It’s called Gratitude! Big concert announcements; music news; and this week’s picks

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-loving friends. Hope your vibe is a positive one out there.

Last week, I did my best to carve out some time to dwell upon the things I’m grateful for, and while it took some effort to blot out the noise and the nonsense and the near-constant stream of hateful blah-blah-blah that seems to constitute day-to-day American life of late, I came up with plenty of reasons to feel immense gratitude. Top of the list: family, friends, my little recording studio, my record collection, and this absurd bounty of a local music scene.

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Assembling the list of freshly announced shows that follows underscored this last category on my ‘reasons to be grateful’ list. I mean, yeah, the weather sucks, but where else would you rather be than in a city and a scene where shows by Eddie Van Halen’s incredibly talented son Wolfgang and a two-day celebration of the late, great composer Morton Feldman are announced on the same day? And a mere few days prior, Artpark dropped a couple incredibly enticing announcements for next summer – which, by the way, can’t get here quickly enough to suit my current mood.

Yeah. The Beastie Boys were right – gratitude is where it’s at…

Have a great week!

New and Noteworthy

Mammoth – The End Tour, with 10 Years and James & the Cold Gun

Thursday, March 5, 7 pm at The Town Ballroom, Buffalo. $42.50 + fees.

Wolfgang Van Halen brings Mammoth to the Town Ballroom in March.

Phish announce return to the SPHERE Las Vegas!

Per phish.com: We’re excited to announce Phish’s return to Sphere in Las Vegas, NV for nine shows across three weekends in 2026: April 16–18, April 23–25, and April 30–May 2.

Request tickets now at tickets.phish.com (thru Monday, December 8 at 9AM PT/Noon ET). Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, December 12, at 11AM PT/2PM ET. Ticketing information is available at phish.com/tours.

A limited number of three-night travel packages (which include hotel and tickets) go on sale on tomorrow, Wednesday, December 3, at 10AM PT/1PM ET at phishatsphere.100xhospitality.com.

PHISH SPHERE 2026
• April 16, 17, 18 – Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
• April 23, 24, 25 – Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
• April 30, May 1, 2 – Sphere, Las Vegas, NV

Ray LaMontagne – Trouble 20th Anniversary Tour

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 7 pm at Artpark Mainstage Theater, Artpark, Lewiston, NY. Artist presale and Artpark membership presale Wednesday, December 3 at 10 am. General public sale Friday, December 5 at 10 am.

Carbon Leaf

Friday, April 10, 2026, 7 pm doors at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $30/$35. Tickets on sale 12/5 at 10 am.

Cheap Trick: All Washed Up Tour

Saturday, April 4, 2026, 8 pm at Seneca Niagara Event Center in the Seneca Niagara Resort &. Casino, Niagara Falls, NY. $60+ Tickets on sale now!

The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton present: AVTT/PTTN

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 8 pm at Artpark Mainstage Theater, Artpark, Lewiston, NY. $69.65+ Tickets on sale now.

Lamb Of God w/ Kublai Khan TX, Fit For An Autopsy, Sanguisugabogg

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 6 pm doors at Buffalo RiverWorks, Buffalo, NY. $88+

Billy F Gibbons and the BFG Band

Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 8:30 pm at Avalon Theatre in Fallsview Casino Resort, Niagara Falls, ONT, CA. $53+

The Strictly Hip: January Residency

Fridays in January, 7 pm doors at The 9th Ward (except 1/16) in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. $30/show or $100/4 pack.

January 2 – “Up To Here”
January 9 – “Road Apples”
January 16 – Favorites at Asbury Hall
January 23 – “Fully Completely”
January 30 – “Day For Night”

Waxahatchee & MJ Lenderman with guest Brennan Wedl

Thursday, April 23, 2026 7:30 pm at UB Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre, UB, Buffalo, NY. $50.

Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel

Saturday, April 25, 2026 7:30 pm at UB Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre, UB, Buffalo, NY. $45/$50

UB Department of Music presents: Feldman @ 100: A Centennial Birthday Celebration

Monday, January 12 and Tuesday, January 13, Lippes Recital Hall in Slee Hall, and B1 in Slee Hall, UB North Campus. Free.

The composer Morton Feldman will be celebrated at UB’s Slee Hall in January.

This week…

Grateful Sled

Justin DeCarlo, Randy Williams, Branden Conrad, Griffin Brady, Evan Laedke, and Aaron Ziolkowski

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. $10

Karma Queen, Socialite, akloh., DonnieO & Bruce, & William Redguitar

Thursday, December 4, 7:30 pm doors at Nietzsche’s, Buffalo, NY. $16.55

Mihalidaze w/ Dale and the Zdubs

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm doors at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $25/$30

Armchair Boogie

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $15

Mary Ramsey & Friends – In the mood for the Holidays

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm at PAUSA art house, Buffalo, NY. $20/$15

Buffalo Dead All Stars

Lineup: Brad Robins, Joe Bellanti, Rob Enderle, Mark Hitchcock, and Aaron Ziolkowski

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm at Penny Lane, Clarence, NY. $10

Will Dailey w/ Tony C.

Thursday, December 4, 7 pm doors at The 9th Ward in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. $20/$25

Friends Helping Friends 2025 ft/McCarthyizm, Irving Klaws, A Potters Field, Randle & The Late Night Scandals, Past Masters

Friday, December 5, 7 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $10

Willie Nile w/ Kenny Roby

Friday, December 5, 7 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $44.55 seated/$36.55 standing

Willie Nile. Photo by Cristina Arrigoni.

A Swingin’ Christmas with Louis Prima Jr. and The Witnesses

Friday, December 5, 7:30 pm at the Mary Seaton Room in Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY. $205.20

Preservation Hall Jazz Band: Creole Christmas

Saturday, December 6, 8 pm at Buffalo State Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY. $58/$48

Triple Hammer Showcase: “Scrooge’s Big Day Out” w/ Do Crime, Neftali, Overgrowth, Piss Guzzler, Robbery Club, Icken Grimms, Superflea, The New Fury, DJ Knew’d, DJ Spooky Stephen

Saturday, December 6, 2 pm doors and market, 4 pm show at Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY. $20/$25. Get tickets here.

Analog Kids (RUSH Tribute)

Saturday, December 6, 8 pm at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. $20

Dee’s Grand Isle Opry

Saturday, December 6, 3 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $10

Little Mountain Band

Saturday, December 6, 8 pm at Molly Maguires, South Buffalo, NY.

Mo’ Porter

Saturday, December 6, 3 pm at GFY Bar & Grill, Tonawanda, NY.

Tom Hambridge & The Rattlesnakes Record Release Party

Saturday, December 6, 8 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $25

Twang Gang Pure Country Special wsgs/Maria Sebastian, Brad Felton, Brendan Gosson, Tim Franczyk

Sunday, December 7, 5 pm at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $10/$15

Belmont wsgs/ Avoid, Unwell, Super Sometimes

Sunday, December 7, 6 pm at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $33.40

Friends & Neighbors

Sunday, December 7, 8 pm at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, NY. General $25, Student/Seniors $20, Members $18

(In case they’re not on your radar, these guys are a fiery and ferocious Norwegian/Swedish quintet able to swing like mofos, explore the dynamics of melodic ballads, indulge in post-bop expoloration, and chase free jazz all the way down the corridors of their considerable collective imagination . Which is to say, Friends & Neighbors are straight fire, and are well worth checking oiut! JM)