Archive: Buffalo roams to its own Americana beat

Check out this great article in the Weekender that interview Tara Nevins of Donna the Buffalo for their show this Saturday, September 11th at the FM Kirby Center with Railroad Earth:

Buffalo roams to its own Americana beat

by Stephanie DeBalko
Weekender Correspondent.

This weekend, concertgoers in Northeastern Pa. will get a taste of some truly authentic and original music when the bands Donna the Buffalo and Railroad Earth roll into the F.M. Kirby Center. Both bands have built their reputations on their dedication and love for making and performing music, and if reputations speak for themselves, there’s no doubt Donna the Buffalo’s performance will exceed any and all expectations.

Donna the Buffalo is comprised of Tara Nevins, Jeb Puryear, Vic Stafford, David McCracken and Kyle Spark. Though the band has been distributing its music for about 21 years, Nevins and Puryear are the only original members. Their paths crossed often, way back when, while they were each performing and traveling to festivals in the South, and their friendship was a slow evolution into writing and performing songs together. The roots of all of the band members are spread across the East Coast and the South, and most of them found their way to Donna the Buffalo through the age-old practice of word-of-mouth or just through circulating through the same music scenes.

The band draws it influences from many sources, including traditional Appalachian mountain music and zydeco (a kind of folk music that originated in Louisiana often characterized by the fiddle, accordion and scrub board), but there is no doubt Donna The Buffalo has got a distinctive sound all its own.

“(Our sound) is really danceable,” Nevins said. “It’s not hard rock; it has an upbeat, positive feeling. It’s hard to pigeonhole it.” She went on to offer a description of the band’s music as “Americana original dance music.”

That distinctive sound is one that has certainly struck a chord with many fans. Some diehards have bonded so completely over their mutual adoration for the band that they’ve aptly dubbed themselves The Herd. Nevins noted that the presence of many of these fans at multiple shows has the feeling of an extended family on the road, and no doubt many lifelong friendships have been formed.

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And speaking of that fun nature, Nevins described the experience that one might look forward to at the upcoming Wilkes-Barre performance as just a downright good time.

“They can expect a really friendly, comfortable crowd, and a real community-oriented, positive experience,” she said.

With the exception of one Johnny Cash song, Donna the Buffalo is known for performing its own music, and while some of that music carries with it a sociopolitical message, most of it is just an upbeat commentary on life.

For Nevins, touring is a rewarding experience in many ways. The fact that she is able to live out her passion for music and performing is, of course, one perk to being on the road. But she also enjoys the process of meeting new people and spending time with the members of the band, and the idea of kinship that is so visible with the band’s tight-knit fanbase is also apparent in the band itself.

“(Touring) feels purposeful, and it’s very hard work, but it has great rewards,” said Nevins.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE:  http://www.theweekender.com/music/Buffalo_roams_to_its_own_Americana_beat_09-07-2010.html