Descended from late 20th century roots-rock purveyors the Saddletramps, Canadian Americana band Loomer makes the trip down from Toronto Friday night to share the kind of music that’s been selling out rooms in their hometown. The six-piece band—Scott Loomer, Andrew Lindsay, and Brian Duguay on vocals and guitars, with Mike Taylor on keyboards, and rhythm section John Dehaas and Iain Thomson—has been around since 1999, but they really kicked things up a notch with the self-release of Love is a Dull Instrument a few years back. The album garnered very positive reviews, both for singer/songwriter Scott Loomer’s great material and for the band’s polished delivery. The disk served as a springboard to the UK, where a successful tour solidified a strong English following. (Eh, Wot?! English Americana?!) But don’t for a minute think that there isn’t a “Buffalo connection” at play here. Turns out our own Jim Whitford has been playing pedal steel with Loomer in Toronto. He’ll also be with them at Sportsmen’s, and he’ll accompany them on a three week UK tour this August, as Rounder Europe releases their current album, Songs of the Wild West Island across the pond. This will be a great night to go out after the Sabres game and hear a hot band from Toronto. And buy them a drink, please, because a recent visit to the Maple Leafs’ web site shows it hasn’t been updated in weeks, and features a forlorn-looking crawl touting the upcoming NHL draft. Pitiful.

Friday, May 4 at 9:30. Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst Street (874-7734). Free.