Spiritualized

Saturday, September 14

Drenched in heavenly bliss, few bands have made sadness and longing so euphoric as Spiritualized. In the past 20 or so years, the band’s principle songwriter and mainstay, Jason Pierce (aka J Spaceman), has mapped out a vision of vast sonic exploration and lyrical yearning that has long gone unrivaled. Formed out of the ashes of the notorious and enigmatic Spacemen 3, Pierce and Spiritualized initially took their equal cues from the Velvet Underground and Robert Johnson, often borrowing liberally from their muses. Nevertheless, filled with drones, loops and hazy vocals, Spiritualized were a head spinning trip fueled by feedback, downers and distortion. While such albums as Lazer Guided Melodies and Pure Phase furthered Pierce’s work in Spacemen 3 and garnered a cult audience, it was the third album, Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space that became Spiritualized’s first masterpiece. While they had once been unfairly lumped in with the shoegaze sound of My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Slowdive, Spiritualized were now incorporating folk, blues, gospel and electronica into their drone obsessed palate. Like a Sticky Fingers for the 1990s, Ladies And Gentlemen reflected a confused world submerged in sin yet yearning for salvation. Critically acclaimed to the highest regards, the album became a template for the work on many of their subsequent albums. The Brian Wilson and Phil Spector obsessions that were evident on Ladies And Gentlemen flourished on the following album, Let It Come Down, while a more stripped down affair, Amazing Grace, delved deep into the blues, gospel and soul sounds that Pierce introduced two records previous. Sadly, Pierce fell ill whilst working on the band’s record Songs In A&E and the resultant record mirrored the nightmarish battles he endured while sick. Odder still is that much of the record was written prior to his illness or hospital stay. After recovering and performing Ladies And Gentlemen in its entirety a few times onstage in England, Spiritualized recorded its most recent record, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light. Drenched in sunshine and containing some of their strongest material in years, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light is almost a pop record, albeit one only Spiritualized could make. It will be interesting to see how Spiritualized pull off such material live when they come to the Waiting Room on Saturday (Sept 14) Either way, be it overwhelming or more restrained, one is sure to be submerged into an ocean of sound. Guy Blakeslee (The Entrance Band) opens the show.

- bill nehill

8pm The Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $25 advance, $27 day of show

Friday, September 13

Spook Show

Remember the scene from Idle Hands when the disembodied hand of a teenager climbs onto the head of the Offspring’s lead singer Dexter Holland mid-performance and tears his scalp off? The gruesome scene, which takes place in the middle of an epic Halloween themed dance party, is the first thing that came to mind when I heard about the Buffalo Spook Show. Halloween is coming early this year in the form of Spook Show, this Friday the 13th at the Waiting Room. As the flier says, this is not just a concert; it’s an exhibit of horror, with everything from paranormal investigators, burlesque from the Hell’s Harlots, magician Adam Burke, comedian Patrick Higgins, jugglers, something called the Diablo Death Match, prizes, and vendors like Legacy of Death Comic Books, Buffa-Low Budget Films, Terror Technologies, and Conspiracy 13 Clothing to accompany the dozen or so bands who will be performing. Performers include thrash metal band Cain, horrorcore hip hop group Kamp Crystal Lake, electronic noise makers Armageddon Party, rapper Bigg Rich, metal band Skinbound, and many more. Club Diablo owner Jesse Zuefle will host this celebration of slasher movies and horror stories so prepare for a night of gore and fun in downtown Buffalo this Friday the 13th.

- cory perla

7pm The Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $20 advance, $25 day of show

Friday, September 13

Walk the Moon

In June 2012 Walk the Moon released their first official self-titled album. After spending the last year playing alongside staple indie-rock bands like Young the Giant, Neon Trees, and Grouplove, Walk the Moon has proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with. These Ohio boys host a unique blend of vintage and contemporary indie, pop, and synth-rock. The quartet creates a near flawless four-part harmony that makes for a bone-shatteringly good live set. Walk the Moon’s live performances are non-stop dance parties, brimming with resilient drums, crisp and whacky guitar riffs, energetic sing-alongs, and neon face paint. Front man, Nicholas Petricca’s courageously exposed and never off-pitched vocals so perfectly compliment his flamboyant, yet dominating stage presence. When the band covers vintage classics like, “Let’s Dance,” it’s as if David Bowie himself took the stage. With songs like “Quesadilla” and “Tightrope” featuring frantic guitar, nervous keyboard whirls, sweeping synth lines, and wet, heavy repetitive drumming sounds, the sweating audience hypnotically gyrates and jams along with Walk the Moon’s magnetic beat. Walk the Moon will play at the Town Ballroom on Friday (Sept 13).

- kellie powell

7pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $20 advance, $22 day of show

Saturday, September 14

UB Tailgate Concert Series: Blues Traveler

You may or may not recognize the name John Popper right off the bat, but there is no mistaking his musical prowess and truly unique sound. As soon as you hear him rip into a harmonica solo or belt out a few notes, you can easily recognize that it’s a song by his band, Blues Traveler, which he’s fronted now for the past 25 years. The band broke into mainstream success in 1994, just seven years after their inception, with the release of the album four. That album gave us the songs “Hook” and “Run Around” that defined their sound and propelled the band’s popularity. Since then, the band has continued playing shows and releasing albums, even if it has been a little more under the radar. Popper, a harmonica virtuoso, has also made plenty of guest appearances on a slew of albums, ranging from Dolly Parton to Cee-Lo Green. This Saturday (Sept 14), the University at Buffalo is kicking off the inaugural season of their Tailgate Concert Series with an appearance by the band. The concert series will start two hours before every Saturday home football game that the Bulls play and aims to improve the overall fan experience. The show itself is free and takes place in Stampede Square, which is in the stadium parking lot. What better way to spend an autumn afternoon in Buffalo than catching this great band and UB football’s home opener against Stony Brook immediately after.

- jeremiah shea

1:30pm UB North Campus, corner of Coventry Rd and Augspurger Rd. (buffalobulls.com) free

Monday, September 16

Saul Williams

Poet, actor, street sermonizer, and hip hop musician are some titles that Saul Willams holds. Another title he holds is winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Slam, a movie he starred in about a gifted young MC in a tough neighborhood. The 41-year old artist has cut records with Rick Rubin and Trent Reznor, specifically the 2007 album The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, and has worked with greats like Erykah Badu, Nas, the Roots, and Zack De La Rocha of Rage Against the Machine. Williams has crossed all boundaries into music, film, performance art, and spoken word without blinking. With a tongue twisting style, Williams delivers spoken word performances with serious passion and clarity inspired by Beat and Black Arts poets like Bob Kaufman and Amiri Baraka. Although he’s taken a shift toward songwriting in the last few years, his poetry is still at the center of his music and his world. Williams will continue his spoken word tour this Monday (Sept 16) at Babeville’s Ninth Ward, as presented by Dan Smalls.

- cory perla

7pm Babeville’s Ninth Ward, 341 Delaware Ave. (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $20 advance, $22 day of show

Monday, September 16

Majical Cloudz

Emotional is the best word to describe the lush recordings and intimate live show of minimal pop duo Majical Cloudz. On their debut album, Impersonator, vocalist Devon Welsh and synth programmer Matthew Otto created swelling, passionate pop music that recalls bands like Tears For Fears and the Junior Boys, while pursuing meta-pop trends of artists like Autre Ne Vue. Nostalgic without being passé, minimal yet collaged, Impersonator creates a magical environment that stays grounded through themes of loss, grief, and deliverance. Tiptoeing piano vamps lay the foundation for Welsh’s powerful vocals on “Bugs Don’t Buzz,” while swelling strings underlie electronic beats on their single “Childhood’s End.” This is goose bump inducing music, as the pair trade off soulful waves of penetrating urgency through cathartic lyrics and meticulous synth tones. Their live performance is as deeply expressive, perhaps more so, than their recordings. Otto guides Welsh through the duo’s atmospheric sounds as Welsh stands bathed in bleeding light, belting out lyrics about death and desire rooted in experiences that must still be raw as to evoke such an intense live performance. Majical Cloudz come to the Tralf Music Hall on Monday (Sept 16) with haunting electronica artist Space Cubs, and synth-pop band Smart House.

- cory perla

7pm The Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com) $11 advance, $13 day of show

Wednesday, September 18

Doctor P

When I hear “Sweet Shop” by Doctor P, I flash back to 2009 when the scene was much sweatier and more aggressive; it was a metaphorical rollercoaster of sorts, a time when there always seemed to be a strong buildup and a much more intense drop. There was just something about that song. The factor is best described by Circus Records, the label Doctor P co-founded with Flux Pavilion, DJ Swan-E and Earl Falconer. The website reads, “[Doctor P] created an intro that lulls the listener into a false sense of security before knocking them sideways with a jaw-dropping drop into a deep bassline complemented by a screeching synth.” Before the track went on to become a game-changer, British DJ and producer Shaun Brockhurt (the man behind Doctor P) initially posted it to his Myspace, from there it took off. MNM Presents Doctor P at the Town Ballroom on Wednesday (Sept 18). MitiS will perform in support. Before Joe Torre became MitiS he was a classical pianist from Pennsylvania playing major venues like the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. His productions are clearly inspired by his past with a melodic influence in the bass-filled composition. In addition, local support for the night will be from Notixx, and Stuntman with Mic Excel. Jamestown native Notixx fits the lineup perfectly with his heavy-vibe productions and performance. The Queen City’s very own Stuntman has thrown down at Town Ballroom and will do it again, this time with Mic Excel as emcee, who has performed with him twice before.

- alicia greco

8pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $25 advance, $30 day of show