Octave Cat plays instrumental music, which undersells it considerably. The Philadelphia-based trio moves between jazz-funk grooves and analog synth dance music (two idioms that don’t obviously belong together), and they’ve spent ten years building the case that they do. Eli Winderman (keyboards), Jesse Miller (bass and modular synth), and Charlie Patierno (drums) bring that catalog to Buffalo Iron Works on Saturday, September 26.
About the Show
The résumés are worth knowing: Winderman plays keys in Dopapod; Miller handles bass in Lotus. Both are established names in the livetronica world, and Octave Cat is where those two sensibilities converge. Ten years in, with three studio albums and multiple live recordings behind them, this has long since stopped being a side project.
The band describes their range as running from “stripped-down jazz-grooves to analog synth dance music,” citing Herbie Hancock’s jazz-funk aesthetic and Four Tet’s electronic approach as twin reference points. In practice, that means a set that can read as an organic jazz trio one moment and a live electronic act the next.
Their latest release, Live from the Simulation, Vol. 2, came out January 28, 2026, documenting performances from November and December 2025. The record mixes four fully improvised tracks with four originals, includes a guest appearance from Dopapod guitarist Rob Compa on “Wooden Beads,” and closes with a cover of Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” that JamBase called “inventive.” The album is worth a listen before the show—a solid preview of what the band brings on a given night.
Opening the night is Future Joy—the Denver/St. Pete duo of Emily Cooper and Zach Simms. Zach also plays tenor and baritone saxophone in addition to DJing, and the combination of live horns, keys, and DJ work pulls from funk, house, jazz, and drum and bass. Their debut album, NOW, came out in 2025, and their festival credits include Bonnaroo and Hulaween.
Venue & Logistics
Buffalo Iron Works is at 49 Illinois Street in Buffalo. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for an 8:00 p.m. show. The September 26 date sits in the middle of a three-night Great Lakes stretch: Octave Cat plays Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on the 25th and Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh on the 27th, which puts the band squarely mid-tour and running at full speed.
Tickets
Tickets start from $39. Buy tickets