The J. Geils Band and LL Cool J close 2012 'Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor' season

The final "Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor" weekend, presented by M&T Bank, at the Erie Canal Harbor Central Wharf, will feature The J. Geils Band on Friday, Aug. 31, and LL Cool J on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Formed in Worcester, Mass., American rockers The J. Geils Band are known as "The Bad Boys from Boston." What began as a group of five guys singing the blues, transformed into a rock 'n' roll band opening for Aerosmith. The band's hit song, "Centerfold," lasted six weeks at the No. 1 spot on Billboard Hot 100 and helped land the group as a finalist nominee at the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Lead vocalist Peter Wolfe says, "We're no frills, no tricks, just hard, sweaty rock 'n' roll, and when we hit the stage it's showtime!"

Special guest for the evening will be The Matthew Facciolla Band and Handsome Jack. Tickets for the show are $10 in advance and $20 on the day of the show.

Two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J will bring his mix of romantic ballads and hip-hop beats to Buffalo on Sept. 1. With 13 studio albums, nine of which went multi-platinum, there's no doubt that the "Ladies Love Cool James." Hits such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Hey Lover" brought rap music out from the underground to the mainstream as a new school of fast-beat hip-hop emerged.

Hailed as one of the greatest MC's of all time and a pioneer of the hip-hop industry this will not be a night you want to miss. Special guest for the evening will be DJ Cutler.

Tickets for the show are $10 in advance and $20 on the day of the show.

Tickets are available at www.tickets.com. To charge by phone, call 1-888-223-6000. Tickets are also available at Buffalo Place Inc., located at 671 Main St., in downtown Buffalo (Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; no service charges in person at Buffalo Place).

Please note, the Buffalo Place Box Office will be close at noon on Friday, Aug. 31, to allow for preparation for the weekend.

No coolers or alcoholic beverages will be allowed onto the concert grounds. Food, beer, wine coolers and soft drinks will be available for purchase.

Originally launched in 1998 as a celebration of Buffalo's inner harbor redevelopment project, past performers such as Violent Femmes, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Hootie & The Blowfish, Herbie Hancock, The Black Crowes, Bruce Hornsby, O.A.R. and The Tragically Hip have rocked the harbor as part of the Buffalo Place summer concert series. These events draw record crowds into downtown Buffalo and create spin-off business for bars, restaurants and dance clubs.

For the 14^th consecutive year, M&T Bank is the presenting sponsor of the summer concert series. Once again, LaBatt Blue Light is the featured act sponsor. Supporting act sponsors include Try-It Distributing, Coca-Cola and The Buffalo News - Gusto. Wardynski's, BW's Barbecue and Just Pizza, Yellow Tail and Hob Nob Wines are the warm-up act sponsors.

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation serves as the official site sponsor. For more information on the Buffalo Place summer concert series, visit www.buffaloplace.com.