Buffalo Music: Music from ‘Love Canal’ until now

(Image above by Kevin J. Hosey, from the Lounge at Revolution Gallery in August 2023)

Biff Henrich, original member of the Vores, Visited the Flamingo Lounge on August 13 to review the history of the band and share some original music.

(Image within podcast by Kevin J. Hosey, from the Lounge at Revolution Gallery in August 2023)

The Vores first stalked the stages of Buffalo rock events during the New Wave era of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their music was labeled punk at the time, but much of the tense dissonance they perpetrated was actually ahead of its time. Their style of music has since come to be categorized as “Post Punk.” Incorporating elements of punk, funk, pop, no wave, industrial, and surf, The Vores created their own sound. During their initial active period, only a handful of studio recordings were made, and even fewer were released to the public.

Comprising Biff Henrich, Gary Nickard, and others, their most notable release was the “Love Canal” 45, a powerful and direct commentary on the environmental crisis that was unfolding in their own backyard. This song, and their music in general, captured the raw, urban anxieties of the era.

The band took an unplanned, unintentional hiatus. As the ’80s wore on, the band quit performing in places from New York to Toronto and went on to careers in art, photography, computer software development, and teaching.

In 2002, a somewhat miraculous double-disc collection of New Wave era Buffalo music was released. The “This Is It” compilation included a couple of The Vores’ recordings, and when a release concert celebration was planned, they were invited to participate.

This led to two new CDs of original music: “Moment of Uncertainty” in 2005 and “Common Scar” in 2012.

For a more in-depth look at the Vores’ history, below are links to past articles:

• Jan. 19, 1979 Gusto music feature: The Vores, by Dale Anderson
• The Hosey Report: Friday, August 31, 2012 – Kevin J. Hosey
• Artvoice: Friday, October 24, 2014 – Kevin J. Hosey

You can find where the Vores will be perfoming and other information on Facebook

The Image below is from a vintage clip of the Vores playing at the Schuper House in 1980. Click on the photo or caption to watch the video.

Greg Hennessey’s “In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg” podcast is must listen content for fans of Western New York music. Hennessey just started his sixth season of podcasts, and he’s got over 100 episodes in his archives at https://rockabillygreg.com.

New episodes are available at 9 a.m. EST each Saturday at RockabillyGreg.com. Each posting includes a link to the podcast, website, and social media links, images, and other interesting tidbits about the week’s guest(s).