The Vores - Albright-Knox Art Gallery

            The Albright-Knox Art Gallery was an interesting and somewhat fitting place for the Vores to perform, as the sometimes noisy art rock/art punk band played old and new songs to an appreciative audience.

            Led by original members and songwriters Biff Henrich (guitar and vocals; he considers the band’s sound as “avant garage”) and Gary Nickard (bassist/occasional vocalist), the band has been fleshed out in its resurgence with Cathy Carfagna on keyboard and vocals, Scott Ryan on guitar and Patrick Heyden on drums. The Vores recently released “Common Scar,” a CD of 13 Vores songs and a cover of Bernie Kugel and the Good’s “Walk Around the World” sung by Kugel. While the filling out and shading of the band’s angular guitar approach (which still remains) may offend some old fanatics, as a more than 30-year admirer of the Vores, I think it works.

The Vores opened with “Black Words (Part 1 and 2)”, from the new CD, which goes from a neo-surf guitar intro to virtual Willie Nile rock (see “Cell Phones Ringing in the Pockets of the Dead”). Henrich adds jangle to his guitar lines at all of the right and sometimes some of the wrong times to smart effect. The band followed this with another new song, “Bad Date,” a story in part of a man who seems to mistreat and even dislike the woman he is in a relation with, verging on emotional abuse. Henrich’s guitar had a good, scratchy sound balanced by cool, moody keyboard from Carfagna.

After a couple more new songs, Henrich asked the audience if they wanted to hear any specific songs; before I could yell it, someone from the back (the crowd was rather full of musicians, artists and a writer or two) shouted “Love Canal,” an early classic Vores’ song based on the chemically contaminated area in Niagara County and what it wrought. “OK,” he replied with a smile, and the band launched into a hard, harsh, raw version of the song. Ryan added an on the mark, almost dissonant guitar line underneath Henrich, and Nickard’s bass was pulsing and punishing.

Another highlight was “Emily Says,” from “Common Scar.” Henrich and Nickard played countermelodies while Carfagna, Ryan and Heyden supported them, before Nickard recited a spoken verse, partly sermon, partly monologue narrative, in a cold, almost emotionless voice. In the end, it sounded like a great Velvet Underground tribute/parody.

            It was fun to hear older songs such as “Too Much Pressure” and “Heartbeat,” and the Vores were called back for an encore, ending with “Short Story,” a self-descriptive title. As the audience cheered for more, Henrich sheepishly looked out and said, “No, really, we’re not prepared for this. Nothing on out list.”