With summer underway, live music is fruitful in every corner. Buffalo’s music scene offers something for everyone year round, for multiple genres and areas of interest.
When Samuel Vespone isn’t studying for a chemistry exam or volunteering in Honduras, he’s working on his next song. Vespone, a UB ‘18 alum, can hit riffs on the saxophone, blow the harmonica, toot the trumpet and strum the ukulele. In short, he can play it all. Vespone spends half his day making music in his studio apartment, working both with instruments and his own vocals.
Aly & AJ is still the sister-powered pop rock group from the golden age of Disney, but Aly and AJ Michalka are no longer under anyone’s creative control. They make their own decisions. Last year marked an entire decade since the duo’s last album, “Insomniatic,” an appropriate time for Aly & AJ to release their first independent project “Ten Years.”
This is it, folks: the end of a gosh-dang era. While it’s been fun indulging myself writing about movies (almost) every month in ways that probably only I find amusing, I do hope that at least one reader — if there are any — has enjoyed this half as much as I have.
The UB Choir has nearly doubled in size since last semester, but director Claudia Brown used this growth to expand in other areas.
Jorja Smith didn't need an album out to win over a sold-out crowd at The Opera House. All she needed was a pair of pink Nikes and some unparalleled vocal chops.
Over the last several weeks, UB has outfitted North Campus with banners emblazoned with the phrase “Diversity Sparks Discovery.”
With Saturday’s closing set, the self-proclaimed “trap lord,” A$AP Ferg, wasted no time jumping into his opener “Trap and a Dream.” He rushed the stage as soon as his verse began. Ferg headlined this year’s Student Association Spring Fest alongside West Coast rapper Ty Dolla $ign and opener Daniel Caesar.
Album: KOD Artist: J. Cole Label: Dreamville Records, Roc Nation, Interscope Release Date: April 20 Grade: A- To J.
We’ve all been there: walking into a concert, thinking you know what you’re about to hear and suddenly getting hit with the deepest album cut of all time. Well, have no fear for Spring Fest.
Spring Fest 2018 will take place Saturday in Alumni Arena. SA Events sent an email to Spring Fest ticket holders Sunday afternoon, which stated the May 5 event will happen inside Alumni Arena due to “low temperatures” and “poor field conditions.”
Alan Zweibel went from being a South Campus resident advisor to an Emmy Award winner. After growing up on Long Island, Zweibel attended Buffalo State College and transferred to UB in 1969 for the rest of his college career. As a resident advisor at UB’s Tower Hall on South Campus, Zweibel found his niche as a comedy writer in his time as an undergraduate.
Brian McKnight never had a backup plan. During his time at Oakwood University in Alabama, the singer had a 3.4 GPA.
Paul Mercer, a regular attendee at UBCon, said he spent $1,500 on his full-body fursuit, equipped with a fan installed in the head.
From Bill Bruford’s perspective, the drums are everything. Whether it is touring as a member of Yes, Genesis and King Crimson, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has drummed around the world over a 40-year career. More recently, Bruford has tested the waters of academia.
When Nina Nesbitt asked Ed Sheeran for musical advice in 2011, she left with an opening slot on his tour.
From behind the kit to the lecture podium, Bill Bruford’s passion for music hasn’t waned. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee played in rock groups Yes and King Crimson, and a stint as the touring drummer for Genesis.
The word "perfection" is corny. Nothing is truly perfect – especially art. Everything comes with its faults. I tried to find fault with the recently-surfaced CD-quality version of Frank Ocean’s “Endless.” I listened from a critic’s perspective several times over. I removed my personal feelings for Ocean’s craft and just listened as if it meant nothing to me. And I’ve come to a conclusion.
Album: “My Dear Melancholy,” Artist: The Weeknd Label: XO Release Date: March 30 Grade: A- When The Weeknd rose to underground fame in 2010, much of his appeal revolved around mystery. The singer, also known as legal name Abel Tesfaye, uploaded to tracks to YouTube under his stage name, absent of any information about his identity.
Let’s be real here. There is only one film coming out this month — only one that really matters.
Solutions by The State News
