Millington coined “Brass Emo” not as a press shorthand but as a declaration of intent — that the intersection of ska, pop-punk, and horn-driven energy that major labels left behind was worth reclaiming with a straight face and a six-piece lineup committed to it. The Albany-founded band, built from bassist and vocalist Cody Okonski’s solo recording project into its current full ensemble, has spent eight years proving the genre still has somewhere to go. Their October 15 stop at Rec Room arrives mid-momentum: a sold-out Japan headline tour in the books, Vans Warped Tour 2026 on the résumé.
About the Show
Millington headlines Thursday night with support from Do It With Malice, a ska punk act whose billing alongside them makes this a subgenre bill more than a conventional opener-headliner setup. The band’s current release, the “Better Safe and Sorry” EP, blends what they describe as “ska, pop punk and easy-core elements”; it extends a catalog that includes the “Welcome Home” EP (2023) and the twin 2020 releases, “Beatdown Generation” and “Brass Emo Vol. 1,” a cover album that named the genre project directly. The six-piece is Okonski on bass and lead vocals alongside Alex Maloy (guitar, vocals), Nick Cavin (drums, backing vocals), Chris Paul (trombone, backing vocals), Pat Foxton (saxophone), and Nathaniel McKeever (trumpet). The horn section here is structural, not ornamental. Festival bookings at NYC’s Governors Ball in 2022, Furnace Fest in 2025, and this year’s Warped Tour have extended their reach well beyond the ska-punk circuit. Buffalo opens a northeastern leg that continues to Chicago the following evening. The show is presented by After Dark.
Venue & Logistics
Rec Room sits at 79 W. Chippewa St. in downtown Buffalo, a 300-cap bar-venue where a touring band’s full production closes the distance between stage and back wall in ways that festival stages don’t. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; showtime is 7:30 p.m. Admission is 16 and over; those between 12 and 15 are admitted with a parent or legal guardian, and no one under 12 is permitted.
Tickets
No ticket price was available from sources at the time of publication. Tickets are available through TicketWeb; eTickets are delivered two days before the show. All sales are final with no refunds unless the event is cancelled or postponed. Buy tickets