Photos by Janine Van Oostrom
It was hot, the kind of middle of the summer hot that even the thought of going outside was enough to make you sweat. Yet thousands of people lined the canal in Buffalo for 107.7’s third annual Kerfuffle featuring The Moth & the Flame, Coleman Hell, PVRIS, Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, New Politics, The Strumbellas, Bloc Party, The Violent Femmes, and AWOLNATION.
The show was kicked off in the heat of the day by the alternative rock band, The Moth & the Flame. They brought a surprising amount of energy with their short set and had a natural way in which they owned the stage. Not only was the entire set musically flawless but the band had a chemistry on the stage that was unbeatable. The ever growing crowd sang along in the sun and loved the performance as much as TMTF loved performing. They were truly enjoyable to watch and possibly should have been saved for later on in the day.
Next to take the Kerfuffle stage was Canada’s own Coleman Hell. Now his set was truly a pleasant surprise for anyway who has never seen him live/doesn’t know much about his music other than his smash hit ‘2 Heads’. Despite the nagging heat he danced and jumped and sang with an ever growing passion. His songs such as ‘Fireproof’, ‘Sitcom’ and of course ‘2 Heads’ got the entire crowd dancing along with him. He is a true Canadian gem who everyone should keep an eye on as he rises higher and higher in the music world.
As the stage was already warmed up nicely from the former two stellar acts the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of everyone’s new favourite band, PVRIS. All clad in black the new age rock band walked onto the stage to a crowd of adoring fans. Yet I found myself slightly disappointed by the entire band’s stage presence. The set seemed boring and lacklustre. You can’t argue that musically they have an undeniable amount of talent but their show was a little bit mundane. Yet of course the crowd absolutely loved when they played their biggest hits such as ‘You and I’ and ‘My House’. You can catch them opening up for Simple Plan this November at the ACC.
It was now time to slow the show down a bit as the stage was set for Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear. All set with two guitars and one chair they serenaded everyone in the crowd in the way only a mother and son folk duo can. If you closed your eyes you could pretend you were sitting on a porch in Texas listening to them play. They entertained in the most simplistic way possible and were a much needed calm in the middle of the day.
With the sun slightly overhead everybody eagerly waited for their favourite band, New Politics, to hit the stage. Of course they weren’t disappointed when the boys took the stage and made it their own. Opening up their set with their electrifying hit ‘Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens)’. They easily had the most entertaining performance of the whole day complete with backflips, head stands, break dancing, and of course some good old crowd surfing. New Politics know how to put on not just a good show but easily one of the best shows you’ll ever see live. They pull this off with a combination of upbeat dance along songs, a passion for their live show, and of course the always entertaining lead singer David Boyd. Also it helps that Buffalo loves New Politics just as much as New Politics loves Buffalo. They maintained their energy through the whole set and closed off with their biggest hit and greatest crowd pleaser, ‘Harlem’. The only thing that was off about the set was the fact that they played so early in the show. All things considering that just last year they headlined the same festival but that could be due to a last minute change in artists and them stepping in to fill an empty spot.
Next to take the stage was another band that makes us all proud to be Canadian, The Strumbellas. The folk group has been making a name for themselves as their hit ‘Spirits’ has blown up all over the radio. One can only say it was about time, a band so talented and authentic was destined to make it big no matter what and it seems they are doing just that. Their live show also showcases their unique sound full with multiple guitars and keyboards and of course the staples like a solid drummer and backbone bass player. They got the crowd singing along with them and although they are not doing any backflips on the stage they are still a captivating band to watch.
As the night wore on the band’s continued to roll on through. Next to hit the stage was the British indie rock band, Bloc Party. From the very beginning one could tell that this set was a train wreck. With technical difficulties so bad they had to skip two of the beginning songs and produce a dismal first three. The entire crowd watched on as the band got more agitated as everything from loop petals to guitars weren’t working. They tried to lighten the mood even jokingly saying, “At least you can all say you were at the show where Bloc Party fell apart.” Even when they sorted out the technical difficulties it’s hard to pick yourself up from such a dismal start and the rest of the set seemed subpar at best even if they did pick up some momentum later on.
It was finally on to the final two as the legendary punk rock band the Violent Femmes kicked off their set. They had the perfect mix of passion, talent, and decades of practice. They flawlessly pulled off a show full of classic hits such as ‘Blister in the Sun’ and ‘Add It Up’. They even pulled out an impressive selection of brass instruments to provide an extra kick.
