Hear Here: Live Music in Buffalo, NY

Colored Musicians Club | Hear Here

The Colored Musicians Club is more than just a venue. It's a living piece of history where jazz legends have gathered, performed and shaped the culture of Buffalo's music scene. To explore this rich legacy, we turn to George Scott, the former president of the club, whose decades of leadership and deep connection to this historic space have kept its legacy alive; Les Davis, a legendary piano player who has visited and played at the Club since the 1950s; and superfans, Joann and Roy, longtime audience members who believe the club is a living testament to Buffalo's prominent position in the national jazz scene. Hear Here is a production of Buffalo Toronto Public Media for Visit Buffalo Niagara

Kleinhans Music Hall | Hear Here

Today we visit an architectural gem, the Art Deco Saarinen-designed Kleinhans Music Hall, one of the absolute best concert halls in the country and home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. This episode showcases the rich history of this historic building and its connection to the community. We talk to Jess Basil, the manager of Kleinhans Music Hall, to talk about the original intention of the hall and her vision for its future; Grammy-award winning conductor and music director of the BPO, JoAnn Falletta; and curator, Lauren Becker, who refined an on-site exhibit that dives deep into the generations of musicians that have played the hall. Hear Here is a production of Buffalo Toronto Public Media for Visit Buffalo Niagara

Nietzsche’s | Hear Here

The vibe of Buffalo’s Allentown neighborhood has always been eclectic and funky, colorful and chaotic, unconventional and unpredictable. This ethos has been chief to its draw, and why it’s a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. But over its blocks, some addresses embody its personality better than others—and one distills into every inch of its venue. That would be Nietzsche’s, the Allen Street music hub that adheres to no genre classification, and has reverberated the style and substance of its city district for more than four decades. In this episode of Hear Here, we’ll talk Nietzsche’s legacy, future, and role in Buffalo’s live music diaspora with co-owner Dave Arakelian Jr.; discuss the club’s unique ability to connect both local and touring acts to the ethos of Buffalo with singer/songwriter Tyler Westcott; and highlight what makes the venue so special for fans. Hear Here is a production of Buffalo Toronto Public Media for Visit Buffalo Niagara

The Art of Jazz | Hear Here

For nearly 120 years, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery served as the beacon of Buffalo’s arts appreciation. But in the summer of 2023—after a dramatic $230 million renovation that remade an already beautiful expanse into a new kind of spectacular—it was reborn as Buffalo AKG Art Museum. This glistening campus is now home to more gallery space, more displays, and more opportunities to showcase the power of creation and improvisation in the heart of the Queen City. One of these opportunities is the annual Art of Jazz series, set to perform inside Buffalo AKG’s Stanford and Judith Lipsey Auditorium, starting on February 2 of 2025. In this episode of Hear Here, we’ll talk about the relationship between Buffalo AKG and the Art of Jazz series with the museum’s manager of marketing and media relations, Andrew Mayer; discuss what the space and series means to musicians with celebrated jazz keyboardist, George Caldwell; and learn about why the series is so special to fans with jazz enthusiasts Jack Nossavage and Krishnan Kartha. Hear Here is a production of Buffalo Toronto Public Media for Visit Buffalo Niagara

Duende | Hear Here

Nestled in the middle of the eclectic reclamation project known as Silo City—filled with towering storage cylinders that once made Buffalo one of the world’s largest grain ports—sits a quirky little social hub, buzzing throughout all four seasons. In the shadows of encircling silos rests Duende, a multifaceted, multi-stage venue that’s spurned new life off the banks of the Buffalo River—and has shown how the art of music can resuscitate an expanse once lost to the past. In this episode of Hear Here, we’ll talk about how the establishment of a Silo City comfort station developed into a one-of-a-kind music venue with Duende owner, Rick Smith; discuss what it’s like to play amid the city’s iconic grain silos with longtime Buffalo musician, Tom Stahl; and learn about the many ways to enjoy music at Duende from venue regular, James Duggan. Hear Here is a production of Buffalo Toronto Public Media for Visit Buffalo Niagara.