BUFFALO — Post-Punk. Alternative. New Wave. It all fits when you’re talking about a band with the sound and the history of Psychedelic Furs. The Butler brothers brought their unique sound to the stage at Canalside, July 18, and it had a feeling of nostalgia and great music all around.

Richard Butler’s voice was a sliky as it was in the 1980s. He had Furs fans eating out of his hand all night. To say that the Psychedelic Furs are still just as relevant to the music scene would be an understatement. Tim, with his iconic glasses, held the low end all night with the perfect blend of showmanship and performer, giving the spotlight to other bandmates throughout the night.

Songs like “Love My Way,” “The Ghost in You,” “Mr. Jones,” “Heaven,” “President Gas,” “The Boy That Invented Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Sleep Comes Down,” coupled with the crowd highlight of the evening, the title track for “Pretty in Pink,” showed that the Furs are still on top, in terms of their blend of post-punk, alternative rock. Everyone was enjoying the show so well that, when the band left the stage for the evening and the lights came on, many people were still there, waiting for more.

If you missed them and are a fan of the New Wave, post-punk that came over from Britain in the 1980s, do yourself a favor. See them next time they are here. You’ll leave with a great feeling for that genre once again.

Dirty Heads At Darien Lake

DARIEN CENTER — It’s all about the music. It’s all about the experience for the fans. On July 20, Dirty Heads made sure to deliver on that statement.

Co-headlining the Darien Lake show with 311 brings benefits to a band like Dirty Heads. One of those is that the stage area for the show is maximized. The show is a full set of 18 songs.

From the first note of “Slow Burn” to the final echo of “Vacation,” Dirty Heads had a fun show. The vibe was solid and the relaxed summer feel filled the Performing Arts Center.

From the outset, the audience was primed for Jared “Dirty J” Watson and Dustin “Dubby B” Bushnell to give them the cross genre of their creation, a sound that mixes a definitive island beat with a SoCal surfer vibe, mixed with a bit of old-school hip-hop and rap.

The high energy in the heat was something to behold. The crowd, some 6,000 strong, was feeding from the stage energy and the band was feeding from the crowd. It was on a level that is rare to experience. Even form the photography pit, and then from the VIP area, it was blissfully obvious that the vast majority of people there were into the good vibes and solidly positive music. The only thing missing was the poolside deck and the adult libations to go with the tunes.

The night was rounded out perfectly by a great set by 311. Before Dirty Heads, the Ska-punk sounds of The Interrupters primed the crowd. As people were making their way through security and into the venue, Dreamers and Bikini Trill entertained. Not a band on the bill was lacking. Some were better than others in stage and technical prowess but all were great additions to the overall sound of the night, a definite SoCal sound, from ska to reggae, and even the power reggae style of 311.