Adrian Belew Power Trio with Stickmen

Wednesday, October 5

Adrian Belew’s career has taken many interesting turns. In the early 1980s, his guitar histrionics powered one of King Crimson’s best lineups through the legendary albums Discipline, Beat, and Three Of A Perfect Pair. Since then, he’s had a wildly diverse solo career, working in styles that have ranged from experimental prog-rock, to catchy Beatles-esque pop tunes, and just about everything in between. In 2005, his single “Beat Box Guitar’ was nominated for a Grammy in the category of “Best Instrumental Rock Performance.” Now, with a storied back catalog to choose from, Belew is coming to the Tralf—and he’s bringing some King Crimson pals with him. This Wednesday, (Oct 5), the Adrian Belew Power Trio will take the stage along with the Stickmen, which will feature bassist Tony Levin, and drummer Pat Mastellotto. Tony Levin is one of rock’s most iconic bassists. In addition to playing in the 1980s King Crimson lineup alongside Belew and Robert Fripp, he has appeared on hundreds of records over the years, working as a session musician for artists such Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, and John Lennon. Like Belew, Levin is a versatile musician, and his diverse range of styles should serve him well at this show. Mastellotto also has worked in multiple capacities. He was a founding member of the 1980s new wave group Mr. Mister, and has been a member of King Crimson. With so many musicians who’ve worked so many musical backgrounds, the show promises to be a glorious mix of as many styles of music as possible. Lovers of musical virtuosity, as well as diversity would be wise to attend. —john hugar

7pm. Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com). $29.50 advance, $32.50 day of show.

Friday, September 30

Buffalo Finger Tapping Festival

Made popular by the legendary Eddie Van Halen, finger tapping has long been associated with intense technical expertise and wildly entertaining showmanship. This Friday (Sept 30), Buffalo’s finest finger tappers will tear down Club Diablo with their manic musical mastery, displaying incomparable guitar virtuosity and inebriating unrestrained energy. Acts include 2009 Artvoice BOOM winners and hip-hop hellions Type Relevant, lively post-rock duo All of Them Witches, frenzied prog-rockers The Left Hand of Darkness (featuring Ted Reinhardt of Gamalon fame), and experimental sound sculptor Pam Swarts (pictured). Prepare to be amazed by innovative instrumentals from varied, seemingly disparate, music scenes as four unique artists are united by a shared appreciation for a challenging and impressive style of string plucking. Come support acclaimed and well established local musicians as they explore, build upon, and carry on a classic rock tradition. —ryan wolf

8:30pm. Club Diablo, 517 Washington St. (842-0666 / clubdiablo.com).

Friday, September 30

A Couple of Hard Boiled Eggs presented by the Old Chestnut Film Society

If you’re a classic movie buff, you should know about Buffalo’s longest-running series, the Old Chestnut Film Society, which has been in operation since 1983. Proprietor Grant Golden is a proud purist who only shows 16mm prints, many from his own collection. This year’s program is titled “A Couple of Hard-Boiled Eggs,” featuring films starring Edward G. Robinson and Marlene Dietrich on alternate months. Opening the 29th season this Friday (Sept 30) is Shanghai Express (1932), Josef von Sternberg’s pre-Code drama starring Dietrich as Shanghai Lil, a woman living “by her wits” off the coast of China. Like many other Old Chestnut offerings, it’s not available on DVD. Upcoming are The Whole Town’s Talking (Nov 4), Kid Galahad (aka The Battling Bellhop, Dec 2), Seven Sinners (Jan 6), The Sea Wolf (Feb 3), The Lady is Willing (Mar 2), Our Vines Have Tender Grapes (Mar 30), and A Foreign Affair (May 4). Programs also include short features and door prizes; bring your own snacks. —m. faust

7:30pm. Philip Sheridan School Community Room, 3200 Elmwood Ave. (836-4757). $6, series tickets $32.

Friday, September 30

The Concert That Never Was featuring Zoso

In 1980, Led Zeppelin was scheduled to play a concert at the Memorial Auditorium in downtown Buffalo. Unfortunately, those plans were cancelled by the tragic death of their drummer, John Bonham. The show, along with the rest of the tour was cancelled, and Led Zeppelin has ceased to exist ever since. As a result, the concert that would’ve been played that night has become known in Buffalo folklore as The Concert That Never Was. Now, 31 years later Rich’s Music Exchange and West Herr Ford are teaming up to put on an event in tribute to the great concert that could’ve been. This Friday (Sept 30), at Club Paradise in Hamburg, the Concert That Never Was will be revisited in glorious rock n’ roll fashion. The show will feature Zoso, an enormously popular Zeppelin tribute act who Rolling Stone called the “Best Tribute Band in America.” Based in California, Zoso has been together since 1995, and in that time they have dedicated themselves to fully recreating the experience of a Zeppelin live show. Each member of the band was chosen to portray not only the physical appearance, but the playing style of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. In addition, numerous high end musical items have been donated by rock and roll luminaries such as Bret Michaels, Ted Nugent, Eddie Van Halen, and Alice Cooper, and they will be auctioned off during the event. The proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. —john hugar

7pm. Club Paradise, 3950 McKinley Parkway. (648-5700 / clubparadisewny.com). $20 advance, $25 day of show.

Saturday, October 1

The Head and the Heart

Bonding over dingy Seattle open-mic nights in 2009, The Head and the Heart’s core songwriters Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson began making the music that would eventually land on their 2010 self-titled debut album. Specializing in cozy acoustic folk that echoes the rainy grey city the band got its start in, the album was eventually re-released on hometown label Sub Pop. It’s all part of a big couple of years that have seen them open for the Decemberists, Iron & Wine, and Dave Matthews Band. The shorter sets and half-filled seats eventually gave way to packed crowds at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits whispering along every lyric to their single “Lost In My Mind.” The song is an outline to their success, featuring a big shout-along chorus that plays just as well on a farm as it does in big cities where they’re selling out shows. The band kick off October headlining this Saturday (Oct 1) at Town Ballroom, giving Buffalo a chance to see them in a more intimate venue before they head out to tour with My Morning Jacket and their fall European tour dates. This weekend, The Head and the Heart will follow Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, whose jangly pop hooks are well worth arriving early. —nicholas torsell

7pm. Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com). $15 advance, $18 day of show.

Saturday & Sunday, October 1 & 2

Lehrer Dance Home Season

Fans of LehrerDance and first time viewers will be equally delighted by their annual Home Season this Saturday (Oct 1) and Sunday (Oct 2). In addition to the return of favorite performances such as “A Ritual Dynamic,” “SuperZeroes,” “Morphic Slip,” and “Hearth,” the company will revive performances of “Bridge and Tunnel”—which features the music of Paul Simon—and “Cesura” alongside the world premiers of “The Alliance”—set to music from Australia and Russia—and “Taken,” a solo performance by Immanuel Naylor. Within each LehrerDance performance is a striking balance between the incredible fluidity of motion and the outstanding exactness of the choreography. These two aspects of dance come together to establish LehrerDance as one of Buffalo’s most talented dance companies. A graduate of UB, Jon Lehrer, artistic director of LehrerDance, has strong ties to Buffalo. “Buffalo has some of the greatest artists in the country…specifically with dance, training in Buffalo is second to none. You can’t say that about other cities this size,” Lehrer said. This weekend will surely kick off a vibrant season full of unique offerings. Whether you have seen a LehrerDance performance before or not, make sure you attend this performance to see for yourself. —jill greenberg

8pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday. University at Buffalo Center for the Arts Drama Theatre, 103 Center for the Arts. (645-2787 / ubcfa.org, lehrerdance.org) $21.50/$16.50 for students.

Wednesday, October 5

Mac Miller

While all the other teenagers were getting crunked after high school football games, the young Mac Miller was home at his parent’s place in Pittsburgh dreaming up the bigtime. After five years of focus, a feature with his “homie” Wiz Khlaifa, and several tracks gone viral, the white rapper, now 19 years old, is signed to Rostrum Records and getting his first taste of the dream. Last Thursday, he sold out a show at New York City’s Irving Plaza, performing in front of a screaming crowd of young folks wearing his signature “Most Dope” t-shirts. Bringing back that 1990s influenced, party-rap to the hip-hop scene with a well-produced Nas-y sound and clever age-appropriate titled tracks like “Senior Skip Day,” “Koolaid and Frozen Pizza,” and “Donald Trump,” he’s even caught the attention of Trump himself, who tweeted that Miller was the “new Eminem” after the song reached over 27 million views on YouTube. While that may have not been the right comparison (sorry Trump), the rich, the poor, and the in between are all digging the chill, party-vibe Miller’s got going on. On Tuesday Miller will perform in front of a sold-out crowd at the Waterstreet Music Hall in Rochester, and will continue on to Niagara Falls on Wednesday (Oct 5) to perform at the Rapids Theater. It’s not often a legit young rapper rolls into town, so don’t miss out on the good time. Special guests include Casey Veggies and The Come Up. —emilie hagen

7pm. Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls. (205-8925 / rapidstheatre.com). $20 advance, $25 day of show.

Thursday, October 6

Zeds Dead

Hooks and DC rummage through the bargain vinyl bin a little differently than you do. That’s because this Toronto based duo, known as Zeds Dead, are constantly on the look-out for potential samples and some old-school inspiration in those endless record crates. This isn’t your typical dubstep. Tracks like the bass-heavy Nintendo-synthesized “White Satin” certainly appeal to fans of Bassnectar and Borgore but Zeds Dead take it a step deeper, pulling source material from a variety of artists like Moody Blues (who originally wrote “Dressed in White Satin,” from which ZD’s aforementioned track is based) Sublime, Radiohead, and have even done their own stylistic remix of the Rolling Stone’s “Gimmie Shelter.” “In hip-hop its called sampling, in dubstep its called remixing, but its really the same thing,” Hook said in an interview earlier this year. Where a rapper might drop a fresh rhyme and a huge beat Zeds Dead inject a fat, swooping bassline and a laser guided synth riff. Combining their dance floor tuned originals, stylistic remixes, and borrowing tracks from their favorite contemporary dubstep producers, this pair craft high energy sets night after night. Don’t miss Zeds Dead this Thursday (Oct 6) at the Town Ballroom. Local dubstep experts Big Basha, Conartist, and Brotherbear open the show. —cory perla

8pm. Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $17.