Artvoice B.O.O.M! Live Show

Saturday, January 14

Once again, it’s time for four of the area’s best original acts to meet in the fiery crucible of public opinion known as the Artvoice Battle of Original Music, or BOOM, for short. At evening’s end, only one will win the opportunity to compete in the BOOM Grand Finale, scheduled for Friday, April 20. At that event, one band will walk away with $5,000 and the eternal right to proclaim themselves Artvoice BOOM Grand Champions—joining the ranks of other local notables like Dali’s Ghost, TypeRelevant, Photos of Wagons, and the Etchings. Over the years, hundreds of bands have participated in our contest. There have been razor-thin margins of victory, but every act benefits from the exposure. It’s an undeniable testament to the depth and variety of original music being made here locally. Also undeniable is the great support these acts are given by local music fans that attend these shows and plunk down a nominal admission charge to purchase one ballot to cast for their favorite band. This Saturday (Jan 14) it’s a chance to check out Third Realm, the Tins, Mister Boneless, and Contagious Woo—as they plug in and put it all on the line in an effort to win a ticket to greater fame, glory, and cash. And remember, local bands, there are still two more of these preliminary contests before the big one in April. Visit boom.artvoice.com to see how to get in the mix. By the end of February, you just might be one of the acts hitting the stage. No guts, no glory. Go big or go home. Say it how you like—you gotta get in it for a chance to win it. —buck quigley

10pm. Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (886-8539 / nietzsches.com / boom.artvoice.com) $5. 21+.

Friday, January 13

Queen City Cartel Benefit for John Sullivan

Once again, the local electronic music scene comes together to support a friend in need. For two years, John “Sully” Sullivan, a friend of local DJ collective the Queen City Cartel, has been battling leukemia. The fight continues, which means the bills are mounting. In response, the QCC is throwing a banger of epic proportions on Friday (Jan 13) at DBGBs, in hopes of relieving at least a small portion of that financial strain. Spinning in support will be Buffalo regulars Brother Bear, Trackbenders, Swaggle Rock, Medison, Twist, Arehouse, Basha, Loki, Perceptor, and a finale of Potent J back-to-back with Beretta. From 6pm to 9pm there will be a $30 cover, which includes an open bar and all you can eat buffet. After 10pm the cover is only $5. All money will go to Sully. You’ll probably be out this weekend, might as well party for a good cause. If this show just doesn’t satisfy your craving for the QCC, check out Friction on Saturday (Jan 14) at DBGBs and Silk on Sunday (Jan 15) at the same place. —cory perla

6pm. Duke’s Bohemian Grove Bar, 253 Allen St. (240-9359 / dukesbohemiangrovebar.com). $30 open bar and buffet from 6pm to 9pm, $5 after 10pm.

Saturday, January 14

Jamuary

The holidays are over, ushering in that period of winter doldrums where there’s seemingly nothing to look forward to and no end in sight. This Saturday (Jan 14), in an effort to replace that familiar winter sting with an event that will surely rescue our city from permanent hibernation is JAMuary at the Tralf, a one-night affair featuring four local bands with an affinity for the jam/psychedelic niche that is continually expanding in Buffalo’s live-music scene. Set to perform are jam-rock mainstays Free Henry!, and the punctuation is intended, as these guys put an exclamation point on their performances with an energetic mix of alternative rock, jazz, and blues combined with stellar improvisational jams. The former Buffalo Music Award winners recently put out their second full-length album, Ethereal Gust, which features even more of the contagious grooves that the band has cultivated over the years. Also on the bill are Slip Madigan, a band whose status in Buffalo’s music scene is kind of like that kid that sat in the back of classroom: quiet and scheming, waiting to set the school on fire. Needless to say, Slip Madigan have cemented themselves in the “best band you never heard of” category, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less deserving of their reputation as a group who refuses to be pigeon-holed by genre and arbitrary classifications. There’s blues, jazz, rock, funk, reggae, and trance swirling into an unpredictable mix of sounds and instruments thats meant to be witnessed in the live setting. Sharing the stage with Free Henry! and Slip Madigan are the MKGs, comprised of former members of the Funky Beets, and jam-funk outfit Funktional Flow. —jon wheelock

7pm. Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com). $8 advance, $10 day of show.

Saturday, January 14

Apocalypse 2012 Kick Off Show

We ain’t got no place to go, so let’s go to the… Apocalypse 2012 Kickoff Show. On Saturday (Jan 14), Soundlab resurrects the punk scene in time to see the world crumble to its ultimate demise at the end of the calendar year (Source: Mayan Civilization). A fitting theme for the show considering the destruction, carnage, and annihilation associated with both punk-rock and the impending Armageddon. It promises to leave audience members with faces only a cosmetician could love. Tip: avoid the circle pits, spare some bruises. Headlining this day of reckoning is local hardcore-punk outfit, the Fucking Hotlights. With a sound that could puncture a rhino’s ear drum from a football field away, the Hotlights pack all the brawn they can muster into a host of two-minute-attack tracks, like the Every Time I Die offspring “A Lamb A Lion An Ape A Pig.” Mix in the melodically overdriven guitars of Rochester natives, the Dads and jangly chime of Buffalo punks, Patrons of Sweet, Aircraft, and Abandoned Buildings Club, and we’ve got ourselves a rock show. Judgment Day awaits. —brett perla

9pm. Soundlab, 110 Pearl St. (440-5907 / bigorbitgallery.org/soundlab). $10. 18+.

Saturday, January 14

The Lemonheads

When the Lemonheads briefly broke into the mainstream in the early 1990s, they were quickly tagged with the term “bubble grunge”—meaning they combined the angsty lyrics and themes of grunge with the catchy melodies of bubblegum pop. While that term would eventually be bastardized in the latter half of the 1990s by soulless radio acts that cared more about hits than emotional resonance, it was a perfect compliment in the case of the Lemonheads. They were the rare act of their era whose music felt meaningful, but was also genuinely fun to listen to. That was never truer than on their break through release, 1992’s It’s A Shame About Ray. The album received rave reviews, and captivated listeners with catchy songs such as “My Drug Buddy,” “Allison’s Starting To Happen,” and most famously, their energetic cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson.” While the band would go on to produce several well-received works, Ray remains their most beloved album, and probably the most important part of their legacy. Now, 20 years after the album’s release, the Lemonheads are celebrating the anniversary by playing the record in its entirety on their current tour, which will make its way to the Town Ballroom this Saturday (Jan 14). Considering the wide appeal of the band’s music, the show figures to be a solid mixture of old-school lemonheads fans as well as recent converts. It’s hard to believe the grunge era has eclipsed the 20-year mark, but its best albums still sound fresh and relevant, and when the Lemonheads perform their most beloved effort, that will only be confirmed. —john hugar

8pm. Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com). $18 advance, $22 day of show. 16+.

Monday, January 16

The Return of Trailer Trash

You would be hard-pressed to find a better Monday (Jan 16) night activity than attending the screening of a compilation of the “wildest, weirdest, wackiest, sick, strange, and sleazy” movie trailers from the golden age of the grindhouse at Sugar City. A grindhouse movie theatre was often shabby, sticky, and shady, a place where continuous showings of racy and violent exploitation films were presented. The Return of Trailer Trash presents the worst of the best of the worst of 1970’s gutter z-grade cinema trailers, as curated by Sugar City’s resident cinema fiend Pat Kewley, who has been running the semi-monthly Free Classic Films series for about two years. “I love watching old trailers like this because it’s like a free education in these weird forgotten areas of film history,” Kewley said. “In the post-Tarantino era it’s become really hip to have this encyclopedic knowledge of trashy film...you can get the best parts edited out and served up for you in these trailers.” With titles like Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde, Blood Freak, Corpse Grinders, Monsters Crash the Pyjama Party, and more, expect a delightfully disturbing good time. Show up early to take advantage of free popcorn and refreshments. Sugar City reminds attendees that considering the nature of the material, sensitive viewers are warned to expect nudity, violence, gore, “and some of the worst acting ever captured on film.”—jill greenberg

7:30pm. Sugar City, 19 Wadsworth in Allentown (buffalosugarcity.org). Free.

Wednesday, January 18

Tycho

Sundrenched and flowing by design, Tycho’s music is almost visible when you listen to it. Melodies are painted in overblown pastel hues, and driving yet relaxing rhythms guide this San Francisco based producer’s textural tracks. It is quite easy to guess that Tycho, real name Scott Hansen, makes his music from the center of the golden state, but what you might not guess is that those easily visualized melodies and textures are the product of both Hansen’s musical ablities and his background in graphic design. Creating graphic art under the name ISO50, Hansen’s crisp, sun-worn design style serves as the perfect backdrop for his equally washed out sound. On his latest album, Dive, released on Ann Arbor, Michigan based record label Ghostly International, Tycho builds on his trend of chilled out ambience first established on his 2004 record Sunrise Projector. Perfectly stacked layers of subtle beats, warm guitar tones, and colorful electronic flourishes are what makes tracks like “Hours,” and “Costal Brake” shine through as not only sonically profound, but also stimulating to the visual cortex. Hansen will be joined on stage by a full band when Tycho makes a stop at Mohawk Place on Wednesday (Jan 18). —cory perla

8pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk St. (465-2368 / themohawkplace.com). $12.