The Grapevine

This coming week, most students will be packing their bags to go home for a well-deserved spring break. If you find yourself still in Buffalo this week, however, you should definitely check out these hot shows.

The Queen City will see pop rock duo Crunk Witch and electronic project Blood Handsome take the stage to bring the jams. If you’ve managed to dig your car out of the snow, head on down to these fine acts.

Tuesday, March 21

Blood Handsome with Velvet Bethany & Tina Panic Noise – Mohawk Place

Blood Handsome’s show this Tuesday is definitely one for the chill crowd out there. Taking great influence from the likes of Toro y Moi, Ariel Pink and My Bloody Valentine, this Kentucky singer-songwriter makes the perfect music to play in a room filled with tapestries and blacklights.

Blood Handsome is a project that takes bedroom pop to new heights – infusing lo-fi recordings with a number of electronic edits and a healthy layer of distortion. If you or someone you know are big fans of psychedelic music, do not miss this show at Mohawk Place.

Thursday, March 23

Mac Sabbath & Metalachi with Okilly Dokilly – The Tralf

Likely the strangest show happening in the area, the musical circus is known as the Mockstrosity Tour. The tour, led by Mac Sabbath and Metalachi, is being opened by a Ned Flanders-themed metalcore band Okilly Dokilly.

Mac Sabbath is a Los Angeles-based parody band known for performing fast food-themed covers of Black Sabbath songs. The band has made a name for themselves among other outlandish parody bands and will likely perform hits like “Sweet Beef,” “Frying Pan” and “Never Say Diet”.

Mac Sabbath’s partners in crime for this absurd tour are a metal-themed, mariachi cover band known as Metalachi. Originally from Mexico, this strange group is most known for covering some of the best hair-metal hits of the ’80s like the Guns N’ Roses song “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.”

Be sure not to miss what might be the funniest metal show to come to the Queen City in years.

Saturday, March 25

Bear Grillz with Terravita & Notixx – Town Ballroom

For those looking to get their EDM fix this week, head on down to the Town Ballroom next Saturday.

DJ Bear Grillz and his openers are dedicated to delivering some of the most head-crushing bass music you’ll hear

The DJ, who cloaks himself in a bear costume during shows, has been a pretty active player in the underground dubstep and trap scene since 2013. Grillz is known for bangers like “Drop That Low” and “Shark Attack” and also appeared on the Jerry Springer Show.

Other acts, like Terravita, are a long-running electronic music duo, known for massive tracks like “Lockdown” and “Up in the Club.” The duo has played a part in just about every popular EDM genre that has come to prominence since the mid ’00s.

Acts like Notixx, born Ryan Sinatra, are playing close to home. The Buffalo native is not only an active music producer signed to Play It Records but also has an international presence.

Known for his fantastic live performances, he fuses the sounds of trap music and dubstep for massive crowds. If you want music that’ll get you pumped up over break, check out this wide offering in downtown Buffalo.

Sunday, March 26

Fishbone – Waiting Room

For over 25 years, Fishbone has been a band that exists to break conventions.

Fishbone fuses the sounds of punk, ska and funk with an alternative rock that became popular in Los Angeles during the mid ’80s. The band saw itself on the rise and became one of the more unique bands on the road today.

The band is most known for the streak of underrated cuts they released from 1986 to 1993, like In Your Face and Truth and Soul.

On these records, the band delivered a sound reminiscent of their contemporaries, like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Primus, but with a unique spin. Fishbone are also longtime industry vets and performed with the Dead Kennedys, the Beastie Boys, the Roots and others.

This group of rockers will certainly put you in chill mode, so be sure to vibe out at the Waiting Room as the break comes to a close.

Sunday, March 26

Crunk Witch with Coral Collapse & RADARADA – Mohawk Place

If you’re looking for something decidedly poppy, this would probably be the best show to go to this spring break.

Headlining act Crunk Witch is a two-piece band from Maine that is known for its inventive fusion of pop and rock music with eight-bit synths and some EDM influences.

This married duo has been performing professionally for years after riding the hype of their viral hit “Battle Beyond.” The couple also has a number of albums under its belt like 2010’s The Legends of Manicorn and 2012’s Faith in the Thief.

Nick Cieri is a staff writer and can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com