'Unleash the Lion' show worth catching

There are two types of people in the world: those that like Pearl Jam and those that are wrong.

I've seen Pearl Jam twice in my life. The first time was when they played Lollapalooza '92. It was pretty much the best lineup of a concert ever. Other performers included Ministry, Ice Cube, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Soundgarden, among others. There was also the Jim Rose Sideshow and 30,000 screaming fans. The second time I saw them was in May of 2010. We missed the opening act. A packed HSBC Arena did not.

Saturday night, I caught Buffalo-based Pearl Jam tribute act, "Unleash the Lion," at Evening Star Concert Hall in Niagara Falls. There were about two dozen people there. The rest of you missed out.

Fronted by Julian Burgio, Unleash the Lion includes Brendan Brady and Anthony Carames on guitar, Ian Corbitt on bass, and Andrea Zaramella on drums. The five-piece outfit played about 15 songs to the small crowd of loyal fans, including many of Pearl Jam's biggest hits -- Alive, Jeremy (video -- poor audio quality (sorry!)), Daughter, and Better Man. Burgio -- channeling Eddie Vedder -- also covered John Lennon's Imagine. (video below)

The Evening Star is a great venue. You walk in to what looks like your standard corner bar but then off to the right, there's a huge room with a really nice stage, sound equipment and lights. It really is a concert hall. And because it's also a neighborhood bar, you always meet some interesting folks there. I wouldn't mind a better tap beer selection. And some food would be nice. But if wishes were horseshoes ... or whatever.

Anyway, back to Unleash the Lion. They're a young band put together by Burgio, who also has a solo gig. The band and Burgio are both All WNY Music Award-nominated artists. And rightfully so. Burgio's got pipes. And the band sounds cohesive behind him -- despite some technical difficulties that they had Saturday.

You should check them out sometime. Conveniently, they'll be playing another gig on Saturday (Oct. 15) at Central Park Grill.

For a quick interview with Burgio following Saturday's show, check the podcast below. For more photos from Saturday's show, click here.



+Scott Leffler founded All WNY Radio in 2006 to offer more exposure for the talented musicians in Western New York. Occasionally, he may pen a column discussing one of them. Follow him on Twitter @scottleffler. 

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PODCAST: ThinkSoJoe Show for Oct. 5, 2016

It's an all new ThinkSoJoE Show with your hosts ThinkSoJoE and Muller. This episode features with special guests Nick and Dan of Exham Priory in studio. Plus music from Lost Elysium, Seven Faces, and As Summer Dies. And some technical difficulties. 

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HEaRD in WNY: Top shows for the week of Oct. 3 - 9

This week's featured show is Meghan Pawlak's Benefit Dinner & Concert from 4-7 p.m. Saturday at the Sanborn Fire Hall.

Meghan has been a part of the Boulevard Music Lessons and Performing Arts family for a few years. She is a very talented 12-year-old who love to sing and play guitar. She recently found out that she needs a medical surgery which will financially cripple her family and to help support her and her family the students and faculty wanted to do something to show their support by bringing the community together to raise funds & make new friends

Please read her full story here.

Featuring performances by the students of Performing Arts and Boulevard Music Lessons

/// other shows ///

• Assemblage 23 : 6 p.m. Tuesday at Mohawk Place
• West Berlin : 6 p.m. Thursday at Dreamland
• Brownie & Deezy Babyy : 6 p.m. Friday at Evening Star Concert Hall
• The Nigh : 7 p.m. Friday at Mr. Goodbar
• Makewar : 8 p.m. Friday at Stamps
• Cats In Outer Space : 9 p.m. Friday at Milkie's on Elmwood
• Cobblestone Oktoberfest : 2 p.m. Saturday at Buffalo Iron Works
• Rock-A-Bully 2016: 6 p.m. Saturday at Club Marcella
• Good Dude & Dagon: 10 p.m. Saturday at the Niagara Hotel

Greg Burt is a Concert Promoter/Sound Guy/Music Supporter/Keyboardist/etc. He can be reached at Greg@FTMPEvents.com. For the full FTMP show calendar, visit www.FTMPEvents.com.

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PODCAST: ThinkSoJoe Show for Sept. 28, 2016

Wednesday's all new ThinkSoJoE Show on All WNY Radio, with your hosts, ThinkSoJoE and Muller featured music from Beneath Hell's Sky, So Far So Good, Stalking Neptune, and Nerds in Denial.

Download the podcast and listen again and again and again.

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HEaRD in WNY: Top shows for the week of Sept. 26 - Oct. 2

This week's features show is the Trust Me, They're Dead & Now In Stores Reunion Show at 6 p.m. Thursday at Mohawk Place.

Ryan, Matthew, Tom, David, Angelo, & Tony are getting back together one more time to play songs from their previous music projects! Don't miss your only time to hear some of your favorite metal jams from these Buffalo veterans again! It's about to get rowdy at Mohawk Place on Thurs, Sept 29th when they join Prepare For The Mindscan, One Way Terror, Crooked Gener8ion, & Inertia on stage. Get your Owen Wilson references ready, your jack in your hand, and ears ready to hear those sweet sweet tracks way back from The Team Records days & before!

/// other shows ///

Knockout Kid : 5 p.m. Wednesday at Mohawk Place
Forever Grey : 6 p.m. Wednesday at Sugar City
The Observers : 9 p.m. Thursday at Nietzsche's
Virus X "Punk Rock Reunion Show" : 9 p.m. Friday at Evening Star Concert Hall
Taboo Masquerade & Fetish Ball : 11 p.m. Friday at Mohawk Place
MAPS : 8 p.m. Saturday at Stamps
Motorizer : 6 p.m. Sunday at Evening Star Concert Hall

Greg Burt is a Concert Promoter/Sound Guy/Music Supporter/Keyboardist/etc. He can be reached at Greg@FTMPEvents.com. For the full FTMP show calendar, visit www.FTMPEvents.com.

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PROJECT/OBJECT to play show at Tralf

BUFFALO -- Frank Zappa concept band PROJECT/OBJECT will play an Oct. 9 show at the Tralf.

Formed in the early '90s as an offshoot from an annual Frank Zappa birthday celebration that took place in guitarist Andre Cholmondeley's basement in New Jersey., PROJECT/OBJECT has continually grown, leaving the basement and touring the world with a growing set list from every era of Zappa's 30-year recording career. The band strives to stay true to Frank's vision of constantly challenging the musicians and the audiences.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $18 -- on sale now at the Tralf Box Office, by phone at 716-852-2860, tralf.com and all ticketmaster.com outlets.

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GURNETT: Lettuce 'blew the doors off' the Tralf

Lettuce blew the doors off the Tralf last night with an exciting, entertaining and high-energy set in front of a packed crowd -- no less than you’d expect from one of the hottest funk acts in the world. Inspired by Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power, the band, which has been performing since 1992, is more popular now than ever thanks to their most recent release, 2015’s “Crush,” which hit #1 on the U.S. Jazz Albums chart.

The opening act was Portland-based band Jaw Gems. The four-piece group consisting of two keyboardists, a bassist and a drummer mixes funk with hip-hop and electronic influences. Their set was groovy and danceable but, unfortunately, mostly forgettable. While the rhythm section (bassist Andrew Scherzer and drummer DJ Moore) was tight and focused, it felt like the two keyboards spent the entire set meandering. With each song lacking a distinct hook, it was hard to discern each from the previous one.

Then Lettuce took the stage. Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes began pumping up the crowd from the start, jumping around and getting people dancing the moment the music began. The hour and 45 minute set managed the difficult trick of feeling loose yet focused, with a groove that sounded both organic and as though every note had been thought out and perfected.

The group performed as one cohesive unit with guitarist Adam Smirnoff, keyboardist Nigel Hall and saxophonist Ryan Soldis delivering slick solos and Coomes laying down some of the tastiest bass licks I’ve heard in a while serving as ringmaster/hype man for the group. Drummer Adam Deitch provided a solid foundation accompanied by understated rhythm guitar courtesy of Smirnoff. With little to no break between songs, the set flowed seamlessly and the funk kept flowing.

From the light show to the enthusiastic crowd, you could feel the electricity in the room. The group played a combination of old favorites and some new material from their upcoming album, and The Tralf was grooving. The high point came about an hour into the set as Lettuce introduced Nigel Hall in the part of vocalist and he performed crowd favorite “Express Yourself,” a 20-minute jam featuring the motif from “Mr. Big Stuff” that nearly brought down the house. Hall’s soulful vocals were spot on and it was a shame they weren’t utilized more often (he sang on only three tunes). Other highlights included “Sounds Like a Party to Me” and “Do It Yourself,” where Hall alternated from singing behind the keyboards to front-and-center on stage.

It was clear the members of Lettuce were having just as much fun as the crowd, and the energy as well as the groove was contagious. Their performance proved why they’re so popular, and if anyone came to this show not really knowing much about the band (like my guest, who couldn’t stop moving the entire evening), they likely came out fans. I look forward to Lettuce’s return to the Buffalo area.

For more on Lettuce, check them out at lettucefunk.com for music, live video and more.

Ryan Gurnett is a local musician with an appreciation for other local music. Email him at never_really_been@hotmail.com or find him on Twitter @SirWilliamIdol.

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