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See You There!

Artvoice's weekly round-up of featured events, including our editor's pick for the week: Minus The Bear, who play the Rapids Theatre on Saturday the 19th.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out our full events calendar on-line for complete event listings, a location guide to find your way about the city, restaurant reviews, and more.



Minus The Bear

Saturday, October 19

Things have come full circle for Minus The Bear. For the indie rock band that formed 12 years ago in Seattle, producing their latest record, Infinity Overhead, meant hooking up again with a former member of the band. Producer Matt Bayles, who was the original keyboardist of Minus The Bear from 2001 to 2006, returned to the production seat for the electronic-tinged math-rock band’s fifth album, which was released in August of 2012. Bayles, who has produced albums for bands like Mastodon, Polar Bear Club, Cursive, and the Sword, took the helm again to produce his first Minus The Bear album since 2007’s Planet of Ice. After 2010’s Omni moved the band awkwardly in a more radio-friendly direction, they regrouped with Bayles who helped them form the spacey indie rock of Infinity Overhead. Infinity Overhead moves still further away from the right-angled drum beats and zig-zagging guitar riffs that characterized Minus The Bear’s break-out record Menos El Oso, in favor of Pink Floyd-inspired guitar solos and slow motion rhythms that split the vibe between Planet of Ice and Omni. Minus The Bear will perform on Saturday (Oct 19) at the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls will support from INVSN and Slow Bird.

- cory perla

6:30pm Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls. (205-8925 / rapidstheatre.com) $22.50-$25

Thursday, October 17

Quasi

Despite their pedigree that includes involvement with some of the indie underground’s most celebrated artists of the last 20 years, Quasi remains a well guarded secret. Comprised of guitarist/keyboardist Sam Coomes and drummer Janet Weiss, the once married duo create a disjointed pop sound full of whimsical melodies and distortion laden psychedelia. With a voice that echoes a less nasal Neil Young, Coomes is a master wordsmith. Full of melancholy and angst with more than a hint of misanthropic black humor, his ability to take ordinary cliches and transcend them into off beat personal statements is astonishing and awe inspiring. And while Coomes is often known for his mournful lyrics of interpersonal relationships, he can also be a biting yet hilarious commentator on the politics and attitudes of the post 9/11 atmosphere. After recording for the now defunct Up and Touch And Go labels, Quasi has since signed to Kill Rock Stars where they have recorded two albums, the second of which, Mole City, has just been released. Like their beloved Beatles, Mole City is Quasi’s own White Album. A double album with styles and genres going in every different direction, the album ranges from wistful ballads to maelstroms of punk noise with everything in between. But no matter what Quasi throws at the listener, it’s never less than engaging. Quasi performs tonight at the Tralf Music Hall with Jefferey Lewis

- Bill Nehill

7pm The Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com)

Friday, October 18

Consider the Source

Consider the Source has looked to the world for inspiration. Lead guitarist, Gabriel Marin says, “It started with North and South Indian classical and Balkan music and went from there. Now it’s those two plus Klezmer, Turkish, and Central Asian music. I try to be as respectful and authentic when learning and practicing the music to make sure it’s idiomatically correct, but when we play in CTS, we break all of the rules.” Not since the Derek Trucks Band has another group had such a unified, worldly vibe that’s executed as flawless as these guys do. Within a given song, the music embodies various cultures while still converging under a common theme. Their broad organic sound is led by Marin who uses an odd hybrid to extend his tonal reach. He employs a double-neck guitar with one being fretless and the other utilizing a digital pickup that allows him to manipulate his sound to resemble other instruments. He says, “We all like to push boundaries on our instruments, so most of the things I want to play musically are not meant for guitar or string instruments. As I develop all these different ways of playing guitar, the instrument helps me bring them out more.” The band will be at Nietzsche’s this Friday (Oct 18) for a special show. Their second live album, F**k It, We’ll Do It Live, Volume 2, is set to be released on Tuesday, October 22nd, but they will have advanced copies on sale that night for those who attend. The nine-track album is the first to feature their new drummer, Jeff Mann. Our luck might not always seem to be on our side here in Buffalo, but the music gods have shined a little light our way this Friday.

- jeremiah shea

9pm Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St. (886-8539 / nietzsches.com) $10 advance

Saturday, October 19

The Essex Party

This is great news indeed: The folks at Essex Street are back in the business of throwing parties. This Saturday (Oct 19), the complex of artists studios will once again, as in years past, host a big to-do to benefit the Ashford Hollow Foundation, which has provided arts education to kids at the Essex Arts Center, the Griffis Sculpture Park, and local schools for more than 40 years. Saturday’s entertainment lineup is killer: music by Eric Crittenden, Aircraft (pictured), the Observers, and Folk Faces; video projections provided by Mark Reginald WonderGhost; light shows and go-go dancers; food, beer, wine, martinis. It’s been a few years since Essex Street threw a party, and it promises to be mammoth. Don’t miss it.

- geoff kelly

7pm Essex Arts Center, 30 Essex Street $10

Saturday, October 19

On The Wire Halloween Bash

Bust out those tight jeans and shoulder pads, material girls and gentlemen, as Buffalo’s ongoing industrial/post-punk/goth music series On The Wire hosts a 1980’s icon themed Halloween bash this Saturday (Oct 19) that would make Ronald Reagan proud. Since June, On the Wire has been bringing together past and present acts to rekindle Buffalo’s industrial scene, and to firmly establish that community in the here-and-now. Harkening back to the days when Buffalo clubs like the Continental were bastions of industrial music, while mixing in current elements of the goth/industrial genres, On the Wire is the type of monthly event that longtime fans and newcomers alike can flock to for their industrial fix. On the Wire takes place every third Saturday at Ohm Ultra Lounge, and with Halloween right around the corner, this Saturday’s 1980’s themed installment promises to be one of the most colorful. It’s one big dance party, so expect to hear the very best in post-punk, industrial, goth, deathrock, new wave and of course, a healthy dose of 1980’s to get things moving. Spinning throughout the night are veteran DJs Jason Draper, Sequence DJ Aaron Andrews, and longtime Continental resident Adrian Levesque. Dress in your retro best and prepare for a danceable flashback that will have you wishing the 1980’s never ended.

- jon wheelock

11pm Ohm Ultra Lounge, 948 Main St. $5. 21+

Monday, October 21

Big Gigantic

No matter your musical preference, everyone has caught themselves at some point listening to a catchy song that they wouldn’t normally give the time of day to. Given the right beat and melody, it’s quite easy to step outside of your comfort zone. Big Gigantic’s marriage of hip-hop, electronica, and jazz oddly strikes that same chord. With their utilization of hypnotic rhythms as the base for catchy leads, they seamlessly blend the two into a captivating body of work, regardless of your preference. Their mix of instrumentation also adds an improvisational element to their live shows, giving their sound an added dynamic. The duo includes Dominic Lalli, who plays the saxophone and various electronic equipment, and Jeremy Salken on drums. Their extraterrestrial sound is just as mysterious and alluring as it is danceable. This Monday (Oct 21) the band will bring their Sky High Tour to the Town Ballroom. Opening the night will be New Zealand-native, Opiuo, who uses drum machines and synthesizers to create his unique sound. Both artists have a way of riding out an infectious beat that will keep you locked in all night.

- jeremiah shea

7:30pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $20.50 advance, $23 day of show

Tuesday, October 22

Big D & The Kids Table

For nearly two decades, Big D & The Kids Table has outstripped their ska contemporaries with their rigorous DIY work ethic (e.g. engineering, producing and releasing their own albums and videos, and self-promotion at their own shows). This third-wave ska outfit produces catchy songs with an added punk/hardcore tint to give their music a more dynamic and defiant sound. In June 2013 they released their ninth studio double album titled Stroll and Stomp. “Stroll” is a ska subgenre Big D pioneered in 2009’s aptly titled Fluent in Stroll album. The younger stroll featured a more relaxed approach to upbeat ska, shaking off a punk influence to favor surf rock, swing, and lounge contributions. The matured stroll is edgier with a bit of aggression. Of course its sound is still rounded out by the “Doped Up Dollies,” chanting and clapping along to these supremely rousing tunes. This album features Big D’s classic vivacious horn sounds, upbeat guitar riffage and a lot of experimentation, like the vaudevillian-sounding piano plinks in “Drink Me Down.” Big D’s live shows eclipse their studio albums—their raw energy radiates from the stage, enticing their audience to chant and clap along. Big D & The Kids Table will perform at the Waiting Room on Tuesday, October 22.

- kellie powell

6pm The Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (852-3900 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $15