By Elmer Ploetz

One of the more unusual and interesting shows to hit Western New York stages will be happening Saturday night when artist and musician Craig Smith returns to Buffalo at The Cave.

Smith is a visual and performance artist, theorist and former University at Buffalo graduate student. His sound/image compositions have been featured in festivals, screening rooms, and gymnasiums and museums such as the Tate Modern (London), PS1MOMA (NewYork), Cantor Film Center (New York) and Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA) in Beijing.

But he also makes music, and accompanying Smith on bass will be his frequent collaborator, Dave Copenhaver, who has put out over 400 recordings over the past 30-plus years on his Studio Seven/ Lunacy Records in Oklahoma City.

Buffalo’s Vores will also be backing Smith and Copenhaver as well as playing a set of their own music.

The Vores, led by Biff Henrich and Gary Nickard, trace their art-punk roots back to the late 1970s when they were one of the first Buffalo bands to record, cutting the “Love Canal” 45. They were regulars on stage at Hallwalls’ and other galleries’ events and made their way to venues such as the legendary CBGB’s in New York.

Now they’re bringing that vibe to The Cave. Along with Smith and Copenhaver’s music will be projections of original mash-up video visualizations created by artist Marina Sachs.

“Craig Smith is someone who we’ve known for quite awhile,” said Henrich. “He went to UB grad school in the ’90s and was one of Gary Nickard’s students.

“He’s come to town occasionally and we have played with him or backed up his performance art projects. Sometimes we play his music, and sometimes we have written original scores to go with his activity.”

This set of videos has been described this way in the announcement for the show: “The songs and videos spring forth with aerobic energy from the depth of late 1970s American No Wave beginnings and navigate the lyrical pathways of apocalyptic glut with grace and budding sexuality. It’s urban art music in love with (good and bad) rock n roll. Think Stevie Nicks (no bra), a bathtub of cocaine that would even scare off Jim Morrison, a collection of John Hughes films (VHS), and Patti Smith covering Springsteen at a pool party in Tom Waits’ backyard. That’s the vibe.”

That’s an ambitious – and perhaps a bit dubious – undertaking!

Henrich said the Vores had played with Smith and Copenhaver before.

When Craig told him he was coming to Buffalo, he wanted to come back as well. And they get here today! They sent us the set list and we have learned that. We’ll have full rehearsals this week before Sat.

“When Craig told (Copenhaver) he was coming to Buffalo, he wanted to come back as well,” Henrich said. “Copenhaver has a rich music background in Oklahoma and has been involved with all kinds of musicians: country, blues, R&B, rock. He has recorded with, played with and produced recordings for them.”

The majority of these songs they’ll play together were released on the 2023 LP “Emerald Cut” with a few selections from previous EP releases: “Special Chivalry” and “Endless Nights.”

Brute Force, originally scheduled to perform, is no longer on the bill.

The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $10. The Cave, part of the Sportsmen’s Tavern set of venues, is at 71 Military Road.