Walking into an open mic night at the Transit music and sports lounge in Depew, the place had a few regulars and people sitting at the bar listening to the music. The bass guitar really filled the room and made it hard to hear unless you were talking to the person right next to you, in a good way.

There were a few musicians in the audience, but there were only two I was looking to talk to while I was there. Two local guys who will be the opening acts for the Big Eyed Phish show that is coming to the Tralf this weekend.

“I want to be memorable,” said Tim Britt, the solo acoustic act that will be opening up the show on Saturday. “Music to me is all about the performance and the show itself, so I strive to create an atmosphere not easily forgotten.” Britt is usually a cover act when playing at local bars and venues in the area, but has a great range covering songs by Dave Matthews band, Whitney Houston and the Gorillaz.

Although it’s just him and a guitar when playing on stage, Britt performs as if he’s got a full band behind him. “I want people to leave my shows thinking I am one of the best performers they’ve seen,” he said. In terms of goals, Britt has set some pretty high ones for himself, but doesn’t seem deterred at all. “One day I want to sell out the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. If I can do that, then I will have gotten where I wanted to be.”

After finishing a couple songs at the open mic night, Steve Amuso from Off the Cuff came and spoke to me for a little bit about the show.

“Playing at a venue like the Tralf with our own original music is really a life achievement and an accomplishment,” Amuso said. “All of us are big fans of Big Eyed Phish to begin with. They are the most authentic Dave Matthews cover band we’ve ever seen and even have the same mannerisms as Dave.”

Amuso plays lead guitar and does the vocals for his band “Off the Cuff,” but it really is a family affair. Joined by him is is father Rocco Amuso, also known as “the silver fox,” on tenor sax, the clarinet and keyboard. “This kind of show represents local talent very well. We are all average Joes with regular jobs, but we put a lot of time into music and it means the world to us,” Amuso said.

“This show will be the closest thing to a Dave Matthews show without spending at least $60. It’s one of the premier music venues in Buffalo and will be a great environment to check out all the acts at. The sounds quality doesn’t get any better.”

Tim Britt will be kicking off the show at 7 p.m., followed by Off the Cuff this Saturday at the Tralf Music Hall. Tickets are $10 in advance, $14 day of show and can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.

Check out Tim Britt’s “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.”

Here is “The Mexican” from Off the Cuff.

Big Eyed Phish is a Dave Matthews Tribute from Rochester, NY that has traveled throughout the north east bringing the sights and sounds of a live DMB show to many local venues. The full 7-piece band is the only DMB tribute that can cover the full range of DMB tunes from the days of Butch Taylor on keys all the way up to the Tim Reynolds rocking guitar solos, and everyone in between.

Photo courtesy of Facebook.