The weekend before “Hallo-weekend” can be pretty lame. Nobody’s dressing up, nobody’s handing out free snacks and worst of all, nobody’s playing “Monster Mash” all night at their headache-provoking basement party.
But who needs “Monster Mash” when you can listen to other songs for an hour and a half? Buffalo has a variety of shows taking place this weekend across many genres, not just Halloween music.
Thursday, Oct. 19
Judah & The Lion, The Academic, Tyson Motsenbocker – Town Ballroom
Fresh off the success of their single, “Take it All Back,” Nashville’s Judah & the Lion are taking their talents to the Town Ballroom on the 19th. The folk rock group will be performing hits from their recent album, “Folk Hop N’ Roll.”
If you want to hear
Judah will be joined by Irish indie band The Academic and guitarist Tyson Motsenbocker. The Academic is touring to promote their recent single “Bear Claws” and the rockers already have a South by Southwest (SXSW) performance under their belts.
This is sure to be a musically diverse night for fans of folk,
Thursday, Oct. 19
Bro Safari, Electric Mantis – Venu
Thursday may not be the ideal night for a full-time student to attend a dubstep event, but an exception should be made for Bro Safari.
The Atlanta-based trap and dubstep producer will be appearing at Venu Buffalo for his Collisions Tour. He’ll be promoting his recent album of the same name and bringing the excitement downtown.
Bro Safari will be joined by 24-year-old Portland producer Electric Mantis, a man with 77,000+ SoundCloud followers.
If you’re looking to go all out, or just have a good time and enjoy some bass-heavy tracks, this is the show for you.
Friday, Oct. 20
The Psychedelic Furs, Bash & Pop – Town Ballroom
Being in a band for 40 years isn’t easy for any musician. Touring for that long seems like a grueling process, but The Psychedelic Furs make it look easy.
The English rock group boasts a discography of post-punk, new wave and
The Furs will be joined by Bash & Pop, featuring The Replacement’s bassist Tommy Stinson. The band formed in 1992 and are currently touring off a revival album.
Fans of ’80s rock should be in luck as both groups are set to put on an exciting show.
Friday, Oct. 20
Patti LaBelle – Niagara Resort and Casino
If being included in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers, being in the Grammy Hall of Fame and being labeled the “Godmother of Soul” are on your resume, you’re probably lying. Or you’re Patti LaBelle.
At 73-years-old, LaBelle is a living legend in soul music.
The singer is bringing her masterful voice to Niagara Resort and Casino this Friday. She’ll be performing over 50 years of chart-topping hits and keeping the audience entertained the whole way through.
From the funky bassline of “On My Own” to her tactical ballads like “If Only You Knew,” Labelle is sure to put on a memorable performance Friday night.
She won’t be doing a talk for her recent cookbook, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out on one of the most soulful women to ever grace the earth.
Sunday, Oct. 22
O.A.R., Lawrence – Rapids Theatre
After 20 years together, O.A.R. is embarking on their
The band saw major success in the ’00s with hits like “Shattered (Turn The Car Around)” and “Love and Memories,” which went platinum and gold in the U.S. respectively. The band is still popular, as their recent compilation album peaked at 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 last August, a rare occurrence for a 20-year-old group.
O.A.R. will be joined by Lawrence, a soul-pop group from New York City. Lawrence features saxophonists and trumpeters, shying away from your average pop band configuration.
Both groups will offer a diverse show in Niagara for those looking to make the journey Sunday night.
Brenton Blanchet is the assistant arts editor and can be reached at brenton.blanchet@ubspectrum.com.
Brenton J. Blanchet is the 2019-20 editor-in-chief of The Spectrum. His work has appeared in Billboard, Clash Magazine, DJBooth, PopCrush, The Face and more. Ask him about Mariah Carey.
