Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival Lineup 2013 announced!!

Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival Lineup 2013 announced!!

July 18-21, 2013 Trumansburg Fairgrounds, Trumansburg, NY

Donna the Buffalo, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Festival au Désert – Caravan for Peace (Feat. Mamadou Kelly, Tartit, Imharhan), Rusted Root, Rubblebucket, John Brown’s Body, Spam Allstar, Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band, Chatham County Line, The Sim Redmond , Driftwood, Suénalo, The Duhks, Jim Lauderdale, Preston Frank & his Zydeco Family Band, The Horse Flies, Keith Secola & the Wild Band of Indians, The Believers, Kevin Kinsella, Jennie Lowe Stearns, The Mad Tea, Nery Arevalo, The Double E, Bubba George Stringband and lots more

For the full lineup, please visit: http://www.grassrootsfest.org/festival/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=27

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Americana Roots Rockers, Donna the Buffalo, Return to Florida for NYE and a host of other shows this January!

DtB will play 3 days at Skippers in Tampa for NYE 12/30/11-1/1/2012

Fri-Sun, Dec 30- Jan 1, 2012 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
Wed-Thu, Jan 4-5, 2012 – Key West, FL – Green Parrot
Fri, Jan 6, 2011 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
Sat, Jan 7, 2012 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza “Live”

Announcing Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Miami Feb 10-12th

I am thrilled to announce that Americana roots rockers Donna the Buffalo return to Florida for a 3 Day New Year’s Eve run at Skippers in Tampa! They will also stop in at The Green Parrot in Key West on Jan 4-5th, Revolution Live in Ft. Lauderdale on Jan 6th and the Plaza “Live” on January 7th in Orlando.

DtB will return to Florida for the 1st annual Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Miami from February 10-12th and will be back in Northern Florida at Live Oak for Suwanee Springfest in March of 2012!

Donna the Buffalo‘s feel-good, groove-oriented, danceable and often socially conscious music all began over twenty years ago with roots in old time fiddle music that evolved into a soulful electric Americana mix infused with elements of cajun/ zydeco, rock, folk, reggae, and country. Donna the Buffalo is known for touring the country remaining fiercely independent as one of the industry’s most diverse roots-music bands and has “earned a reputation as one of the most respected, eclectic and hardest-working acts today,” praises Encore.

“Donna the Buffalo is in the enviable position of being a homegrown entity, a group that finds itself outside the coloring lines of the accepted formula, a formula that is now in the past tense…People doing what they love, and better, sharing that passion to the benefit of the public, is the strongest business formula ever written. Donna the Buffalo is living proof of that.” states Beat Magazine. Edd Hurt with the Nashville Scene writes, “Folkies with a superior sense of rhythm are rare enough, but folkies with a good beat and a healthy disrespect for eclectic clichés are a national treasure..they’ve never sounded better…”

The dynamic songwriting tandem of vocalists Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins have penned over 180 songs in their collaboration with DTB and have many more in the making. Although never writing a set list for live show, the Erie Times notes, “they stick to a pattern…usually alternating between Puryear’s rhythmic, Dylan-influenced, guitar-centered songs and Nevins’ breezy, melodic, accordion-driven gems like the folksy Tides of Time and infectious Locket and Key.” As of late, Nevins and Puryear have also been known to perform as a duo on air and at live shows, which is always enjoyable to the fans to hear their favorite DtB songs in stripped down arrangements.

Donna the Buffalo has been working on a 10th album with Puryear on guitar, Nevins on fiddle, guitar, accordion, and scrubboard, keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Kyle Spark, and new Atlanta-based drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Donna the Buffalo has released nine albums and are affiliated with several others, including a Puryear’s 2007 solo album Hopes and Dreams and a 2003 release, Wait Til Spring, with Jim Lauderdale. The band’s 2008 release Silverlined, on Sugar Hill, rose to #8 on the Americana Music Chart.

Co-DtB bandleader and American roots traditionalist, Tara Nevins, released Wood and Stone, her first solo album since Mule to Ride in 1999 on Sugar Hill Records on May 3rd, 2011. Wood and Stone showcases her ever-evolving repertoire as she journeys both back to her own “roots” and head-long into new territory. The album was produced by Larry Campbell with guests including Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams and more.

“… her music takes on the spirit of the [Levon Helm] Barn like a well-worn and cozy Gypsy jacket that was tailored to her shoulders,” says Brian Robbins with Jambands.com.  In a another recent review of the album, Wildman Steve wrote, “If heroes and heroines of rock ‘n’ roll are defined by their uniqueness, they definitely broke the mold when they made Tara Nevins.”  You can find out more at www.TaraNevins.com.

As an extension of this community and the band’s own dedication to live roots music, Donna started, and are still the driving force behind, the 20+ year old Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance in Trumansburg, NY, the bi-annual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC and February 2012 marks the first year for the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival in Florida.  DtB are regulars at MerleFest (NC), Suwanee Springfest & Magnolia Fest (FL), All Good (WV), Floyd Fest (VA), and The Great Blue Heron Festival (PA) amongst others. You can also see them in 2011 at Nateva (ME), Del Fest (MD), DuneGrass (MI), Head Jamz (TN), Targhee Bluegrass Fest (WV), Smilefest (NC) and a variety of other venues across the nation.

Over the years and through their travels, Donna the Buffalo as a band and its individual members have had the opportunity to play music with and/or record with musicians such as Jim Lauderdale, Preston and Keith Frank, Railroad Earth, Bela Fleck, John Paul Jones, Bill Kreutzmann, The Avett Brothers, Del McCoury, Tim O’Brien, Pete Wernick, Abigail Washburn, Mamadou Diabate, Los Lobo, Rusted Root, Claire Lynch, David Hidalgo, The Duhks and Amy Helm, just to name a few.

With over twenty years of playing to celebrate, hundreds of gigs ahead of them, and an ever-evolving grassroots sound; it looks like Donna the Buffalo is riding a cloud that is truly Silverlined.

DtB Upcoming Shows

Fri- Sat, Dec 2-3, 2011 – Floyd, VA- Sun Music Hall
Sun, Dec 4, 2011 – Annapolis, MD – Rams Head Tavern
Thu, Dec 8, 2011 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Intersection
Fri, Dec 9, 2011 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sat, Dec 10, 2011 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage
Fri, Dec 16, 2011 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater
Sat-Sun, Dec 17-18, 2011 – Ithaca, NY – Castaways
Fri-Sun, Dec 30- Jan 1, 2012 – Tampa, FL – Skipper’s Smokehouse
Wed-Thu, Jan 4-5, 2012 – Key West, FL – Green Parrot
Fri, Jan 6, 2011 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Sat, Jan 7, 2012 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza “Live”
Thu, Jan 19, 2012 – Greensboro, NC – The Blind Tiger
Fri, Jan 20, 2012- Knoxville, TN – The Bijou Theatre
Sat, Jan 21, 2012 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Sun, Jan 22, 2012 – Huntsville, AL – Crossroads Café
Tue, Jan 24, 2012 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre
Wed, Jan 25, 2012 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Thu, Jan 26, 2012 – Carborro, NC – The Cat’s Cradle
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 – Falls Church, VA – The State Theatre
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 – Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 – West Chester, PA – The Note
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 – Buffalo, NY – The Tralf
Sat, Feb 4, 2012 – Unitca, NY – Uptown Theatre
Sat-Sun, Feb 10-12, 2012 – Miami, FL– Virginia Key Grassroots Festival
Fri, March 23, 2012 – Charleston, SC – The Pour House
Sat-Sun, March 24-25,2012 – Live Oak, FL – Suwanee Springfest
Thu-Sat, April 26-28, 2012 – Wilkesboro, NC – Merlefest

More shows tbd…

www.DonnaTheBuffalo.com

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Donna the Buffalo brings the Herd to Nashville at Music City Roots 1/26 & Mercy Lounge 1/27 : New DtB Album in the Works; Nevins’ Solo Album Release in April

Donna the Buffalo is bringing the Herd back to Nashville with two performances! DtB plays Music City Roots on Jan 26th and Mercy Lounge with The Roy Jay Band on Thursday, January 27th, 2011. The Music City Roots Lineup for January 26th includes Catie Curtis, The Cleverlys, The Black Lillies, Donna The Buffalo, Rayland Baxter, with Host: Jim Lauderdale.

DtB is also excited to announce are going to be spending more time in Nashville working on a new Donna the Buffalo album starting in late February!  Tara Nevins’ solo album is is due out this April! More details below.

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Photo by Jim Gavenus

Show Details at a Glance:
Music City Roots
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2011
Loveless Barn
8400 Tennessee 100
Nashville, TN 37221 
– All Ages Show –

$10, Doors open at 6:00PM. Seating is first come, first served.

http://www.musiccityroots.com/tickets

-AND–

Donna The Buffalo & The Roy Jay Band
Mercy Lounge
Thursday, January 27, 2011
doors 8pm, $15, 18+
(615) 251-3020
1 Cannery Row
Nashville, TN 37203
www.mercylounge.com

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Here’s a Nice video of DtB on Music City Roots in 2009:

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Donna the Buffalo is excited to announce that they are heading in to the studio this February in Nashville for their next album to be produced by Sugar Hill Records.

DtB had successful 2008 release of “Silverlined“, which rose to #8 on the Americana Music Chart and also marked their 20th year as a band.

In an interview with Tad Dickens(Roanoke Times reporter), Nevins described the album:

Donna is preparing to record a new album in the next couple of months. It will be the band’s “greatest guests record,” Nevins said. The idea sprang from the band’s annual closing set at the festival it helped create, Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, held in Trumansburg, N.Y. The band likes to bring up whatever musicians are still around by the time the festival is winding down.

“We’ve formed so many great relationships like that over the years, and we also have our musicians that we’ve always loved to play with or collaborate with but haven’t yet,” said Nevins.

______________________________________________________________________________

Other exciting news is that multi-instrumentalist and DtB’s co-band leader, Tara Nevins, has a new album set for an April release by Sugar Hill Records.

Produced in Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock by 2 time Grammy award-winner Larry Campbell who also be performs on the album.  Nevins penned 90% of the material and sings on all of the songs.

In a recent interview with Scott Preston (Cincy Groove) Nevins describes the players on the album:

The nucleus of the band was Larry Campbell, Byron Issacs, who plays bass in Levon’s band, Justin Glip who is the engineer at the studio played drums on quite a few tracks. I was also very fortunate to get to have Levon Helm play drums on 2 songs. I overdubbed some fiddle, accordion, tambourine, and Larry played pedal steel, mandolin, banjo, electric guitar, bass. We also had Teresa Williams and Amy Helm (Levon’s daughter) do some vocals, they both also sing in Levon’s band. Allison Moore came in to sing on a song as well. I played in an all female string band, called The Heartbeats. So I had those gals come in and we ripped out a couple tunes.

Check out this fan video from Shakori Hills performing one of her new songs, Snowbird.

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Archive: Interview with Tara Nevins by Kat Mills

Donna the Buffalo heads out to Roanoke , VA tonite to play at Awful Arthurs. Here are some excerpt from a recent interview with Tara Nevins by Kat Mills with 16 Blocks Magazine:

A WORD WITH DONNA THE BUFFALO

Local Singer Songwriter Kat Mills talks to the group prior to their show at Awful Arthur’s Towers

16blocksmagazine.com

Some of us remember when Donna the Buffalo was the new kid on the festival scene, nearly twenty years ago when roving groups of rabid fans were branching out from the Grateful Dead to follow bands like Phish and Blues Traveler. A new hybrid dance groove infused with American roots sounds but more kinetic and fresh was leading young people back to festivals to find their kind. If you attended one of those festivals, you have probably seen Donna the Buffalo.

With origins in New York State, but making the whole eastern US home, DtB has remained a fiercely self-directed operation. They write their own tunes, create their own scene, and continue to cover a wide touring area throughout the year, happy to take on new fans along the way…

. . .

Recently I got a chance to ask Tara a few questions about their current tour and the difference between music and non-music towns.

Photo by Lewis Tezak Jr

KM: The Roanoke and New River Valleys are, in some ways, searching for a musical identity. We have a great mix of influences, and some real local talent, but have yet to become a true destination for many touring artists. After building the band from the ground up, and founding a festival, do you have any insight to offer a community working on creating a scene?
TN: We see communities struggle all the time. We started our festival in Trumansburg, NY (Finger Lakes Grass Roots) where the community was already alive with great music and music appreciation, so for us it was a no-brainer. It is hard in a town where the general population doesn’t seem geared toward or centered around music. We experience this going from town to town, city to city. You can feel it in the air for sure when a town is alive with music lovers craving the chance to hear and see live music. I would say that in general people like feeling involved, so starting an event like a festival provides a real chance for involvement and promotes interest, which promotes community, which promotes growth and allows for the possibility of something great evolving on many levels.

KM: How is such a self-propelled and grass roots operation as DtB adjusting to the “digital revolution”?
Web presence, digital distribution and tour diaries are becoming more important for independent artists. What is working for you there?

TN: It’s all working for us. It’s now a growing part of our already established machine. You want to have a presence wherever you can. The selling of records, though, has changed dramatically. [With] people downloading, records don’t sell like they used to. It’s a transitional time, and that can be a little rough.

KM: Please catch us up on news for 2011. We’d love for you to share updates on Donna recordings,
but also on your latest solo endeavor.

TN: I just finished recording a (solo) record with Larry Campbell (Levon Helm Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Bob Dylan) up in Woodstock, NY at Levon Helm’s studio. The record is due out in April on Sugar Hill Records. I feel fortunate to have had this opportunity. Larry is an incredibly talented musician and producer, and a super person. Levon played drums on two of the songs! He is also wonderful. There are 13 tracks on the record. I wrote pretty much all of it. It is both exciting and nerve wracking.

Donna the Buffalo is planning on recording in February and March. We will be recording this new record in Nashville and have been talking with a fabulous producer and engineer. It will also be on Sugar Hill. I’m not sure when the release will be. We are very excited!

Kat Mills: Any special guests on this leg? I see Roy Jay’s band will join you for a few dates, including Roanoke.

Tara Nevins: Yes, Roy Jay is joining us on several dates for the winter. He is a great guy and his band is full of gritty bluesy grooves…

….

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: http://16blocksmagazine.com/2011/01/a-word-with-donna-the-buffalo/

Writer, Kat Mills (Photo above) is an independent singer/songwriter based in Blacksburg VA and touring throughout the east and beyond. Info and recordings at www.katmills.com

Click here to see a video interview with  Kat (interviewer of this article) after she opened for Levon Helm at Floydfest last year.

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Roamin with the Buffalo: DtB at the Hudson Valley Green Festival on Sept. 4th

TARA NEVINS IS A REGULAR AT THE MOUNT AIRY FIDDLER’S CONVENTION, ONCE PLAYING UP TO 27 HOURS OF FIDDLE TUNES IN THREE DAYS!

Roaming with the Buffalo

by Nicole DeLawder in The Hudson Valley news

“The Hudson Valley is just beautiful,” Tara Nevins of the grassroots band Donna the Buffalo noted, “in fact, all of New York State is beautiful.”

Nevins, singer/songwriter, guitarist and fiddle-master for Donna the Buffalo, grew up in the Hudson Valley and currently resides in Piermont. With a couple weeks off before getting back on the road, I caught up with Nevins as she took a break from working on her new solo album at Levon Helm’s Studio in Woodstock.

“There’s a sense of community that is positive and healthy for society,” Nevins said about being a part of the Hudson Valley Green Festival at the Staatsburgh State Historic Site on Sept. 4. “Plus, you get to be outside all day.”

The one-day music, alternative energy, food and beverage event will host Donna the Buffalo performing on the main stage after John Brown’s Body, complimenting the solid line-up of Duke and the King, BeauSoleil Band, Amos Lee and Blues Traveller. Along with the mainstage, there will be a performance area for emerging Hudson Valley artists, and Terrapin Restaurant and Catering will provide food, a drinks pavillion featuring local beers, a farmer’s market and 20 on-site vendors selling Hudson Valley products.

Donna the Buffalo are no strangers to the festival scene. Over 20 years ago, the group’s dedication to live roots music founded the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance Festival in Trumansburg.  After the well-accepted success of their first festival, the group then birthed the now biannual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, North Carolina.

Known for often socially conscious, foot-tapping music heavily steeped in traditional mountain music, Donna the Buffalo creates an eco-minded approach that will blend seamlessly with the ideals of the Hudson Valley’s first green festival.

Alongside multi-instrumentalist Nevins, guitarist and songwriter Jeb Puryear, keyboardist Dave McCracken, bassist Kyle Spark and drummer Vic Stafford create an environment infused with every genre of music ranging from Cajun/zydeco to folk and reggae. The band’s 2008 release “Silverlined” rose to number eight on the Americana Music Chart.

Together, Nevins and Puryear have written over 140 songs, while also collaborating with some big names in the business including Bela Fleck, Mamadou Diabate, Claire Lynch, David Hidalgo, The Duhks and Amy Helm. This past year, Nevins toured with former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s band, BK3, and her new solo album in the works is produced by Larry Campbell, most well-known as multi-instrumentalist on Bob Dylan’s “Love and Theft” and as a part Dylan’s live band for several years. Campbell also holds two Grammy awards for producing Levon Helm’s “Dirt Farmer” and its follow-up album, “Electric Dirt.”

Nevins has spent over 20 years perfecting the fiddle in the Old-time musical community and [explored] her love of Zydeco and Louisiana culture with a documentary on the late Carlton Frank, one of the last old-time Creole fiddlers, who passed away in 2005.

Over the years the group has created a community environment, both at live performances and online, to which their fan-base, The Herd, steadily follows. The band’s lyrics comment on love and politics with an upbeat rhythm that vibrates throughout the crowd. According to one fan, “There is some deeply satisfying solace in what Donna the Buffalo has to say and how they say it.”

Tickets are available at http://www.hudsonvalleygreenfestival.com, MusicToday.com, Oblong Books & Music in Rhinebeck and Rhino Records in New Paltz. Children under 12 are admitted to the event free of charge. The festival will be held rain or shine. On-site parking will be available.

Check out the Hudson Valley News online here: http://www.thehudsonvalleynews.com/HVNews/HVNews.html

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