BuffaLoveFest

Friday, May 30

Buffalonians have been granted a second opportunity to unite as one and enjoy all things Buffalo, thanks to the Buffalo Zoo hosting the second annual BuffaLoveFest on Friday (May 30). An array of food trucks (which will be doubled compared to last years amount, thanks to a large turnout) and locally brewed beers, including an exclusive beer by Flying Bison made specifically for this event will be available for guests to enjoy as some beloved acts of “the 716” perform. The BuffaLoveBirds All Star Band, which features some of Buffalo’s finest musicians—Lance Diamond, Ali Critelli, Eric Crittenden, Vinnie DeRosa, Mike Wagner and Rob Lynch—will perform as guests are surrounded by over 60 Buffalo-themed vendors including artisans, jewelers, t-shirt printers, and more. Presented by 2 Find Your Home, in association with The Good Neighborhood, this 21 and over event will also feature locally esteemed bands like the Artvoice Best of Buffalo “Best Original Music Act” winners of 2014, Whiskey Reverb, the Steam Donkeys, and DJs Spooky Business and Camaican. In addition to the appearance of local celebrities, BuffaLoveFest will feature a Buffalo trivia tournament, a slow-motion photo booth, Buffalo celebrity photo-ops, and an autograph table. Tickets are available online and at the door and include two drink tickets.

- sara ali

5:30pm-9:30pm Buffalo Zoo, 300 Parkside Ave (837-3900 / buffalozoo.org) $20 advance, $30 day of event

Friday, May 30

Seven Lions

Dressed in all black with his shoulder length hair and scruffy beard, Jeff Montalvo aka Seven Lions, looks more like a member of a heavy metal band than an electro-house producer. That might be because he once was. Though he grew up in the punk and metal scene in Sana Barbara California, his music as Seven Lions, full of sharp synth lines, rolling electronic snares, and dubby bass shows no sign. In 2012 he signed to OWSLA, a record label founded by another hardcore turned electro producer, Skrillex. He released his well-received Days To Come EP, which featured vocals by Australian singer Fiora. This year, the 25-year-old producer released his second EP, Worlds Apart, on the disco-turned-EDM label, Casablanca Records. Worlds Apart essentially doubles down on the sounds found on Days to Come, cranking the chopped-up female vocal lines, fattening the synth vamps, and of course, refining those bass drops. Seven Lions will kick off the Rendezvous “EDM Summer Series” this Friday (May 30) at Skybar.

- cory perla

10pm Sky Bar, 257 Franklin Street (buffaloskybar.com) $18, 21+

Friday, May 30

Diana Chittester

“I am the love child of Ani DiFranco and Jewel,” said singer/songwriter Diana Chittester in a 2011 interview. Pounding on her acoustic guitar and soulfully delivering her brand of stripped-down acoustic-folk music, Chittester certainly attracts such comparisons. On stage, the Cleveland Ohio-based guitarist is not afraid to show off her finger picking skills. Her hands move frantically up and down her cappo-ed guitar as she stands confidently lost in her own sounds. Her style is percussive, as she pats the base of her guitar between moments of intricate strumming. Her singing style swings between delicate and aggressive, and can even at times overshadow the complex guitar-acrobatics that weave in and out of her articulate songs. Don’t miss this talented songwriter and guitarist when she comes to Babeville’s Ninth Ward on Friday (May 30) with support from Erin Sydney Welsh.

- cory perla

7pm Babeville’s Ninth Ward, 341 Delaware Ave (852-3835 / babevillebuffalo.com) $7 advance, $10 day of show

Saturday, May 31

WBNY at Spiral Scratch featuring The Naturalists, Rustic Radio & Dance the Hempen Jig

Buffalo’s “Original Alternative radio station,” 91.3FM WBNY, has provided local bands the opportunity to perform live on air since the 1980s. Successful local acts such as Goo Goo Dolls and Cannibal Corpse have been surrounded by the checkered walls and doors and cabinets embellished with band stickers of the WBNY lounge as they performed. Now, WBNY is providing bands the opportunity to do a live remote at Spiral Scratch Records this Saturday (May 31). Local bands the Naturalists (pictured), Rustic Radio, and Dance The Hempen Jig will get together for an eclectic show to fill the basement of this record store with punk, folk, and heavy rock music. There will be a CD and WBNY merchandise giveaway. Live performances will end at 9:30pm, but the night won’t end there; guest are welcomed to bring records to spin before and after the show. No need to purchase tickets, everyone is welcomed, just bring yourself and some records!

- sara ali

4pm Spiral Scratch Records, 291 Bryant Street (882-3200 / spiralscratchrecords.blogspot.com) $3 suggested donation

Monday, June 2

Polica

Out of any city, few would have suspected that one of the most strikingly original synth-pop acts of 2011 would surface from Minneapolis, Minnesota. But thats exactly what happened when Ryan Olson got in touch with Channy Leaneagh, Chris Bierden, Ben Ivascu, and Drew Christopherson. Taking a stark turn in their individual music careers, they formed Polica, an indie-electronic outfit whose R&B tinged production and soulful vocals crossed genre barriers and deviated from prior musical objectives. Their first single, “Dark Star,” infused with shimmering hooks and organic autotune croons of Leaneagh, generated substantial buzz, landing them on the radar of the music press. Their full length, Give You The Ghost, would follow in the same vein. Part production project and part touring group, NPR has hailed their versatility: “Where Give You the Ghost gives the suggestion of a subdued live presence, Polica’s stage show heads to somewhere approaching the opposite extreme—a welcome jolt of beauty and power.” Their highly esteemed live performance can be experienced next Monday (May 2), when they’ll grace the stage at The Tralf Music Hall alongside Lolawolf (a Brooklyn based trio who has been compared to Lana Del Ray and Chromatics) and Buffalo’s own one-man electronic powerhouse, Lesionread.

- jeanette chin

7pm The Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com) $14 advance, $16 day of show

Tuesday, June 3

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

In an age when so many artists feed into trends, the proverbial “rock ceiling” is constantly being lowered to the point where popularity is rarely based on actual skill and mediocrity occupies the mainstream scene. But since 2012 the Chris Robinson Brotherhood has been rocking an expansive repertoire that sharpens the blurry line between good music and what the mainstream media deems good music. Frontman Chris Robinson has etched out his own creative musical career path by refusing to conform to modernity. His compositions are bone-chillingly good—both immersive and free-flowing —harking back to rock n’ roll’s golden age. His belief that the occult energy of cosmic rock n’ roll is still capable of shifting the cultural axis is both heroic and mildly insane—but it works. If you’re going to dive into the past, you might as well dive deep. His music recalls classic rock jam bands in the same vein as the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, yet with each album they pave their own new path. With the release of their third studio album, Phosphorescent Harvest, CRB has sufficiently stepped out of the Black Crowes’ shadow and secured a beautifully classic, yet fresh seat in the arena of rock n’ roll. The album has a somewhat unpredictable consistency to it; just when you think you’ve got a grasp on the music, they shift gears while maintaining a drum-tight sound. Chris Robinson Brotherhood will play at the Town Ballroom on Tuesday (June 3).

- kellie powell

7pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) $21 advance, $24 day of show

Wednesday, June 4

O'Connel & Company Take a Seat Auction honoring Audre J. Bunis

On Wednesday (June 4) from 5:30pm to 9:30pm O’Connell & Company in residence at the Park School will honor longtime Western New York arts advocate Audre J. Bunis with “Take a Seat,” a reception and auction fundraiser featuring the talents of Bobby Militello and Mary Kate O’Connell and friends. Proceeds from the event will be used to purchase new chairs for the Park Players / O’Connell & Company Theatre at Park. Individual tickets are $50. VIP tickets for $150 will buy a new theater seat. Take a Seat takes its name from a popular fundraiser created by Bunis at the former Studio Arena Theatre where she served on the board for many years. The silent auction event will feature an eclectic collection of painted seats, chairs, benches, and stools, as well as “seat-themed” art works, jewelry, paintings, and sculpture. In addition to the auction and entertainment, “Take a Seat” features an open bar, “hearty” hors d’oeuvres, and a dessert display. The event will be held at the theater on the Park School campus, 4625 Harlem Road, Snyder. For tickets and information call 716-848-0800.

- anthony chase

5:30pm-9:30pm The Park School, 4625 Harlem Rd (848-0800 / theparkschool.org) Individual tickets: $50, VIP: $150