Portugal. The Man

Wednesday, June 12

A cartoonish and demonic head with two tongues, horns spiking through the forehead, cries tears spelling out the word EVIL on the cover of Portugal. The Man’s latest album, Evil Friends. The content inside of the record isn’t quite as dark as the title and artwork would imply, though. What is inside is the usual, consistent indie rock that Portugal. The Man has become known for, but this time with a more aggressive edge to front man John Gourley’s vividly metaphorical lyrics. Always channeling psychedelic 1960s rock and pop, the band has a knack for adding contemporary elements like bassy drum pounds, trickling synthesizer notes, and effected vocals to their tightly produced throwback tunes. This time around the band employed versatile producer Danger Mouse to help them craft a new set of colorful and deep tracks like “Waves” an anti-war number and “Modern Jesus,” an ode to human strength. Evil Friends, the band’s second album released on Atlantic Records, marks the sixth full-length album in the same amount of years for the band that hails from Portland, Oregon and Alaska. Their unreal run of songwriting also includes their last album In the Mountain in the Cloud, 2010’s American Gehtto, and their break out album, 2009’s The Satanic Satanist. Portugal. The Man always puts on a solid and loud live show, so don’t miss the band when they come to the Town Ballroom on Wednesday (June 12) with special guests Skaters.

- cory perla

7pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $22 advance, $25 day of show

Friday, June 7

Bearhunter Album Release with Johnny Nobody

It took a few years, but Buffalo’s Bearhunter have burst back with a vengeance and they are Calling It A Red. No, really: they are Calling It A Red. It’s actually the name of their new record. Guitarist/singer David Calos and his drummer brother Mike Calos along with bassist Rob Pusateri have come a long way from their start as a garage band from the same overflowing musical canals of Lockport that bred other lauded Western New York rock acts like Johnny Nobody and Handsome Jack. Over the years we’ve admired Bearhunter’s keeness to weld a meat and potatoes brand of fist-pumping guitar rock to something a little more heady, dark and just a little funky. It’s all come to a head on their third full-length with the trio tightly grooving a regimen of slinky melodies interchanged with pummeling riffs that seems to be hurtling them toward a class with Queens Of The Stoneage. Bearhunter can never stray too far from their roots, however and to support them on their album kickoff gig, they are bringing along old friends Johnny Nobody—following an opening stint for the Hold Steady and Hollerado the night before at Thursday at Canalside—plus Buffalo indie outfit Aircraft to help bring some real rock and roll back to Allentown this Friday (June 7).

- donny kutzbach

9pm Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (886-8539 / nietzsches.com) $5

Friday, June 7

Green Velvet

Chicago house music producer, singer and songwriter Curtis Jones, better known as Green Velvet, released his first house tunes under that moniker in 1993. That was a time when house music was just breaking into the American mainstream, with Chicago at the roots. At the center of Chicago’s underground scene was Jones’ Cajual Records imprint and the sub-label Relief Recods, on which he was releasing records from house greats like DJ Sneak, Gemini, and Paul Johnson. “Preacher Man” one of Green Velvet’s earliest releases, is still one of his most popular tracks. As a throbbing beat spills forth, a gospel preacher emphatically delivers a sermon about “playing house,” wickedly transformed by revolving electronic pulses and waves of distortion, a formula emulated by house producers still today. In the late 1990s Green Velvet began releasing a string of full-length albums including his 2001 record, Whatever, which features the opening track “La La Land,” a track that would land on compilation albums, receive regular remixes, and spew through sound systems frequently for the following decade. Green Velvet comes to Sky Bar on Friday (June 7) as part of the outdoor Rendezvous EDM Summer Series presented by Factory Nightlife. Local DJ Jesse Aaron spins in support. The series, which runs through July, also features DJs Donald Glaude, Moguai, and RAC. All events will be rain or shine.

- cory perla

10pm Sky Bar, 257 Franklin Street (buffaloskybar.com) $10 advance, $15 day of show, 21+

Sunday, June 9

Calexico

While geography may be a running theme for Tucson, Arizona band Calexico—named after a California border town—their sound cannot be defined by a place, but rather a journey. With primary founders John Convertino and Joey Burns, Calexico decided to record their 2012 album, Algiers, in a New Orleans neighbourhood of the same name. Though the Louisiana metropolis is known for its own particular sound, Calexico’s Algiers is more than a collection of Mardi Gras festivity and jazz improvisation. They’ve recorded in various other cities, but when they were about to begin their first album in four years, Tucson suddenly became impossible: “It was a cold, cold morning in Tucson, and we both played about two notes each and got the hell out of there” says Convertino. The band’s restlessness and instrumental multifariousness is key to their anti-identity; Tex-Mex meets jazz instrumentation meets indie rock meets mariachi, or “alternative country” illuminated by the iconic sounds of Spaghetti Westerns. These influences coalesce to create the hymn of the lone traveller, the song of the outcast on horseback, the cowboy without a name. Like their namesake, Calexico is a cluster of locations, and a cluster of identities. This unique style transfers smoothly from album to album, and is certainly present on Algiers. The music of Calexico is a modern-day pilgrimage across the treacherous West, cruising across the desert with a setting sun to catch. Spot them at Babeville on Sunday (June 9), with Spanish singer and guitarist Jairo Zavala of solo project Depedro in tow, before they set eyes on their next outpost, Bonnaroo.

- meghan sauer

7pm Babeville’s Asbury Hall, 341 Delaware Ave. (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $24.50 advance and $27 the day of

June 11 - August 27

Retro Movie Tuesdays

If the only thing holding you back from enjoying one of Western New York’s cultural advantages, the thriving drive-in theaters, has been the poor quality of recent movies, you’re in luck. Taking advantage of the availability of older films in digital format (which offers a brighter picture than you may remember if you haven’t been to a drive-in since the 1980s), the Transit Drive-In in Lockport presents Retro Movie Tuesdays, a summer-long series of mostly 1980s films. This week features swords and sorcery with Sean Connery in the original Highlander (1986), followed by Nigel Williamson and Helen Mirren in what many consider the best filmed adaptation of the legends of King Arthur, John Boorman’s Excalibur (1981). Upcoming double features include Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket (June 18), Grease and American Graffiti (July 2), Young Frankenstein and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (July 30), Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and Escape From New York (Aug 20), and on July 16 the movie that kept so many drive-ins open for years in the late 1970s, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, with Airplane! Children 4 and under are free, so put them in their jammies and throw them in the back seat. Advance tickets are available online at transitdrivein.com.

- m. faust

9:15pm Transit Drive-In 6655 Transit Road, Lockport (transitdrivein.com) $8 for age 12 and older, children 5-11 are $3, children 4 and under are FREE

Tuesday, June 11

The Adolescents

Punk band, Adolescents got its start in 1980, after in 1979 Steve Soto walked away from Agent Orange. Soto was inspired by a wild show attendee of Agent Orange, Tony Cadena, whom Soto claims is the first person he ever saw stage dive. Cadena’s reckless energy appealed to Soto and he eventually asked him to join his new band venture. Adolescents were thus born and went on to become the agitating, suburban teen-comprised, quintessential punk rock band that has impressed countless bands to date. In 1981, the Orange County based band released Adolescents also known as The Blue Album. Shortly after The Blue Album, the band took a five-year hiatus and did not reunite until the 1986, when they went on tour around the L.A. area. Drummer Casey Royer and guitarist Frank Agnew left the band and were replaced by Alfie, another of the Agnew brothers, on guitar and Sandy Hansen on drums. They put out Brats in Battalions, which was released in 1987 on the band’s self-created record label. After their 1987 tour, the band was without a lead singer and guitarist. With Soto and Rikk Agnew sharing vocal duties and Frank Agnew returning to the line up, the band signed with Triple X Records and released Balboa Fun*Zone in 1988. This was their last album before they split again in 1989. There was a short reunion tour in 1994, and another in 2001. In 2005, Adolescents put out O.C. Confidential, their first album in 17 years. The band has endured incessant line-up changes and the evolving punk scene for over 30 years. Buffalonians will have the great fortune of experiencing one of the most highly appreciated punk bands at The Waiting Room on Tuesday (June 11) with support from the Choosen Ones.

- jaz frazier

10pm The Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $12 advance, $14 day of show, 21+

Wednesday, June 12

Gov't Mule

It’s been about 20 years since Gov’t Mule made their debut. What was initially an Allman Brother’s Band side project, is now a full time gig for the guys. Back in 1989 when the Allman Brother’s reunited, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody were brought in as lead guitarist and bassist. It was when the band took breaks that Haynes and Woody began playing together and inadvertently created Gov’t Mule with the addition of drummer Matt Abts. As the Allman Brothers stalled out again in the late 1990’s, Gov’t Mule became the primary focus for the two as they made it their full-time band. Fast forward 15 years and the band has multiple albums and more live recordings than they can count. Although Allen Woody passed away in mid-2000, Haynes continues to carry the torch with the original drummer, Abts. On Wednesday (June 12), Gov’t Mule will be kicking off the 2013 season of Coors Light Wednesday’s at Artpark. The lineup this year looks great, but to have Gov’t Mule kick it all off is a special treat. Not only is the talent that Artpark provides top-notch, but we as Buffalonians are lucky to have such an aesthetically pleasing venue in our backyard. The Niagara River Gorge is the backdrop for the stage, and combined with live music, there isn’t a better way to spend a Wednesday in the Queen City.

- jeremiah shea

4:30pm Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater, 450 South 4th St., Lewiston (754-4375 / artpark.net) $5 advance, $10 general admission week of concert