BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Amateur Hockey Club, a four-piece IPA rock band from Buffalo, just released its third single of 2022 on Friday and will be playing a show on Dec. 2 to celebrate the release.
The band will play at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place on Dec. 2 to celebrate the release of “You Started a Fire,” its newest single. The single was also the first song AHC ever played live together in 2017, finally making its debut on streaming platforms on Friday.
“Our band has gone through a couple of different lineup changes and kind of as that’s happened, the shape and the texture of the song has changed, too,” lead guitarist Matt Foote said. “It kind of started as a riff-y kind of southern rock feel and then when we got into the studio and worked with R.J. (DeMarco) on it, we just kept adding more and more stuff and now it’s teetering on a metalcore song.”
The song was recorded at Quiet Country Audio, and Foote says he hopes the release will allow people to listen and connect to the song at home, and in turn, elevate the live experience as well. The Dec. 2 release show will also feature BP and the Oil Spills, Cooler, and Quit Yourself.
“Tell your mom, tell your dad, tell your friends, tell your enemies — just like — anybody that you think would enjoy the show should come on through,” Foote said.
The band is a four-piece emo outfit, consisting of Foote on lead vocals and guitar, Craig Perno on guitar and backup vocals, Abram Thompson on the bass and backup vocals, and drummer Mitch Lariviere. The lineup has changed over time, but the band was birthed from Foote’s previous band, The Odds Are, after their singer moved to New York City.
Foote said his favorite artists in the area to work with include We Were Blank, whom he used to play with and has written several lead guitar parts for, Ashford, BP and the Oil Spills, Fernway, Carpool, and Perno’s other band, SMUG.
“I feel more now at 28, than I ever did when I was a kid, that we’re really creating a scene and creating a culture here in Buffalo of bands that — maybe sound similar, maybe that don’t — but of just incredible support for each other and making really good music,” Foote said.
He also encouraged his fellow musicians to check out other local artists and support Buffalo’s music scene.
How the band got its name: At a practice early in the band’s existence, the bandmates were drinking Molson Canadian. At the time, marketing on Molson bottles said something to the effect of, “Molson Canadian is the perfect beer for your amateur hockey club.” And the name stuck.
What artists inspire Matt Foote: Fall Out Boy, Microwave, late-90s/early-00s alt-rock bands like Third Eye Blind
His favorite venues to play: Iron Works, Town Ballroom, Mohawk Place, Nietzsche’s, Rec Room, Xtreme Wheels
His favorite songs to play live: Bones, Fresh Blood, You Get What You Pay For
His dream concert lineup:
- Panic! at the Disco
- Microwave
- Fall Out Boy
- The 1975
- Amateur Hockey Club
For more information about Amateur Hockey Club and their music, visit the following links:
Music Monday #12 was filmed at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place, a downtown staple since 1990, which connects the community with young artists and live performances. To learn more about Mohawk Place, click here to visit the venue’s website.
Music Monday is a weekly series created and produced by Adam Duke to showcase artists from Western New York and their work. To be considered for a feature, email Adam at adam.duke@wivb.com.
Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.
