Buffalo is Alive with Music

Buffalo has its scene – but it also has a sound.

 

It’s the gritty guitar chords of a city always grinding, with fledgling musicians flicking strings through punk sets or intricate progressions in the corners of dive bars and dance halls. It’s the drum thump of an ethnically diverse population, packed together in rock clubs once host to jazz greats, alt rock gods and every performer in between. It’s the amplified exuberance of a region still rising from the ashes of its Rust Belt past, but now blooming from the artistic fervor that’s always kept it pulsating.

 

Buffalo’s music is its heartbeat, and every night, it’s unleashed to illuminate this once-heralded City of Light.

 

Popular Music Venues

 

Step into Asbury Hall @ Babeville and find downtown’s most angelic venue, set inside a converted 19th century Gothic Revival-style church. Catch a touring show inside the lower bowl of the historic Town Ballroom, then shuffle across the street to the Tralf for blues, jazz or the spirit of Prince—who famously played a surprise set in the place in 2002. Pack into Mohawk Place for genuine rock club grit, or find the city’s answer to Austin, Texas within the alt-country, honky tonk confines of Sportsmen’s Tavern. Walk up to a collaborative evening within the Colored Musicians Club; stroll in and get situated within the jazz-infused ambiance of Pausa Art House; or head to bohemian cool of Nietzsche’s, whose exterior artwork states its position quite clearly: Without music, life would be a mistake.

 

Rick James found his funk on these streets. The Goo Goo Dolls went from sweat-drenched local club shows to eventual pop radio stardom. Snapcase’s homegrown snarl influenced every fledgling hardcore act for decades—including fellow Buffalonians Every Time I Die, who tore up local spots before rising to a now flagship act of its genre. Ani DiFranco, Willie Nile and Weezer’s Patrick Wilson grew up here; and before its swirling jams moved summer festivals, Aqueous, Moe. and Soulive were born on these blocks.

 

But the venues and lineage are only part of the sound. The rest lies in the region’s ongoing need for that beat, and how it reverberates from musician to resident across all corners of Western New York.

 

Tireless local artists. Visiting Canadian quartets. Hip-hop poets and purveyors of glittering synth pop. Their rhythms roll through venues small and large, suburban or city. In the winter, it echoes between frost-covered windows of neighborhood taverns and intimate enclaves. In the summer, it moves into every park, headlines every waterfront festival, and entertains thousands, seven nights a week.

 

Finding Buffalo’s Nightlife

 

Regardless of season, it’s always a working-class communal experience, shared by locals who’ve lived it, and visitors who want to check the pulse of this city. And with every song or sold-out show, that vibrancy is here—and it’s the sound of Buffalo.

 

With many watering holes waiting until 4 a.m. for last call, you could say Buffalo knows a thing or two about nightlife. From old-school taverns and hopping bars to craft beers, casinos and live music, the Nickel City parties from dusk to near dawn.

 

You’ll find nightspots all over town, from Allen Street, Elmwood Avenue, University Heights and Hertel Avenue  to the Chippewa Entertainment District in the heart of downtown. Chow down on innovative food at Local Kitchen & Bar and SoHo, soak in the city on Skybar’s rooftop terrace and dance the night away at 67 West. The drop-down menus on the listings below will help you hone in on the nightlife and locations that fit your mood. Spend and evening in some of Buffalo’s classic taverns. Or fellas: plan a guy’s night out with these suggestions!

 

Ready to hear it? Scroll down to see our list of venues, or explore our events calendar for upcoming music events.

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Pausa Art House

The perfect place for your next night out.

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Listen Local. Drink Local.

The abundance of opportunities to combine live music and craft beer for an enhanced experience within Buffalo’s footprint makes WNY a first-class region for live entertainment. This series is presented by 42 North Brewing Company.

Hear Here LISTEN TO OUR PODCAST

Handel’s Messiah 2024

12/08

St, Mary’s R.C. Church

$33

The orchestra joins the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus for a celebration of the season with Handel’s masterwork in one of Western…

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Miwi La Lupa + James Hatem

12/08

duende at Silo City

Free

Doors 6pm, Show 7pm. Join us at Duende at the Silo’s Bin Room for an unforgettable evening of soulful, bluesy and…

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The Nutcracker Ballet

12/06 – 12/08

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

Neglia Ballet’s The Nutcracker returns to Shea’s Buffalo Theatre for its 15th presentation of the beloved holiday tradition. Neglia Ballet’s…

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Blue Monday

08/30 – 12/15

Tacoma Performing Arts Center

Free

Chicago Jack and the Heptones play with weekly Special Guests. Join us in the Grand Room in the lower level…

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Troupe Vertigo Holiday Show

12/10

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

This holiday season, the BPO presents a captivating performance unlike any other, featuring the awe-inspiring Troupe Vertigo. Led by Assistant…

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A Charlie Brown Christmas

12/12 – 12/14

SunCliff on the Lake

A Christmas favorite returns to Pausa!

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Straight No Chaser – “Top Shelf Tour”

12/12

Shea’s Performing Arts Center

If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing…

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DJ Pauly D

12/13

Electric City

$42-$155

Appearing live in downtown Buffalo at Electric City!

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JoAnn’s Classical Christmas

12/13 – 12/14

Kleinhans Music Hall

Celebrate the holiday season with Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s captivating interpretations of winter. BPO concertmaster Nikki Chooi masterfully intertwines these contrasting…

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Music in the Lounge

11/01 – 12/27

Roycroft Inn – Craftsman Dining Room

Join us for an enchanting evening of live music every Friday from 8 to 11 PM in the cozy Craftsman…

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Tipsy Tinsel Holiday Market

12/13

Statler Buffalo

Free Admission

Buffalo, save the date for the Holiday Market of the season! The Tipsy Tinsel Market is back – Buffalo’s only…

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Bali Comes to Buffalo

12/14

Nusantara Arts Culture Center

Nusantara Arts is thrilled to bring back Bali Comes to Buffalo-& a music and dance performance celebrating Buffalo’s Balinese culture…

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Christmas in the Corridor – The Soul Ball

12/14

An elegant evening with music, wine & beer, dinner, and raffles.     

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Christmas with Harmonia

12/14

Sts. Peter and Paul Church

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year!  Celebrate with us as we sing Advent and Christmas carols  – ancient and new.

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Musicians of Buffalo: Christmas Rocks Concert

12/14

Babeville

The Musicians of Buffalo (MOB) whose members include: Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductees Jessie Galante, Bobby Lebel and Billy…

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Saturday Minuets and Mimosas

02/24 – 12/28

duende at Silo City

Chamber Music Series, every Saturday from 1-2 PM at the Main Bar Stage.

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Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

12/14

PAUSA Art House

A Christmas favorite returns to PAUSA –  “There’s no doubt in my mind, that if we hadn’t had that Guaraldi…

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Christmas with Harmonia ~ Buffalo

12/15

Saint Louis Church

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year!  Celebrate with us as we sing Advent and Christmas carols  – ancient and new.

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Jingle Bell Jam

12/15

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

The BPO’s Jingle Bell Jam is the perfect way to dive into the holiday spirit with the whole family. Conducted…

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Samara Joy ~ ‘A Joyful Holiday’

12/17

Center for the Arts

Join us for jazz vocalist sensation, Samara Joy, in a concert celebrating the season in A JOYFUL HOLIDAY featuring Samara…

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Holiday Pops

12/19 – 12/22

Kleinhans Music Hall

The annual Holiday Pops concert, a beloved tradition under the baton of Bradley Thachuk, returns to fill Kleinhans Music Hall…

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Mary Ramsey and Friends Holiday Show

12/19

PAUSA Art House

$12-$15

Mary Ramsey and Friends with Special Guest Violinist Susan Ramsey . Holiday Songs and Seasonal Favorites. A truly unique ensemble…

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Eggy

12/27

Electric City

Song by timeless song Eggy reaches out a hand, inviting you along as a great story unfolds. Eggy’s music traces…

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Star People Featuring Alex McArthur

12/27

PAUSA Art House

End 2024 on a high note with two of the most popular artists who perform at Pausa in a star-studded…

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