Reviving The Good Ol’ Fashioned Dance Party With Invisible Touch
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
I’ve quickly learned that if you want to enjoy live music in Buffalo NY during the summertime, you have to catch the Bidwell Concert Series. Running strong for the past 18 years, locals knew the event previously as Picnic In The Park. I originally wanted to catch the Invisible Touch show in July, but thanks to Mother Nature with a string of thunderstorms, it was postponed until last Tuesday.
There’s a particular kind of magic to outdoor events – people pull up lawn chairs and spread out picnic blankets, parents whip out their strollers and toddlers get plenty of their wiggles out, groups of friends carried their cornhole games and juggling sets to the green, and there’s a cornucopia of bubbles floating through the air, the smell of fresh BBQ being grilled and the sun’s warmth beating down across the blacktop on Bidwell Parkway.
Something I was wishing to see out of one of the most praised outdoor concerts in Buffalo, was dancing. During my last few visits to performances here in the City of Good Neighbors, I’ve noted a distinct drop in boogie across the board. Rumor has it, attendees are increasingly afraid of being recorded and mocked online, especially with new inventions like Meta glasses making spaces even less safe than they were before. I continue to hold out hope that Buffalo musicians can turn that attitude around, back to a more carefree time where we could dance without caring who was watching.
Who could possibly embody that wild, untamed spirit more than an 80s cover band?
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
Invisible Touch is a band composed of “a couple of dudes” – Mike Literman on the bass, Tyler Smith on the keys, Matthew Coleman as lead guitar and Matt “the Tape Man” Chavanne on drums. Armed with neon tube socks, headbands, and pure fun, I caught up with them for this finale in 2026’s Bidwell Park Concert Series, eager to see how they would lead us into an evening of nostalgic tunes.
“For whatever reason, this gig here got more of my friends and family out than every gig we've played the last two, three years,” Literman said. “We play around Buffalo, and people don't want to come, but this one here is the gig to get if you're a Buffalo band.”
“It's just having a built-in crowd…. It doesn't seem to matter who's going to be playing,” Smith said. “They were going to be here no matter what…. they just want to come out and have a good time.”
Out of all the Buffalo music venues, Bidwell seems to be a strange, central hub. Literman noted some challenges local bands face are recent closures of mid-sized rooms and entry-level stages over the past few years, making shows like the park series invaluable.
“From the days that I used to play original music, there were a lot more venues of every shape and size that no matter how many people were coming to your show, there would be an appropriate size for it… I think now it's tough to get into a room,” Literman said. “It would just be nice, like, a place for kids to cut their teeth.”
Despite shifts in the Buffalo music scene, diversity seems to be a shining highlight of the community, which of course, is reflected pretty heavily in the decade of the 1980s. From new wave, post punk, synth, yacht rock to classic pop, how does one narrow down a song selection from the wide array of choices?
“We want to play and try to get songs that people know of… We're not trying to stick to one [genre], so… we got something for you,” Coleman said. “We try to cover all our bases and not take ourselves too seriously… It's fun. It's a good time.”
“We don't do any ska, unfortunately,” Smith said. “But maybe it's on the horizon. Who knows?”
Photo by Sam Ray-Johnson.
And truly as the sun set behind the Bidwell Buffalo stage and the group lead us through some staple covers of Talk Talk, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins, Madonna and more, the atmosphere shifted from small collection of bold dancers, young and old in the front row while most of the self-conscious audience held back in restraint, to breaking loose into a chaotic, beautifully feral frenzy of people, shaking, swaying, spinning and laughing. For Invisible Touch, this was the whole reason why they keep doing what they do.
“Seeing people happy when you play… I like seeing people dancing and smiling and having fun… I like the stuff we play. It gets people dancing.” Coleman said. “Kids can enjoy it, old people can enjoy it. I think the '80s is kind of like a genre, or a decade, that really covered everything and it's still popular.”
For anyone new navigating shows in Buffalo, the guys encourage everyone to stay busy – to keep going to local shows as much as you can, and to support local art as well.
“There's always cool shit going on. So just go find it, meet people, talk to people, get involved,” Smith said. “Everybody's very welcoming in the Buffalo music community, I have found.”
I would concur with their statement – as they gave us impeccable cover after impeccable cover, with synth keys perfect for the 80s vibe, soaring guitar solos, melodious bass riffs and flawless drum beats, I haven’t felt quite as much accepting joy since moving here to Buffalo, as I did watching Invisible Touch. I’ve always said I was born in the wrong era, and they made me feel like I was transported to a more lighthearted time, of course with their own modern flair. As they started to wrap up the night with a song from The Cure, the kind, warm presence from the pack that had assembled in front of the platform was uplifting. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a crowd with absolutely zero judgy glances, not a single rude stare or ridicule in sight.
“I found it doesn't take much. You need one person who just doesn't care to make an ass of themselves, and everyone else will come up and join them,” Smith said. “But it's tough to get people to just break that barrier, and be that one person.”
“A lot stinks everywhere, so it's nice to provide a fun time for everybody,” Literman said. “Being able to do this for people that need it, is great. And you can tell the shows where people really open up and dance and sing along and bring people out. That's a good set for us.”
You can catch Invisible Touch at The Beach Club at Mickey Rats in Angola on August 28th, and at Griffon Brewing in Youngstown on September 19th. The band says they will be working on new material as things slow down into the winter, but to keep an eye out for more opportunities to come out and dance with them soon. In their enduring essence of shenanigans, Chavanne left me with one last message:
“I'd like to personally thank the bum that stole my potted plant off of my front porch last night. It was really cool and also not annoying at all, so shout out to that guy.”
To return said plant or to follow Invisible Touch, visit their website here.
Enjoy a short video recap of the event below!
Video by Sam Ray-Johnson.
