The return of Penny Lane! And some new show announcements, as well as picks for the coming weeks

By Jeff Miers

(Have a cool concert or interesting event you know about? Email all the info and links to jeffmiersmusic@gmail.com to be considered for inclusion in Where the Bands Are.)

Hey there, music-freak family.

Some good news…

The Lion and Eagle Pub, at 10255 Main St., Clarence, was recently sold to James & Melissa Piedmont, proprietors of the The Hilltop Inn & Grove. The couple has reopened the site and rechristened the club to its original name, Penny Lane, a café and live music venue.

This is good news for both regional bands and artists and music-lovers, as the original Penny Lane boasted one of the warmest, most intimate, and decidedly funky vibes in the area’s club scene, and filled a void in the musical landscape for Clarence.

Aaron Ziolkowski, veteran musician and co-founder of The Little Mountain Band, was handling booking for the Lion & Eagle, but quit back in November, due to concerns about the way the business was being run.

“I couldn’t in good conscience keep booking bands and artists when I wasn’t confident that they were going to get paid,” says Ziolkowski, who will now return as talent buyer and entertainment director for the new Penny Lane.

Through his Big Fish 716 Booking, Ziolkowski will focus on “nurturing the original music scene in the Buffalo area, as well as hosting some traveling bands. The goal is to create a similar vibe to the original Penny Lane, which was funky, cool and artistic .

Penny Lane reopened on Tuesday, June 24, at 3 pm, with their ‘Late Night” food menu. Live music returns beginning on Friday, July 11, with an 8 pm performance from the flamboyant and exhilarating indie/alternative band Rabbit Jaw, and will continue every Friday and Saturday thereafter.

Ziolkowski says the plan is to ease into featuring live music on Thursdays in the coming weeks, with residencies from the Buffalo Dead All Stars and a weekly funk night “definite possibilities.” He also intends to resurrect the old Penny Lane’s fabled Wednesday night open mics, and eventually, brunch and matinee gigs on Sundays.

It’s been a long and winding road to get back to Penny Lane, but Ziolkowski says it has been worth the wait.

“I never wanted to let go in the first place, though I really had no choice,” he says.

“But I love it when things come full circle.”

New And Noteworthy:

Funtime presents

The Lemonheads: Love Chant World Tour w/Erin Rae

Saturday, November 29, 7 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo. $42.25. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 27 at 10 am.

After Dark presents

AFI w/TR/ST

Monday, October 6, 8:00 pm at Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 27 at 10 am est.

Twenty6 Productions presents

Too Many Zooz: Caravan Tour

Saturday, December 13, 8 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo. $25/$30

After Dark presents

Texas is the Reason

Wednesday, September 17, 7 pm doors at Rec Room, Buffalo. $43.97

Gov’t Mule w/Big Sugar

Monday, September 1, 6:30 pm at Outer Harbor Live at Terminal B, Buffalo.

Hot Tuna w/Jim Lauderdale

Friday, October 24, 8 pm in the Mary Seaton Room at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo. $85.50

DSP Shows presents

Fruit Bats (solo)

Thursday, October 30, 8 pm at The 9th Ward in Babeville, Buffalo. $30/$35. Tickets on sale 6/20 at 10 am.

Tacos & Tequila Festival featuring Fat Joe, Fabolous, Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, Chamillionaire, Petey Pablo, Twista, Mike Jones, DH Ashton Martin.

Saturday, August 23, 2 pm at Outer Harbor Live @ Terminal B. $59/$149/$199.

Weird Phishes: Hybrid Mashups of Radiohead & Phish

Wednesday, August 13, 8 pm at The Caz, South Buffalo. $19

Funtime & Back II Back present

Lords of the Sound Ukrainian Symphony Orchestra: The Music of Hans Zimmer

Saturday, March 7, 7 pm at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre. $59.50 – $114.50.

Larry Fleet

Saturday, October 18, 7 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo. $37.25

Borderland Late Night Shows at Kissing Bridge

The Sideways – Friday, September 13, 11:30 pm-1:30 am; The Scales – Saturday, September 14, 11:30 pm-1:30 am at the Kissing Bridge Tent & RV Camping.

Summer Concert Series at RiverWorks

The Big Easy in Buffalo NOLA Series presents

Buckwheat Zydeco, Jr. wsg/Ten Cent Howl

Thursday September 4, 5pm doors at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo. $15/$20

Music Is Art Festival 2025: Power to the Players!

Saturday, September 20, 11 am-11 pm. Buffalo’s Outer Harbor Terminal B. FREE.

After Dark and MNM present

Marc Rebillet – Places I’ve Never Played & Will Never Play Again Tour

Tuesday, September 30, 7 pm doors at Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo.

Beatles Rooftop Tribute ft/The BlackRock Beatles

Wednesday, August 6, 6 pm at Larkin Square/Hydraulic Hearth, Buffalo. $22.

Tropidelic w/Artikal Sound System, Grieves

Friday, November 21, 6:30 pm doors at Electric City, Buffalo. $30.35 – $68.97

Les Dudek

Saturday, August 2, 8 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo. $25

Black Sabbitch

Friday, August 15, 6 pm doors at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo. $20

This week…

Samantha Fish

Wednesday, June 25, 7 pm at Asbury Hall in Babeville, Buffalo. $47/$67

Olmsted Dub System

Wednesday, June 25, 7 pm at Jack Rabbit, Buffalo. $

Funtime presents

THE AQUABATS! w/Koffin Kats & Mike V and the Rats

Wednesday, June 25, 6 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo. $39.75

Live at Larkin: Talking Dead Heads

Wednesday, June 25, 5 pm at Larkin Square, Buffalo. FREE

Left of the Dial: 1980s College Radio Happy Hour w/DJ Dr. Wisz

Wednesday, June 25, 6 pm at the Lounge at Revolution Gallery, Buffalo. Free.

The Gold Dinar + SuZee

Wednesday, June 25, 7:30 pm at Nietzsche’s Buffalo. $10/$15/$20.

Dameronia’s Legacy All-Stars feat. Jon Gordon/Gary Smulyan/The Hasselback Family/Kirk MacDonald

Thursday, June 26, 6:30 pm doors at PAUSA art house, Buffalo. $30/$25

Music Matters Summer Concert Series: The Strictly Hip

Thursday, June 26, 7 pm at Sully’s Harbor Bar & Grill at Harbor Walk, Downtown Buffalo. $10. Get tickets here!

Pepper w/Cydeways

Thursday, June 26, 7 pm doors at Electric City, Buffalo. $32.92-$92.66

J-rod Sullivan & The 4 Korners Super Group

Friday, June 27, 6 pm doors at Destiny Intl. Church, Buffalo. $30-$60

Anybody Out There: A Tribute to Pink Floyd

Friday, June 27, 8 pm at The Caz, Buffalo. $30-$35

Elliot Scozzaro Quintet

Friday, June 27, 8 pm at PAUSA art house, Buffalo. $15/$13

The Allman Betts Band

Friday, June 27, 4 pm doors at Batavia Downs, Batavia, NY. $18.67+

The Talking Dead Heads

Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, 8 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo. $20

97 Rock Friday Bike Night: The Dave Viterna Group

Friday, June 27, 6 pm at The Hilltop Inn and Grove, Alden, NY. $

Buffalo Music Coalition presents

Saturday Sessions: Bill Smith and Grace Stumberg

Saturday June 28, from 4 – 7 pm at Flying Bison Brewing Company, Buffalo. FREE

Tugboat Annie w/Black Jacket, Stress Dolls, Gathering Ground

Saturday, June 28, 7 pm at Electric City, Buffalo. $26.74-$75.67

Workingman’s Dead

Saturday June 28, 7 pm doors (2 sets) at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo. $15

Anybody Out There: A Tribute to Pink Floyd

Performing Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here

Dinner and a Show Experience: Saturday, June 28, 8 pm at The Caz, Buffalo. $84-$89

Witty Tarbox

Saturday, June 28, 9:30 pm at Jack Rabbit, Buffalo. $

Tina Williams sings the blues

Saturday, June 28, 8 pm at PAUSA art house, Buffalo. $15/$13

Jazz & Justice

Saturday, June 28, 3 pm at Pocket Park, Buffalo. FREE

Matteo Mancuso

Sunday, June 29, 6:30 pm at Electric City, Buffalo. $39.36/$57.13

Bear Hands w/Ok Cowgirl

Monday, June 30, 7 pm doors at RecRoom, Buffalo. $38.56

Songbirds: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac

Tuesday, July 1, 7 pm at the Bidwell Concert Series, Buffalo. FREE

Scott Celani (Tom Petty tribute) and Past Masters (Beatles tribute)

Wednesday, July 2, 6 pm at Gateway Harbor Park, North Tonawanda, NY. FREE

Robin Trower

Wednesday, July 2, 8 pm at Asbury Hall in Babeville, Buffalo. $45/$50 day of

Live at Larkin: Dirty Work (Tribute to Steely Dan)

Wednesday, July 2, 5 pm at Larkin Square, Buffalo. FREE

Murphy’s Law

Wednesday, July 2, 7 pm at Rec Room, Buffalo. $26.75

Music Matters Summer Concert Series: GROSH

Thursday, July 3, 7 pm at Sully’s Harbor Bar & Grill at Harbor Walk, Downtown Buffalo. $10. Get tickets here!

Greensky Bluegrass

Thursday, July 3, 6:30 pm at Outer Harbor Live @ Terminal B. $51-$85

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The return of Penny Lane! And some new show announcements, as well as picks for the coming weeks

New And Noteworthy:

Music Is Art Festival 2025: Power to the Players!

This week…

Music Matters Summer Concert Series: The Strictly Hip

J-rod Sullivan & The 4 Korners Super Group

Workingman’s Dead

Witty Tarbox

Music Matters Summer Concert Series: GROSH

Coming up…

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