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See You There!

Artvoice's weekly round-up of featured events, including our editor's pick for the week: various Independence Day festivities this holiday weekend.

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.



Independence Day

Friday, July 4

The Queen City Cartel is back with a special Independence Day version of their monthly Boombox party. This time it’s at the Gypsy Parlor (376 Grant St.) and will feature DJ sets from Eyes Everywhere, Medison, Swagglerock, and Josh Yourmoms. 10pm-4am.

- av staff

Various times / locations

Friday - Sunday, July 4 - 6

Great Blue Heron Festival

The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, New York is always one of the most talked-about regional festivals each summer. This year, the three day festival will feature a lot of names well known to people in Western New York, including Donna The Buffalo (pictured), Jimkata, Big Leg Emma, Smackdab, Honey Spine, Black Rock Zydeco, 12/8 Path Band, The Horse Flies, and many more. The festival, which has been a summer tradition since 1992, is a great place for music lovers to camp out and relax amidst the rolling hills of Sherman. Over 100 acts will be spread across the Main Stage, and a dance tent, while activities like songwriters’ circles, instrumental workshops, drum circles, dance classes, and hiking take place throughout the site. The Great Blue Heron Music Festival is this Independence Day weekend, Friday (July 4) through Sunday (July 6). For more info, visit greatblueheron.com.

- cory perla

9am Friday to dusk Sunday, 2361 Waits Corners Rd, Sherman (greatblueheron.com). $80 pre-sale weekend pass, $90 weekend gate price, $40 Friday, Saturday, or Sunday gate price, $40 youth ticket anytime, children under 12 free

Sunday, July 5

Shadows Fall

Over their 19 years of existence thrash metal band Shadows Fall have become known as road warriors. Writing music and touring is all this Massachusetts-based four piece knows how to do. The band that formed in 1995 has gone through their fair share of line-up changes, in fact recently the band’s longtime guitarist Jon Donais joined legendary metal band Anthrax...but decided to also remain as leader of Shadows Fall. Pulling double duty, it’s possible that Donais has not been able to concentrate fully on Shadows Fall—the band has not put out a record since 2012’s Fire From the Sky, their seventh studio album featuring break-neck tracks like “The Unknown”—but they insist that they never stop writing, even when on tour. Shadows Fall will stop at Broadway Joe’s when the band comes through Buffalo on Saturday (July 5). Support by Dead by Wednesday, I’m From The Government And I’m Here To Help, From The Sky, and The Long Cold Dark.

- cory perla

7pm Broadway Joe’s, 3051 Main St. $15 advance, $18 day of show

Tuesday, July 8

Man Man

Over the past decade, wolfish Philadelphia band, Man Man, has earned a reputation as an animated troupe of vaudevillian anarchists, and one of the most beautifully chaotic bands you’re likely to witness live. Rooted in indie, they have a feral, hobo-Zappa sound that’s reliant on pure rhythm—it’s untamed, yet methodical. Like their unpredictable song structure, Man Man’s lineup has fluctuated throughout its 10-year existence with frontman, Ryan Kattner (aka Honus Honus) and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Powell (aka Pow Pow) as the only constants. The duo collaborated on their latest album, On Oni Pond, and the result is a hook-focused album that serves up a smorgasbord of styles: dance punk to rock ‘n’ soul to new wave psychedelia and little time wasted in transition. They shrewdly bring order to disorder by deploying their Zappa-esque eccentricities with purpose and avoid sounding wacky for wackiness’ sake. Still though, they haven’t completely abandoned their off-kilter inclinations. In concert, you can still expect their hallmarks: the zing-zipping guitar and the circus slaps of electric organ unwinding with a certain measure of giddy restraint before losing themselves to a violent, but always metered, burst of overzealous drums and frantic keys. Man Man will perform at the Tralf Music Hall at Tuesday (July 8).

- kellie powell

8pm The Tralf Music Hall, 622 Main St. (852-2860 / tralfmusichall.com) $15 advance/$17 day of show

Tuesday, July 8

Vans Warped Tour

In 2001, Blink 182 sang of a rebellious teen love affair on “Rock Show” where the magic began: “I couldn’t wait for the summer and the Warped Tour/I remember that’s the first time that I saw her.” In 1995 the Vans Warped Tour began as a punk showcase, but over the last 20 years the annual traveling festival has matured, bending to the will of changing times and, in doing so, proving that punk has more to offer than anarchy. This annual traveling festival now combines the realms of punk, metal, hip-hop and electronic, featuring over 100 bands. Warped Tour has historically acted as a launch pad for big-name acts. Green Day, Sublime, No Doubt, Fall Out Boy and Paramore are just a few past participants. This year’s lineup is fresh and seasoned with some of punk’s greats like Bowling For Soup (pictured). Other veteran performers include: Yellowcard, Less Than Jake, Finch, Saves the Day, Mayday Parade, the Maine, and We The Kings. On the other end of the genre circuit is rhyme-master, K. Flay. She raps in the same vein as Lil’ Kim and her fresh voice has already taken the underground by storm. Mosh-pitters can rock out to electro-emo-metal hits by Breathe Carolina or get down to the “surfs up” tremolo riffing garage punk band, Plague Vendor. With plenty of giveaways, Warped Tour is notoriously a great spot to add some new bands to your iTunes library. The Vans Warped Tour stops at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center on Tuesday (July 8).

- kellie powell

11am Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, 9993 Allegheny Rd. (585-599-4641 /darienlake.com) $48.50

Thursday, July 10

Deltron 3030

After having released a long anticipated sequel to their eponymous debut in 2000, Deltron 3030 have been on the road in support of Event II since early spring and much to the delight of this city, they will be playing at the Waiting Room next Thursday (July 10). The alternative hip hop trio is comprised of rapper Del the Funky Homosapien, who most of us have heard in Gorillaz “Clint Eastwood,” Dan “The Auomator” Nakumura, who produced the Gorillaz eponymous album, and last but not least, DJ Kid Koala, renown for being able to evoke story-like expression through his turntablism. The brainchild between the all star cast of hip hop veterans is a concept rap project that takes place in a future Dystopia. Through their first album, they quickly garnered acclaim as a socially conscious rap outfit and Event II follows the same course- responding to social movements of the last decade including Occupy Wallsteet, the Arab Spring, the Madoff scandal, and more. Hip Hop DX magazine recently described the trio as “Part Orwellian, part Star Wars, and all Hip Hop.” Next Thursday presents the perfect opportunity to experience all of the syllabic punches, cinematic stabs, crisp break beats and comic enlightenment the Deltron 3030 can dish out.

- jeanette chin

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

Thursday, July 10

Fitz and the Tantrums with The Albrights

Thrilling soul-influenced indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums takes the stage this week as part of the Canalside summer concert series. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, the band is comprised of six members. Led by John Fitzpatrick, manning the keys and lead vocals, Fitz and The Tantrums has been the band to keep an eye on since 2010, after their debut album Pickin’ Up The Pieces made billboard charts. Notably, frontman Fitzpatrick made the executive decision not to spotlight a guitar in the band. Instead, the band specially syncs the sounds of flute, percussion, keyboard, and bass in creating distinctive musical fusion. Released in May 2013, album More Than Just A Dream, features hit singles “The Walker” and “Out of My League.” Have a listen to get a feel for the indie pop sextet. Excitingly, opening act, The Albrights, is an alternative rock band native to Buffalo. In anticipation of their upcoming, self-titled second album, the Albrights will set the tone for the evening with jams from their debut album Ask, Tell in addition to their new single “Soundwave.” Catch both acts for free on Thursday (July 10) at Canalside.

- hannah epstein

6pm to 10pm Canalside, 1 Navel Park Cove (canalsidebuffalo.com) FREE!