Big Mean Sound Machine
8pm. The 9th Ward, 341 Delaware Ave. (babevillebuffalo.com/852-3835) $13 presale $15 door
Big Mean Sound Machine is a band that truly lives up to its name. Formed in Ithaca in 2009, the 11-piece ensemble’s goal is to create music that stimulates both mind and body, through a thunderous dance party that fuses Afrobeat, Jazz, Funk, and Psychedelia. BMSM’s collective of over a dozen East Coast artists bring together the musical languages of West Africa, Latin America, the Carribean, and North America. Through a unique fusion of funky bass, moog synths, rhythm guitars, driving percussion, and an impressive horn section, they create a lush bed of rhythm and melody that hardcore fans of traditional funk and avant-garde jazz will embrace— along with everyone in between. BMSM’s current national tour in support of their latest album, the critically lauded Contraband, is the most extensive and ambitious in the band’s history. Now, music fans in Buffalo can join the party when BMSM brings the funk to Babeville this Friday.
> Jordan Canahai
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Skinny Puppy
7:30pm. Rapids Theatre, 1711 Main St., Niagara Falls (www.rapidstheatre.com), $25-$30
Since their formation, avant-industrial group Skinny Puppy has put out 15 albums and developed a cult following. Known for their activist-minded lyrics, theatrical horror-themed aesthetic, and use of sampling—melding noise, ambient, new wave and electronic styles—Skinny Puppy founders cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre got together in Vancouver, British Columbia and released their debut cassette Back and Forth in 1982. This was followed by the EP Remission in 1984, with producer David “Rave” Ogilvie, with whom they worked on subsequent albums. This collaboration, plus the addition of keyboardist Dwayne Goettel, solidified their distinct style and sound and led to well-received albums 86’s Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse, 87’s Cleanse, Fold, and Manipulate, and 88’s VIVIsectVI. The 1990s found the group in disagreement and near dissolution, followed by the death of Goettel in 1995, but by 2000 Key and Ogre had repaired the rift and continued making music. Excepts from their latest album, 2013’s Weapon, a thought provoking take on gun violence, can be heard live if you head over to the Rapids Theatre this Friday night, where they’re sure to put on a dark and gloriously gothic show. They’ll be joined by special guests Youth Code.
> Erica Ladd
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Joe Krown Trio
8:30pm. Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst St. (874-7734/sportsmenstavern.com) $20 advance/$25 door
Coming up from New Orleans where they play every Sunday at the legendary Maple Leaf Bar, the Joe Krown Trio featuring Walter “Wolfman” Washington on guitar/vocals and Russell Batiste Jr. on drums/vocals will be spicing up the stage at the Sportsmen’s Tavern this Saturday as part of the ongoing Big Easy in Buffalo Series. Krown, known for his mastery of the Hammond B3 organ, was the keyboardist for Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown from 1992 until his passing in the fall of 2005. This lineup has released three CDs, including Live at the Maple Leaf, Triple Threat, and their most recent Soul Understanding, to wide critical praise. Washington, who also plays with his own band the Roadmasters, has been a staple on the New Orleans music scene for decades and is known for his blistering guitar work and soulful vocals. Batiste, who hails from a musical family, started playing the drums at age four and has played with N.O. acts such as Papa Grows Funk, Harry Connick, Jr., and Maceo Parker. The show will appeal to anyone with an appetite for that real authentic New Orleans sound. Local favorite Leroy Townes, who recently received the Jim Lauderdale songwriting award from the Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation, opens up the evening.
> Buck Quigley
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July Talk
7pm Town Ballroom, 681 S. Main St. (852-3900/townballroom.com) $16—$19
Rambunctious fun is what Toronto-based alt-rock/blues band July Talk brings to their live performances. Formed in 2012, the five member band, consisting of singers Peter Dreimanis and Leah Fay, guitarist Ian Docherty, bassist Josh Warburton and drummer Danny Miles, is known for the catchy, danceable, guitar ripping tunes from their self-titled debut album July Talk and the onstage chemistry between Dreimanis and Fay. He with the gravelly voice and snarl, she with the hair-flipping, bubbly, sex kitten prowl: the two of them complement each other and approach each performance with a great deal of vigor. The one album they’ve released so far is full of fun songs, from fan favorite “Summer Dress” to “Paper Doll” and “Guns +Ammunition”...they’re all good. The band was also nominated for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the 2014 Canadian Juno Awards. Their star is on the rise, so don’t miss them at the Town Ballroom this Saturday where they’ll play tunes from their not-yet-released, highly-anticipated sophomore album and take to the stage alongside Little Hurricane and Two Cow Garage.
> Erica Ladd
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The Indigo Girls
8pm. Asbury Hall at Babeville, 341 Delaware Ave. (babevillebuffalo.com/852-3835) $30 advance/$35 day of show
Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, better known as the Indigo Girls, have come a long way from their humble beginnings playing gigs around Emory University in Atlanta. But then, they’ve known each other since elementary school. After releasing their first self-produced full-length record in 1987, they signed with Epic Records the following year and their career together took off. By 1990, they had a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album to their credit. Their iconoclastic brand of folk rock has never shied from political activism, and they’ve often become involved in environmental causes. They also proudly identified as lesbian, long before being “out” was as commonplace as it is today. With One Lost Day, the duo’s current release and sixteenth studio album, their creative marriage has grown more nuanced. While they lead separate lives and enjoy independent projects, it’s always special when the Girls play together. As Saliers says: “We both embrace the struggle, share the same energy. We are sisters in our embrace of life. Observers.” That is the magic that their loyal fans will be out to absorb at Asbury Hall on Saturday night.
> Buck Quigley
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Dopapod
8pm. Tralf Music Hall 622 Main St. (tralfmusichall.com/852-2860) $16 presale/$18 door
With no regard for stylistic boundaries, the strange, singular sound that emerges from the Boston-based Progressive Jam Band Dopapod is many things, among them progressive, psychedelic, funky, pop-laced, heavy, and soulful, just to name a few. In the past four years, the Berkeley-born quartet has come a long way from their College basement, DIY party roots through constant touring and career-making performances at festivals like Wakarusa, Summer Camp, Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, Peach Fest, and Gathering of the Vines. Dopapod has developed into one of the most exciting and buzzed-about bands on the jam-band scene. Credit that to the extraordinary talents of guitarist Rob Compa, bassist Chuck Jones, and drummer Scotty Zwang, who outfit keyboardist Winderman’s danceable synth motifs with rockin’ guitar riffs and funktastic beats. In addition to their serious instrumental skills and ability to collectively improvise during their acclaimed live shows, Dopapod is a major songwriting force as well. This is evidenced by their four outstanding studio albums, most recently 2014’s Never Odd or Even, which they’re still out supporting on the road.
> Jordan Canahai
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