli (Oteil Burbridge & Friends, Phil Lesh, Jazz is Dead) - are booked at the Sportsmen’s Tavern at 7 p.m. on April 19 and, completely unsurprisingly, the show is sold out. Happily, a second show, starting at 10 p.m. on that same date, has now been added.
Tickets for the additional show are $35, and can be found through sportsmensbuffalo.com.
Some gigs I’m recommending this week…
Thursday Night Live: Ellen Pieroni and the Encyclopedia of Soul
Thursday, March 28, 5:30 p.m. at AKG Art Museum, Town Square in the Knox Building, Buffalo, NY. FREE
əkoostik hookah w/ Creamery Station
Thursday, March 28, 7 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $20/$25
Paul Hage & Mirage
Friday, March 29, 6:30 p.m. at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $14/$12
A Tribute to Nat ‘King’ Cole | Bryan Eng Album Release
Thursday, March 28, 6:30 p.m. at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $30/$20
The Disco Biscuits
Saturday, March 30 (sold out) and Sunday, March 31, 7 p.m. at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $45
Disco Biscuits After Party: Dj Brownie & U-lock
Saturday, March 30, 11 p.m. at Nietzsche's, Buffalo, NY. $15/$20
Disco Biscuits After Party: CloudChord & SM-Ink
Sunday, March 31, 10 p.m. at Nietzsche's, Buffalo, NY. $10/$15
Too Many Zooz w/ Michael Wilbur
Saturday, March 30, 8 p.m. at Asbury Hall, Babeville, Buffalo, NY. $23/$25
Dave Hause w/Drew Thomson
Wednesday, April 3, 7 p.m. at Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY. $20
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Wednesday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. (almost sold out) at the Mary Seaton Room, Kleinhans, Buffalo, NY. $59
Start Making Sense & The Ocean Avenue Stompers
An evening of music by Talking Heads, David Byrne and more
There are so many of these shows I’d lome to see! I saw Abigail Washburn one time. She was opening for Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. I was switching the imag. She was incredible. What an opportunity to see her and Bela in such a cool room!
Wow.. we are blessed in WNY. Jon Batiste.. see you there. Saw the Stray Cats opening for Stevie Ray Vaughan .. 1990 in Syracuse. It was voted the concert of the year in CNY. All time classic. SRV was gone a few weeks later. I was so lucky to have seen that show.