The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
6pm Canalside, 44 Prime St. Buffalo (canalsidebuffalo.com) Free!
Buffalo is one The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ favorite cities to perform in. On Thursday (7/9 @6pm), they’ll be back once again for an epic show at Canalside. Over the past 30 years, the band have played thousands of shows, survived major line-up changes, a hiatus, and became known as the originators of the ska-core genre. Blending together punk, ska and hardcore, the Cambridge group started their venture into the music scene in 1984. The debut of their first album, in 1989 led to a period of intense touring and recording through the 90s. In 1997 the band’s album Let’s Face It went platinum, and the single “The Impression That I Get” became a massive hit. It was the first time the ska-core genre made it into mainstream music. The Bosstones were a major influence on the Third Wave ska scene that surfaced in the mid-90s. A few years later after the band’s commercial peak, they took a break in 2003 only to reunite in 2007. The group toured and recorded, finally producing their eighth studio album The Magic of Youth in 2011. In a world where few bands rock out with a full brass section, this outdoor summer time show will be perfect for the ska-heads and skankers of Buffalo.
> Jeffrey Czum
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Montgomery Gentry
5pm Mickey Rats, 8934 Lakeshor Rd. (549-3000 / mickeyrats.com) $15
Ever since their 1999 debut single, Hillbilly Shoes, American country music duo Montgomery Gentry has been a leading force in modern country music. Both Kentucky natives, Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have been playing together since 1990, in the band Early Tymz with Eddie’s brother, John Michael Montgomery, who later went on to pursue his own solo career. As a duo, they were called Deuce and performed in local Kentucky nightclubs. In 1999, they changed their name to Montgomery Gentry, signed with Columbia Records, and have enjoyed a long and prolific career since, having won the Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award in 2000, and nominated for numerous others. Presently with Blaster Records, their newest single released in June, Folks Like Us, keeps true to the style they’re most known for with strong, relatable lyrics and a powerful modern country sound with clear southern rock influences. This week, you can catch them at Mickey Rats on Friday night. Joining them will be special guests West of the Mark and Blood Money. The event is hosted by WYRK Country 106.5 and ticket proceeds will benefit Wings Flights of Hope, MPB Church, and St. Luke’s and Angola Food Bank.
> Greg Mach
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Kate & Corey
9:30pm Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734 / sportsmenstavern.com) $10
Back in 2010, Kate Coleman was the lead singer of a local classic rock cover band called Naughty Dawg, and Corey Coleman was the lead guitarist in local country band, 90 West. When they began dating, they quit their bands, and dedicated themselves to pursuing their music full time. Starting out as buskers on the streets of Buffalo, their music soon took them into bars, restaurants, and concert venues. They released their debut album, You’re Gonna Like Us, in 2011. In 2012, they were one of five finalists in the national final round of the 31st Annual Texaco Country Showdown, and moved to Atlanta soon after. Having released their EP, Somewhere Else Tonight, in 2015, they now perform as a full band with drummer Pete Maier and bassist Bradd Poole. What do they sound like? Most would call it Americana, or roots rock. It also has clear influences of country and bluegrass, with the occasional mandolin thrown in. Kate and Corey are truly unique artists with a unique sound. Their songs are well-written, with lyrics that both tell their story and tell who they are. Catch them this week as they return to their hometown at Sportsmens Tavern on Friday night (7/10 @9:30pm).
> Greg Mach
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Moonrise Kingdom @ Canalside
9pm Canalside, 44 Prime St. Buffalo (canalsidebuffalo.com) Free!
For those looking to spend a wonderful evening at the movies in a great atmosphere with friends and family without breaking the bank, Squeaky Wheel has teamed up with Canalside this summer to deliver Tuesday Night Flicks, a free outdoor film series held on the Great Lawn at Canalside, right near the Buffalo waterfront. This Tuesday is a very special presentation of Wes Anderson’s 7th feature, Moonrise Kingdom (2012). A film that seems to be set in its own storybook world, a cloistered island of the New England coast- it’s a bittersweet romance that follows the misadventures of adolescent runaway Suzy (Kara Hayward) and her forbidden camping trip with orphaned Khaki scout Sam (Jared Gilman). The island is also populated with typical Anderson eccentrics, including Suzy’s gloomy parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), an uptight Khaki Scout leader (Edward Norton), and a caring local police chief (Bruce Willis). By telling a story about children who act like little adults, and adults who often act like children, Anderson achieves a sort of balance that makes his signature whimsy feel more natural and emotionally charged than in some of his less-accessible efforts. It’s a typically lovely and quirky Anderson achievement, as satisfying from beginning to end as any of his pictures, and it’s playing for free Tuesday night at Canalside (7/14 @9pm).
> Jordan Canahai
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Talib Kweli
7pm Waiting Room, 334 Delaware Ave (853-5483 / waitingroombuffalo.com) $20-$25
Talib Kweli has no problems letting you know where he stands on social issues. The musician ¬– who has been writing and performing for almost 20 years, both as a solo artist and as half of Black Star, the well-respected duo he formed with Mos Def – is known for being poetic and profound. While Kweli has no problem sticking up for what he believes in, he balks at being pigeonholed in the “conscious rap” genre. It’s not that he wants to align himself with the misogyny or homophobia that is rampant in much of mainstream hip-hop, it’s that his skill as an artist is often overshadowed by his message. The so called king of “conscious rap,” revealed how uneasily he wears the title, by naming his 2013 release Prisoner of Conscious, which calls out critics, but also reads like a cry of anger at an industry seemingly intent on corralling him into the genre. No matter how you classify the Brooklyn artist, it’s going to be a powerful performance on Wednesday night at Waiting Room (7/15 @ 7pm).
> Jeffrey Czum
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"Weird Al" Yankovic
7:30pmCenter for the Arts, 103 Center For The Arts (645-6259 / ubcfa.org) $49.50
What happens to someone who doesn’t attend “Weird” Al Yankovic’s 2015 Mandatory Tour stop at UB Center for the Arts on Wednesday evening (7/15 @7:30pm)? “That’s not an option,” says Yankovic, who has built a 35-year career out of turning songs like Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” into “Eat It” and, more recently Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” into “World Crimes.” His life of parodies all started when he was a kid growing up in Lynwood, a suburb of Los Angeles. He learned the accordion as a child, playing polka and other genres. Inspired by satirists like Tom Lehrer and Allan Sherman – the No. 1 comedy album was Sherman’s My Son, the Nut, in 1963 – Yankovic began to create his own versions of tunes on the radio. In 1984, his version of “Beat It” seemed almost popular as Jackson’s original and, on MTV, made a star out of the goofball with bad glasses, curly hair, and a taste for Hawaiian shirts. Musical verisimilitude is part of what Yankovic provides ¬– it’s a form of comfort that’s slightly different from comedy. With his producers and musicians, he comes up with songs that can actually function, in a pinch, as stand-ins for the original. If you’re looking to “get weird” during a weeknight, this show will be perfect for you.
> Jeffrey Czum
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