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Ben Jelen w/Standard of Living & Alura (April 12)

Saturday, April 12

Ben Jelen has it all. The 28-year old Scottish-born American-raised wunderkind has seemingly unending musical chops—singing, writing, playing guitar, piano, and violin—and the kind of boyish good looks that you see in magazines. The latter fact was not lost on Fearless Management honcho Joseph Janus, who had plans to make Jelen a model upon initially discovering him. But Jelen resisted diving into fashion spreads, insisting that music was his path, and since 2004 he hasn’t slowed. 2007 saw Jelen issue the album Ex-Sensitive (Custard Records) which garnered glowing reviews. He also covered Lennon’s “Woman” for Amnesty International’s Free Darfur compilation and saw his track “Come On” in the trailer for the Jack Nicholson film The Bucket List. For the past two years, Jelen has made a big splash at SXSW, sharing stages and holding his own with an array of acts like Amy Winehouse, Vampire Weekend, Spoon, and X. Buffalo’s own Standard of Living are co-headling with Jelen on this run of the East Coast and Midwest, taking their soaring, melodic brand of pop rock to the masses. Behind Josh Rabenold’s evocative lyrics and driving piano and along with Ken Stiver’s precise but infectious guitar, SOL is finally getting the chance to play bigger stages and show why they are one of Western New York’s finest. Their mid-tour stop back home in Buffalo promises to be a memorable one. Alura opens up, in their debut show, and following, at 10pm, local band the Found will throw their CD Release Party with special guests Handsome Jack and Chylde.

—donny kutzbach

6:30pm. Mohawk Place, 47 E. Mohawk Street

(855-3931/mohawkplace.com). $10

(852-5000/www.ticketmaster.com) or $12/day of show.