Reel Big Fish with Streetlight Manifesto

Friday, August 12th

In the mid-1990s, Reel Big Fish was riding the crest of a third-wave ska revival that saw brief mainstream exposure as listeners clamored for an upbeat alternative from monotonous grunge music. Then, ska bands dropped their horns and moved on to punk or new wave, and it looked as though ska was thrust back into oblivion once again. But Reel Big Fish has been an enduring constant for ska, and they’ve kept on trucking for the better part of 18 years playing the music they love for legions of fans that refuse to believe that ska is dead, and opening the door for bands that look to push the genre forward. Known for their goofball stage presence, killer horn section, and quirky covers of pop songs, RBF continues to tour both in the US and abroad, proving that, no matter what level of popularity they receive, they’re just happy to be having fun. They scored their first hit back in 1997 with their single “Sell Out,” which received heavy airplay, somewhat ironically, given that the song poked fun at the very type of money-grubbing bands that radio stations were playing. In recent years, the band released a double-disc live album, Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album, and a 22-song disc of re-recorded hits and fan favorites titled A Best of Us for the Rest of Us. Joining the Fish for their summer tour are Streetlight Manifesto, a seven-piece ska-rock outfit lead by the unmistakable voice of ex-Catch 22 frontman Tomas Kalnoky. The band brings in a collection of musical influences from folk, punk, world, jazz, funk, and gyspy, all wrapped in ultra tight horn lines and Kalnoky’s fast-paced vocal styling. Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto come to the Rapids Theatre, this Friday (Aug 12), in what’s shaping out to be a night of hard-skanking good times. For anyone that thinks ska is indeed dead, RBF and Streetlight will let their horns do the talking, and show you just how wrong you are. —jon wheelock

6pm. Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls. (205-8925 / rapidstheatre.com). $22.50 advance, $25 day of show.

Thursday, August 11th

Jessica Lea Mayfield

The first note out of Jessica Lea Mayfield’s mouth on her spaced out indie-folk song “Our Hearts Are Wrong” is debilitating, in the best possible sense of the word. The beauty of this 21-year-olds voice almost eclipses the dark lyrics on songs like “Somewhere In Your Heart” where she sings lines like “I know your love spotlight will never shine on me.” Though her lyrics come across as sincere and heartfelt, it is hard to believe that this young and beautiful talent from Kent, Ohio has experienced the pain she touts on her albums like With Blasphemy So Heartfelt, and her latest, Tell Me. Looks can be deceiving though, so decide for yourself when Jessica Lea Mayfield comes to Mohawk Place for an intimate performance on Thrusday (tonight!) with opener Johnny Corndog. —cory perla

8pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (465-2368 / themohawkplace.com). $10.

Friday, August 12th

Queensryche

Metal: a solid, typically shiny material with good electrical conductivity. Heavy metal: highly distorted, callous sounding rock music with amplifier volume knobs twisted past eleven. How do the two relate? Characteristics of each definition surface in 20 plus year prog-metal veterans Queensryche, who blast ear-pulsating heavy metal with stellar conduction to hundreds of screaming fans nightly. Despite surviving in the cut-mic music business for two decades, Queensryche lead vocalist Geoff Tate still recognizes the difficulty in fostering creativity and inspiration out of the same band members he’s worked with throughout his career. In regards to playing in the band for the span of his musical livelihood, the singer says on the group’s website that “the problem when you’re in a creative environment is keeping things fresh and invigorating, and after working with the same people for 20 years, it gets very difficult—you walk into the room, and everybody knows what everybody is going to do.” All creative burdens aside, Queensryche’s 20 million album sales worldwide, 11 studio albums, and incessant concert tours quantify their success as metal musicians. Catch Queensryche’s performance at the Molson Canal Concert Series this Friday (Aug 12). —brett perla

5:30 to 11pm. Molson Canal Concert Series, Ulrich City Courtyard, 80 Main St., Lockport (canalconcerts.com). Free.

Friday, August 12th

Taj Mahal Trio

Buffalo will witness a musical treat on Friday (Aug 12) at the Tralf Music Hall when the Taj Mahal Trio comes to town. Composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal is one of the most renowned artists in the late 20th century blues and roots music scene. Known for his global perspective on music, Taj strings together sounds native to West Africa, the Caribbean islands, Latin America, Europe and the Hawaiian islands. He has mastered a score of instruments—piano, clarinet, trombone, harmonica, and guitar—and incorporates each unique sound into his worldly approach. His passion for musical variety reflects his upbringing; born to a jazz pianist, composer and arranger of Caribbean descent as well as a gospel singing schoolteacher from South Carolina, Taj’s interest in diversity and cultural roots was encouraged early in his youth. He played the campus scene at University of Massachusetts with the Elektras during the early 1960s until forming the Rising Sons—a band that opened for several high-profile artists of the time, such as Otis Redding and the Temptations. Although the three studio albums he released during the 1960s were very well received, they were merely the tip of the iceberg, exposing the styles that influenced him as a child. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Taj became more adventurous in his recordings, and was nominated for a Grammy for the soundtrack of Sounder in 1973. During the 1980s he began recording children’s albums on the Music for Little People label, and went on to incorporate Malian, Indian, and Hawaiian sounds in the 1990s, winning a Grammy for Shoutin’ in Key in 2000. Forty years later, Taj is celebrating his entire musical career. You won’t want to miss this show. —rachelle toarmino

7pm. Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com). $34.50 advance, $38 day of the show.

Friday, August 12th

Patrick Stump

Patrick Stump, composer and lead singer of Fall Out Boy comes to Mohawk Place this Friday (Aug 12). He is currently working on a solo album— a supposedly “guestless” record where Stump plays all of the instruments himself—titled Soul Punk, due out mid-October of this year. Stump previously released an EP titled Truant Wave earlier this year, distancing himself from the pop-punk/pop-rock oriented music of Fall Out Boy. Instead, the 27-year-old embraced his soulful vocals, which are evident on Truant Wave. He has said that he is influenced by the likes of Michael Jackson and David Bowie, and it is clear throughout the EP that this is the case. Stump is proficient on a variety of instruments: guitar, bass, piano, drums, keyboard, trombone, saxophone, trumpet, and more. He has made guest appearances on Law & Order and is currently working on his own film titled Moustachette. Catch this rare solo performance by Stump this weekend. —michael koh

7pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (465-2368 / themohawkplace.com). $20 advance, $25 day of show. 16+.

Saturday, August 13th

Frosty Tone Presents Moldy

If you’ve ever seen the sonic portrait of Aphex Twin on his Windowlicker EP then you know that sound can also contain image. Check out dubstep producer Moldy’s soundcloud page (soundcloud.com/moldy) and you’ll notice some visually interesting patterns to his tracks. “Dark Machine,” an entrancing and droning bass track actually looks like a missile flying through the air, as if the Portland, Maine native manually drew out the patterns of wavy bass and breaks. “For the Head” looks like a serrated blade slowly and cleanly cutting through thick ether with hissing hi-hats and subtle melody. For years, Moldy has been releasing similarly deep and dark bass tracks on labels like Earwax, Embassy Recordings and his own label, Heavy Pressure Recordings, which he founded in 2006. Take this chance to see a pioneering American dubstep producer at DBGB this Saturday (Aug 13) with support from Rochester based bass artists Audiowright and Perceptor, and a slew of Buffalo’s finest like Loki, the Verdict, CMC, and Drop D. —cory perla

9pm. Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar, 253 Allen St. (240-9359). $3. 21+.

Saturday & Sunday, August 13 & 14

45th Annual Lewiston Art Festival

The Lewiston Art Festival will be celebrating its 45th year this Saturday (Aug 13) and Sunday (Aug 14) on Center Street in the Village of Lewiston. The village’s reputation as a thriving arts community and cultural epicenter is due in no small part to this annual festival, which will feature over 175 professional and student artists from 13 states as far away as Alaska, Florida, and Texas. Artists will compete for prize money awarded in eight categories including; painting, photography, graphic arts, sculpture, artistic crafts (ceramics, wood, fiber, glass) and jewelry. Modern Corporation sponsors the “Modern Art Awards” totaling more than $5,000. Judges for the Festival are Mary Helen Miskuly and Patrick Robideau of the Burchfield Penney Art Museum. On Saturday, watch the chalk fly as 10 teams of talented student artists representing schools from across the region converge at 5th Street for the 27th KeyBank Chalk Walk Competition. Then, if you’re inspired by all that creativity, there are free art activities from noon to 4pm both days, at the First Niagara ArtZone where kids of all ages can do a hands-on art activity or create a chalk mural of their own. On Sunday afternoon the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University hosts a free “Make & Take” workshop for children of all ages. —alan victor

pictured: "Always Love You" by artist Kelvin Henderson.

10am to 6pm. Center Street from 4th to 8th Streets. (artcouncil.org/events/artfestival.php). Free.

Sunday, August 14th

Yoga Fest

Adding to the numerous events being held this summer on Buffalo’s waterfront, Yoga Fest will be held on Sunday (Aug 14) at the Erie Canal Harbor, Central Wharf (between the naval park and HSBC arena). There will be free classes all day long on yoga postures, meditation, dance, singing, and family-friendly activities. You can also relax with a massage, energy healing session, and henna body art. Some of the yoga classes that will be offered are Healing Yoga by Lisa Walter from Anjalo Yoga & Wellness Studio, Come Play Kids Yoga by Bekah Starr of Sproutin’ Yoga, Opening Your Heart with Gentle Yoga by Tracy Draksic & Kandy Svec from the Himalayan Institute, and more. East Meets West Yoga Studio teachers will lead a pre-festival yoga challenge for experienced practitioners at 8:30 am. Buffalo Yogafest provides an opportunity to learn more about yoga and the holistic wellness community that Western New York has to offer its residents. For more information contact yogafestcommittee@gmail.com and visit their Facebook page. —rachel good

10am to 4pm. Erie Canal Harbor, Central Wharf, between the naval park and HSBC arena. (yogafestcommittee@gmail.com). Free.