Summer Concert Guide: Jeff Miers previews August shows
News Pop Music Critic Jeff Miers gives his take on the season’s biggest shows
Aug. 1
Bruce Hornsby&the Noise-makers with Martin Sexton (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): Hornsby is about to drop a new studio album with his band, the Noisemakers, and it sounds like it’s going to be an interesting affair. Of the 13 new songs comprising the record, one is a co-write between Hornsby and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, and another is a take on Sun Ra’s “Space Is the Place,” with guitar work handled by no less a personage than Eric Clapton. That should liven things up a bit!
TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
Aug. 2
Gov’t Mule (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): Squeezing in a run of shows with his Gov’t Mule between an artistically and commercially successful spring stint with the Dead and a late summer/fall run with the Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes proves himself to be the hardest-working guitarist/vocalist going. This would mean little if he wasn’t also one of the most consistently excellent. This Mule never fails to kick.
Kingdom Bound featuring Salvador (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, $25 to $105): Day one of the annual Christian music fest Kingdom Bound kicks off with Latin-tinged God-rockers Salvador in the top slot. The band blends a Southern funk with more mainstream Christian pop tendencies.
Aug. 3
Kingdom Bound featuring Casting Crowns (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, $25 to $105): Day two of Kingdom Bound ups the ante a bit, with Casting Crowns –a Kingdom Bound mainstay, and one of the most consistently popular bands in Christian rock –headlining the proceedings. Few bands have managed to muster the secular- Christian crossover appeal Casting Crowns possesses.
Aug. 4
The Grass Roots starring Rob Grill (7:30 p. m., Fairgrounds Gaming and Raceway; free): This band’s family tree boasts some seriously twisted roots. Originally a ’60s version of the “boy band” phenomenon, put together under the auspices of Dunhill Records, the San Francisco group quickly evolved into something much more. By the time bassist/singer Rob Grill joined the band in 1967, the Grass Roots were riding high on the song “Let’s Live for Today,” and eager to seize the reigns of their own career. This took some doing, and friction resulted as members came and went. Hits, however, were forthcoming, particularly in the form of blue-eyed soul paean “Midnight Confession.” Today, Grill is the only member of the band dating back to its ’60s era, and he has made it his life’s work to carry on the Grass Roots’ patented blend of folk, pop and rock tropes.
Chris Isaak (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): The sensual power of Chris Isaak’s Roy Orbison-like croon set amidst the natural beauty of Artpark’s grounds? This one would make a good “date night,” guys. Just a suggestion.
Kingdom Bound featuring Israel Houghton (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, $25 to $105): Israel Houghton –who often performs beneath the moniker Israel & New Breed –is all about separating the wheat from the chaff, rock-style. By day a Christian worship leader, when the sun falls, Houghton slips into a phone booth and emerges as a Grammy-winning rocker, one who doesn’t seem to believe that being Christian is a mandate to put on a boring and polite show.
Aug. 5
Kingdom Bound featuring Newsboys (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, $25 to $105): Kingdom Bound ’09 will wrap as it should: with a headlining set from the Newsboys. The Australian outfit has been the most successful Christian-rock acts of the past two decades, probably because it comes across as the least overtly Christian and the most joyously power-pop inclined.
Railroad Earth (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): One of the more interesting bands among the new set of improvisation- based outfits, Railroad Earth specializes in an acoustic instrument- based blend of memorable, hook-laden songs and inspired “jams.” Calling them a “jam band” doesn’t really nail it and, strictly speaking, the Railroad men aren’t purely a bluegrass group, either. But if you like good songs pushed forward by great musicianship, you’ll dig this band.
Aug. 6
Jason Aldean with the Willow Creek Band (7:30 p. m., Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds; $23 to $28, plus gate admission): Jason Aldean is a relative newcomer to the modern-country party, but he wasted no time rack- ing up a few million sales between his first two releases and stretching the commercial envelope a bit further with his third, the aptly named “Wide Open.” Warm up for this August gig by watching the Jason Aldean/Bryan Adams “Crossroads” special, airing on CMT June 26.
Eddie Money with A Potter’s Field and Johnny Nobody (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Take him home tonight. Please!
Engelbert Humperdinck (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $38): And they made fun of Frank Zappa for naming his kids Moon Unit, Dweezil, Diva and Ahmet!
Aug. 8
Creed (7:30 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $35 to $85): Some received the news as if it was indeed the seventh sign of the apocalypse, while others clamored for tickets right out of the gate. Yes, folks, Creed has reformed, recorded a new album and is prepping to take the anthem-rock to the streets one more time. It has been six years since the Florida boys were out on the tiles, but apparently, the demand is still there. According to singer Scott Stapp, this summer’s trek will not be exclusively a nostalgia trip. He told People.com that fans should expect music that’s “fresh, edgy, raw, passionate, honest.” You’ve been warned.
TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
Aug. 11
The Machine (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Widely hailed as one of the finest Pink Floyd tribute acts extant, the Machine has earned a solid reputation for itself in Western New York, based on repeat visits to the region. With the sad passing of Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright last year, and the seemingly irreconcilable chasm between David Gilmour and Roger Waters showing no sign of being bridged, this is about as close to a Floyd show as you are likely to get.
Aug. 12
1964: The Tribute (8:30 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; free with Fair admission): Rolling Stone voted 1964 the “best Beatles tribute band on earth.” That pretty much says it all.
Sloan (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): There is no finer power-pop band in all of Canada. Sloan’s last four albums – “Pretty Together,” “Action Pact,” “Never Hear the End of It” and “Parallel Play” – surely represent an artistic high-point for the boys. Pray for friendly weather. This is gonna be fun.
Aug. 13
Montgomery Gentry (8 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; $30 to $45): The country duo has just released an album, the proceeds of which are earmarked for the Wounded Warriors Fund, which benefits military personnel. Over Memorial Day weekend, “For Our Heroes” will be available exclusively through Cracker Barrel. Expect to hear plenty of the album when Montgomery Gentry arrives at the Fair.
Phish (7 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; sold out): The reunion tour of the year, to be sure. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, you don’t miss your water ’till your well runs dry and all of that. Let’s hope this sticks. Reports and recordings from the reunion shows so far suggest that Phish finds itself at a new beginning. This mid-August show just might end up being one we’re talking about for years to come.
Aug. 14
Charlie Daniels Band with Her&Kings County and Ransomville (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): The Devil went down to Lockport. Lo and behold, he ran into country-rock’s eminence gris, Mr. Charlie Daniels, while he was there.
Creedence Clearwater Revisited (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $36): This is the John Fogerty-free version of the band, led by original members Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford.
Brad Paisley with Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne (7:30 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $29.25 to $57.75): Here’s one for the rocker who loves country and the country lover who’s not afraid to rock. Paisley is an area favorite, and Bentley— who played a smoking set during last year’s WYRK Taste of Country extravaganza at Coca-Cola Field— is rapidly becoming one.
Aug. 15
Loretta Lynn (7 p. m., outside the Seneca Allegany Casino and Hotel; free): Her next birthday will be her 80th, but Loretta Lynn shows little sign of slowing down. Still packing in an impressive number of tour dates each year, Lynn—like Johnny Cash before her—has seen her star rise with a whole new generation of listeners. She made “Van Lear Rose” with White Stripes/Raconteurs leader Jack White, and many hailed it as one of the finest albums to be released in 2004. More recently, Elvis Costello placed a song he co-wrote with Lynn on his country-themed “Secret, Profane & Sugarcane” album. Lynn remains a class act.
George Thorogood&the Destroyers and Jonny Lang (7:30 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; $30 to $45): Kneel at the altar of John Lee Hooker, as channeled through the snarling countenance of George Thorogood, above, and marvel at the ability of a white boy to embody the heart and soul of the blues during Jonny Lang’s set. Sounds like a solid evening’s entertainment at the Fair, if you ask me.
Aug. 16
Brooks & Dunn with Eric Church (7:30 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; $45 to $60):
“Hey, Brooks?”
“Yup?”
“It’s me, Dunn.”
“Wassup, Dunn?”
“Nada. Just wanted to remind you we’re playing the Erie County Fair this year, bringin’ our tried ’n’ true blend of country, rock and honky-tonk to the hard-working folks of Hamburg, N. Y., and beyond. And our buddy Eric Church’s gonna open.”
“10-4, good buddy. Think we’ll have time to catch the pig races and eat a few corndogs before the gig?”
“Yup.”
“Count me in, then.”
Aug. 17
Jake Owen(8 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; free with Fair admission): Five years into his career, Jake Owen already has a whole passel of hit singles tucked into the pocket of his jeans, and a future that’s bound to include lots of attention from the female of the species. (See his Top 20 smash “Something About a Woman” for more on this.) Owen comes to the Fairgrounds with another hit on his hands: “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” from his sophomore effort “Easy Does It,” hit the No. 2 slot on the country charts shortly after its release.
Aug. 18
The Moody Blues (8 p. m., Shea's Performing Arts Center; $35 to $65): Though the band has not released a new album in some time, the Moody Blues continue to tour, with the core trio of founders Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge still reveling in the bold hybrid of rock, pop and classical music that earned the group the devotion of a worldwide audience.
The Outlaws (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): As part of the second generation of Southern rock bands, following the groundbreaking work of the Allman Brothers and the crossover success of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Outlaws helped blur the lines between rock and country music during the ’70s and clearly prefigured what would become the norm in the word of country music by the early ’90s. Always more in line with the guitar-based throw-downs of Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet than akin to the more pop-centric tendencies of modern country, the band has retooled its lineup. Now comprised of founders Henry Paul and Monte Yoho, the Outlaws roster is rounded out—following the deaths of original members Frank O’Keefe, Billy Jones and Hughie Thomasson— by new recruits Chris Anderson, Billy Crain, Jon Coleman and Randy Threet.
The Temptations (7:30 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; free with Fair admission): Now led by falsetto Ron Tyson, who joined the band in the ’80s, and harmony singer Otis Williams, who has been there from the beginning, the Temptations return to the area with one of the most timeless collections of work in pop history. Without the Temptations, Motown might be just another record label, rather than a genre of music unto itself.
Aug. 19
Black 47 and Scythian (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): An evening celebrating the marriage of traditional Celtic music with rock and punk. Both bands get their Irish on, to be sure, but this is free-wheeling, raucous stuff. You’ll be too busy dancing to cry in your beer.
Steve Miller Band (8 p. m., Erie County Fair Grandstand; $40 to $55): Miller and company will be playing the songs you want to hear. A DVD released a few years back, along with the expanded anniversary edition of the classic “Fly Like an Eagle” album, proved that Miller has still got the goods, as both guitarist and vocalist.
Aug. 20
Donna Summer(8:30 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $60 Canadian and up. Additional performance at 9 p. m. Aug. 21.): Donna Summer always had chops. Though disco ended up being her milieu, she might just as easily have ended up singing Motown hits had she been born a bit earlier, or straight-up gospel music had she been born even earlier than that. Some 30 years after “Love to Love You Baby,” Summer’s still got the vocal goods.
Aug. 21
Randy Bachman with Alison Pipitone, Son of the Sun and Scott Celani (5:30 p. m., Ulrich City Centre, Lockport; free): Randy Bachman has an immaculate catalog to draw from, and surely that’s just what he’ll do – play the Guess Who and BTO songs that made him who he is, and mix in some newer, lesser-known stuff. Hearing Alison Pipitone and her band through a big, loud PA – well, that’s enough to make me want to be there.
The Beach Boys (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $38): Another summer, another new“Best Of” collection from the Beach Boys and a corresponding tour. The world may be tilting off its axis, but some things, happily, will never change.
Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy with Panic! At the Disco and Chester French (7 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; tickets are $26 to $69 and go on sale at 10 a. m. May 30): Not a personal favorite of mine, but man, what a bill! The freshly reformed Blink could probably fill Darien Lake Performing Arts Center all on its own. Consider Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco! to be gravy. Snarky pop-punk, obtuse emo-rock and ambitious post-emo, for a reasonable ticket price.
Aug. 22
TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
Aug. 25
Peter Frampton (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): Another summer in Western New York, another healthy lineup of free shows, another Frampton gig. It’s nice to know you can still count on some things. By the by, “Frampton Comes Alive” turns 33 this summer. Make of that what you will.
Aug. 26
Galactic (6:30 p. m., Artpark Outdoor Amphitheater; free): A funk collective with roots in the swampy New Orleans soil first furrowed by the likes of the Meters, Allen Toussaint and the Neville Brothers, Galactic has updated the formula by adding elements of rock, hip-hop and extended improvisation to the ever-present funk. Always a good show.
Aug. 27
Dr. John and the Lower 911 (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $17): The doctor is in, and he will see you now. Wherever the man his momma named Mac Rebennack goes, the fire from the N’Awlins Bayou follows.
Julianne Hough (8:30 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $20 Canadian and up): Two-time “Dancing With the Stars” winner Hough won the 2009 “Top New Artist” award at the 44th Annual Country Music Awards ceremony in April. In between stints opening for Toby Keith and George Strait this summer, Hough plays a select few solo shows, including this one and the June 19 Taste of Country show at Coca-Cola Field.
Aug. 28
Sara Evans (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $38): Country’s reigning female neo-traditionalist has a brand new greatest hits package to tout, and her recent high-profile turn on “Dancing With the Stars” has helped introduce her to a whole new group of listeners. That means that the honey-voiced siren has something to prove. Should be a fiery show.
Colin Hay (9 p. m., Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort; $25 Canadian and up. Additional performance at 9 p. m. Aug. 29.): Former Men at Work frontman Colin Hay has, with the help of appearances on television’s “Scrubs” and a memorable turn on the “Garden State” soundtrack, managed to make the generational jump. Today, his songs — both as a solo artist and with the multi-platinum Men at Work — have the markings of classics of their era.
Journey (7:30 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, $25 to $85): Well, Steve Perry is never coming back. That seems wholly apparent. Dude’s retired, and quite comfortable living off the pop grid. Can anyone really blame the remaining members of Journey for going on without him, as awe-inspiring a singer as he was (and probably still is)? The band has been working with singer Arnel Pineda for two years now, and as a casual visit to YouTube will prove, the guy’s having no trouble nailing the notes. Guitarist Neal Schon and bassist Ross Valory remain at the top of their respective games, as well.
Aug. 29
Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes (8:15 p. m., Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater; $38): What a way to finish off the summer at Chautauqua. Costello is touring behind his brand new “Secret, Profane and Sugarcane” album, which was produced by TBone Burnett and features a host of country-leaning Costello numbers. Perfect for a late-summer Chautauqua evening.
TBA (6 p. m., Gateway Park, North Tonawanda; free): Acts are expected to be announced next week.
Sept. 4
Toby Keith with Trace Adkins (7:30 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $33.75 to $73.75, on sale at 10 a. m. June 27): Birds of a feather, Keith and Adkins have flocked together in service of a gritty honky-tonk ethic, like Buck Owens run through a Garth Brooks blender, with just a dash of right-wing talk radio tossed in for good measure. Both artists have played the Buffalo region repeatedly over the past few years –Keith at Darien Lake, Adkins at the Erie County Fairgrounds –and both can be relied upon for solid, entertaining sets.
The Wallflowers with Tea Leaf Green (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): After taking a break back in 2006, to allow time for solo projects – including a sadly oft-overlooked effort from Jakob Dylan – the Wallflowers have reformed for a summer tour to celebrate the release of a career retrospective album, which drops in early June. I expect some fireworks. Tea Leaf Green is still touring behind last year’s awesome “Raise up the Tent” album, a collection that ably displayed the band’s songwriting prowess –a trait that is more than matched by the band’s ability to take it all “outside” during its live shows.
Sept. 5
Crue Fest 2 featuring Motley Crue with Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman and more (5 p. m., Darien Lake Performing Arts Center; $29.50 to $101): The Motley lads are at it again. Taking a page from Ozzy Osbourne’s manual, the Crue has created its own version of Ozzfest, though fewer bands will be involved. Still, closing down the summer with the sleaziest band to crawl off the Sunset Strip back in the early ’80s seems like an appropriate last hurrah. The headlining trio of Theory of a Deadman, Godsmack and Crue is a strong one.
Great Big Sea with Kathleen Edwards and Jeremy Fisher (5 p. m., Erie Canal Harbor Wharf; $10 advance, $20 day of show): Fresh from a fiery performance of “Gallows Pole,” the traditional song made famous by Leadbelly and Led Zeppelin, Celtic-rock outfit Great Big Sea has taken to the road for the summer. By the time the band arrives in Buffalo to celebrate Labor Day weekend – with the lovely Kathleen Edwards and guest Jeremy Fisher in tow – the band should be in top form.
Sept. 8
Eric Burdon and the Animals (7:30 p. m., Fairgrounds Gaming and Raceway; free): Eric Burdon can’t be stopped. There are no original Animals left to join him, but the man just keeps going, and remains a viscerally powerful performer.
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