An eclectic range of music headlines this week's events in Western New York, featuring national recording artist Gavin Degraw at UB Center for the Arts.

As the festival season gets going, BuffaloVibe will have you covered throughout, getting into early spring.

Here are 13 Editor's Picks of cool and interesting events going on in the area for the week of April 7 - April 13, 2014. Be sure to check out our events calendar for much more of what's going on in WNY, and check back every Friday for a "Best Bets" for the weekend.

YONAS
Mon Apr 7
The Forvm
Hailing from New York City, Yonas is one of hip-hop’s most-hyped emerging artists. Known for his incredibly unique style, the 25 year old makes it known that he is unlike anyone else in the game. Although Yonas is just breaking out, he has already built-up quite the list of accomplishments. In 2010, Yonas won a Billboard song writing award for his song “Banga”. Additionally, his hit single “Sky Kidz” was featured on MTVu as well as Fuse TV with no label or marketing assistance. Yonas had begun to resonate directly with his audience, as he released his debut album The Proven Theory in 2011 setting the foundation for something special. More info here.

Moscow Festival Ballet in "Don Quixote"
Tue Apr 8
UB Center for the Arts
One of Russia's most esteemed ballet companies, the Moscow Festival Ballet, presents the timeless story of Don Quixote. Don Quixote is a ballet based on the world-famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. Set in the 1600s, the story features the escapades of a Spanish hidalgo who goes by the name of Don Quixote and his trusty squire Sancho Panza. Official site.

Babel featuring Abraham Vergese
Tue Apr 18
Kleinhans Music Hall
Abraham Vergese's debut novel, Cutting For Stone, became an instantaneous book club sensation when it was released in 2009. Vergese comes to Western New York to discuss the book. More info here.

The Hold Steady
Tue Apr 8
Town Ballroom
American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2004. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), and Steve Selvidge (guitar). Noted for their "lyrically dense storytelling," and classic rock influences, the band's narrative-based songs frequently address themes, such as drug addiction, religion and redemption, and often feature recurring characters based within the city of Minneapolis. Official site.

Oceano
Wed Apr 9
Waiting Room
American deathcore band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 2006, the band signed to Earache Records and released their debut album, Depths on April 7, 2009. Their second album, Contagion was released on November 9, 2010. Upon its formation in 2006, Oceano was originally a grindcore band formed by guitarist Jeremy Carroll that featured six members. Carrol gathered Chicago guitarist Andrew Mikhail, vocalist Adam Warren, drummer Michael Southcomb and bassist Kevin Hare to form Oceano's first full line-up in 2007. This Oceano performed at local venues in the Chicago area. official site.

Gavin Degraw
Thu Apr 10
UB Center for the Arts
Gavin DeGraw is not a stranger to the top of the charts. He first broke through with the 2003 release of his debut album, Chariot, with three hit singles: "I Don't Want To Be," "Follow Through," and the title-track. Gavin's self-titled second album debuted at No. 1 on the digital sales chart and at No. 7 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart in 2008, earning Gavin his first Top 10 album. It spawned the hit singles "In Love With A Girl," which and the gold-certified "We Belong Together." In 2009, Gavin released Free as a gift to his die-hard fans clamoring for recorded versions of Gavin's live favorites. DeGraw released his third studio album, Sweeter, in 2011. The album's first single, "Not Over You," reached #1 on the Hot AC charts, was a top 10 hit on Top 40. His most recent album is Make A Move. Official site.

Excision
Thu Apr 10
Town Ballroom
Jeff Abel, better known by his stage name Excision, is a dubstep producer and DJ from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Excision frequently works with fellow Canadian dubstep producers Datsik and Downlink. Along with Downlink, he is the founder of Rottun Recordings. Active since 2004, his first release was in 2007. He had released an annual "Shambhala" mix album in the third quarter of each year. He also is known for his watts of bass tours. Official site.

Pig Pen Theatre Co.
Thu Apr 10
Buffalo Iron Works
PigPen Theatre Co. began creating their unique brand of music, film, and theatre as freshman at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2008. They have since produced their original plays Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country – earning them critic’s picks from The New York Times, Time Out New York, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Boston Globe, and many more, ranking them in the top ten theatrical events of 2011, 2012, and 2013. They were also the first group to win the NYC Fringe Festival’s top honor for a play two years in a row in 2010 and 2011. Their plays include: “The Nightmare Story”, “The Mountain Song”, and “The Old Man and The Old Moon”. 

Their debut indie-folk album, “Bremen”, was featured by American Songwriter and was named #10 album of the year in The Huffington Post’s 2012 Grammy preview. Their follow up EP, “The Way I’m Running”, was released on October 8th, 2013, and was premiered by American Songwriter. PigPen is thrilled to be working with Writers House, one of the world’s leading young adult literary agencies, to develop their debut children’s novel. They are currently on tour as a band and a theatre company. Official site.

Al Madrigal
Thu Apr 10 – Sat Apr 12
Helium Comedy Club
With more than 15 years as a stand-up, Al Madrigal has found success as an actor, correspondent and podcaster as well as on the live stage. Madrigal stars as Andy, a thoroughly whipped stay-at-home dad, alongside Minnie Driver and David Walton in the new NBC comedy, About A Boy, (Tuesdays 9/8c). And since 2011, Madrigal has filed regular correspondent pieces on the Emmy Award winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

In 2013, Madrigal starred in his first hour-long stand-up special, Why Is the Rabbit Crying, on Comedy Central. The special is now available as a CD, DVD and download. He starred in his own Comedy Central Presents special and has been seen on Conan, The Tonight Show, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Chelsea Lately and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Official site.

Tyler Perry's Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned
Thu Apr 10
Shea’s Performing Arts Center
A 2014 American musical play created, written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Cheryl Pepsii Riley and Patrice Lovely. Official site.

Nobodies of Comedy
Fri Apr 11
710 Main Theatre
Everybody who's a Somebody started out as a Nobody! One stage. Five hilarious people. Who are they?
They are hand-picked, fresh, rising comedy stars who will surely make you laugh and will be household names of tomorrow. Having appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and Comedy Central, these talented comedians will have you rolling in the aisles! Official site.

ST. VINCENT
Sat Apr 12
Asbury Hall @ Babeville
Strange Mercy, the beguiling new album from St. Vincent, is an unsparing examination of personal catharsis cloaked in some of the most sublime music of Annie Clark’s career. Official site.

The BBC Band
Sat Apr 12
Tralf Music Hall
The BBC is a group of talented Western New York area musicians dedicated to capturing the original sound of The Beatles and sixties music. A common bond shared by each member is that they have spent their lives as keen musical enthusiasts, meticulously studying these recordings allowing them to provide the most accurate musical presentation possible. They don't try to create an illusion by mimicking or acting like any particular band, their focus is on the music. Each band member painstakingly breaks down every musical nuance, to faithfully reproduce the original sound. And it's all done live! The BBC attacks each song with fire and enthusiasm. While having fun playing together, they create an infectious energy. This band has a warm, sociable stage presence, and delivers great music that sparks raw emotions in people of all ages. The BBC band is a powerhouse of local talent that features John Connelly, Russ Thomas, Gary Astridge, Bob Volkman and Frank Grizanti. The BBC: "A Beatles & 60's music experience." Official site.