Buffalo & Western New York Concerts & Live Music

Western New York is arena country. KeyBank Center anchors downtown Buffalo with the biggest touring acts in the Northeast — stadium rock, hip-hop heavyweights, and international pop. But the region’s real character shows up outdoors: at Artpark’s clifftop amphitheater overlooking the Niagara Gorge and Darien Lake’s sprawling outdoor concert stage south of the city, both running summer concerts from May through September.

That identity is hard-earned. Ani DiFranco built her entire career out of Buffalo — founding Righteous Babe Records here in 1990, releasing dozens of albums entirely on her own terms, and creating a model for independent artistry that artists still follow today. Her spiritual home is Asbury Hall at Babeville, a stunning 19th-century Gothic Revival church in downtown Buffalo that she restored and now operates as one of the most beautiful intimate concert venues in the Northeast. A show at Asbury Hall is the best argument for what Buffalo’s music scene is really about.

The Goo Goo Dolls. Ani DiFranco. A deep club scene on Elmwood Avenue. Shea’s Buffalo hosting Broadway-caliber productions and major touring acts. Summer concert seasons at Artpark and Darien Lake that draw fans from across the border and beyond. Western NY has more musical identity than it usually gets credit for — and the venues to back it up.