Thu 6 Nov – Zammuto, Barnaby Bright

I finally ended my two-year concert drought with this show. The period in between was marked by either a dearth of good bands to see, or my inability to go due to prior commitments (usually work-related) or lack of money. That said, this was a great way to get back into it.

This was my second time seeing a show at Mohawk Place, and the first since it closed and was later re-opened. Not much is different about the place, except for there's less memorabilia from shows past. It seems much of it…

Mon 15 Oct – Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tony Conrad

Well, I guess I can cross another one off the bucket list. I finally saw God's Pee live a couple nights ago, and it was as intense as expected. Like my last visit to the Town Ballroom, it was a chilly gloomy night, a precursor of sorts to the chaos of sound that awaited. This also marked one of the few times I've been back to the city of Buffalo since I moved in the summer. I came with my girlfriend, and we set up right below the projectors, which…

Sun 1 Apr – Colin Stetson, Sarah Neufeld

What a fantastic show. Heading back to Soundlab for the second time in less than two months (I don't go to many shows, so these were pretty close together), it was nice having an idea of what to expect this time around. I arrived just before door time, but as with the Silver Mt. Zion show, the doors were already open. There were about a half-dozen people in the venue at this point and a few staff members. Colin Stetson's bass and alto saxophones were on stage, but the tenor wasn't…

Fri 17 Feb – A Silver Mt. Zion, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra, Poverty Hymns

I've been waiting over five years for this one, kids, thus there was a lot of anticipation in the months between the show announcement and last night. For the most part, it was definitely worth it, but it was not a perfect show. Then again, it was a bunch of messy and messed up humans getting together in a room for a night of music. Thankfully, that can never really be perfect.

I went to the show with a coworker, who, as of this…

As 2011 winds down, it's time to look into the future towards new music releases in 2012. Some of these are confirmed, others are speculation/hopes and some are possibilities. Will be updated!

Dirty Three - Towards the Low Sun
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Tindersticks - The Something Rain
A Silver Mt. Zion - TBA
British Theatre - TBA
The Pirate Ship Quintet - TBA
Animal Collective - TBA
Elfin Saddle - Devastates
Eric Chenaux - Guitar & Voice

Tue 29 Nov – Timber Timbre

A perfect night for a Timber Timbre show: dark, misty, a light rain falling and a windy chill. I hopped a bus downtown to visit the Town Ballroom, a venue I had never been to before. I was a bit leery, as it seems the place plays host to mostly larger acts and Timber Timbre seems more suited for an intimate venue. In a way, this ended up being substantiated, though it was still a pretty good show. After some odd occurrences outside the venue, a small crowd trickled inside.

The Town Ballroom isn't…

Thu 21 Apr – Colin Stetson, Helado Negro

About a month ago I learned of this show happening, and, being enamored with Colin Stetson's new record, I decided I had to go. I took time off from work and hopped on a bus, going halfway across the state, from Buffalo to Ithaca. Shows at Delilah's take place in the restaurant's lounge; a small room upstairs with a bar on the side. It was definitely the smallest venue I've been in, at least since I was a kid. There were a series of couches arranged around the perimeter of the…

Fri 29 May – Tortoise
Wow. That's all I've got to say. Seriously, though, it was a great show. I had a good view of the stage, just slightly stage left, close to the soundboard. Upon first arriving, the Tralf seemed rather empty, at least compared to the Explosions in the Sky show. There was no line at the door and it was easy to find a good seat. The crowd did trickle in, though, and by show time, the room was sufficiently filled.

Lazlo Hollyfeld, the local boys, brought some appreciation from the audience. I've no idea how…

It's 2009 and in celebration of this and some other cool stuff, I'm redoing this journal entry. So here's my current list of anticipated records from the new year. As before, updates should be expected. As well, these are all releases that are coming out sometime this year. I don't want to get into any speculation here.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion - January 21
Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows - March 10
Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project - February 14
Land of Kush - Against the Day - March 17
Mono - Hymn to the…

So far, little of 2008 has caught my attention. Maybe it's just the mass of stuff out there, or maybe it's because of how cluttered the year has been. Regardless, at this point, with 2009 just 18 days away, I've got a list of my most anticipated releases.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Bell Orchestre - Title TBA
Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project
Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind
The Witchies - Title TBA

Expect updates.

Oh, and these are all pretty much confirmed to be coming out sometime this year. I don't want to post anything…