Steve Hackett, Pat Travers Band, Omar Hakim shows announced, plus this week’s picks and a curated list of upcoming shows!

By Jeff Miers

(REMINDER: these listings are curated and definitely not intended to list ALL the live music out there! If you have a cool concert or interesting event, email info and links to jeffmiersmusic@gmail.com to be considered for inclusion in Where the Bands Are. Thanks!)

Hello, music lovers.

Did you put your grill away for the season yet? No? Yeah, me neither. I’ve always had trouble letting go.

Which, in part, explains my excitement at the present moment.

This week, a few new show announcements caught my eye, and two of them happen to involve what were initially childhood guitar heroes who have since developed into lifelong musical companions. These are players responsible for leaving an indelible mark on me and so many others — the kind of players that, back at the tail-end of the last century (ouch), would urge a hopeful (and still largely hopeless) developing guitarist to sit hunched over the turntable, lifting the stylus and dropping it a few grooves back, time after time, trying to figure out exactly what these wizards were doing — and hoping to capture some of their lightning in a bottle.

The first of these, Steve Hackett, has announced his ‘Best of Genesis & Solo Gems 2027’ tour, which includes a stop at the UB Center for the Arts on April 28. Hackett started blowing my mind when I was just a kid, listening at first to his work on the Genesis albums Trick of the Tail, Wind and Wuthering, Selling England by the Pound, and Seconds Out, and later, absorbing the rest of the Hackett-era Genesis catalog, as well as his first solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte. Hackett’s playing was unfailingly melodic and inventive, and always served the music in such an ego-less way. This really meant something to me back then, surrounded, as we all were, by an endless stream of egomaniacal shredders. It still does today, particularly considering the strength of Hackett’s live ensembles, as evidenced by his uniformly excellent shows in Buffalo over the past 15 years or so.

Another recently announced show, a November 4 stop at The Caz by the Pat Travers Band, is a bit of a time-machine gig for me.

The Pat Travers Band (opening for Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY, on May 12, 1981) was my second-ever concert. I was 13, music-starved, and highly impressionable. And Travers (with bassist Mars Cowling and drummer Sandy Gennaro) definitely left an impression.

I was already a fan, having fallen hard for the Live! Go For What You Know, Crash & Burn, Heat in the Street, and Putting It Straight albums, but this 1981 tour marked the first time Travers was performing since the dissolution of his dream-team lineup, which featured co-guitarist Pat Thrall, drummer Tommy Aldridge, and Cowling. That band’s blend of hard funk, face-smacking rock, and what they used to call, in the ‘70s, “boogie” (which essentially means that the band played a lot of burning shuffle grooves) was pretty stunning to behold. Happily, even without Thrall and Aldridge, Travers simply crushed it that night at the Palace, and he made a devout fan of me.

Travers is a lifer, to be sure — he’s been on the road consistently since the early ‘70s, when he was playing guitar for Ronnie Hawkins. Commercial success has largely eluded him — though you can still hear the live version of “Boom! Boom! Out Go the Lights!” on 97 Rock in Buffalo, to this day — but Travers has never stopped.

This current version of the Pat Travers Band could well be the strongest he’s led since that Travers-Thrall-Aldridge-Cowling lineup. It features former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese and bassist David Pastorius (yep, he’s Jaco’s nephew), and judging by the YouTube clips I’ve viewed, we’re in for a treat at The Caz.

Maybe I’ll see you at one or both of these shows. Having trouble letting go isn’t always a bad thing …

New and Noteworthy

Steve Hackett: Best of Genesis & Solo Gems Tour

Wednesday, April 28, 2027, 7:30 p.m. at UB Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre, Buffalo, NY. $56 – $109.

Pat Travers Band wsg/Sydney Irving & the Creatures

Wednesday, November 4, 7 p.m. at The Caz, South Buffalo, NY. $45/$55.

Omar Hakim – Pathways to Success in Music & the Arts Speaker Series

Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m. doors at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. FREE.

Presented by The Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation in partnership with the UB School of Music

A Gospel Symphony Tribute to Richard Smallwood

Friday, October 16, 7:30 p.m. at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY. $22.50 – $57.50.

From the BPO press release: “This concert honors a towering figure in gospel music, Richard Smallwood, through the combined power of orchestra and choir. The BPO joins the Buffalo United Community Choir for an evening rooted in faith, artistry, and the kind of music that lifts a room from the inside out. Smallwood is celebrated for bridging traditions, drawing on classical training, church roots, and contemporary sound to create music that resonates across generations. You will hear selections from his remarkable catalog, including Total Praise, a modern-day hymn known across denominations and communities. This is more than a performance. It is a shared experience of voice, spirit, and community, offered with joy and reverence.”

Off-Script Saturdays w/ Jeff Miers: Superchief featuring special guest Harry Graser

Saturday, September 17, 3-5 p.m. at Penny Lane, Clarence, NY. $10 at door.

Two hours of all-improv from some of the region’s finest players!

GOO GOO DOLLS x DEF LEPPARD wsg/The Struts

SPRING & SUMMER 2027. Artist Presale begins on Tuesday, 10/13 at 10 a.m. local.
(Use code DLGGD27 to redeem access.) Get tickets and tour info here. >

Willie Nile and His Band

Friday, December 11, 7 p.m. doors at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $44.95 seated/$37.87 standing.

Brit Floyd’s Animals 50

Wednesday, April 14, 2027, 7:30 p.m. at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, October 9 at 10 am. >

Jon Spencer

Friday, January 15, 2027, 8 p.m. at Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY. $33.26

The Punch Brothers (Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, Paul Kowert, Noam Pikelny and Brittany Haas)

Sunday, November 15, 7:30 p.m. at UB Center for the Arts. $45 – $228 (VIP Package)

Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation members and followers can save $5 on tickets with unlock offer code CFA26FRIENDS!

The Arcadian Wild

Sunday, March 7, 2027, 7 p.m. doors at Asbury Hall in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. General Admission Seated $25, Limited Gold Circle Reserved $35. Tickets on sale Friday 10/9 at 10 a.m.

All You Need is John: A Celebration of the Music, Vision & Legacy of John Lennon

Band: Andie Forgie, Berry Duane Oakley, Jeff Pevar, Prairie Prince, Mark Rashotte and Gil Assayas

Tuesday, February 23, 2027, 7 p.m. at Electric City, Buffalo, NY. $43.99+ reserved seating

Roger Waters Presents: Legacy – A Pink Floyd Show Performed by the Harry Waters Band

Tuesday, April 13, 2027, 7:30 p.m. at UB Center for the Arts, $67 – $81. Tickets on sale now.

Tommy Emmanuel, CGP wsg/Jack Schneider

Sunday, January 31, 2027, 8 p.m. at Asbury Hall in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. General Admission Seated $45, Limited Reserved Gold Circle Seating $60, Tommy Emmanuel CGP Front Row Meet & Greet Package $220.

An Evening of Music and Stories with Rob Stoner

Friday, November 13, 8 p.m. at Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY. $30 advance, $40 day-of.

The Queers w/ Johnny Revolting, The Barksdales, The Sneers, Abandoned Trains, & BastardBastardBastard

Thursday, December 3, 6 p.m. at Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY. $25.07

This week

Sweet Pill w/Heart to Gold and Spaced

Wednesday, October 14, 8 p.m. at Electric City, Buffalo, NY. $9.99+

Fuzzy & The Rustbelts

Wednesday, October 14, 8 p.m. at The 9th Ward in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. $15

Songwriter Showcase: Snow Cricket, Trever Stribing, and Mike Criscione

Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m. doors at Jack Rabbit, Buffalo, NY.

Buffalo Dead All-Stars

Eric Wise, Rob Enderle, Mark Hitchcock, Kevin Barry, Ryan Campbell, and Judd Sunshine

Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m. at Sportsmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $10

Eggy

Thursday, October 15, 7 p.m. doors at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $33.16

The Big Easy in Buffalo NOLA Series Presents:Tab Benoit w/Ghalia Volt

Thursday, October 15, 7 p.m. doors at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $43.94

Ava Mendoza (solo)

Thursday, October 15, 8 p.m. at Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY. $20 General,
$18 Student/Seniors, $15 Members

Millington

Thursday, October 15, 7:30 p.m. at Rec Room, Buffalo, NY. $27.01

Pavlo and Band

Friday, October 16, 8 p.m. at Asbury Hall in Babeville, Buffalo, NY. General Admission Seated $50, Limited Reserved Gold Circle Seating $66

Armand Hammer

Friday, October 16, 7 p.m. doors at Electric City, Buffalo, NY. $31.89+

Analog Kids (Rush Tribute)

Friday, October 16, 8 p.m. at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. $20

Dellwood and the Nightshades

Friday, October 16, 8 p.m. at The Cave, Buffalo, NY. $10

James Taylor Tribute w/Jake Schneider & CAZ 2nd Anniversary Show

Friday, October 16, 5:30 p.m. doors at The CAZ, South Buffalo, NY. $25-$35

OFW Arts & Heritage Festival: Folkfaces, Crikwater, Adelaide, Flower City Fiddle, The Echos

Saturday, October 17 from 2–9 p.m. at 62 Republic St., Old First Ward, Buffalo NY. FREE

The Jayhawks

Saturday, October 17, 7 p.m. doors at Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY. $46.98

Stephen Babcock, Addisyn Logan, and Johnny & the Man Kids

Saturday, October 17, 8 p.m. at Milkie’s on Elmwood, Buffalo, NY. $10

Great Wide Open – Tom Petty Birthday Party

Saturday, October 17, 7 p.m. doors at Buffalo Iron Works, Buffalo, NY. $20.72

Buffalo Philharmic Orchestra: Smooth Sailing-Yacht Rock of the ’70s & ’80s

Jason Seber, conductor; Morgan James, vocals; Doug Wamble, guitar, vocals; John Scarpulla, saxophone, vocals

Saturday, October 17, 7:30 p.m. doors at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY. $17.50+

The Music of Tom Waits: Heart Attacks & Valentines, All The Racket In The World

Ten Cent Howl and Randle and the Late Night Scandals

Saturday, October 17, 8 p.m. at Sportmens Tavern, Buffalo, NY. $20

The Scandals will be Amanda Markovich, Luke Bennett, Maggie Conboy and Jamie Sunshine.

The Howl are Bill Smith, Jerry Hall, Sasha Pack and Randy VanWey.

Special guest musicians include: Matt Harris on saxophone, Tim Clarke-trumpet, Ron Davis-accordion, keyboards and vocal, Kathryn Koch-harmonica and vocal, Katie Weismann-cello, Kiersten Fisher-viola, Gretchen Fisher-violin and Paul Gipp-percussion

Vocal performances from Alison Pipitone, Chris Squire, Joelle Labert, Tom Stahl, Lydia Herren, Dennis Reed and Erin Bahn.