Woody Pines
7pm Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734 / sportsmenstavern.com) $7-$10
If you missed Woody Pines back when he played in January (it’s okay, you can blame it on the snow), you can make it up to yourself this Thursday night (5/14 @7pm) at Sportmen’s Tavern. “Americana” was never a popular word for the folk musician. For him, it denoted a certain style of music that had seen its day. But he has to admit, with changing tastes among listeners today and a younger generation of musicians looking to get back to the roots of songwriting, Americana shows great promise once again. “The genre is basically people harnessing the original spirit when old time music in the ‘20s and ‘30s was a new and exciting thing,” Pine says. “Today, it’s a continuation of that sound, and it’s having a new renaissance.” The longtime acoustic artist got his start in the “pine” state of Oregon in 1998 with the popular jugband, the kitchen Syncopators. Since then, he’s led his own band and has continuously toured North America and Europe. Pines blend the sounds of new and old. From the pre-rock era of the early 50s, to modern rockabilly, and sometimes-even hip-hop, Pines is an experience worth seeing.
> Bobby Rodriguez
THU 5/14
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THU 5/14
Yelawolf
7pm Town Ballroom, 681 Main St. (852-3900 / townballroom.com) G/A $20 VIP- $99
For Yelawolf, the Alabama trailer-park-hip-hop sensation, it’s about challenging perceptions head-on and unapologetically. Cowboy boots, wool hats and biker-style ink all over his body, it’s easy for the uninitiated to make assumptions about the artist. But make no mistake; this is someone worth listening to. After several albums and a host of mixtape releases, he says that he’s just now coming into his own. He signed with Eminem’s label, Shady Records in 2011 and instantly became one to watch according to Rolling Stone and Spin. His fast paced flow enticed listeners and his backwoods “white boy style” has absolutely no predecessor. Sure, there may be traces of Twista, and a dash of Andre 3000 here and there, but Yelawolf’s twang has always been his own. He just released Love Story, an 18-track LP that came out earlier this year, which fans have welcomed with open arms. The album is a showcase of everything Yelawolf has had to battle and overcome throughout his musical career - genuity, vulnerability, and diversity. Almost every track offers a fully immersive experience that manages to implement a myriad of influences that will please listeners of multiple genres. Catch Yelawolf when he rolls through Town Ballroom on Thursday (5/14 @7pm), with Hillbilly Casino.
> Jeff Czum
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Melt-Banana
6pm Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St. (312-9279 / Buffalosmohawkplace.com) $14-$16
Like a punch to the face, Melt-Banana’s erratic noise will shower you with explosive riffs that will make your head spin. Yasuko Onuki, responsible for the band’s chirping, hyperactive vocals, and Ichirou Agata, who likes to layer his guitar tones and funnel them through an enormous pedal board – formed when the two met at Tokyo University in the early ‘90s. Nearly 25 years later, the group is still cranking out fiery albums with nonstop tour dates. They released they’re tenth studio album, Fetch back in 2013, proving that experimental thrash punk can be accessible. Despite being from Japan, Melt-Banana sings mostly in English. Onuki says she prefers the language because it fits her style of singing better. But her lyrics are typically a word salad of complete nonsense, such as “Mouse is a biscuit” or Flash cube, or eyeball.” Onukis’s freeform style of writing is actually liberating, if not disarming. No, you don’t have to color in the lines all the time. This show is sure to be chaotic and entertaining, so don’t miss them when they perform at Mohawk Place this Saturday night (5/16 @6pm).
> Geoffrey Lionel
SAT 5/16
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SAT 5/16
Hey Rosetta!
6:30pm The Studio @ Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (853-5483 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $14-$16
Very few indie/rock bands have built the kind of loyal following that Hey Rosetta! has achieved over the years. In their 10th year of producing music together, the Newfoundland group has developed an arsenal of soft, chiming, and soaring albums that mesh indie pop with traditional orchestral influences. Founded in 2005, after vocalist Tim Baker returned from a road trip with a catalog of songs, the band has amassed a devoted following for their intimate songs and energized shows. It was while recording their breakthrough album in 2008, Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) that Baker began to realize his remarkable vocal and lyrical abilities, and the band made a huge creative leap forward. The spent nearly three years of the road and were names one of the top five Canadian acts to watch by Billboard Magazine. Their newest record, Second Sight was released last year and has already become a fan favorite. It demonstrates the bands ability to write a powerful pop anthem in the intricate tune “Kinstsukroi”, and their artistry in the intangible melodies that hold “Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)” together. The outfit reflects a culture from their island town that graces the eastern edge of North America that’s tucked away from most eyes: the legacy of a life at sea, the quiet downtown of St. Joins, and the blissful setting of the province’s best record show. Catch these guys when they make their way to the Studio @ Waiting Room on Saturday night (5/16 @6:30pm).
> Jeff Czum
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The Rizdales:
A Tribute to Ray Price
4pm Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734 / sportsmenstavern.com) $10
The critically acclaimed London, Ontario band, The Rizdales will be performing the music of legendary country artist, Ray Price at Sportsmen’s Tavern this Sunday (5/17 @4pm). This tribute show is inspired by the band’s most recent release, Blue Ain’t The Word – A Tribute To The Music of Ray Price, which came out last year to honor and remember the country musician who passed away in December of 2013. Called ‘the best country band in North America’ by EYE magazine, The Rizdales present fans with straight up country music with an edge. Led by the happily married song writing team Tom and Tara Dunphy, the group breathes new life into timeless Ray Price classics in their 15-song collection that evokes the sound, feel, and ambience of classic country tunes. As a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, Price earned multiple Grammy and Country Music Awards during a career that spanned for 65 years. His records stand among the most versatile, ranging from honky-tonk to western swing and beyond. Come join The Rizdales as they perform country classics with special guests, Dee Adams, Dwane Hall, Jim Whitford, and Carl Eddy. Opening the show will be Buffalo’s own Steam Donkeys. This is one show you won’t want to miss.
> Jeff Czum
SUN 5/17
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SUN 5/17
Pile w/ Johns & the Slums
7pm Mohawk Place, 47 E Mohawk St. (312-9279 / Buffalosmohawkplace.com) $7
Rock n’ roll can be a lot of things: Dangerous, sexy, stupid and even obnoxious. For Pile, rock n’ roll is crazed. The chaotic Boston band delights in riffs that pop monster truck wheelies off the side of cliffs. The careening croon and yelp of vocalist Rick Maquire sets the tone for their music while a pummeling punk rhythm section eggs it all on. After listening to “The World is Your Motel,” the first track on their most recent LP, You’re Better Than This, you’ll hear a lot of intense sounds exploding from the band’s instruments all at once. There’s the ragged, dissonant interplay between the guitars and the bruising rumble that’s kicked up between bass player Matt Conery and drummer Kriss Kuss. They will be joined at Mohawk Place this Sunday night (5/17 @7pm) with two great Buffalo acts, JOHNS and The Slums. If you’re in the mood for a night of balanced noise rock, post-hardcore, and late 90’s rock n’ roll, these bands all have what it takes to leave you feeling satisfied.
> Jeff Czum
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