By Erin McNeil:
This Friday, Donna the Buffalo is roaming through downtown. Donna the Buffalo will be holding a home-grown, grassroots show at the Tralf Music Hall. Stop on down for some foot-tapping entertainment! Doors open at 7pm, shows at 8pm, so come early and find a great seat, or take advantage of the bar with stage views. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations; tickets are $26.50 presale and $29.50 day of the show.
Originating in Trumansburg, NY in 1989, Donna the Buffalo rove the Midwest and Eastern seaboard as one of the few touring roots bands. The Herd, their self-proclaimed fan base, loyally trails the band as they market their rather eclectic styling. Eclectic may be an understatement for this ensemble, as their sound is a hybrid of mountain music pervaded with Cajun/zodeco, folk-rock, country-rock, Reggae, and bluegrass.
Some long-time fans still refer to the band as “Dawn of the Buffalo”, the proposed group name before a slurred overture by an intoxicated M.C. dubbed them Donna the Buffalo to which the name stuck. The band consists of the core members Tara Nevins (vocals, acoustic guitar, washboard, fiddle, accordion) and Jeb Puryear (vocals, electric guitar, pedal steel), who are the writers and composers of the band’s material. Together, the dynamic duo has written over 140 songs during the band’s twenty-one year span. Completing the company is Vic Strafford (drums), David Mc Cracken (electric keyboard, organ) and Kyle Spark (electric bass) who joined this past year.
Donna the Buffalo has not only been successful with their nine album releases, with their latest, Silverlined in 2008, rising to the number eight spot on the Americana Music Chart, but they have made great contributes to the music and arts world. Donna the Buffalo is the founder and host band of the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY. Due to the sensation of this event, the group helped create the bi-annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC. Avengers in the grassroots genre, Donna the Buffalo also headlines at the Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman, NY and every fall, are a contributing band to the Magnolia Festival in Live Oaks, FL. The group also made an appearance in Dave Sale and Bud Selig’s documentary, “On the Bus”. Their diverse music will also be featured in surrealist artist Yanni Osmond and his partner Spanky the Women Tamer’s upcoming cartoon, “Living Evil”. The ensemble has done collaborations with the likes of Jim Lauderdale, Preston and Keith Frank, Bela Fleck, Mamadou Diabate, Claire Lynch, and David Hidalgo, among others. Nevins also toured this past year with the Grateful Dead’s drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s band, BK3.
Donna the Buffalo is true to their home-grown roots, however, they incorporate a modern zest. Their barefoot-in-the-grass, feel good, poetic music filters through the heart and soul and thus expands the mind. Nevins and Puryear’s vocal capabilities are true to the folk art genre, painting a beautiful, spiritual image in the mind. Their musicality and brilliant use of both traditional and nontraditional instrumentation brings to life the roots of music with the roots of mankind and nature. It has the warmth of that freedom of driving down an open country road, wind blowing through your hair and fingers, sun gracing your face, fresh air filling your lungs and the sight of nature untainted. Thus it is much like the phenomenon of ‘loud silence’.
They stay true to themselves, while they continue to evolve in their art. Their music defines the idea that past meets present, and in turn, contributes to the future with spiritual, deep thought entertainment. They provide amusement that manages to bring attention to and engage all your senses in response to their meaningful reflections to life and love.
Tralf Music Hall
622 Main Street
Buffalo NY
716-852-2860
Info@tralfmusichall.com