Cute Is What We Aim For packs Mohawk Place

It's typical for bands to break up after excessive confrontation and leave their fans heartbroken. However, one local Buffalo power-pop band was up for the challenge and decided to host a comeback show in their hometown.

A show that completely sold out.

Cute Is What We Aim For performed at Mohawk Place last Friday after being on hiatus for four years. The comeback was a benefit show to raise awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and due to being sold out, After Dark Entertainment collaborated with the blog Property of Zack to stream the concert live online.

The line outside the venue wrapped down Washington Street. Fans were excited even outside the venue - some donning vintage Cute Is What We Aim For T-shirts that they had saved for this very day.

Frontman Shaant Hacikyan recognized fans were anxiously awaiting the return of Cute Is What We Aim For and acknowledgedit after playing an acoustic show in August. While that show did not sell out, it emphasized how desperately fans wanted the band to return and to make new music.

"We had just been sitting around for years and it just seemed like something that was undeniable," Hacikyan said. "We all wanted to get back together and [show] how we all grew up as individuals. It was something we couldn't fight anymore."

BandsFictitious Ray, The Stellar Life, Canoe and The Daydream Chronicles (formerly The Mixtape) opened the show and could not have agreed more that the reunion was long overdue. All of the openers were honored to be able to share the stage with Cute Is What We Aim For - a band they grew up with.

Justin Juzdowski, guitarist of The Daydream Chronicles, said the band had previously played at Club Infinity with Cute Is What We Aim For and it was an incredible show.

"We're very grateful that they offered us a spot on this show, especially seeing they're back to their original lineup and it's our first show back as an established band," Juzdowski said.

When Cute Is What We Aim For finally took the stage, the crowd could not be contained. Piercing screams echoed through Mohawk Place and people began shoving towards the front as they saw Hacikyan emerge with his band to kick into "Newport Living."

The band was blown away by the audience response. Hacikyan did not even have to sing most of the songs as the crowd screamed the words to hit singles "The Curse of Curves" and "Doctor." But when he did sing, it was as though their album was playing. Hacikyan's vocals matched the record almost perfectly, minus a few riffs that enhance the live experience.

The set list contained tracks from both the debut album The Same Old Blood Rush With A New Touch and their second album Rotation, which balanced the show and pleased the audience.

Drummer Tom Falcone, after playing with The Daydream Chronicles earlier, did not even seem to be exhausted. His drumsticks pounded each note in time and the sweat pouring onto his kit did not bother him at all.

While Hacikyan danced around, bassist Fred Cimato and guitarist Jeff Czum commanded their sides of the stage by spinning and jumping in circles while maintaining their chord progressions.

During the final song of the night, "There's A Class For This" from their debut album, Hacikyan took a moment to thank all the fans and to thank his band mates for forgetting the past and reuniting for the love of music.

Cute Is What We Aim For is currently writing demo tracks in the studio and hoping to tour soon to reunite with their patient fans. Hacikyan expects the album to be complete within the year.

Hacikyan could not keep the smile off his face the entire night and was grateful for the energy his fans brought. The band reportedly stayed at the venue until 1 a.m. to meet all the attendees.

"It's been overwhelming but great that people are still interested in us," Hacikyan said. I wake up every morning still surprised this is all happening for us again."

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