Where the Bands Are: This Week in Live Music and Concert News

Farewell Karl Wallinger, Slainte! Phil Lynott, new show announcements, this week’s best bets

Mar 14, 2024

We lost one of the great ones this week when Karl Wallinger passed away at the age of 66. The World Party mastermind and, prior to that, member of the Waterboys, was simply one of the finest songsmiths of his generation.

Though he was occasionally derided as a strict pop classicist who wore his Beatles obsession proudly on his sleeve, in truth, Wallinger was much more than that. A keen lyricist able to blend a sardonic world-view with thinly veiled romantic idealism, Wallinger’s ear for melody and harmony placed him in the elite company of folks with last names like McCartney and Wilson. But he was also individualistic and, at times, iconoclastic, forging his own path through changes in popular taste as if he cared not a bit for ephemeral fashion. It’s for this reason that his work bears the markings of the evergreen and timeless. Tastes change. Great songwriting is eternal.

Wallinger’s body of work is unblemished. The sole criticism I can muster of that work is the fact that there’s simply not enough of it. I have my favorites among the canon, of course, they being 1990’s Goodbye Jumbo and 1997’s Egyptology, both of which number among the finest releases of the 90s. I’d also highly recommend, if you’ve never had the opportunity to immerse yourself in it, a thorough listening to the 2012 compendium Arkeology. Here, you’ll find a window into Wallinger’s musical soul, via 70 tracks worth of deep cuts, b-sides, and inspired interpretations of songs by David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Sly & the Family Stone and the Beatles. What an incredible gift, to have lived while Wallinger was releasing music of such enduring beauty.

Speaking of pop beauty, we also said goodbye to Eric Carmen this week. In my world, Carmen’s work as leader of the Raspberries and his early solo efforts represent a high watermark for power-pop. Like Wallinger’s, Carmen’s best work smacks of the timeless. Rest in peace.

If you’re like me, you deal with loss by diving even deeper into music. You’ll have plenty of chances to do so this week. But first, a little St. Patrick’s day side-note.

I never let the yearly holiday go by without honoring my favorite Irish musician of all time, the late and immensely great Phil Lynott, who, as the leader of Thin Lizzy, brought poetry, soulfulness, sturdy romanticism, and an unerring ear for indelible melody to guitar-based rock music. In my view, Lynott occupies a category of one. There’s been no one else quite like him.

If you’re a Thin Lizzy fan, note that there has been much activity of late, with the release of four EPs over the last several months documenting the band’s early days. The Rocker EP, Little Girl in Bloom EP, Slow Blues EP, Mama Nature Said EP and Song For While I’m Away EP join the recent deluxe box set reissue of 1973’s rather stunning Vagabonds of the Western World in this blessed onslaught of rare and previously unreleased Lizzy gold. This year’s Record Store Day, 4/20/24, is also a blessing for Lizzy fans, as the double-vinyl Thin Lizzy: Live & Dangerous at Hammersmith 16 Nov 1976 is slated to enter our lives. I already ordered mine, and if you care, you should do the same.

Slainte, Phil. Your music lives on.

A few new show announcements dropped this week as well.

Artpark revealed what, at first blush, seems like a rather unusual show, though a deeper look suggests that this one is going to be special. Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival finds the former GnR guitar icon being joined by Keb’ Mo’, ZZ Ward and Robert Randolph at the Artpark Amphitheater on Tuesday, July 30. The Fest’s title stands for “Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance,” and is being billed as “a celebration of the blues.” If you find the idea of our top-hatted hero rebranding himself as a blues dude tough to swallow, well, check out this video, and reconsider. (Tickets go on sale Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m.)

Deepening the roster for Artpark’s 50th Anniversary Season, the venue also announced an engagement with The Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Vertical Horizon at the outdoor amphitheater on Monday, August 11. Tickets for that gig go on sale Friday, March 15 at 10 a.m.

After Dark Presents announced an August 25th booking of New Found Glory’s Catalyst: 20 Years Later Tour, with guests Sincere Engineer, at Buffalo Riverworks. You can use the pre-sale code CATALYST20 for pre-sale tickets through Thursday, March 14 at 10 p.m. General on-sale starts Friday morning at 10 a.m. .

Much to recommend for your live music diet this week…

Chuckie Campbell & an All-Star Hip-Hop Lineup

Friday, March 15, 9pm, Riff City 166 Chandler Street, Buffalo, NY

Chuckie Campbell and band with special guests light up Riff City! The band consists of Damone A-Miracale Jackson on drums, Emilio “TrumpetMan” Virella on trumpet, Lamont J Musiq on keys, Mike Slomowicz on guitar and Dave Stewy & Iesha Green on RNB vocal accompaniment. Mic Excel will be contributing a set and doing live graffiti art.

Performances include Mark Lee with live band + Spillz716 & Lindsay Barlett; Dave Stewy, Buffalo RNB & Soul legend, touring artist, and entertainer; Ty the Rare, Artist and Dean of Instruction at Bryant & Stratton College; and Open Emcee Cypher to end the night.

PLUS a SPECIAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE by 16-year-old Haitian prodigy & Buffalo Music Club Member Huemanii will be rocking the crowd and debuting his new song “Chrisean Rock.”