The Buffalo music scene was busy on the first Friday in November. Between shows at the Town Ballroom, Iron Works, Rec Room, it was the place to be for a music lover. And if you’re like me, you were the target market for all three shows. It was honestly hard to pick between the three shows but luckily times worked out where I was able to attend parts of two of the shows, one of them being for singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy.
I started off my November 4 driving up to Buffalo towards the Rec Room for a hardcore show. It was a Buffalo Unity show to bridge the gap between past and present hardcore. I was able to see Spaced, Smash N’ Grab, Exhibition, and Cinderblock perform. The newest Buffalo hardcore band Bad Blood made their debut with one song as well.
As soon as Cinderblock finished, I left the venue and walked around the block for Soccer Mommy at the Town Ballroom. This is the show I’ve been waiting for since the tour was announced back in May.
There was no way I was going to miss one of my favorite artists perform.
Since October 28, Sophia Allison, better known by her stage name Soccer Mommy, has been on the road in support of her newest album Sometimes, Forever. This is an eleven track album that was released in June and is one of my favorite releases of the year.
Fun enough, the official name of the tour is ‘Touring, Forever.’
This tour features special guests Lighting Bug, Helena Deland, and Tops on select dates. For the Buffalo performance, Lightning Bug shared the stage. The tour will continue through December 17 when it concludes in Dallas, Texas.
I need to take you back a few years so you understand the importance of this show for me. In 2016, I set to Bandcamp and randomly stumbled upon a new album called For Young Hearts by an artist named Soccer Mommy. I listened to the songs “Henry” and “3am at a Party.” It was an instant click on how much I enjoyed the music and style. I was like “she’s going to be big.”
Fast forward two more years. Soccer Mommy was announced as the support for Paramore’s After Laughter Tour in June of 2018. I could not have been more excited. Two of my favorite artists performing together and more spotlight for Soccer Mommy? Sign me up.
I remember walking into the Lakeview Amphitheatre in Syracuse beyond excited for Soccer Mommy to take the stage. She played one of my favorite songs, “Henry,” and I sang along. Even though there was quite a distance between me and the stage, I still enjoyed the set and seeing her for the first time.
Two years later Soccer Mommy released the album Color Theory in February 2020. This is arguably one of my favorite albums. Between the branding of the album and the colors, the songs, and more, it’s a near perfect listen that has inspired me and my creative mind.
Now we’re in 2022. Though I entered the Town Ballroom a little tired from speed walking (had to make sure I didn’t miss anything), walking into the venue last weekend was special for me. It was my first time seeing Soccer Mommy in over five years and the environment and setup was totally different leaving for a brand new experience that I won’t forget.
Unfortunately due to the conflict with the other show, I missed Lightning Bug’s performance. I still made sure to check out their music after the show, though. They released an album in June of 2021 called A Color of the Sky. They are a perfect pairing for Soccer Mommy’s sound and I recommend listening to their songs “The Right Thing Is Hard To Do” and “The Return.”
When Soccer Mommy took the stage, the stage setup and lighting matched her album Sometimes, Forever with a darker purple and pink theme paired with imagery of the cells and nerves in the body. She started the set off with “Bones” and “With U,” the first two tracks off of the newest album.
She explained that this was her first time performing in Buffalo but her second time visiting the area. She told the story of her first time visiting and how she went to a restaurant called Gabriel’s Gate and how she made sure to come back a second time. After she shared this story, the crowd had a huge yell in support.
Throughout the set, there was some conversation and interaction between Allison and the crowd. She responded to some “I love you’s” that were yelled and cracked some jokes. One person was yelling her name multiple times throughout the show and at one point she joked by saying something along the lines of “whoever is yelling that has a really strong voice.” After she said that, multiple laughs came from the crowd.
She performed a good mix of songs from her albums including “Scorpio Rising,” “Still Clean,” and “Yellow Is the Color of Her Eyes.” Cell phone lights broke out during her performance of “Still Clean,” where her band members left the stage and she performed solo.
She ended the performance with “Your Dog,” track three from her 2018 album Clean and arguably one of her most popular songs.
Though I would’ve loved to hear “Henry” live again, I still truly enjoyed seeing Soccer Mommy for the second time. It’s always a great feeling seeing one of your favorite artists perform.
View my complete gallery of photos below and be sure to listen to Sometimes, Forever today!
