Summer Concert Guide: Jeff Miers previews July shows
News Pop Music Critic Jeff Miers gives his take on the season’s biggest shows
July 2
Zappa Plays Zappa (5 p. m., Lafayette Square; free): Last year, the rain, wind and lightning cut Zappa Plays Zappa’s Thursday at the Square show a bit short. The band is coming back to make good on the truncated gig – though it should be acknowledged that, even though its show was cut by more than an hour, the gig was still 90 minutes long, which is longer than most bands play anyway. Some changes in Z-Plays-Z land: Singer/guitarist Ray White quit (via e-mail, according to the Zappa Web site KillUglyRadio. com!) and, after strenuous auditions, the band has hired an unknown singer named Ben Thomas. Apparently, Thomas walked into the audition, nailed the all-but-impossible “Inca Roads” the first time through, and was hired on the spot. How cool is that?
July 3
The Great Blue Heron Music Festival (2361 Wait Corners Road, Sherman; $25 to $65. Also takes place on July 4 and 5): A few highlights of this year’s Blue Heron Festival include our own John and Mary & the Valkyries, Donna the Buffalo, Rusted Root, Jim Donovan, Alison Pipitone and the Steve Johnson Band.
Jam in the Valley featuring Big&Rich, Cowboy Troy and Gretchen Wilson (local opener begins at 4:45 p. m., Buffalo Hill Village, 1619 Route 20A, Varysburg; $40 to $85. Also takes place on July 4 featuring Billy Currington and Gary Allan, with local opener beginning at 3:45 p. m.): I’m not sure how much actual jamming will be taking place at the Jam in the Valley, but with the Music Mafia-based triple bill of Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy handling the musical end of things to kick things off, I would reasonably expect to see plenty of line dancing and a cowboy hat or two.
Our Lady Peace with Inland Eyes and the Incurables (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Another of the many newly reformed bands passing through town this summer, Canada’s Our Lady Peace is dropping its first new album in more than five years and kicking off its tour as part of the Canal Concert Series.
July 4 TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
July 5
Three Dog Night (7 p. m., Holiday Valley, Ellicottville; $25): Four fully tenured members remain in the Three Dog Night ranks, so don’t expect this to be one of those “the drum tech is the only original guy in the band” shows. Since conquering the diminishing effects of time, shifting public tastes and copious drug abuse—and the inevitable episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music” a few years back—the heavenly harmonies of this beloved ’70s band have returned to stake their claim.
July 7
The Guess Who(6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Be forewarned: This particular version of the famed Canadian band might reasonably be called “the Guess Who It Isn’t.” While not having all original members in tow does not necessarily mean a solid show won’t be offered, fans should be aware that neither Burton Cummings nor Randy Bachman will be in attendance at Artpark. (Bachman will play as part of the Canal Concert Series in Lockport on Aug. 21). The touring version of the Guess Who includes founding members Garry Peterson (drums) and Jim Kale (bass), with newer recruits Leonard Shaw, Derek Sharp and Laurie Mackenzie rounding out the lineup.
July 9
Los Lonely Boys (5 p. m., Lafayette Square; free): Los Lonely Boys has perfected its self-described “Texican” rock ’n’ roll over the course of more than a decade together. By now, the trio offers a torrid live show mixing blues, R&B, country and more than enough grace and grit to appeal to the guitar-lovers in the crowd, thanks to the acclaimed six-string work of frontman Henry Garza.
July 10
The Cult with Ours and Chylde (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): If you caught the reformed Cult the last time the band passed through Buffalo – the scene was the Town Ballroom, the atmosphere, to borrow an album title from the band, was electric – you know that Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy and Co. aren’t messing around. Seeing the Cult when it’s really on suggests what it might be like to see Jim Morrison fronting AC/DC. With the baffling vocal abilities of the Jeff Buckley-like Ours frontman Jimmy Gnecco added to the bill, and an opening set from Buffalo’s own version of the Sword, Chylde, this date in Lockport should be circled and starred.
Nickelback with Hinder, Papa Roach and Saving Abel (6 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $35 to $79.50): If you’re preparing a meal out of nothing but white bread, and hoping to spice things up a bit, would adding three more slices of white bread do the trick? I’m just asking…
Josh Turner (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $37): Turner is one of the new breed of young buck country singer-songwriters, and he’s clearly one of the best. A product of rural South Carolina, Turner’s music stands out from the pack due to its deep traditional country tendencies and clarity of his lyric writing and singing voice.
July 11
Rascal Flatts with Darius Rucker (8 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $35.25 to $75.75): You’ll be interested to know that Rascal Flatts comes to Darien Lake as part of its “American Living Tour 2009.” That sounds like an honest-to-goodness moniker for a country music tour, no? Well, sure. But here’s a bit of background. “American Living” is the name of a clothing line created by (and sold exclusively at) JCPenney, the tour’s sponsor. “American Living” is also the name of a Rascal Flatts song written for the sponsorship campaign. For each show during the tour, band members will perform in “American Living” apparel. Well, ain’t that America. I’m thinking of getting all rebellious and wearing a T-shirt I purchased at Target to the show.
TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
July 13
Ani DiFranco (8 p. m., Artpark Mainstage Theater; $20 to $35): For the first time in several years, DiFranco will play a local gig outside the warm environs of her Babeville concert club—and she has picked the right place to do it. With the finest live band she has yet assembled—bassist Todd Sickafoose, drummer Allison Miller, percussionist Mike Dillon —DiFranco is riding a career high.
July 14
Chubby Checker and the Wildcats (7:30 p. m., Fairgrounds Gaming and Raceway; free): Let’s twist again. And again. And again…
Grand Funk Railroad (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Can there really be a Grand Funk Railroad without guitarist Mark Farner? You’ll have to tell me. The 2009 touring lineup of Grand Funk, the one that will be marking the group’s 40th anniversary this summer, is comprised of founding members Don Brewer and Mel Schacher, with new recruits in singer Max Carl (.38 Special), guitarist Bruce Kulick (Kiss) and keyboardist Tim Cashion (Bob Seger) filling in for the AWOL Farner.
Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd (6:30 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $30 to $225): Too perfect. Kid Rock gets to play with his heroes. All this show needs is the appearance of Bob Seger, and the holy trinity of dirt-rock would be in full evidence. Guaranteed to be a good time, with smoking guitar riffs aplenty.
July 15
Big Bad Vodoo Daddy (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Swing music revivalists of the first tier, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is sitting pretty following the open-armed reception granted the recent release of its Cab Calloway tribute album “How Big Can You Get?,” a collection that celebrates both the legendary Calloway’s contributions to swing and the blend of enthusiasm and chops BBVD brings to the table. Good luck standing still at this one.
July 16
George Clinton&Parliament/ Funkadelic (5 p. m., Lafayette Square; free): This Thursday at the Square date was originally filled with a performance by Primus bassist Les Claypool and his band, but a last-minute cancellation threw a monkey wrench into that plan. Kudos to the Square promoters for filling the gap with the king of funk, George Clinton. Dancing, by the way, is not optional at this concert. It’s required.
Dark Star Orchestra with Keller Williams (6 p. m., Artpark Mainstage Theater; $30): Clearly, if you’re a jam-band fan, your summer schedule filled up pretty quickly this year, what with the reformed Dead on the road, Phish making another run for the roses, and everyone from Gov’t Mule to Umphrey’s McGee to the Allman Brothers Band committed to shows between June and September. But make time for Dark Star Orchestra’s inspired readings of classic Grateful Dead shows. The one-man improv ensemble Keller Williams in the opening slot doesn’t hurt, either.
Vans Warped Tour featuring NOFX, Bad Religion, Flogging Molly and more. (Noon, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $30): This, for fans of classic punk, hardcore and newer permutations of these forms, is the show that offers the most bang for the buck. No, you can’t possibly catch every band during a Warped Tour date – too many things are happening simultaneously on too many different stages – but on a good, clear day, you get the feeling of walking down a city street with a wide variety of sounds blasting out of open windows and off of front porches where friends who called in sick for the day clutch cold beers and bob their heads in time to the tunes. (This, coincidentally, is close to my personal image of heaven.)
July 17
Kim Mitchell with Jeremy Hoyle Band and Friendly Fire (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Light your “Patio Lanterns,” nurse your “Battle Scar,” daydream of “A Million Vacations,” get into the “Akimbo Alogo” state of mind, and beat it on down to see perennial Western New York favorite, former Max Webster leader, and now, weekly Q107 FM radio host Kim Mitchell. Always a good time.
LeAnn Rimes (8 p. m., Seneca Allegany Events Center; $30 to $50, on sale at noon Monday): Though her name has been bandied about in the more gossip-obsessed corners of the media pretty often of late, LeeAnn Rimes doesn’t seem to be too particularly bothered by the unwanted attention. She’s spending the summer doing what she does best: letting her love for country icon Patsy Cline shine on the concert stage.
July 18
The Robert Cray Band with the John Hammond Trio and Indigenous (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): Three very different takes on the blues. Cray is a soulful crooner doused in R&B; Hammond is a conduit to both Chicago and the Mississippi Delta, a traditionalist with a simultaneous tendency toward the unexpected; Indigenous melds blues to rock and offers a Native American interpretation of the form. A mini blues-fest, then.
July 19
The Black Crowes (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): This one poses a major dilemma. It falls on the same evening as Wilco’s show at Artpark. Do you choose avant-garde alt-country-rock in the Niagara Gorge, or sweaty Southern-tinged “rawk” on the waterfront? Either way, you win.
Maxwell (7:30 p. m., Shea’s Performing Arts Center; $39.50 to $125, on sale at 10 a. m. May 30): The golden-throated progenitor of neo-soul will drop his first new album in nearly a decade, “Black,” just prior to arriving for this performance inside Shea’s.
Wilco with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band (7 p. m., Artpark Mainstage Theater; $32 to $36): Nels Cline. It’s all about Nels Cline. Wilco’s lead guitarist is in a field of one. Of course, the rest of the band is stellar, too. A new album to promote, a beautiful venue and an interesting opening band in the form of Conor Oberst’s new collective – this one can’t miss.
July 21
54-40 (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): You’ll see a theme developing here, as you glance across the broad expanse of live music being offered to the music-cognoscente at Artpark this summer. Yup, there’s a whole lotta Canadian love being thrown your way, and who but a fool denies love? Sloan, the Hip, the Trews and, of course, 54-40, another fully tenured northern band now past its 20th anniversary and still delivering the goods.
July 22
The Doobie Brothers (8:30 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $35 Canadian and up. Additional performance at 8:30 p. m. July 23.): The long train just keeps on runnin’.
Tinsley Ellis with the Nighthawks (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Atlanta Magazine recently referred to Tinsley Ellis as “the most significant blues artist to emerge from Atlanta since Blind Willie McTell,” a statement that is both hyperbolic and pretty darned close to the truth. A fiery guitarist who shares Deep South, blues-rock roots with the likes of fellow pickers Duane Allman, Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes, Ellis is also a soulful singer of the first tier. This one should kill.
July 23
Neko Case (5 p. m., Lafayette Square; free): Neko Case’s show at the Square might prove to be the sleeper hit of the summer. I haven’t seen her since a Toronto gig a few years back, when she opened for Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. (Tough crowd that night! But Case and Co. were great.) With a new album that is already being hailed as one of the year’s best by many critics, Case is in an enviable position: She’s an alt-rock darling who actually has earned the right to be considered such.
July 24
Lita Ford with Sass Jordan and Flyin’ Blind (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Ladies’ night. Rocker Lita Ford— former member of the Runaways, onetime spouse of Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi (that gives anyone instant cred), and all-around guitar-slinging ne’er-dowell— teams with her Canadian doppelganger Sass Jordan for one night only. Awesome, dude.
Billy Joel and Elton John (7:30 p. m., HSBC Arena; $49.50 to $179.50): Both of these guys are wonderful songwriters. We’ve been treated to their “Face to Face” concerts twice over the past seven years. Let’s hope they alter the set list this time around!
Gordon Lightfoot (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $37): One of Canada’s finest singer-songwriters— which is really saying something, since that particular field also includes the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell—Lightfoot continues a healthy yearly touring regimen. Like the man himself, Gord’s songs have aged incredibly well.
Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band (9 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $20 Canadian and up): Born out of a Steppenwolf Theatre production of Tennessee Williams’ “Streetcar Named Desire,” which starred both Gary Sinise and Kimo Williams, the Lt. Dan Band has since grown into a world-traveling ensemble that covers, as Sinise writes on the band’s Web site, “everything from Springsteen to Linkin Park, Aretha to Hendrix.”
July 25
Billy Squier (8 p. m., Seneca Allegany Events Center; $20 to $40, on sale at noon Tuesday): He spent 2006 and 2007 touring as part of Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band, but Billy Squier hasn’t mounted his own full-blown band tour in many a moon. This summer, he has pulled out all the stops and crammed the summer months with tour dates, during which he promises to highlight songs from every aspect of his career –from the early days heading the band Piper, through his power pop-meets-Zeppelin ’80s heyday, right up through the present.
July 28
Starship starring Mickey Thomas (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Another show raising the question, “Who is entitled to the band name?” (See also the Guess Who, the Outlaws and Grand Funk Railroad.) Apparently, Thomas, who sang with Paul Kantner and Co. during the late ’70s and ’80s, providing the vocals for several helium-voiced hits, can use the “Starship” bit, but must steer clear of the “Jefferson.” OK, then. Expect to hear the songs Thomas helped make famous.
July 29
The Trews (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Here’s yet another argument for strong, involved, fully engaged parenting. Brothers Colin and John Angus MacDonald, two-fourths of the mighty Canadian outfit the Trews, grew up listening to their parents’ record collection, which included the best of ’60s and ’70s rock. Is it any surprise that, like that other brother-led outfit the Black Crowes, the Trews ended up with more than a little Humble Pie churning around in their guts? The band will arrive at Artpark with a great new album to promote in the form of “No Time for Later.”
July 30
The Avett Brothers with Cornmeal (5 p. m., Lafayette Square; free): It’s not surprising that someone finally came up with a hyphenated descriptive to define the music of the Avett Brothers. “Grunge-grass” is both hilarious and not quite on-the-money, though it does offer a hint of the band’s ability to blend folk-based genres and present the resulting hybrid with plenty of rock attitude. Not your father’s folk, then, but instead, a refreshing new amalgamation of sonics and soul. Opener Cornmeal is rapidly becoming a buzz band on both the jam-band and modern-bluegrass circuits. The Chicagobased quintet is, according to JamBase.com, “known for their vast musical repertoire, lightning fast tempos, and impeccable harmonies.” Sounds good to me.
Cyndi Lauper and Rosie O’- Donnell (8:30 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $35 Canadian and up. Additional performance at 9 p. m. July 31.): The “True Colors/Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” tour combines the buoyant pop of Cyndi Lauper with the comedy of Rosie O’Donnell. No, I don’t have any idea why, but thanks for asking.
Rise Against with Rancid and Billy Talent (6 p. m., Agri-Center on the Hamburg Fairgrounds; $32): A modern punk triple bill of considerable proportions. Rise Against brings a touch of hardcore to the table; Rancid, ska and a clear-eyed appreciation for the late, great Joe Strummer; Billy Talent, an enthusiastic desire to make punk classicism sound fresh and modern.
July 31
Queensryche with Dave Constantino and Billy Draws Two (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Hot on the heels of the release of their ambitious new concept album “American Soldier,” progressive metal outfit Queensryche makes its first area appearance in many a moon. Former Talas guitarist Dave Constantino and his band will open.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments