Thursday at the Square

Weekly concert series in Buffalo, New York

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Thursday at the Square was a free weekly concert series held annually from May through August in downtown Buffalo, New York, at Lafayette Square.

History

The first year of the series was held in downtown Buffalo at the corner of Main and Chippewa. Beginning in 1986 the series was held in Buffalo's Lafayette Square. It was originally called Thursday in the Park until a name change in 1994. It grew from a casual showcase of local talent to a professional display of both local and national music acts. Buffalo Place sponsored the concert series that ran every summer from May until September. Every Thursday Lafayette Square was transformed, bringing citizens from nearby suburbs into the city. Several nearby business and bars capitalized on Thursday at the Square, taking advantage of the increased foot traffic.

Since its inception all concerts were free to the public. Coolers and drinks were not allowed to be brought onto the premises, as the concessions are what kept the concerts free.

Buffalo Place also annually promoted two other free weekend concerts. "Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor" featured Saturday and Sunday concerts during one weekend each year starting in 1998 and was held in Buffalo's Erie Basin Marina. "Buffalo Bike Blast" featured Saturday and Sunday concerts during one weekend each year from 2003 to 2005, and was held at Buffalo's Niagara Square. That concert series was put on temporary hiatus in 2006.

2020 saw no concerts. They resumed the next year.

Performers

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1991

6/13 - The Mamas & the Papas featuring John Phillips, MacKenzie Phillips, Spanky McFarlane and Scott McKenzie
6/20 - Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders
6/27 - Sattalites
7/04 - (no show)
7/11 - Rocket 88
7/18 - Lance Diamond
7/25 - The Hurricanes
8/01 - Jamie Moses Band
8/08 - The Pine Dogs
8/15 - The Ravens featuring Barbara St. Clair
8/22 - Emory Nash
8/29 - Gamalon
9/05 - The Road

1992

6/04 - The Guess Who
6/11 -
6/18 - Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders
6/25 - John & Mary
7/02 - Hopping Penguins
7/09 - Them Jazzbeards
7/16 -
7/23 - J.C. Thompson Band
7/30 - The Fibs
8/06 -
8/13 - The French Ticklers
8/20 - Joyryde
8/27 - Sattalites

1993

6/03 - Sattalites
6/10 - Pulse with Butch Rolle, Unity Band with Cynthia Moore and Lisa Rushton
6/17 -
6/24 - Goo Goo Dolls, Lance Diamond
7/01 - Bel-Vistas, Skaface, (or The Lowest of the Low?)
7/08 -
7/15 - One Drop Reggae
7/22 -
7/29 - Heat Handlers
8/05 - Where's Broadway, Outer Circle Orchestra
8/12 - Moxy Früvous, John & Mary
8/19 - Blue Rodeo, Crash Roosters
8/26 - Pat Shea & the Stone Country Band, Rick Smith

1994

6/02 - Jamie Moses Band, Nik and the Nice Guys
6/09 - Big Happy Family, Johny Vegas
6/16 - Mr. Conrad & the Excellos, Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders
6/23 - Pine Dogs, Skydiggers
6/30 - Tropical Explosion
7/07 - Crash Rooster, Tinsley Ellis
7/14 - McCarthyizm, The Waltons
7/21 - Dance or Die, Hypnotic Clambake
7/28 - The Need, Hall of Fame Band
8/04 -
8/11 - Wild Nik West, Stevie Ray Shannon
8/18 - Crumbs of Insanity, Pigfarm
8/25 -

1995

6/01 - Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders
6/08 - 10,000 Maniacs with John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey,The Skeptics
6/15 - Otis Rama & the Shama Lama Nik Dongs, Outer Circle Orchestra
6/22 -
6/29 - Boss Street Band, Planet 9 with Kathy Moriarty
7/06 -
7/13 - Morganfields, Plaster Sandals
7/20 - Downchild Blues Band, Willie & the Reinhardts with Dave Constantino
7/27 - Coupe de Villes, Win, Lose or Draw Band
8/03 - Nullstadt, The Tails
8/10 -
8/17 - Marshall Badger Band, Willie May Blues Band
8/24 - Jim Yeomans Band, Dee Dee Tompkins
8/31 - Straight Forward, Bobby Militello Quartet

1996

5/30 - Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night
6/06 - Spirit of the West, Philosopher Kings
6/13 - Veltri & Morgano Rhythm & Soul Revue, De'Riff
6/20 - Jump Kings, Hit N'Run
6/27 - LeeRon Zydeco & the Hot Tamales, J.C. Thompson Band
7/03 - (Wednesday) Willie and The Reinhardts play when John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band cancel, C.P.R. Band with the Perpetrators
7/11 - Buckwheat Zydeco, Gamalon
7/18 - Lance Diamond, Surfivors
7/25 - Universal Honey, Roadside Attractions
8/01 - Taylor Made Jazz, The Shaft
8/08 - Bobby Militello Quartet, Phil Sims & the Buffalo Brass Band
8/15 - All Stars of Southern Rock featuring the Tolar Brothers, Scott Carpenter & the Real McCoys
8/22 - Ominous Sea Pods, McCarthyizm
8/29 - The Sattalites, Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders

1997

5/29 - Boys of Summer, Big Wheelie & the Hubcaps
6/05 - Echo & the Bunnymen, Velour
6/12 - Electric Chick Magnets, C.O. Jones
6/19 - Plaster Sandals, McCarthyizm
6/26 - Chanka Chank Cajun Zydecko Band
7/03 - Barbara St. Clair & the Shadows
7/10 - Moxy Früvous
7/17 - Spirit of the West, Johnny Hart & the Jumpstarts
7/24 - The Be Bops, Gary Lewis & the Playboys
7/31 - Lance Diamond, Scott Carpenter & the Real McCoys
8/07 - Buffalo Swing, Michael Civisca
8/14 - Buckwheat Zydeco, Pine Dogs
8/21 - Only Humen, Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders
8/28 - Coupe De Villes, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown

1998

5/28 - Switch, Flipside & the Legends of Rock-n-Roll
6/04 - Moxy Früvous, Skydiggers
6/11 - Mary Black, McCarthyizm
6/18 - Squeeze, Saw Doctors
6/25 - Molly Hatchet, N.Y. Rockn' Rodeo Band
7/02 - Reggae Cowboys, Electric Bushmen
7/09 - The Grass Roots, Fat Brat
7/16 - Buckwheat Zydeco, Skin Tight Band
7/23 - Great Big Sea, Michael Oliver & Go Dog Go
7/30 - Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders, Stone Bridge Band
8/06 - Lance Diamond, The Shadows with Barbara St. Clair
8/13 - Blue Rodeo, Scary Chicken
8/20 - Sass Jordan, Dolly Watchers
8/27 - Popa Chubby, Danny Lynn Wilson

1999

5/27 - 54-40, Riley, By Divine Right
6/03 - The Flutie Brothers Band, R&B Revue
6/10 - Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, The 7th Sons, Leon & The Forklifts
6/17 - Shawn Mullins, John Whelan
6/24 - Great Big Sea, Go Dog Go, Guster
7/01 - Lance Diamond, Wendell Rivera & The Latin Jazz All-Stars
7/08 - Paul Revere and the Raiders, Tom Stahl
7/15 - Kelly Willis, Steam Donkeys
7/22 - Billy McEwen & The Soul Invaders, Junction West
7/29 - Reverend Horton Heat, 53 Days, Irving Klaws
8/05 - The Marshall Tucker Band, Tommy Z
8/12 - Fighting Gravity, Bread Gone Wry, bag.
8/19 - Spirit of the West, Alison Pipitone, Universal Honey
8/26 - Spyro Gyra, Straight Forward

2000

5/25 - Black 47, Jackdaw, Mudtown Rudy
6/01 - Tugboat Annie
6/08 - Moist, The Sheila Divine, OUI-73
6/15 - Robert Cray
6/22 - The Animals
6/29 - 54-40
7/06 - Blue Rodeo, Tara McLean, Alison Pipitone
7/13 - Kim Mitchell
7/20 - Burning Spear
7/27 - Sister Hazel The Pat McGee Band
8/03 - Leahy
8/10 - Billy McEwen, Stone Ridge, The Swillberries
8/13 - George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor
8/17 - Medeski Martin & Wood
8/24 - Bruce Cockburn, Willie Nile
8/31 - Lance Diamond, C.O. Jones

2001

5/24 - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Imports, Mexican Cession
5/31 - Andy Griggs, The Steam Donkeys
6/07 - Kim Mitchell, Urban Renewal Band, Willie and the Reinhardts
6/14 - Jeff Healey Band, The Tommy Z Blues Power Trio
6/17 - Slash's Snakepit - Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival
6/21 - moe., DJ Logic
6/28 - English Beat, Femi Kuti
7/05 - Billy McEwen, Cruizin' Deuces, The Stone Bridge Band
7/12 - David Wilcox, Alison Pipitone, Tom Stahl
7/19 - Bo Diddley, Animal Planet
7/26 - The Sheila Divine, The Push Stars, Crash Test Dummies
8/02 - Eddie Money, Rufus Maneuvers, The Swillberries
8/09 - Pat Benatar, Seven Day Faith, Blue Bullet Skater
8/16 - Great Big Sea, Jennifer Marie, Jackdaw
8/23 - Lance Diamond, C.O. Jones
8/30 - Donna the Buffalo, The Waz, Soulive

2002

5/23 - Cowboy Junkies, Suzanne Vega
5/30 - Blood Sweat and Tears, with David Clayton-Thomas
6/06 - The Divine Comedy, Ben Kweller, Ben Folds
6/13 - The Tommy Z Band, Rik Emmett
6/20 - Mark Stanley Band, The Filter Kings, Marcia Ball
6/27 - Jackdaw, Spirit of the West
7/11 - Jazz Mandolin Project, Derek Trucks Band
7/18 - Original Skin, Bob Fera Band, The Smithereens
7/25 - Junction West, Average White Band
8/01 - One World Tribe, Maxi Priest
8/08 - Klear, Lake Trout, Cracker
8/15 - Don McLean, Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields, Leah Zicari
8/22 - Katie Miller, Redheaded Stepchild, They Might Be Giants When the final group (They Might Be Giants) was set to perform, the show was cancelled due to heavy rains.
8/24 - The Lowest of the Low, Universal Honey, McCarthyizm, Last Conservative - Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor
8/25 - Peter Frampton, The Billy McEwen Band, Animal Planet, The Stone Bridge Band - Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor
8/29 - CO Jones, Lance Diamond

2003

5/29 - Living Colour, Antigone Rising, LP
6/05 - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Pietasters, Catch 22
6/12 - Kim Mitchell
6/19 - 54-40, Luther Wright and the Wrongs
6/26 - Default, Finger Eleven
7/03 - Gord Downie & the Country of Miracles, Hawksley Workman
7/10 - Government Mule play because Robert Randolph & the Family Band couldn't make it, Jeffrey Gaines
7/17 - They Might Be Giants
7/24 - Reel Big Fish, Gob, Zebrahead, The Matches
7/26 - The Tea Party - Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor
7/27 - Foreigner, David Wilcox, Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields, Willy and the Reinhardts - Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor

NOTE: Cancelled due to severe weather

7/31 - North Mississippi All Stars, David Wilcox

NOTE: David Wilcox performance was moved to 7/31 from originally scheduled date of 7/27. Flogging Molly was to have been the headliner, but their performance was moved to a nearby indoor venue (and a $5 fee charged) to accommodate the switch of the [David Wilcox]concert.