Town Mountain Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates

Town Mountain Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates

Town Mountain is ready and reelin’ to travel the country this spring and summer! They will have stops in the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kentucky, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Washington and Oregon. Notable events include performance at the Leftover Salmon’s Bluegrass Throwdown, John Hartford Memorial Festival, ROMP, The Hampton Taphouse Festival, The Festival of Bluegrass, RapidGrass and much more!

Stay tuned for a new music videos coming your way from Town Mountain this season, including a track from Leave the Bottle [Pinecastle Records 2012]. They will be launching a new covers series that will kick off with their version of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire”. This will premiere on The Bluegrass Situation this June (http://www.thebluegrasssituation.com).

Based in Asheville, NC, Town Mountain is Phil Barker on mandolin and vocals, Robert Greer on lead vocals and guitar guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo and vocals, Bobby Britt on fiddle, and newest member Jake Hopping rounds them out with his rock-solid bass. One listen to their instantly memorable songs, and it’s plain to see why Grammy-winner Mike Bub would align with the group to produce Leave the Bottle as well as 2011’s Steady Operator.

“I’m not sure what the definition of bluegrass would be in words alone, but if that definition was set to music, it would probably sound something like Town Mountain’s Leave the Bottle… I could go on,” says Bluegrass Today’s David Morris, “There are no duds, and no filler songs on this project. But you get the point. This, my friends, is how bluegrass is supposed to sound.”

Leave the Bottle effortlessly covers a wide array of styles in the stringband spectrum featuring the stellar in-house songwriting that has become the band’s trademark. There’s the barroom swagger and honky tonk edge of tracks like “Up the Ladder” and the title track “Leave the Bottle”, the Jimmy Martin style bounce and confidence of “Lawdog” and “Lookin’ in the Mirror”, the Irish flavor of Bobby Britt’s “Four Miles”, and the laid back John Hartford style groove of “Greenbud on the Flower” among others. But no matter the style, the band’s delivery gives every tune a true and honest feel.

Town Mountain On Tour Spring and Early Summer Tour Dates
Fri 5/10 Chapel Hill, NC Merritt’s
Sat 5/11 Harrisonburg, VA The Clementine Cafe
Fri 5/17 Bloomingdale, GA Randy Wood Guitars
Sat 5/18 Panola, SC Birdfest at Pineland Farms
Sun 5/26  Black Mountain, NC Pisgah Brewing w/ Leftover Salmon’s Bluegrass Throwdown with Elephant Revival & Dangermuffin
Fri 5/31 Bean Blossom, IN John Hartford Memorial Festival
Sat 6/1 Carbondale, IL The Hangar 9
Sun 6/2 Chicago, IL The Red Line Tap
Mon 6/3 Urbana, IL The Iron Post
Tue 6/4 Lancaster, WI House Concert
Wed 6/5 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon w/ Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Thu 6/6 Bangor WI Leo and Leona’s w/ Horseshoes & Hand Grenades and Cactus Blossoms
Fri 6/7 Cincinnati, OH THe Crow’s Nest
Sat 6/8 Lexington, KY Festival of the Bluegrass
Thu 6/13 Lexington, NC High Rock Outfitters
Fri 6/14 Tryon, NC Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival
Thu 6/20 Salem, VA Private Event
Fri 6/21 Raleigh, NC The Pour House Music Hall
Sat 6/22 Hampton, VA Hampton Taphouse Festival & After-Party
Sun 6/23 Norfolk, VA Town Mountain BBQ Picnic @ Norfolk Taphouse
Wed 6/26 Lexington, KY Willie’s Locally Known w/ Tyler Childers and the High Wall
Fri 6/28 Owensboro, KY ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival
Sat 6/29 Belvidere,TN Circle E Guest Ranch 2nd Annual Bluegrass Festival
Thu 7/4 Gold Hill, CO The Gold Hill Inn
Fri 7/5 Fort Collins, CO Acoustic Bridge Musical Potluck
Sat 7/6  Idaho Springs, CO Clear Creek RapidGrass Bluegrass Festival
Thu Thu 7/11 Charlotte, NC Whitewater River Jam at US National Whitewater Center
Fri 7/12 Fairfax, VA Fairfax County Summer Entertainment Series at Royal Lake Park
Sat 7/13 Gardners, PA Bluegrass On The Grass
Sun 7/14 Mount Solon, VA Red Wing Roots Music Festival
Tue 7/23 Bellingham, WA The Green Frog
Thu 7/25 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
Fri 7/26 Skamania, WA Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival
Sun 7/28 Eugene, OR Sam Bond’s Garage
Fri 8/2 Saxapahaw, NC Haw River Ballroom w/ Big Fat Gap

Please visit www.TownMountain.net for more information and further tour dates.

Read Full Post »

Donna the Buffalo Adds Dates in the Midwest and Orlando ~ Tara Nevins Announces Dec Shows

Donna the Buffalo Adds Dates to their Journey across the Country!
~ New Dates~

DtB Adds Four shows in the Midwest between December 13-20th
Adds Orlando on January 5th

Tara Nevin Announces shows
Atlanta on December 5th and Asheville December 7th

www.DonnaTheBuffalo.com

Photo by John D Kurc

Donna the Buffalo are on an extensive tour across the country and back. Having started in Florida at MagnoliaFest, they have made their way through the south and are on the way to Austin, TX where they will be playing Lambert’s this Saturday, October 27th. The travel on to Albuquerque and Flagstaff, and then into LA to celebrate Halloween at The Mint before San Diego and Pioneertown.

Early November brings the band into the Bay Area for four shows with David Gans– San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Mill Valley. Then they loop around the Northwest into Eugene, Portland and Seattle before heading back East.

Tara Nevins branches off from DtB for a bit  in early December and has gathered a fine group of musicians to perform with her in the South. She has announced December 5th at Smith’s Olde Bar in Atlanta, GA and Friday, December 7th at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC.  More information will be coming soon. Stay tuned…

NEW DtB DATES–  In mid-December Donna the Buffalo heads back out on the road to play Kent, OH (12/13), Columbus, OH (12/14), Chicago, IL with Steve Dawson (12/15), Philadelphia (12/20) and is playing and “End of the World” Party at The Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY with Sim Redmond Band

Well.. The World must go on… and so does the tour…. Donna the Buffalo is answering The Herd’s call to come back to Florida with eight-day New Year’s Eve run which includes a night at Revolution in Ft Lauderdale (12/28), three nights at Skippers in Tampa (12/29-31) and three nights at the Green Parrot in Key West (1/2-4/13), and the NEWLY ADDED show at The Plaza ‘Live’ in Orlando, FL on January 5th.

Donna the Buffalo Roam the Country
Sat 10/27   Austin, TX   Lambert’s
Mon 10/29   Albuquerque, NM   The Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall
Tue 10/30   Flagstaff, AZ   Orpheum Theatre
Wed 10/31  Los Angeles, CA  The Mint
Thu 11/1  San Diego, CA   Winston’s
Fri 11/2   Pioneertown, CA – Pappy and Harriet’s
Sat 11/3   San Francisco, CA Slim’s *w/ David Gans
Sun 11/4   Santa Cruz, CA   Moe’s Alley *w/ David Gans
Mon 11/5  Mill Valley, CA   Sweetwater Music Hall *w/ David Gans
Wed 11/7   Sebastopol, CA   Hopmonk Tavern *w/ David Gans
Thu 11/8   Eugene, OR   WOW Hall
Fri 11/9   Portland, OR   Doug Fir Lounge
Sat 11/10   Seattle, WA   Tractor Tavern
Fri 11/23   Jamestown, NY  Crystal Ballroom
Sat 11/24   Pittsburgh, PA The Rex Theater
Thu 11/29   Towsen, MD  Recher Theater
Sat 12/1   Winston-Salem, NC   Ziggy’s
Wed 12/5   TARA NEVINS Atlanta, GA   Smith’s Olde Bar
Fri 12/7   TARA NEVINS Asheville, NC   The Grey Eagle
*Thu 12/13   Kent, OH   Kent Stage
*Fri 12/14   Columbus, OH   Woodlands Tavern
*Sat 12/15   Chicago, IL   City Winery *w/ Steve Dawson
*Thu 12/20   Philadelphia, PA   The Blockley
Fri 12/21   Rochester, NY   Water Street Music Hall *w/ Sim Redmond
Fri 12/28   Ft. Lauderdale, FL   Revolution
Sat- Mon 12/29-31   Tampa, FL  Skipper’s Smokehouse
Wed-Fri, 1/2-4/13  Key West, FL  Green Parrot
*Sat 1/5/13   Orlando, FL   The Plaza “Live”
www.donnathebuffalo.com

Finally, there is a Buffalo Named Donna…………..  Be part of a fun and beneficial project in which Donna the Buffalo if working with the National Wildlife Federation In this amazing opportunity to help relocate over 140 wild bison from a private ranch in Montana, to their native lands on the Wyoming Wind River Reservation
Click to find out more

Read Full Post »

Free Download of the Title Track of Dehlia Low’s ‘Ravens and Crows’ Which Releases Through Rebel Records on Aug 2, 2011

Newly signed to Rebel Records, Dehlia Low echoes the sounds of early country with a strong bluegrass flavor, crafting a fresh originality that feels like home in the flourishing roots music soundscape. Their new release ‘Ravens and Crows’ was produced by the Infamous Stringdusters’ Travis Book and hits the streets on August 2nd…

Dehlia Low’s vocal harmony and instrumentation reflect a deep connection to traditional music with modern arrangements and relevant, smart songwriting. The band combines their gripping, rustic-flavored vocal style with extraordinary instrumental prowess in original songs that feel at once both old and new pushing their sound into the emerging Americana genre. The group’s sound is focused on original music rooted in bluegrass but with a distinctive country/folk feel true to their southern Appalachian roots.

Dehlia Low’s eagerly-anticipated Rebel Records debut ‘Ravens & Crows’ is released August 2nd. Produced by Travis Book of The Infamous Stringdusters, this album helps to firmly establish Dehlia Low as one of the most compelling and distinctive young groups on the acoustic music scene today. With their tasteful, sometimes moody blending of different styles, the group has created a unique sound that already seems fully mature and established.

Dehlia Low formed in late 2007 as part of Asheville, North Carolina’s roots music renaissance. Singers Anya Hinkle (from Blacksburg, VA on fiddle) and Stacy Claude (from Atlanta, GA on guitar) pulled together a group of talented pickers from the region: Aaron Ballance on Dobro (Winston-Salem, NC), Bryan Clendenin on mandolin (Hurricane, WV) and Greg Stiglets on bass (Jackson, MS).

Here is what the press is saying about Dehlia Low’s Ravens and Crows:

“The group has taken off like a skyrocket…and deservedly so: in a musical world that doesn’t always treasure creativity, Dehlia Low has staked out a good piece of ground all its own.” ~ Nashville Scene, Jon Weisberger

***

“Dehlia Low’s “Ravens & Crows” is carefully crafted to lure traditional, country, bluegrass and Americana fans. They are generally appealing to all of these genres without alienating anyone, which is hard to do.” ~ Boone Mountain Times, Ashley Wilson

***

“Heavenly lead & harmony vocals…superb original songs…musical prowess.” ~ Al Shusterman, Backroads Bluegrass on KCBL

***

“…bittersweet vocal harmonies and spirited picking…Dehlia Low promises to bring the sounds and soul of the Blue Ridge Mountains …” ~ Art News New Orleans

***

“…relying on the warm tones of acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, slide guitar, and not to mention fiddle thumpin’, strummin’ and pickin’ underneath honeysuckle vocal harmonies — the Asheville, N.C., quintet seems like it has rolled straight off a mountainside and right onto a wraparound wooden porch in some summer-grass valley.” ~ Style Weekly, Mike Hilleary

***

“The real highlight on Ravens and Crows is the vocal harmony. Lead singer Anya Hinkle, guitarist Stacy Claude, and bassist Greg Stiglets’ voices blend beautifully on songs like the album’s title track.“ ~ Americana Music Examiner, Chris Griffy

***

“…really special. I have added them to my “must see” list permanently.” ~ The Bluegrass Blog, Diane Farineau

***

In 2011, Dehlia Low will be taking their “Appalachiagrassicana” sound across the U.S. in support of the new album:

Sun, July 24th – Mast Farm Inn – Banner Elk, NC
Fri, July 29th – North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center – Nevada City, CA
Sat, July 30th – Sutter Creek Theatre – Sutter Creek, CA
Sun, July 31st -Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA
Tues, August 2nd – House Concert – Bear Valley, CA
Wed, August 3rd -The Abbey at Hopmonk Tavern – Sebastopol, CA
Thurs, August 4th – The Red Fox Tavern – Eureka, CA
Fri, August 5th – Dead on the Creek Festival – Willits, CA
Sat, August 6th – Oaksong Music Society at Gray Pine Farm – Oak Run, CA
Sunday, August 7th – House Concert | Berkeley, CA
Sat, August 13th- Stecoah Valley Center -Robbinsville, NC
Mon, August 15-21st – Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival |- Big River, SK
Fri, August 26th – Bacchus Bistro – Marshall, NC
Sat, September 3rd – The Station Inn – Nashville, TN
Thurs, September 8th – The Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC
Sat, September 10th – Mountain Song Festival – Brevard, NC
Fri, September 23rd – Hendershots Coffee Bar – Athens, GA
Sat, September 24th – Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s – Crawford, TN
Mon, September 26th Abbeville County Career Center – Abbeville, SC
Tues, September 27th – The Basement – Nashville, TN
Sat, October 1st – The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center – Asheville, NC
Sat, October 8th – Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival – Silk Hope, NC
Fri, October 14th – Private Event – Seneca, SC
Sat, October 15th – Private Event – Candler, NC
Sun, October 16, 2011 – Poplar Knight Spot – Aberdeen, NC
Thurs, October 20th – Cafe Nola – Frederick, MD
Fri, October 21st – The Purple Fiddle – Thomas, WV
Sat, October 22nd – Elk Creek Café – Millheim, PA
Sun, October 23rd – Puck Live – Doylestown, PA
Sat, November 12th – The Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC
Fri, November 18th – Ashland Coffee & Tea – Ashland, VA
Sat, November 19th – Southern Cafe and Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA
Tues, December 6th – Wilbert’s | Cleveland, OH
Wed, December 7th – Circus – Ann Arbor, MI
Thurs, December 8th – Salt of the Earth – Fennville,MI
Stay tuned to DehliaLow.com for more tour dates TBA!

Dehlia low on the web:
www.dehlialow.com
twitter.com/dehlialow
www.reverbnation.com/dehlialow
www.facebook.com/pages/Dehlia-Low

Read Full Post »

“Way Back When” video from Donna the Buffalo’s show at Beachand Ballroom

Check out this video “hot off the presses” from last night’s Donna the Buffalo show at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH. “Way Back When” was shot by Steve Leitzinger.

Read Full Post »

Music Maurauders Live show review: Larry keel and Natural Bridge at the Play Café in Cincinnati

Check out this fantastic Larry Keel and Natural Bridge live show review by Rex Thompson with Music Marauders. I have posted excerpts  and a couple of the image from the full review below.  Please do click on any of the images or links below to read the full review and see all the great pics!

LKNB Photo by Rex Thompson with Music Marauders

Live show review: Larry keel and Natural Bridge at the Play Café in Cincinnati, OH 6.26.2010
Words and pictures by Rex Thomson

www.MusicMaurauders.com

LKNB by Rex Thompason with Music Maurauders

Any chance to see Larry Keel flat out blow people away with his flat picking fret board style and his coarse as a bear vocals is a chance you should take. When I found out he was going to be playing the Play by play Café in Cincinnati toward the end of June, I circled my calendar with a fat red Sharpie…

…Keel is considered, and rightly so in my eyes, one of the finest flatpicking guitarists alive. The Style, begun sometime in the early twentieth century, has the guitar pick held firmly between two or three fingers, and uses a wider, flatter tipped pick.

…

….After the show, he asked me how it sounded, the mix and the playing. Reassuring him that the sound was indeed balanced and the picking was clear and fiery he smiled. I then realized that all the fiery playing I had just witnessed was from a couple of musicians fighting illness [this is explained more in the full review], and at best 70 percent of their usual health! Man alive, if this is how good he’s sounding now, hobbled by sickness, I’m almost scared to see the man healthy! We might have been spared mass brain destruction in the club that night. The staff is still scraping up melted faces as it is! And speaking of which, I’d like to take this opportunity to mention my newest venture, Rex’s Melted face removal and restoration. I will have crews working clubs from coast to coast, going in and cleaning and reattaching faces melted clean off by the wizardry of Mr. Keel and some of the other magnificent touring acts out there. Phish tour alone should let me retire! But I digress…

…

The crowd filed in and pushed up front, ready for something special, and boy howdy, were they in luck. The trio of Larry and Jenny Keel, and mandolinist Mark Schimick took the stage, and after a few last minute tunings, launched into the stratosphere of Bluegrass, calling out Bill Monroe and the Watson boys, and giving the legends their due.

The frantic pace he was keeping had its toll on more than just his health. The tunings of instruments is a fine one, and when playing Bluegrass, a skill you get to practice regularly, as the crazed strumming can play havoc on strings and their tightness. Taking a moment to correct his sound his wife Jenny quipped “It was in tune when ya bought it!” The beatings bluegrass instruments take is astounding. But it’s not all arms flailing as they strum away. There were moments of awesome focus and considerable concentration, as Keel would stand stock still, eyes squozen shut, totally lost to the outside world. The world could have ended right there and then I a ball of fire, and while there was still muscle tissue left on his fingers, Larry Keel would have been picking out those runs, tearing up and down the neck of his guitar like some sort of machine, built to tear up and down the neck of a guitar! But, like John Henry before him, he would burn out the motor of any mechanical device paired against him! His wife Jenny imparts a deepness, a richness of undertone to all these pickings. A weight, a sense of surety that keeps the high flying guitar notes from reaching to high, establishing a bottom end to Larry and Mark’s soaring highs!

Speaking of the mandolin player, Mark, and accompanists in general, it seems that the Keels are not just some of the nicest people in the biz, they are musically very easy to work with. From Keller Williams to Yonder Mountain to whoever is lucky enough to have him be in the area! I have seen Schimick strum his mandolin next to Larry, but this was a special session it seemed. The blend between the two was special, and echoed to an extent later in the Rumpke Mountain set. Maybe it was something in the air, or in my ear, but the collaborations between the two were epic. Twice, Jenny left the stage so the boys could “Pick on one” for us and twice it was magic. A fun Peter Tosh cover thrown in for good measure, and then Larry attempted a local remedy for his illness. Strengthened by the snake oil, Larry invited the Rumpke Boys up to join him for some picking and grinning. A once round the circle jam became a twice round the circle jam and Larry grew as animate as I saw him that night. Buoyed by the energy of his now full stage of pickers and grinners, he seemed to fill into his full form and wowed all who were there with his skills. The smiles on the faces of those onstage matched the smiles of those in the crowd, and the hoedown that was the first set ended on an uproarious note!

…
… And so I say with all the passion I can muster go see Larry Keel pick ya a number, go hear the Rumpke fellers funk up some of the all time greats. You have my word you’ll be glad you did!

READ THE FULL REVIEW AND SEE ALL THE IMAGES HERE: http://www.musicmarauders.com/2010/07/larry-keel-rumpke-mountain-boys.html

Read Full Post »

Earthday Weekend with Larry Keel & Natural Bridge!

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge have got a fun weekend in store to celebrate Earthday. They are playing shows in Athens, Ohio; Martinsville, VA; Harrisonburg, VA, and Charlottesville, VA.

Here are a couple great interviews …

Let’s start with Thursday April 16th in Athens, Ohio and an interview with bassist Jenny Keel:

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge prepare for a weekend at Jackie O’s

Bridget Mallon • For The Post • bm257008@ohiou.edu

Jenny Keel. Photo by John C Hancock

Larry Keel and Natural Bridge will open the Almost Bluegrass Fest tomorrow night at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery.

Keel and his band mates – Mark Schimick, Jason Flournoy and Jenny Keel – will share their eclectic style with Athens during the show. The band uses acoustic instruments including guitar, banjo, mandolin and upright bass.

The Post’s Bridget Mallon spoke with bassist Jenny Keel about the band’s music, its future plans and playing in Athens.

The Post: How would you describe Larry Keel and Natural Bridge’s style of music?

Jenny Keel: We’re a very powerful acoustic ensemble. We play original mountain music. It’s kind of like mountain rock music. It’s really high-energy, emotional and fun. It spans a lot of territory, all with acoustic instruments.

Post: What inspires Larry Keel and Natural Bridge songs?

Keel: Larry writes about everything. There’s historical topics, there’s mountain living, there’s philosophy, there’s family, moonshine, animals, love, war … anything with soul and magic inspires us musically.

Post: What do you hope people take away from your live shows?

Keel: I hope that they have a really good time and leave with a smile on their face and that they want to do it all over again together sometime.

Post: What is your favorite part of playing with Larry Keel and Natural Bridge?

Keel: Just connecting with people all across America and the world and having great honest encounters with people. Our mission every night is to have a good time with people and to go on a musical journxey together … and just to be open for anything that might develop.

Post: What are the band’s future plans?

Keel: To keep making magic as often as we can together as a band and together as human beings. Do something good every day, that’s our goal. Also keep writing music and working to create more music.

Post: Have you played in Athens before?

Keel: Oh yes, we’ve played several venues on the college campus and at festivals around the area. We love the local musicians, and we’re looking forward to getting back there.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT: http://thepost.ohiou.edu/Main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=31284

Here is an interview with banjo player Jason Flournoy for Friday, April 16th in Martinsville, VA:

Bluegrass and more set Friday in concert at Rives

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

By ELIZA WINSTON – Bulletin Staff Writer

Jason Flournoy. Photo by Jon C Hancock

Guitarist Larry Keel and his band, Natural Bridge, are known for their bluegrass, but concert-goers can expect to hear much more when the group performs here Friday, said banjoist Jason Flournoy.

“We are a string band that looks like a bluegrass band, but we play just about everything,” Flournoy said. “It is hard to put the band in any certain category.” Keel, an award-winning musician and Virginia native, and Natural Bridge will play Friday at the Rives Theatre in uptown Martinsville. The concert is first sponsored by Friends of the Rives Theatre, a new volunteer group dedicated to preserving the uptown venue. It took over the theater on Jan. 1.

Flournoy, who has been on the bluegrass circuit for more than a decade, said the group plays everything from bluegrass and rock ’n’ roll to jazz and reggae. The audience can expect to hear music that “sounds like everything from Grandmaster Flash to Bill Monroe,” he said.

The performance will feature material off the band’s recent release, “Backwoods.” Keel and Natural Bridge’s performances are always high energy, and the band feeds off the energy of the audience, Flournoy said. ”If the crowd is ready to rock out,” he explained, “the band will be even more fired up.”

Keel, who was born in Manassas and lives in Natural Bridge, has been playing guitar since he was 7. At 18, he became a contracted musician to play bluegrass at the Tokyo Disneyland theme park in Japan for seven months. Since then, he has recorded several CDs, won first place at the guitar competition at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado, and has played at MerleFest in North Carolina and many other bluegrass festivals.

Mark Schimick. Photo by Jon C Hancock

Natural Bridge, which formed in 2005, also includes Mark Schimick on mandolin and vocals and Keel’s wife, Jenny Keel, on upright bass and vocals. The band does about 130 shows a year, said Flournoy, who lives in Asheville, N.C. He said touring the Southeast is a lot easier than states such as Colorado, because shows are closer together on the East Coast.

Read more here: http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=23265

You can also see a fun blurb here in the Roanoke Times.

Mandolin player Marck Schimick also went live on air for a tv interview in Martinsville this past Monday.

Then Saturday, LKNB heads on into Harrisonburg to play the Clementine and then on Sunday to a big Earthday event at the Charlottesville Pavillion.

Read Full Post »

“Musings of an Addled Mind’s” review of Donna the Buffalo at Kent Stage

This is a great four part review of Donna the Buffalo by a younger person on the scene that just saw them live for the first time. He’s a great writer and got some good photos too. Please take the time to check out his blog and the original postings, links provided below.

There are four parts to this post. Donna the Buffalo Part I (pre-concert), Donna the Buffalo Part II (Photos), Donna the Buffalo Part III (Review), The Herd

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Donna the Buffalo, Pt. I

CONCERRRRRRRRRRRT!

Leaving in about a half-hour; I’m totally pumped. As you can see…

We’re hitting up another Record Exchange on the way down there; so hopefully, if all goes well, I’ll be able to pick up Lateralus (Tool), De-Loused in the Comatorium (The Mars Volta) and Out of Myself (Riverside). They’re all considered to be the ‘best’ entry points for those groups; so I’m going out on a serious impulse here… I trust the judgment of the people who recommended them, though; so my mind should be blown before the evening is over.

That’s not to mention the actual concert, either – should be fucking incredible; but I’ll have to wait and see how it goes. There is an opening act (no clue who, though); before DtB get on; but I’m not worried – music is music, and as long as it’s original and engaging (and the band can play well!) I’m there 100%. As for what DtB will be playing when they go on… again, no clue. I’m only vaguely familiar with their actual songs; having heard most of this in the car with my Dad, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

So… there’ll be pics, hopefully; if I remember to bring the camera; maybe even a video, if you’re all really lucky. Other than that, absolutely nothing to report on (everyone’s still going insane, as the norm seems to be now…)

…and, I have to go and get ready, so without further ado, with me luck.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Donna the Buffalo, Pt. II

Click on the link to check out his photos. He’s got some great shots in there!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Donna the Buffalo, Pt. III

Ah, man… it’s been two days; and I’m still in shock. Fantastic show.

To (once again) quote my Uncle Chuck, “Out of all the concerts I’ve been to; that was definitely one of them.” It was similar to Porcupine Tree, in many ways – the atmosphere was great; the music was superb, and the bandmembers all had a great sense of humor. In other ways, though, it was quite different – and those differences left me pleasantly surprised; not to mention blown away. For one, there was no opening act! My Dad and I were hanging around in the audience when the Jeb (Guitar) and Tara (Violin, Acoustic Guitar, etc.) walked right past us, and got up on stage! Needless to say; I performed one hell of a double-take…

Since this was all happening at the Kent Stage; there were seats in the auditorium – as if anyone used them, though. Everyone was sitting when the band got up and started to play, but my Dad… brought me up right against the stage with him! Sure enough, as soon as the crowd saw us get up that close; they all followed; and pretty soon, we were locked in against the stage. I was so close to Tara that I could have reached out and grabbed her foot for nearly the entire performance! It was beyond words… not too loud (like PT, unfortunately) but not too soft (I still got the kick in my chest from the Bass Player); and the people around us were great as the concert went on. Like, I could actually stretch! And move around!

They actually started playing around 8:30pm… and with the exception of a short break (the Keyboard/Organ player spilled his beer all over the place) they went on until after 12:30am! That’s more than four hours of Donna the Buffalo… the whole thing left me a little desensitized, but plenty satisfied. The music, as mentioned, was great – I’m not normally a fan of Folk/Country, but when you hear it live – with extended jam sessions, and plenty of improv – your whole view of the material presented is suddenly transformed. I’ll admit, I was moving and getting into it with the rest of the crowd… it was hard not to! They don’t call this stuff ‘feel-good’ music for no reason, folks – it was one hell of a good experience.

Best of all was the intimacy factor… how close we were to all the players; how we could actually hear them talking; even interact with them! My Dad kept shouting out requests for ‘Mystic Water’ (look it up!) and a bunch of others; and Jeb actually acknowledged him and granted his one for ‘Blue Sky’! These guys are awesome, the way they operate – no setlist, no plans for the evening… they just get on stage, and perform whatever comes to mind. A song that was three minutes long the night before could be over fifteen the next night; and vice versa. Everything was handled very casually, but very professionally… every member did an awesome job at their respective parts; my only regret being that some of them were overshadowed by others.

So, all in all (if you guys haven’t figured it out yet) I had an amazing time – totally going back with my Dad for round two; whenever they come back out this way again. Really, I could see anyone getting into them, if they could experience em’ live; even if you don’t like Country… because, as I said; everything changes when you’re in that kind of intimate setting. The subject content, too, is a little more sophisticated than you might think – most of the lyrics were very socio-political; with the occasional metaphor thrown in… needless to say, better than the stereotypical ‘My dog died, my wife left me, and my truck broke down!’ that’s usually associated with Country. All the more reason why it was such an awesome experience.

…but anyways… that was Sunday night/Monday morning. Not much has happened since then, predictably – didn’t have school, Monday (a nice little surprise); and I got a bunch of new albums, too. Found/bought Lateralus, and De-Loused in the Comatorium; but no Out of Myself… the Record Exchange we went to didn’t even have Riverside! But, to compensate, they had A Change of Seasons (Dream Theater) and I (Meshuggah); so I grabbed those instead – been looking for em’ anyways; so it was nice to cross them off my list. Any thoughts, so far? ‘The Grudge’ is downright badass; haven’t gotten to The Mars Volta yet; and DT/Meshuggah were both predictably awesome. So, yeah, everything’s going -fairly- good on my end…

Hope you’re all hanging in there, still – if anyone needs anything, you’ve but to ask.

Peace out.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Herd

“Nicely written and glad you had fun!
Go visit Grassroots this summer in Ithaca, musicians
music, all kinds from all over, DTB started it. I have seen & herd
from metal to mellow all over the world and GR has i going on.
Glad you witnessed a taste of what I call honest music
not pop country made in a lab.


Bill D
Az


PS Your Dad has to be pretty fucking cool!”

…just got that in an email about ten minutes ago; and I thought it’d only be appropriate to post it here. First of all… glad to see that the ‘herd’ I’ve been hearing about isn’t so elusive after all! Sure, there were people at the show who were downright fanatical about DtB (and with good reason) but knowing that they’re everywhere, not just here on the east coast, is something else entirely…

Secondly; shout-out to Bill D – glad to see you liked my rant! I couldn’t really do the evening justice; but I certainly tried. I’ve heard about Grassroots (my Dad mentioned it, ironically) and was thinking about checking it out – from the way you described it; I definitely will be. And, yes; what they performed was so much better than most of the ‘music’ I’ve heard… my Dad kept hammering me with em’ for years, anytime we were in the car together; but it really didn’t ‘click’ for me until Sunday night. And, yeah, if you don’t mind me saying; my Dad is pretty fucking cool. Thanks for reading, man!

Anyways… on a sort of unrelated note; I now -finally!- have physical proof that I have followers online! Other than my friends and family, of course… just another reason why I’d be on my hands and knees thanking music; if I could. Not even considering how listening alone has changed my life; the fact that it brings people together like it does – like it did Sunday night – is something I can’t even put into words. Quite simply, there’s nothing else like it… as I’m sure you all know.

So yeah, that’s it for now. Gotta’ get to bed, at some point; and actually sleep some… last night was the worst I’ve had for as long as I can remember. Don’t want to go through another day of shuffling around, feeling like a zombie, either… regardless of that, though; I’m still open if you need me. For those that do; you know where to find me.

Peace out.

~Musing of an Addled Mind

Read Full Post »

Archive: 1/10: Donna the Buffalo at Kent Stage

Posted by Frank Lewis on Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 11:17 AM

in the Cleveland Scene

www.clevescene.com

For nearly 20 years, singer and multi-instrumentalist Tara Nevins and singer-guitarist Jeb Puryear have guided Donna the Buffalo through a sonic travelogue of American music, serving up a gumbo of bluegrass, rootsy rock, folk and country, spiced with exotic bits of Cajun and reggae. Considering the diverse genres that the band draws upon and the freewheeling manner in which it interprets them — particularly with Nevins’ Emmylou Harris/Dolly Parton/Natalie Merchant warble and Puryear’s laconic Buddy Miller delivery — the group has become a rootsy fave within the jam community. The beauty of Donna’s presentation and the secret of their success and longevity is the purely organic way they weave genres together without diluting them. Many bands can’t generate this kind of enthusiasm and energy in half as much time and with half as many albums that Donna the Buffalo have over two decades and seven studio albums. Check them out at 8 p.m. at the Kent Stage (175 E. Main St., Kent, 330.677.5005). Tickets: $20. — Brian Baker

Read Full Post »