What’s Good: May 21-27, 2026
Our weekly guide to what’s going on around Buffalo and in the world of pop culture.
Thursday, 5/21
Southern Culture On the Skids (Showplace Theater, 1065 Grant St, 7pm doors/8pm, $27.50, 16+)
The legendary punk-rockabilly trio. Not to be missed. w/The Get Down
Joe Avati (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, $60.70)
Veteran Italian-Australian stand-up.
Vampiric Crypt (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 7pm, $10)
w/An Astonishing End, Petrifier
Thank You Scientist (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $22adv/$25, 16+)
Death Angel (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 6:30pm doors/7:30pm, $36-$76)
Pioneering thrash metal band. w/Vio-Lence, Incite
Austin Higgins Quartet (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Jazz fusion.
River Glen (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm, $15)
Midwestern folk-pop. w/Trever Stribing, Sara Elizabeth, Jade Marcinak
The Improv Mixer (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $5 suggested)
Newcomers and experienced performers are all welcome to participate in improv sketch comedy or just watch.
Friday, 5/22
Tommy Davidson (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm/9:15pm, $33-$49)
The comedy legend started out on In Living Color, appeared in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and The Proud Family, alongside a long career as a stand-up.
The Honk Committee (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Brass band.
Highly Suspect (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 7pm doors/8pm, $56-$121)
Blues-influenced alt rock. w/Dead Poet Society
USS (Town Ballroom, 681 Main St, 7pm, SOLD OUT, 16+)
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker; a Canadian guitar-turntable duo. Rescheduled from 2/21, previous tickets will be honored.
Emo Night (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm doors/9pm, $10adv/$15)
Tom From Myspace (electric) and Derek Gregoire of Creating a Sinner (acoustic) perform emo favorites.
Time To Pretend (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 8pm, $10)
An indie music dance party, with DJ sets by Silver Shamrock, Pitlord, Goblyn, and Vibe Disciples.
Seattle Sons (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $15adv/$20, 18+)
Grunge rock tribute. w/Smells Like Dave Grohl
Central Groove (The Caz, 2221 Seneca St, 5:30pm doors/7pm, $20-$25)
Classic rock coevers.
Improv Jam (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 6:30pm, $5-$10 suggested)
Newcomers and experienced performers are all welcome to participate in improv sketch comedy or just watch.
Improv Collider (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7:30pm, $5 suggested)
An hour of long-form improv comedy.
Good Neighbors! (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 8:30pm, $14-27 suggested)
Long-form improv built around a story told by a notable Buffalonian. This month’s guest is drag king superstar Freddie Knight, raising money for Migrant Families of WNY.
Live Band Karaoke (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 10pm, $8)
Saturday 5/23
Tommy Davidson (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7pm/9:30pm, $33-$49)
The comedy legend started out on In Living Color, appeared in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and The Proud Family, alongside a long career as a stand-up.
Kabaka Pyramid (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 7pm doors/8pm, $26-$76)
Jamaican reggae artist whose music spans modern and traditional.
Stand-Up Class Showcase (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 7pm, $8 adv/$10/$5 student)
Students from BIH’s stand-up workshop try out their tight five.
Babushka! (Buffalo Improv House, 255 Great Arrow Ave #207, 8:30pm, $15 adv/$20/$12 student)
Buffalo’s longest-running long form improv show puts on an entirely improvised play based on a single audience suggestion.
Dance Gavin Dance (Riverworks, 359 Gansom St, 5:30pm doors/6:30pm, $62-$103, 16+)
w/The Fall of Troy, Wolf & Bear, Novelists
FMX (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 7pm doors/8pm, $17adv/$25, 18+)
The Fleetwood Mac Experience (tribute act). w/Miranda Rites
Canetis (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 7pm doors/8pm, $10)
w/Robbery Club, Smac!
The Thurman Brothers Band (The Caz, 2221 Seneca St, 5:30pm doors/7pm, $20-$25)
Allman Brothers tribute.
Celtic Sessions (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 4-7pm, FREE)
Traditional Irish music.
Black Rock Arts (Black Rock Arts, 43 Hamilton St, 11am-3pm, FREE)
The new artist-run gallery is open to the public every Saturday.
Sunday 5/24
Tommy Davidson (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, $33-$49)
The comedy legend started out on In Living Color, appeared in Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, and The Proud Family, alongside a long career as a stand-up.
Tune Into Wellness (Iron Works, 49 Illinois St, 6pm, $15adv/$20, All Ages)
Local musicians perform to support Gateway Longview’s mental health services. Performances by Halfstride, Prairie Pavement, Stress Dolls
The Grateful Dans (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 3:30-5:30pm, FREE)
Jam band that, despite the name, is not a Dead cover band.
Ann Philippone (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8, FREE)
Solo barrelhouse piano.
Jazz Cache (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8:30pm-mid, FREE)
A rotating cast of Buffalo’s best jazz musicians.
Karaoke Night (Twentysixallen, 26 Allen St, 9:30pm)
Monday 5/25
Tom Robert & the Mystics (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8pm, FREE)
Songwriter Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm-mid, FREE)
Singer-songwriters from 8-9, and then an open mic for the rest of the evening.
Monday Night Foosball (Riverworks, 359 Gansom St, 6pm warmups/7-9pm, $10)
Weekly foosball tournament; free trial week for newcomers, $80 15-week season pass. buffalofoosball.com
Tuesday 5/26
Steam Donkeys (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 6-8:30pm, FREE)
Long-serving “cosmic Americana” group.
Rust Belt Comedy Showcase (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9-10pm, FREE)
A rotating cast of local stand-ups.
The Stripteasers (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 10pm-mid, $4)
Weekly burlesque show.
Open Mic (Cucina @ Hotel Richardson, 444 Forest Ave, 6-8pm)
This weekly open mic features music, poetry, and comedy. Register at jkonze@douglasdev.com.
Karaoke (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, 8pm)
Wednesday 5/27
’68 (Rec Room, 79 W Chippewa St, 7pm doors/8pm, $30, 16+)
Noise rock band on their farewell tour. w/Nate Bergman
Superheaven (Electric City, 433 Pearl St, 6:30pm doors/7:30pm, $17-$93)
Grunge rockers. w/Modern Color, All Under Heaven
Sara Elizabeth (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 8pm, FREE)
Tyler Wescott Band (Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St, 9pm, FREE)
Jazz & funk. w/Elton Hough
Comedy Open Mic (Helium, 30 Mississippi St, 7:30pm, FREE w/reservation)
Over 20 comics perform. Two-item minimum.
Comedy Open Mic (Milkie’s, 522 Elmwood Ave, sign up 7pm, show 9:30pm)
