The grapevine

This week, Buffalo has a slew of surprising acts coming in to perform. From feminism icons, former American Idol stars and the genius behind 2011’s hit song “Friday,” there are too many concert choices this week to pick just one. Do yourself a favor this finals week and get out of your dorm room or apartment, de-stress and catch a concert.

Monday, Dec 7

The Security Project – Tralf Music Hall

The Security Project is a unique tribute project centered on recreating the works of Peter Gabriel. Featuring a few of the former members of the Peter Gabriel Band, the band will be playing from Peter Gabriel’s first five solo albums.

The Security Project will be performing at the Tralf on Monday – if you are a fan of Peter Gabriel’s aesthetic, this is a must see.

Tuesday, Dec 8

Andrew W.K. – Broadway Joe’s

Thirty-six-year-old Andrew Wilker-Krier, a singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, entertainer and producer, will be performing his brand of punk rock at Broadway Joe’s on Tuesday.

Andrew W.K., who hasn’t released any new music in awhile, has been switching between touring for music and touring for his self-help, motivational speaking gig. W.K. was also a host of the television series Destroy Build Destroy, but is best known for his singles “Party Hard” and “We Want Fun.”

Wednesday, Dec 9

Caskey – Waiting Room

Touted as one of raps promising up-and-comers, Caskey is a rapper from Orlando, Florida who is currently signed to Cash Money Records. Caskey has had a relatively slow-rise to fame, first starting with four mixtapes from 2010 to 2012, which helped him get onto Cash Money’s radar.

Since then, the rapper has released four more mixtapes – The Transient Classics, The Lost Files, Black Sheep and Black Sheep 2. He is working on his debut album in The Hit Factory recording studio in Miami, to be released soon.

Thursday, Dec 10

Sleater-Kinney – Asbury Hall

Riot grrrl pioneers Sleater-Kinney will be making an appearance in Buffalo on their reunion tour for No Cities to Love. The band was an integral part of the feminist riot grrl movement in the ’90s, releasing eight critically acclaimed punk-rock albums between 1994 and 2005, before announcing it would be taking a hiatus in 2006.

Just this past year, the band announced its reunion with a new album after a 10-year break. No longer the edgy, heavily-politicized punk rockers they were before, Sleater-Kinney, with No Cities to Love, reinvented themselves as pure rockers on their new album. The band is a must see for any music lovers, one of the most iconic rock bands to come out of the riot grrrl movement.

Friday, Dec 11

Arkells – Town Ballroom

From Ontario, the Arkells is a Canadian rock band currently signed with the Canadian branch of Universal Records. The band has steadily climbed through the ranks of the music industry with a series of consistently good albums.

In 2012, the band won a Juno Award for Group of the Year, for its album Michigan Left. Most recently, the band released High Noon, a hugely successful alt-rock album that won Juno Awards in 2015 for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year.

Saturday, Dec 12

Rebecca Black – Town Ballroom

The famous, or infamous, bubblegum pop artist Rebecca Black, whose music video for “Friday” went viral in 2011 (dubbed “the worst song ever” by BBC’s Dan Whitworth), will be coming to Buffalo on Saturday to perform.

Despite the questionable quality of her music, she has had her own measure of success, best evidenced with her 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube. She is currently working on making more original music and is set to release a studio album sometime this year.

Sunday, Dec 13

Kissmas Bash – First Niagara Center

Kissmas Bash, the annual Christmas concert hosted by local radio station KISS98.5, will take place this Sunday and include acts Shawn Mendes, Robin Thicke, Silento, Charlie Puth, Nathan Sykes, Jocelyn Alice, Omi, Becky G and Alessia Cara.

Adam Lambert, best known for his rise to fame during his runner-up finish on American Idol, is perhaps one of the more successful American Idol stars. Robin Thicke’s 2013 single “Blurred Lines” was nominated for two Grammys at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

This concert, geared mainly toward a younger audience, is a great place to see several up-and-coming pop artists all at once.

Brian Windschitl is the senior arts editor and can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com.