CLUB CHATTER
‘Road’ leads to Tralf
In other parts of the world, the notion that rock could be fun and serious at the same time didn’t seem like such a radical idea. In America, generally speaking, rock music never really left the blues and folk behind. Here, we’ve mostly been about short songs with clear, concise — pronounced “accessible” — construction.
Next Friday, however, an ensemble hailed as “America’s Prog-Rock Band” will play the Tralf (622 Main St.). Operating for a few decades — with periodic breaks — beneath the (most likely) tongue-in-cheek moniker Rocket Scientists, this trio of Yankees has fully embraced the rich history of the sprawling rock epic and given an interesting, song-oriented spin to the whole shebang.
Rocket Scientists — as in, you’d have to be one to play, or at least understand, music this complex — takes a page from the book of Yes, surely. But this outfit also delights in songs that have, at their basis, an affinity with folk music. That’s evident, and abundantly so, when you sit down to digest the band’s latest magnum opus, the twin-disc “Revolution Road.” The core of the band — keyboardist Erik Norlander, guitarist/vocalist Mark McRite and bassist/ stick-player Don Schiff — is augmented by several guest musicians throughout the album. This is a prog-rock fan’s delight.
Many of the guests on “Revolution Road” will join Rocket Scientists at the Tralf, including vocalist Lana Lane, with whom the band has collaborated abundantly in the past. The show starts at 7:30 p. m. Navigator and Tiles will open.
Gig picks
Niagara Falls natives Set - tings, fresh from a stint on the Warped Tour, will play Club Infinity (8166 Main St., Williamsville) at 8 p. m. Wednesday.
Phantom Planet, Jack’s Mannequin, Treaty of Paris and Paper Route hit the Town Ballroom that same evening, at 7 p. m.
Black Cobra, Hyperion, Able Danger and Kingdom Denied bring the heaviness to Club Diablo (517 Washington St.) on Saturday evening. Doors open at 9 p. m.
The sixth annual Zydeco- Reggae Fest takes place at the Rose Garden, 2753 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville, beginning at 2 p. m. Sunday. The event will feature performances by LeeRon Zydeco and the Hot Tamales, and the Dreadbeats, featuring Tom Fenton. This is a family-friendly event. Kids under 12 are admitted free; adult tickets are $6.•
