Kerfuffalohhhhh sounded better the last time I attended. Something was off about this year’s Kerfuffle. The day-long concert put on by Alternative Buffalo 107.7 just wasn’t up to snuff this year. The radio station invited nine bands to take the Canalside stage on Saturday, many of which have played in the Buffalo area recently. Despite the repetitive nature of the lineup, 107.7 managed to sell out the concert for the third straight year, giving loyal 107.7 fans the ability to see some bands for the second or maybe even third time. Honestly, I was pretty excited to see some of these bands again. Although, the sound check must’ve been cut short because bands that I’ve had phenomenal experiences with in the past just didn’t sound like themselves.
The Moth & The Flame played to an almost non existent crowd as most people were still waiting to get into the venue during their set. However, fans weren’t phased by by the fact that they missed the visual aspect of the show. Songs such as “Red Flag” and “Live While I Breathe” were simply laying the foundation for the rest of the day.
Coleman Hell was up next, bringing a little life to the growing crowd with his hit song “2 Heads.” The singer’s bizarre stage presence and funky shirt overshadowed the minor sound issues during his set. He brought fun and movement that seemed impossible during the 90 degree weather. I’m still mystified by the band PVRIS’ ability to rock all black at 3:00 PM during the unbearably hot day. Nonetheless, they made it through their surprisingly quiet and low-key set, that was nothing like what I had anticipated. Given a few more clouds in the sky, and a sound guy that wanted to crank it up a notch, this band would’ve had potential for a far more captivating performance.
Adorable as always, the mother-and-son duo Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear serenaded us with their folky tunes. Playing cute, plunky songs like their hit “Silent Movies” and surprising us with more James Taylor-esque songs like their single “Dreams.”
New Politics was back in Buffalo for their second tour of duty on the Kerfuffle lineup. Acting as a filler for the originally slotted Death From Above 1979, the charismatic group took the stage and the crowd by storm. While their performance doesn’t seem to change much from year to year, they simply know how to work a crowd. Lead singer and former breakdancer David Boyd always throws in an impressive section of tricks. Ranging from walking on the crowd, to seemingly endless headstands, he knows how to draw attention to the stage, especially when it was fellow band member Louis Vecchio’s birthday. We all sang Happy Birthday and sent them on their way after a few more songs.
Up next was a band that probably should’ve been slotted with Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear, or the Violent Femmes. The Strumbellas. Toronto’s sweethearts were one of the bands I was most excited for in this lineup. I’ve been a fan since I first saw them at TURF in Toronto this past September. However, my folky friends were rather timid during their performance away from home. They played hits such as “Shovels and Dirt” and “Spirits,” making us all feel as though we were part of their family for a little bit as we sang along with them.
For another twist in the genres that filled this lineup, the indie rock/alternative dance group Bloc Party fell apart on the Kerfuffle stage. Getting booed jokingly after they suffered sound issues and had to stop playing mid-song, the group did their best to recover from what could’ve been a detrimental point in their set.
Laughing in the face of all the prior sound issues, the Violent Femmes took the stage as the seasoned professionals they are. Ironically opening with their hit song “Blister In The Sun” as the sun was finally setting, bringing sweet relief to all of us who had been roasting since 1:00 PM. They brought us into their world talking about “storytelling songs that you can get into any way you want” as they played “I Could Be Anything.” They ushered us all into a physically and emotionally cooler part of the day. Finally the big shabang AWOLNATION landed on stage after the spaceman from the “Run” video lit the way. Action packed with high intensity songs and matching jumpsuits, AWOLNATION blew us away. Their sound is unlike any other. It is the combination of raw emotion and precise playing that confuses you and leaves you standing there in awe. While all members were very talented, lead guitarist Zach Irons stole the show with the best guitar playing I’d seen in a while. Not to mention he was doing it while vigorously jumping and holding the power stance as taught to us by the 2003 movie “The School of Rock.” Lead singer Aaron Bruno invited us all to see how many people we could get to crowd surf at once for their song”Jailbreak.” The resulting waves of people tumbling over the crowd was astonishing. However, Bruno limited it to just the ladies for the hit song “Woman Woman.” They loved us more than we’ll ever know, AWOLNATION closed out the show with a four song encore featuring hits such as “I Am,” and “Sail.”
Another year of Kerfuffle came to an end, leaving us all sunburned and exhausted from this year’s festivities. I can only look forward to what’s in store for next year.
AWOLNATION Set List:
Run
Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)
People
Not Your Fault
Jailbreak
Soul Wars
Windows
Kill Your Heroes
Woman Woman
All I Need
Like People, Like Plastic
Burn It Down
Encore:
I’m on Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)
I Am
Dreamers
Sail
We would like to thank Nik Rivers from Alternative Buffalo for the credentials to review the show.
