Jack Rabbit team launches new music venue, Riff City, at former Tappo Pizza
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — From Elmwood to Chandler, Jake Monti, Josh Mullin and Kevin Sampson are doing their part to expand Buffalo’s musical footprint.
Now, they’ve got an even bigger space with fewer boundaries to share the Queen City’s sounds, as well as those coming from out of town.
Riff City, located at the former Tappo Pizza on Chandler Street, opened its doors this fall. The team behind it, which also owns and operates Jack Rabbit on Elmwood Avenue, wanted to branch out into a space that lets them spread their wings a little wider.
“Right now, concerts and pizza,” Mullin, one of the three co-owners, says, describing their new spot.
There’s still more to do, but they’re off to a great start. Riff City is fitted with two ovens for New York-style slices and their specialty Neopolitan pies during shows. Additionally, the bar is completely rebuilt, centrally located and, in Mullin’s words, “built for speed.”
“No one will be waiting for a drink,” Monti said.
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Eventually, the hope is to have Riff City open four days a week, serving up tasty food, drinks and any type of live music they want for hundreds of people per day.
Mullin, who’s got a taste for punk and hardcore, says that over at Jack Rabbit, those types of tunes don’t always fly as smoothly with their clientele. But at Riff City, it’s a different story. It’s not the only genre the team has in mind for their new venue, but it’s accepted nonetheless. The goal is to be as encompassing and inclusive as possible.
Monti, Mullin and Sampson are all intimately involved in the Buffalo music scene, with Mullin and Sampson playing in local bands themselves, sometimes together. It’s a vibrant community fueled by camaraderie and collaboration.
“The word that always comes up with Jack Rabbit is ‘vibe.’ Vibe is what we brought here,” Sampson said. Simply put, the bass-playing entrepreneur describes it this way: “We’re just trying to continue what we’ve been doing at Jack Rabbit and bring it over here to Black Rock and offer a larger space for bigger parties.”
The room is comfortable, but big enough to bring in a sizable crowd of about 500 people. The trio’s hope is to host nationally touring acts, too, as well as local musicians.
So far, the bands to grace Riff City’s wide stage and acoustically-treated room include neo-classic rockers Farrow, hardcore punk outfit Better Lovers, and a tribute to take you back 30 years — Nineties by Nature. The first of these shows took place on November 17.
“Feedback’s been fantastic,” Mullin says. “When this place gets dark and the lights get going, it really comes to life in a whole different way.”
But that’s just the first floor. Upstairs, the team has already hosted more than a dozen weddings. It’s a space conducive to that, private parties and more.
“We might also have a show down here and a wedding upstairs at the same time, which is really cool, too. So, we could have two events at once — it’s a huge building,” Monti said.
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It took a lot of work to get the former Tappo Pizza to where it is now, not only by acoustic treatment but a whole lot of elbow grease that included painting every surface, renovations and the installation of a proper PA system.
The numerous rugs seen around the ground level are not only decorative, soft surfaces on hard walls, but also a way to improve the sound. Those, along with curtains to keep the room from being cavernous, make it even more ideal for live music.
When the team gets to the point of daily operation, they’d like to have a mix to offer customers — some hybrid days where it’s pizza and then a concert, for instance, and other days where they host ticketed events.
“I think it’s gonna be a blast,” Sampson said. “I think a year from now, we’re gonna be in full swing and everybody’s gonna be really excited about what we’ve got going then and then into the future.”
So what’s next at Riff City? Ahead of their “Sexy Christmas Party” on Christmas night, they’ve got DEADWOLF coming for an album release party with Fear of Sleep and Whitetails this Saturday, December 16. For a full list of events happening at Riff City, click or tap here.
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Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award, JANY Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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