Buffalo, as always, finds a way to bring in surprising and diverse bands and acts each week. Highlights from the first week of February include Calvin Love, an experimental pop artist from Edmonton, II Volo, a famous Italian pop trio and Tommy Z, Buffalo’s very own famous Blues musician.
All of these acts still have tickets available. Be sure to get your squad together and make moves to see one of these awesome artists in the Queen City this week.
Monday, Feb. 1
Calvin Love – Babeville
Calvin Love, an Edmonton native, has been playing music since the early age of 13, when he began experimenting in Edmonton’s punk rock scene.
Now, Calvin Love has developed a sound that uses punk rock as the core, but branches out into lo-fi psychedelic, dark pop and winding, heavily composed synths. He will be performing at Babeville on Monday – don’t miss the up-and-coming musician when he makes his way to the Queen City.
Wednesday, Feb. 3
Adelitas Way – Iron Works
Hard rockers Adelitas Way made their start in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they became known for their blend of alt-metal and hard rock. They have toured with many notable bands like Guns N’ Roses, Creed and Shinedown.
The band is heavy hitting and, in the styling of similar rock bands, puts on an incendiary live show, full of moshing, head jamming and screaming.
Get your adrenaline fix at Iron Works on Wednesday.
Friday, Feb. 5
Tommy Z – Tralf Music Hall
One of Buffalo’s most well-known musicians, Tommy Z, is a contemporary blues performer, guitarist, songwriter and producer.
He has won a number of local awards, including Top Blues Vocalist and Top Blues Guitarist by the Blues Society of Western New York. He has also performed with some legends like B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Blues Traveler.
Don’t miss the chance to see one of Buffalo’s most venerable musicians perform at the Tralf on Friday.
II Volo – Kleinhan’s Music Hall
II Volo is an Italian pop group trying to see how big it can make it in the United States music scene after essentially blowing up in the Italian scene in 2015. It was a big year for the pop trio, as it won the Sanremo Music Festival and placed third in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
Self-describing its music as “popera,” the band will certainly be a unique cultural experience with its blend of Italian and U.S. pop music.
Saturday, Feb. 6
Reel Big Fish – Town Ballroom
Reel Big Fish, a prominent American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, has become one of the most prominent ska bands currently touring. The band has undergone a series of member changes over the years, with Aaron Barrett the only original member still signed on.
Their underground fame has carried through from the ’90s to the modern day and their shows are always packed with their cult-follower fans.
Downlink – Waiting Room
From British Columbia, Downlink is an EDM artist currently climbing the ranks of the worldwide EDM scene. After trying out a few bigger record companies, Downlink decided that going independent and starting his own record company would be more worthwhile.
Currently, Downlink sits as one of the biggest EDM artists out there and consistently tours with artists like Excision and KJ Sawka in the trio’s collaborative band DESTROID.
He will be bringing his heavy-hitting basslines and eclectic EDM mixes to the Waiting Room on Saturday.
Brian Windschitl is the senior arts editor and can be reached at brain.windschitl@ubspectrum.com.
