PREVIEW – Donna the Buffalo
The Woodlands, Columbus, OH – Friday, December 14th
photos by John D Kurc and Ryan Neeley
Root rock jam vets Donna the Buffalo will be coming to The Woodlands in Columbus, OH on Friday, December 14th, and as always, their loyal fan base, affectionately called THE HERD will be out in full force to support this beloved group of accomplished music veterans. Columbus radio station 90.5 WCBE will be presenting the show, which has The (New) Salty Caramels opening. Donna the Buffalo is from upstate New York, and have been putting out “feel-good groove-oriented, danceable and socially concious music” for over 20 years. They are one of the pioneers of roots rock, mixing Zydeco/Cajun instrumentation with reggae beats, intriguing folk and country rock songwriting, reggae fire and heart and the family atmosphere of the Grateful Dead. Encore magazine praises DtB, as they are sometimes called, stating that they have “earned a reputation as one of the most respected, eclectic and hard working acts today.” The songwriting duo of vocalist/guitarist Jeb Puryear and the multi-talented washboard/accordion/guitar/fiddle /vocalist Tara Nevins have written over 180 songs in their time with DTB, with many more to come, and Nevins has recently branched out on her own with a solo release, Wood and Stone, showcasing her songwriting and vocal abilities along with the amazing talents she’s mastered on the instruments she plays. “I’ve definitely sang in more songs on this album including a few covers,” Nevins said in a recent interview with Appalachian Jamwich. “A Van Morrison cover of Beauty of Days Gone By, my own version of a jazz song (The Stars Fell on Alabama) and a few others.”
Donna The Buffalo tours relentlessly while remaining fiercely independent, and has an extremely loyal fan base that will travel for miles to see the group perform. Fans have also started a fan-based website, DonnaFans.com, to stay in touch and share news about the beloved band. “The main thing I like about The Herd is that you don’t have to do anything to be a member. You just have to like a song,” guitarist Jeb Puryear recently said in an interview with Roanoke Times. “It’s a great feeling to promote such a feeling of community like you’re really part of something that’s happening, like a movement or powerful force.” Nevins seems to agree with this fact, and while touring with Bill Kreutzmann of The Grateful Dead, realized why people associate their band with the Dead, “After seeing the family atmosphere within the community, I understood why people associate DtB and the Dead – There was that comraderie, where you see the same folks at each show and you end up caring about them because you’ve shared some very special moments together. Music makes you feel, and that is special when you’re with so many people.”
The band is currently in the midst of a U.S. winter tour with regional stops in Kent, OH (Kent Stage – 12/13), Columbus, OH (Woodlands Tavern – 12/14) and will be doing a New Years run in sunny Tampa, FL (12/29-12/31 – Skippers Smokehouse). They are also working on a new studio album, their first since much acclaimed 2008 release Silverlined and their first since the addition of bassist Kyle Spark and drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Keyboardist Dave McCracken rounds out the group, with Puryear and Nevins sharing the spotlight with phenomenal vocal harmonies and positive, moving lyrics that leave their mark on those who listen. The Erie Times noted that although the band doesn’t write a set list for live shows, they “stick to a pattern.. usually alternating between Puryears rhythmic Dylan-influenced songs and Nevins breezy, melodic, accordion driven gems like the folksy Tides of Time and infectuous Locket and Key.”
So if you haven’t been to a DTB show, you have to go see them live. “..we try to make everyone feel welcome. With all of the bad news and negativity out there, people are looking to be a part of something, and the music we perform is groove-heavy, danceable music that people gravitate towards. We might not get the most press or publicity, but when people come to see our show, they usually have a good time, whether they are Donna the Buffalo fans or not,” Nevins said. And if you have seen Donna The Buffalo perform live, I’ll see you at The Woodlands in Columbus on Friday, Dec 14th. Because I know that anyone who has seen them before wouldn’t pass up the chance to once again take a night out of the stress of the holidays and everyday life to let everything go, dance like nobody’s watching, while they roam with The Herd and Donna the Buffalo.
CLICK HERE FOR APPALACHIAN JAMWICH’S INTERVIEW WITH MULTI-TALENTED DtB VOCALIST TARA NEVINS
About the opener – The (New) Salty Caramels – Columbus music maven Molly Winters (Vocals/Guitar/ Ukelele/ Bass/ Harmonica) joins Paige Strickling (Drums/Washboard/Backing Vocals), Sarah Overdier (Vocals/Kazoo/Guitar/Glockenspiel/Washboard/Slide Whistle/ Castenet) and Emily Ng (Viola/Saw/Bass/ Glockenspiel) in this unique group – The (original) Salty Caramels were a trio, but have since gone their separate ways – Lucky for us, Winters has recruited a talented group of females to carry on. Ovderdier, who also has a solo project, has a phenomenal voice, and Ng is a seasoned musician – very sassy, strong and most importantly, musically gifted. Strickling comes from Alabama, and Winters stated that she “realized that they’d be band mates almost instantly,” when they met at a music venue.
Think harmonies of The Carter family mixed with in your face aspect of a killer rock group – The band is named after an ice cream flavor at Columbus ice cream shop Jeni’s – But don’t let that fool you – These girls will whup your ass with an array of instruments including a glockenspiel, ukelele, musical saw, drums, bass, and dreamy tight female vocals from Winters and Overdier! So come early to check The Salty Caramels out!
