Rochester is brimming with music these days. New venues opening seemingly on a monthly basis, local bands breaking out on the national scene and newer bands bubbling up to fill the void. It’s a great time to be a music fan, and a great time to get out and see live music and support the local scene. Here is our first in what we hope will continue as a monthly installment highlighting just five of the many shows happening around town this month.
Wednesday, November 8
The Lowest Pair @ Funk n Waffles Music Hall
Funk n Waffles has been booking shows 7 nights a week steadily for the last few months with a healthy mix of local lineups, theme nights and nationally touring acts. This night they’ll be home to The Lowest Pair, a banjo duo out of Olympia, Washington. As you might expect out of the Northwest, it’s more indie-folk than dueling-banjoes fare, and will actually feature a heavy dose of guitar mixed in.
Friday, November 10
Maybird @ Three Heads Brewery
Rochester is familiar with Maybird, who have been kicking around the scene for a bunch of years under different names and with different lineups. They’ve solidified and graduated to Brooklyn, signed with Danger Mouse and produced an EP with Patrick Carney. Fortunately for us, they stop back regularly and can still play intimate spaces like Three Heads. Coming off a stint opening for Portugal. The Man, it won’t last long, so come out and support them and their infectious indie-psych rock grooves.
Catch more from one of Maybird’s guitar whizzes, when Kurt Johnson returns to Three Heads with The Moho Collective on November 18.
Sunday, November 12
All Them Witches, King Buffalo @ Bug Jar
Nashville’s All Them Witches return to the Bug Jar with their heavy psychedelic blues rock and a new album, Sleeping Through the War. We were blown away when we saw them two years ago at the same venue, and with local rockers King Buffalo in tow this is sure to be another blowout. Bring your ear plugs, grease up the old neck joints and get involved!
Wednesday, November 15
Ron Gallo @ Bug Jar
Ron Gallo is a young guitarist making waves with his album, Heavy Meta, which is one of the great rock records released this year. He’s as much a songwriter as he is rocker, with Allmusic proclaiming he’s “how Bob Dylan might have ended up if his primal influence had been Black Francis instead of Woody Guthrie.” This is truly a ‘you can say you saw ’em when’ opportunities, so you might want to get tickets in advance, we smell a sell out at the tiny Bug Jar. Naked Giants, a trio out of Seattle, and Dangerbyrd, a local rock band to be reckoned with, round out an incredible bill.
Monday, November 20
DakhaBrakha @ Kilbourn Hall
Early this summer we caught Ukrainian folk outfit DakhaBrakha at the Rochester Jazz Festival. High on our list of the best sets of the fest, they were unique, mesmerizing and as much fun to look at as they were to listen to. They communicate best with the international language of music and they bring a universal message of peace and love. Inside the beautiful acoustically-strong Kilbourn Hall, this will be an experience you won’t soon forget.
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