BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In the mid-90s, a guy named Craig started a website in San Francisco to provide classified ads to the Bay Area. Over 20 years later, said website became a crux in the formation of a Buffalo, N.Y. pop-punk/emo band called We Were Blank.
Frontman Brendan Dougherty and drummer Matt Oehm met through Craigslist. Oehm recalled the first time they met — at a party at Dougherty’s house.
“We met on Craigslist and I came over to his house and they had me playing the bongos or something — the cajon — in this circle at the party,” Oehm said. “And he was like, ‘Well I guess this is your tryout.'”
Dougherty got his younger brother, Bobby, onboard asking how he felt about playing bass or guitar in a band. Bobby Dougherty committed to bass, saying it’s fewer strings and less requirements, making it easier on him.
“That’s something I could do,” he said.
In September 2021, guitarist Blaise Przybyla also joined the band via Craigslist, saying he was scrolling the site out of genuine boredom one day and came across the band’s listing looking for a new guitarist.
“I was like, ‘What are the chances that I know who this is?’,” Przybyla said. “I eventually hit them up and was like, ‘I play guitar,’ and it was Matt.”
The band put out its second EP, “What Got Us Here,” on Sept. 28. Oehm shouted out Paul Besch of QC Audio, who produced the EP and recommended other Western New York artists record with him.
“We’re just getting back into the studio sometime soon after playing through our fall shows,” Brendan Dougherty said. “Up through November-December, I’d say keep your eyes open.”
We Were Blank said their favorite artists in the area to work with include Quit Yourself, Amateur Hockey Club, The Weather Might Say Otherwise (TWMSO), and Mother Nature’s Son. Regarding venues, the band said they have fond memories at Nietzsche’s, Stamps the Bar, Buffalo’s Mohawk Place, and Buffalo Iron Works.
How the band got its name: The band was initially going to be called “Blank” with an empty underscore as their logo, but they didn’t think that was a good idea — and to them, what was worse — people started referring to them as “Blank-182.”
As they deliberated on a name, Bobby Dougherty said “Well, we were ‘Blank,’ now what are we going to do?'” Oehm pulled the name from Dougherty’s question, however Dougherty said he believes that had Przybyla been in the band at the time, they would have come up with a different name.
Their dream concert lineup:
- Hot Mulligan
- Prince Daddy & The Hyena
- Microwave
- Free Throw
- We Were Blank
Their favorite songs to play:
Brendan Dougherty: Blank
Matt Oehm: Blank
Bobby Dougherty: Stubborn and Pocket Sand
Blaise Przybyla: Finger Guns and Commute
For more information about We Were Blank and their music, visit the following links:
Music Monday #11 was filmed at Nietzsche’s, a 40-year-old venue in Allentown, which hosts several live shows from local and national artists each week. To learn more about Nietzsche’s, 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.
