Where the Bands Are: This Week in Live Music and Concert News
More show announcements, Junior Jerry Jam AQ-style, Meshell Ndegeocello, Circles Around the Sun & Mikaela Davis, and more…
Another week, another slew of concert announcements…
Artpark has added a date with Irish alternative/post-punk outfit Two Door Cinema Club and guests Flipturn, slated for the outdoor stage on Monday, July 29. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 8 through Ticketmaster.
In other Artpark news, the mild buzz of disgruntlement floating around the ether regarding the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s August 20 booking on the indoor MainStage, as opposed to the (outdoor) Amphitheater stage, is easily dealt with. A representative tells me that the band is playing on the indoor stage simply because the outdoor stage can no longer accommodate the size of the ensemble and all of the attendant equipment involved in the production. Conspiracy theorists can now safely move along to the next complaint on their list…
Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers Spirit Trail 25th Anniversary Tour will stop at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda on Monday, July 8. Each ticket will include a copy of the Spirit Trail 25th Anniversary 3-disc box set, to be picked up at the show. This is amazing news, but it should be noted that, if you’d like to see the Bruce Hornsby & yMusic present BrhyM portion of the tour - that’s the ensemble responsible for the mind-blowingly awesome new album Deep Sea Vents, which dropped last week - you’ll have to travel a considerable distance, as as the dates are largely concentrated on the west coast, throughout April.
Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks will perform a pair of regional shows, at the Kodak Theatre in Rochester on Monday, June 3, and the Point of the Bluff Vineyards Concert Pavilion on Saturday, June 8. If you’re truly craving the magic that is the most ambitious Yes music, you can also catch Jon and the band at the Hart Theatre at the Egg, in Albany, NY, on Thursday, June 6. Tickets for the Hammondsport show go on Sale Friday, March 8. On sale dates for the Rochester and Albany shows have not yet been announced.
This ensemble concentrates its considerable energies on Yes epics - think ‘Awaken,’ ‘The Gates of Delirium,’ ‘Close to the Edge’ and the like - but will also be featuring new music, from an album slated for release in late summer.
Summer is shaping up rather nicely, no? Remember, nous sommes du soleil, folks!
Here’s what’s up this week…
Junior Jerry Jam featuring Mike & Dave of Aqueous
Sunday, March 10, 11 a.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $10/Kids free
Junior Jerry Jam continues its mission to create fun and safe spaces for kids to enjoy music with this early afternoon gig featuring Mike Gantzer and Dave Loss of Aqueous. The guys will be performing a passel of their favorite Beatles tunes in an ‘AQ-oustic’ format, and the proceeds from the show will go to benefit Backline Care, a non-profit that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources.
WBFO the Bridge presents Meshell Ndegeocello
Tuesday, March 12, 8 p.m. at Electric City, Buffalo, NY. $26-$85.
Meshell Ndegeocello has been pushing the envelope and crafting new ways to experience jazz/funk/R&B/pop/rock/soul hybrids for decades. Ndegeocello is riding an artistic high at present, having just claimed the inaugural Best Alternative Jazz Album trophy at the recent Grammy Awards ceremony. The industry accolade honors her most recent effort, the expansive, genre-busting career highlight known as The Omnichord Real Book, her debut album as a Blue Note Records artist.
Circles Around the Sun and Mikaela Davis & Southern Star
Tuesday, March 12, 8 p.m. at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $26/$31.
Birthed as a project ensemble aimed at crafting between-set music for the Grateful Dead’s Fare Thee Well series of 50th Anniversary concerts, Circles Around the Sun evolved into an improvisation-based, funk-fusion-jam outfit with a notable penchant for strong, melodic motifs and memorable hooks. The band’s appeal broadened, as audiences grew to understand the sweet significance of guitarist Neal Casal’s playing and presence, and the ease and grace with which the ensemble interacted.
When Casal committed suicide in 2019, he left behind a note asking his heartbroken bandmates to continue what they’d started together, a request the band honored. The vibe remained strong, and the fanbase devout. Now, CATS has joined forces with harpist and top-tier improvisor/composer/interpreter Mikaela Davis and her band Southern Star to form an ensemble with an incredibly broad reach. This will be a special show.
Genkin Philharmonic
Monday, March 11, 7 p.m. at Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY. $10/$15.
This Buffalo-based all-star ensemble - led by trumpeter and UB Professor of Music Jon Nelson, and including trumpeter Tim Clarke, violinist Yuki Numata Resnick, violinist Isabel Ong, saxophonists Dalton Sharp and Steve Baczkowski, keyboardist Harry Graser, guitarist Zane Merritt, trombonist Tom Scully, tuba player Dan LaMancuso, bassist Michael ‘Wags’ Wagner, drummer Matt Felski and percussionist Ravi Padmanabha - will take over Hallwalls to perform a diverse array of selections form the works of Caroline Mallonee, Frank Zappa, Bela Bartok, Serge Prokofiev, Zane Merrit, Radiohead, Sly & the Family Stone, Charles Ives, Jimi Hendrix, David Sanford, Anton Webern, and Captain Beefheart. This band must be seen to be believed.
Regretfully we will miss Meshell Ndegeocello. Her records are really great!!
Great heads up on Jon Anderson.. I’m going.. Hornsby, too. Got to see Anderson inducted in Rock Hall in Brooklyn, I think 2017. Geddy Lee played bass with Yes that night.