Uptown Buddha/Burning River Ramblers/Sassafraz/Cooleyhigh

Ohio’s best funk and alternative rock bands will come together for one jam-packed show tonight for Uptowne Buddha’s debut CD release. The group straddles between Cleveland and the Athens music scenes regularly bringing a fresh blend of live instrumental hip-hop reminiscent of The Gorillaz to the Grog Shop and Ohio’s biggest Halloween block party. Now they can give fans a fully produced album with the quality the band is capable of. Uptowne Buddha will be joined by The Burning River Ramblers, who have been keeping the city abuzz by making it into the top 25 for the Hard Rock Rising music competition. Although The Ramblers didn’t win, it’s still one of the finest alternative rock bands in the area. The new album from experimental funk hip-hop group Sassafraz makes them impossible to ignore any longer. Time Will Tell and the group’s live act shows off the groups dedication to thick beats funky rhymes and psychedelic guitar effects. (William Hoffman)