???At the moment when finding a show in Buffalo without bunch of whiny emo kids obsessively fixing their swoops seems impossible, there is a beacon of hope atop the Tralf Music Hall.
???On April Fools' Day, downtown Buffalo was graced with the presence of two amazing rock acts who are quickly on the rise.
???The War on Drugs took the stage and lit up the night's festivities early on. Locals to Philadelphia, the band serenaded the Buffalo crowd with their lax and lovely Americana sound.
???The Philly three-piece (though a septet in the studio) showed the ability to sooth even the achiest of souls. As vocalist Adam Granduciel belted out the lyrics to his songs, everyone took notice, shifting from an unaware excitement to an entertained and slightly awestricken state.
???Granduciel's voice is reminiscent of the legendary Bob Dylan. At times during the show, he could have very easily been mistaken for Dylan had a blindfolded concertgoer stumbled into the Tralf.
???Although Granduciel sounded like Dylan, his accompanying instrumentalists were more in the vein of British Indie rockers My Bloody Valentine, delivering some of the most beautiful riffs of the night.
???Drugs' drummer, who looked like he belonged in Dinosaur Jr., showed his veteran roots as he took the drum solos and extended them, which only added to the enjoyment of the performance. He even used a maraca as drumstick for one song.
???Dave Hartley, who was rocking out the bass most of the night, clearly loves the music he makes. As he plucked the gnarly bass line, he closed his eyes as if it was his first time hearing his work aloud.
???After a 35-minute set change, the main act The Hold Steady arrived. Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, Galin Polivka, Bobby Drake, and, of course, Franzy Nicolay took the stage to Ace Frehley's "New York Groove," the majority of them with a beer in hand.???From Brooklyn, The Hold Steady matched The War on Drugs' brotherly love with sleepless nights.
???Kubler started the show by strumming the chords to "Hornets! Hornets!" the first track off the bands cult classic album Separation Sunday. After bringing in the crowd with a slower song to start the show, they gave everyone what they came for with the very next track.
???As the first note hit, the whole music hall went crazy. "Chips Ahoy!," was such a fan favorite that every person knew within its first two seconds that it was time to dance. ???Craig Finn's face gleamed with joy as he saw the crowd starting to get into the music he put so much effort into making.
???By the time the band started "Hot Soft Light," people were dripping with sweat. As The Hold Steady became more and more comfortable on stage, all happy show goers started to dance.
???After a quick five-second-drink break, the fast-paced beat of "Constructive Summer," off their most recent album Stay Positive, blared out of the speakers. The crowd shouted the lyrics right along with the band ("Me and my friends are like 'Double whiskey, coke no ice!'"), transforming into a giant group of friends.
???The next song "Sequestered in Memphis," showcased Finn's strong songwriting ability on a live setting. "Memphis" is written from the point of view of someone being questioned by the police about a girl he met randomly.
???Though the night wore on, the tempo never tired. The Hold Steady played songs off all four of their albums and the crowd loved it. Not one lyric went by without the echo of it from those listening, the crowd exercising their deep love for the Brooklyn rockers.
???When the spotlight was not on Finn, all eyes were on lead guitarist Tad Kubler. For one song, Kubler pulled out a two-headed guitar and started shredding. His face-melting guitar solos filled in for the vocals, diversifying the show.
???As the night came to a close, The Hold Steady calmed the instrumentals to give way to the best of their four album closing tracks, "Southtown Girls." The beautiful love song proved the perfect way to end their show; at least before the encore.
???The crowd refused to leave until they got to see their band one more time. Only minutes past before they returned to the stage, Finn dedicating the first encore track to a dear friend, following it with the band's biggest hit, "Stuck Between Stations."
???After the crowd finished singing along, the final song of the evening, "How A Resurrection Really Feels," the closing song on Separation Sunday, provided the audience with a classic rock-and-roll finale.
???As the final chord faded out and the band walked off the stage, the crowd relished the instant gratification of the unforgettable rock show.
