dtb's new album comes out on June 18!

Donna the Buffalo's new CD, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday, will debut on 6/18/13 on Sugar Hill Records. The album, the band's 10th studio effort and its first since 2008's Silverlined, features founding members and songwriters Jeb Puryear (vocals, guitar) and Tara Nevins (vocals, guitar, fiddle, accordion, scrubboard), David McCracken (Hammond organ, clavinet), Kyle Spark (bass), and Mark Raudabaugh (drums). It was recorded primarily on tape in a rustic church in Enfield, New York with co-producer Robert Hunter. In addition to the title track, the CD will include All Aboard, Working On That, I Love My Tribe, I See How You Are, Spinning World, and 8 other songs. For more details, including the complete track listing, see the official announcement on Dreamspider Publicity's web site.

Posted On: Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Next DtB Webcast: 5/17/13 Syracuse, NY

Thanks to Herd.tv and the Black Vest Brothers, Donna the Buffalo's show on Friday, 5/17/13 at the Wescott Theater in Syracuse, NY will be webcast live as it happens. To view the webcast, go to http://webcast.herd.tv some time around 8 pm eastern time on Friday 5/17. Thanks so much to all who devote their time and energy to making these webcasts happen

Posted On: Thursday, May 16, 2013

t-burg grassroots lineup has been announced!

It's official: in addition to Donna the Buffalo, the 2013 GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY will feature Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Rusted Root, Festival au Désert, Rubblebucket, The Duhks, and many, many more, including all of the usual bands from the Ithaca area and around the world that make this festival so great year after year. For the complete lineup, go to www.grassrootsfest.org/festival/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=27. Also, Wednesday, 5/1 is the last day to get the Early Bird price on tickets, so go to https://grassrootsfest.thundertix.com/events and save.

Posted On: Tuesday, April 30, 2013

new photos & recordings: Shakori hills grassroots!

On Thursday, 4/18/13, Donna the Buffalo returned to Silk Hope, NC for the annual 4-day Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance. In addition to DtB, this year's fest also featured Keller Williams & The Travelin’ McCourys, The Horse Flies, Preston Frank, Locos Por Juana, John Brown's Body, and many more. Gary "madtaper" Pudvan was at this event, and kindly shares with us more than 150 photos of the Spring Shakori GrassRoots Fest 4/18/13 through 4/21/13 at http://madtaperpix.shutterfly.com/pictures/1597 and http://madtaperpix.shutterfly.com/pictures/1764. In addition, Terry Killebrew has already uploaded his recording of DtB's set from 4/18/13 to the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2013-04-18. Thanks, Gary! Thanks, Terry!

Posted On: Saturday, April 27, 2013

great video from suwannee springfest 3/23/13

Donna the Buffalo has this wonderful habit of performing their absolute best when conditions seem to be...less than ideal. Case in point: Saturday night's set at this year's Suwannee Springfest, aka "the rainfest performance." Thanks to Mark "DaBabe" Roth, you can view a video of DtB's complete set on 3/23/13 from Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL. On this night, the skies dropped a driving rain, it was cold, and it was windy, but DtB laid down a fantastic set, starting off with a roaring Hot Tamale Baby and powering through a long list of favorite tunes, including Family Picture, Blue Sky, Conscious Evolution, and The Ones You Love, pausing only to thank the fans for their loyalty and tenacity. The song was made all the more special by the addition of Bryn Davies on bass, who filled in for Kyle Spark while he was celebrating a new addition to his family. Congratulations, Kyle, and thanks so much for the video, Mark! FYI Mark has many other full-show DtB videos on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44.

Posted On: Saturday, March 30, 2013

recording, more photos of 3/9/13 New York, NY

Danny Monroe's first Donna the Buffalo show was 6/15/12 at the Historic Blairstown Theater in Blairstown, NJ. Among other things, that show featured a Happy Birthday sing-a-long/cake for Jeb and a version of Conscious Evolution that ventured into territory that no DtB jam had ever gone before. Danny's been a fan ever since, and now shares with us 15 photos of DtB performing on 3/9/13 at the Best Buy Theater in New York, NY. To see these and other photos of DtB's set that night, go to www.facebook.com/donnafans. Also, Scott Bernstein has posted a sweet recording of this show on the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donnathebuffalo2013-03-09.tlm170.flac16. Thanks, Danny! Thanks, Scott!

Posted On: Sunday, March 17, 2013

New Photos: 3/9/13 New York, NY

On Saturday, 3/9/13, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, New York, NY, opening a fantastic night of music that also included Railroad Earth. DtB played an extremely energetic 1-hour set that started at 8 pm with Be The Change and roared through many of the fans' favorite tunes, including If You Only Could, 40 Days & 40 Nights, Conscious Evolution, Blue Sky, Family Picture, and Hot Tamale Baby. Later in the evening, Jeb (on guitar) and Tara (on scrub) joined Railroad Earth for a version of RRE's Just So You Know that featured a wonderful bit of musical magic between Tara and RRE's Tim Carbone (fiddle). For photos of DtB's set, go to www.facebook.com/donnafans.

Posted On: Sunday, March 10, 2013

DtB show in Northampton, MA rescheduled for Fri. 3/8

The Donna the Buffalo show at Pearl Street in Northampton, MA that was originally scheduled for 2/8/13 but got postponed due to snow will take place on Friday, 3/8/13. All tickets issued for 2/8 will be honored at this show. To purchase tickets, go to http://www.iheg.com/pearl_street_main.asp or contact the box office at 413-586-8686. The band Paint will be the supporting act for this show.

Posted On: Friday, March 8, 2013

Get ready for virginia key grassroots in Miami!

The 2nd Annual Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will take place 2/21 - 2/24, 2013 at the historic Virginia Key State Park in Miami, FL. This fest will feature more than 40 bands, including Donna the Buffalo, Ruster Root, Keith Frank, Locos Por Juana, and more, performing on 4 stages over 4 days. For more information about Virginia Key GrassRoots, check out http://virginiakeygrassroots.com.

Posted On: Thursday, January 31, 2013

download recordings of 4 tara & friends shows!

In early December 2012, Donna the Buffalo's Tara Nevins performed four very special shows as Tara & Friends at a handful of venues in the southeast. Gary "Madtaper" Pudvan recorded all four of these gigs, and thanks to Capn Hook you can now download these recordings from the DtB page on the Live Music Archive. The shows took place on Wed., 12/5/21, in Atlanta, GA (Smith’s Olde Bar), Thur., 12/6/12, in Charlotte, NC (The Double Door Inn), Fri., 12/7/12, in Asheville, NC (The Grey Eagle), and Sat., 12/8/12, in Huntsville, AL (Kaffeeklatsch). Joining Tara for these gigs were Riley Baugus (banjo), Mike Compton (mandolin), Pete Finney (pedal steel and electric guitar), David Grier (acoustic guitar), Todd Phillips (bass), Amber-Dawn Rische (harmony vocals and fiddle), and DtB drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Thanks, Gary! Thanks, Capn!

Posted On: Monday, January 28, 2013

New Videos: All 4 Shows From Key West, FL

Mark "DaBabe" Roth is at it again: This diehard fan and videographer has again gone above and beyond the call of duty to share the sights and sounds of Donna the Buffalo performances for those who couldn't be there in person. This time, Mark shares with us full-length videos of the band's first 4 shows of 2013, all of which took place at the Green Parrot in Key West, FL: 1/2/13, 1/3/13, 1/4/13 (early show), and 1/4/13 (late show). All four videos are fantastic, but the late show 1/4/13 is truly over the top. "This show, even with what moderate editing out I did, weighs in at 3 1/2 hours and displays the entire band at its funkiest, happiest, loopiest, "It's the end of a long run so let's have some fun" best! Mark said. "Set list speaks for itself. It does not get any better than this." Mark has plenty of other DtB videos, including full-show videos of the gigs on 12/30/12 and 12/31/13 at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, FL, on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Monday, January 21, 2013

Now Available For Download: 1/20/13 Saxapahaw, NC

On Sunday, 1/20/13, Donna the Buffalo capped off a three-show weekend with a gig the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC. This was the first time the band played this venue. Among other things, the show was notable for a pre-Martin Luther King day version of Mr. King, a new Jeb Puryear song, and a Jeb/Tara duet version of On Our Way On with Tara on drums as the encore. Thanks to taper Terry Killebrew, you can already download a recording of this show from the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2013-01-20. Thanks Terry!

Posted On: Monday, January 21, 2013

winter/spring tour starts 1/18 in Floyd, VA

On Friday, 1/18/13, in Floyd, VA, Donna the Buffalo will kick off a schedule of shows that has them performing throughout the eastern U.S. more or less nonstop until mid-May. The band's Winter/Spring 2013 tour includes shows in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; the tour will stop in some of these states more than once. Festival highlights are the 2nd annual Virginia Key GrassRoots Fest outside Miami 2/21-2/24, Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL 3/23-3/24, and Shakori Hills Grassroots Fest in Silk Hope, NC 4/18-4/21. For details, see the Tour page.

Posted On: Saturday, January 12, 2013

Great video of dtb & the believers from new year's eve!

One of the many highlights of Donna the Buffalo's recent 3-night New Year's run of shows at Skipper's Smokehouse occurred near the end of the last night. On New Year's Eve, to top off a set full of surprises, DtB was joined by the Believers (Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazinni) for a long jam that was followed by a raucous cover of the Beatle's Helter Skelter. Fortunately, Mark "DaBabe" Roth was on hand and shares with us an 18-minute video of DtB rockin' Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, FL on 12/31/12. Mark says he'll soon be posting a video of this complete show, and others from the FL run, on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Monday, January 7, 2013

Celebrate the new year with dtb in florida!

Donna the Buffalo will finish off 2012 and start 2013 in their customary fashion: By giving fans in Florida a string of shows they'll never forget. The fun starts on Friday, 12/28 with a performance at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale. Then it's on to a three-night run at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa on Saturday 12/29, Sunday 12/30, and New Year's Eve, Monday 12/31. The Believers will open for DtB on 12/29 and New Year's Eve, while the Hindu Cowboys are on the bill for 12/30. Tickets for the New Year's Eve show will include party favors and a champagne toast and breakfast buffet at midnight. After a break on New Year's Day, the band's first three shows of 2013 will take place at the Green Parrot in Key West on Wednesday 1/2, Thursday 1/3, and Friday 1/4. The Florida New Year's tour will conclude with a show at the Plaza Live in Orlando on Saturday, 1/5. For tickets and more details, check out each venue's website. Happy New Year!

Posted On: Thursday, December 27, 2012

DtB kicks off annual run of holiday shows!

Donna the Buffalo's annual run of holiday shows will begin on Thursday, 12/20, with a gig at The Blockley in Philadelphia, PA, followed by an End of the World party on Friday 12/21 at Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY and a holiday show at the CSMA 3rd Floor Ballroom in Ithaca, NY (tix: 607.277.6214) on Saturday, 12/22. Sim Redmond Band will also be on the bill for the Rochester and Ithaca shows. Thanks to the Black Vest Bros. and Herd.tv, the End of the World Party from Water Street will be webcast live as it happens starting at approximately 9 pm eastern time on http://webcast.herd.tv. The following night's show in Ithaca wil be webcast as well. Thanks so much to all of those involved in these productions!

Posted On: Sunday, December 16, 2012

virginia keys grassroots in miami Feb. 21-24, 2013!

The 2nd Annual Virginia Keys GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will take place 2/21 - 2/24, 2013 at the historic Virginia Key State Park in Miami, FL. This fest will feature more than 40 bands performing on 4 stages over 4 days. To kick this festival season off right, the GrassRoots organization is for the first time offering a special GrassRoots Dream Team membership that include 10 weekend passes for any of the GrassRoots fests (Virginia Keys, Shakori Hills, or Finger Lakes), a lifetime all-access lanyard, and more, for $1,000. Dream Team membership is not only a good value for anyone who regularly attends GrassRoots--proceeds will be used to further the mission and outreach of the GrassRoots organization. For more information about Virginia Keys GrassRoots or Dream Team membership, check out http://virginiakeygrassroots.com.

Posted On: Saturday, December 8, 2012

Awesome photos from 11/3/12 San Francisco, CA

One of the many highlights of Donna the Buffalo's November tour of the western United States was a stop at Slim's in San Francisco, CA. Photographer David Durkee was at this show and has posted more than 50 outstanding photos of DtB performing on 11/3/12 in San Francisco, CA. David has also posted photos of David Gans opening for DtB at this show as well as a slew of other bands and other events on his site at http://www.daviddurkee.com. Thanks, David! Also check out Ziggy's videos of the band doing Conscious Evolution and Co Fa from this show at www.youtube.com/aziggy63.

Posted On: Saturday, December 1, 2012

Tara & Friends to play four gigs in early december

In early December, Donna the Buffalo's Tara Nevins will embark on a four-show tour that will stop in select cities in the Southeast: Wed., 12/5, in Atlanta, GA (Smith’s Olde Bar), Thur., 12/6, in Charlotte, NC (The Double Door Inn), Fri., 12/7, in Asheville, NC (The Grey Eagle), and Sat., 12/8, in Huntsville, AL (Kaffeeklatsch). Joining her for these very special gigs will be friends Riley Baugus (banjo), Mike Compton (mandolin), Pete Finney (pedal steel and electric guitar), David Grier (acoustic guitar), Todd Phillips (bass), Amber-Dawn Rische (harmony vocals and fiddle), and DtB drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Tara will be performing songs from her latest solo release, Wood and Stone, which hit in the Top 20 on the Americana Music Chart in 2011. Wood and Stone is available from your favorite music retailer, Itunes, or Amazon. For more information, visit http://taranevins.com.

Posted On: Saturday, November 24, 2012

new photos: 11/10/12 Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA

In mid-November, Donna the Buffalo wrapped up their extensive swing through the western United States with a return to a venue they'd played before: the Tractor Tavern in Seattle, WA, where they last set the groove in November 2008. DonnaFans.com contributor Bob Hagen was at this show and generously shares with us 8 excellent photos of DtB performing on 11/10/12 in Seattle, WA, including the band sharing a number with supporting act The Brothers Comatose. "I also saw them the night before in Portland," Bob said. "I'm kind of addicted to this group." We know what you mean, Bob! Thanks so much for the photos!

Posted On: Monday, November 19, 2012

Great Videos From 11/3/12 San Francisco, CA!

In late October, much to the delight of fans in the western part of the United States, Donna the Buffalo embarked on a tour that included stops in several states that have been clamoring to see the band, including Texas, New Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington. Andrew "Ziggy" Zweigbaum attended some of these shows, and kindly shares with us a sweet 10-minute-plus video of DtB performing Conscious Evolution at Slim's in San Francisco, CA on 11/3/12. Ziggy also posted a video of the band playing Co Fa (aka Tell Me Why) from this same show. Ziggy's got a ton of fantastic DtB videos on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/aziggy63. Thanks, Ziggy!

Posted On: Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Awesome full-set videos from magfest!

Mark "DaBabe" Roth has made it his mission to share with as many fans as possible the high-quality videos he shoots of Donna the Buffalo concerts, and his latest efforts provide us with a trio of gems from the band's recent appearances from Magnoliafest at beloved Suwannee Music Park. On his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44, Mark has posted a full-set video of DtB performing on 10/20/12 at MagFest in Live Oak, FL. He followed this up by posting full-set videos of Jim Lauderdale playing with DtB on 10/21/12 and the festival-closing DtB and friends finale on 10/21/12, which included guests Ruchad Eggleston, Randy Judy, Stuart McNair, Jeff Mosier, Jim Lauderdale, and Beth Judy. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Monday, October 29, 2012

SAVE THE BUFFALO ~ ADOPT A BUFFALO!

Finally There is a Buffalo Named Donna!
SAVE THE BUFFALO ~ ADOPT A BUFFALO!

Calling all Herd! There is a situation calling for help and we are perfect for the job!

National Wildlife Federation has an 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. The Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation have already expressed their desire to accept these magnificent creatures. This could provide the bison with hundreds of thousands of acres of habitat to thrive on as a wide-ranging herd. You can read more about it here: http://blog.nwf.org/2012/09/wind-river-tribes-unite-to-return-yellowstone-bison-to-their-native-homeland/

We, in Donna the Buffalo, along with you The Herd can help make this happen! How perfect Donna the Buffalo and The Herd helping make possible this restoration of 140 Bison to their native land!

We presented the following idea to the National Wildlife Federation and they loved it! It costs just $50.00 to move one of these Bison back to its native land. What we proposed is a "SAVE THE BUFFALO" campaign where if you donate $50.00 you will essentially "ADOPT A BUFFALO" and the Bison will be NAMED AFTER YOU! (Or your child, or loved one, anyone you want actually). You will receive a certificate from the National Wildlife Federation saying so!

We've started the campaign and have now saved and adopted a buffalo! What fun there's finally a buffalo named Donna!!

We hope you join us in this endeavor. Our goal is to accomplish this by election day on Tuesday, November 6th! Montana will be electing a new Governor who may or may not be partial to the welfare of these bison!

To Save and Adopt Your Buffalo:
Send a check for $50.00, made out to The National Wildlife Federation, to the address below. Be sure to include your name and address written clearly on a piece of paper with the name you wish to give the Buffalo.

Send to:
Wildlife Management
P.O. Box 287
Trumansburg, NY 14886

or

Donate via PayPal at Wildlifemanagement@aol.com. BEFORE pressing the SEND MONEY button, make sure to scroll down further to "Email to recipient." ENTER your personal message, including your name, address and what you would like to name the buffalo! https://www.paypal.com/home/.

Lets save the buffalo!

Love and Peace,
Tara, Jeb, Mark, David, and Kyle

Posted On: Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Download Recordings Of dtb from shakori hills!

The last notes of this year's Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival had barely finishing ringing in the air when Terry Killebrew got busy working on his recordings, quickly uploading them to the Internet for all to enjoy. Thanks to Terry, you can grab a soundboard recording of Donna the Buffalo's set on Saturday, 10/6/12 from the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2012-10-06. Just as exciting is Terry's soundboard recording of Jeb and Tara's set as a duet from Friday, 10/5/12, which you can download from http://archive.org/details/donna2012-10-05.TaraandJeb. The Jeb/Tara set featured unique arrangments of several DtB classics, including Big Parade, Blue Sky, Hey Trudy, Mystic Water, and more. Thanks, Terry!

Posted On: Thursday, October 11, 2012

new photos: 10/6/12 Shakori hills grassroots fest

If it's October in North Carolina, one of the things you can count on is a series of outstanding performances by Donna the Buffalo at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival. As usual, DtB played sets on all four days of this fest, including a slightly-earlier-than-usual (8 pm) headlining set on Saturday night. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Paul Roberge was at this gig, and shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 10/6/12 in Pittsboro, NC. The set list on this night included It's Love Time, One Day at a Time, The Mill, What It Takes, Forty Days and Forty Nights, and more, and concluded with a sweet pairing for the encore: Times Like These followed by Part-Time Lover. "The vibe felt more like a Thursday set," Paul said. "The knucklehead factor was zero, the band was tight...clouds and cooler air had moved by dusk, but the rain held off until late evening." Thanks so much, Paul!

Posted On: Sunday, October 7, 2012

Grab A Free Soundboard Recording of 9/23/12!

On Sunday, 9/23/12, Donna the Buffalo returned to Buffalo, NY for the second time this year for a performance at Club Infinity. The band's set on this night featured a mix of songs old and new, including The Ones You Love, Garden of Eden, Part-Time Lover, a 15-minute version of Mystic Water, Winners and Losers, Biggie K, It Will Be Right, Hot Tamale Baby, Times Like These, and more. Gene Gene Martin was at this show and captured a soundboard recording of it, which he generously has shared on the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2012-09-23.donna2012-09-23matrix. Thanks a million, Gene!

Posted On: Thursday, September 27, 2012

new photos: targhee bluegrass festival, Alta, WY

In mid August, as part of their tour of the western U.S., Donna the Buffalo returned to Wyoming for their second consecutive annual appearance at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival. This fest takes places on the picturesque grounds of the Grand Targhee Resort, with the stage set up at the bottom of the ski slope. Bob Hagen was at this gig, and kindly shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing on 8/11/12 and 8/12/12 in Alta, WY. On each of their sets on Saturday and Sunday, DtB was joined by several legendary musicians, including longtime friend Peter Rowan (above), Peter Wernick, and Tim O'Brien. Fortunately, Bob was able to capture photos of each of these special guests with DtB. Thanks so much, Bob!

Posted On: Saturday, September 8, 2012

dtb announces fall tour, west coast dates, NYE run!

Donna the Buffalo will tour extensively this fall, with a schedule that will bring them throughout the northeast, southeast, and several western states, including shows in California, Oregon, and Washington in early November. This tour will see the band back at some of their favorite cities and venues, as well as at new locations. DtB will cap off the year with a three-night run at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, FL. For complete details, see the official Tour Dates page.

Posted On: Thursday, August 23, 2012

new photos: 8/10/12 State Bridge, Bond, CO

In early August, Donna the Buffalo loaded up the bus and headed west for a run of shows in Colorado and an appearance at the Targhee Bluegrass Fest in Alta, WY. Gary "Madtaper" Pudvan was along for some of this tour, and shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing at the State Bridge Riverside Amphitheater in Bond, CO on Friday, 8/10/12. "Donna played just over 4 hours with no breaks," said Andrew "Ziggy" Zweigbaum, who's arguably Colorado's biggest DtB fan. "About 300 people, great vibe, sand dance floor. Lots of requests granted." Ziggy added that some highlights of this show were The Ones You Love, The Mill, Story of the Ages, Ancient Arms, Arrows Pointing Sideways, If You Only Could, Come to Life, Push Comes to Shove, Living in Babylon, No Place Like the Right Time, Then You Needed Me, Temporary Misery, Silverlined, and quite a few more. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, August 18, 2012

Hundreds of photos from T-burg grassroots fest

Two of DonnaFans.com's most prolific contributors have recently posted a mother lode of photos from the GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, which took place 7/19/12 through 7/22/12 in Trumansburg, NY. Rather than just share a few of their incredible images, I'm going to provide links to the complete albums. Phil Ross generously shares with us 186 photos from the 2012 GrassRoots Fest at http://on.fb.me/OgeFDO. Phil's photos include many shots of Donna the Buffalo as well as the band's members playing with other artists, such as this great one of Jeb Puryear opening the fest with Bubba George Stringband on Thursday, 7/19/12. John Yust also was at this year's T-burg GrassRoots, and kindly provides us with 185 photos of DtB and other bands, including a great series of shots of DtB with the unimitable Jim Lauderdale, at http://on.fb.me/ORTGD8. Thanks so much, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, August 11, 2012

New video: jeb & friends from grassroots fest

One of the many special sets that take place at the GrassRoots Festival is a performance by Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear and friends Saturday morning in the Cabaret. This year, Jeb's friends included former DtB keyboardist Kathy Ziegler, Uniit on vocals, Sim Redmond on guitar, Hank Roberts on cello, DtB drummer Mark Raudabaugh, and Nery Arevalo on percussion. Gene Martin was at this gig and shares with us an excellent video of Jeb and Friends playing Do It For Love on 7/21/12 at the GrassRoots Fest in Trumansburg, NY. The set also featured Universal Love, Bloody Mary Morning, Hopes & Dreams, Times Like These, and more. Thanks, Gene!

Posted On: Monday, August 6, 2012

Photos From Rockin' the River Cruise, New York, NY

A beautiful summer night, a cruise along the Hudson River with spectacular views of the NYC skyline, and Donna the Buffalo--what more could you ask for? On Thursday, 8/2/12, Donna the Buffalo returned to New York City to again sail the Rockin' the River cruise, which goes from the Circle Line dock at 42nd St., down around the bottom of lower Manhattan, up to the Brooklyn Bridge, and back again. I was on this boat ride and share 15 photos of DtB playing on 8/2/12 in New York, NY, which include a few shots of the skyline and one of the Statue of Liberty. The band started playing as soon as the cruise set sail and was still going strong 2 hours later when the boat pulled back up to the dock. Highlights of the set including a jumping version of Cornbread, Blue Sky, I Love My Tribe, Family Picture, an exploratory Conscious Evolution, a wonderfully extended rendition of We're Working On That, and a Hot Tamale Baby closer to get us bouncing off the river and back on solid ground.

Posted On: Friday, August 3, 2012

new photos and video from grassroots!

Coverage of this year's GrassRoots Festival, which took place in Trumansburg, NY 7/19/12 to 7/22/12, comes to us from several longtime DonnaFans.com contributors. First, Gene Martin provides us with this video of Aidan O'Brien just tearing it up while he sits in with Donna the Buffalo for a version of Another World on Sunday, 7/22/12. Aidan played Jeb's Strat and Jeb played his Kent. This was part of DtB's end-of-festival all-star Sunday night set, which this year clocked in at approximately 6 hours. In addition to this, Aidan also won this year's GrassRoots Guitar Contest. This wasn't Aidan's first time joining DtB onstage; check out this, and this. Next, in addition to capturing audio of many of this year's GrassRoots performers, Gary "Mad Taper" Pudvan had camera in hand throughout the fest, and shares his images with us at http://madtaperpix.shutterfly.com/pictures/193. Finally, Tom Clausen has made it a habit to take in as much of each year's GrassRoots Fest as humanly possible, and this year he shares hundreds of his pictures with us in albums grouped by day: Thur. 7/19/12, Fri. 7/20/12, Sat. 7/21/12, and Sun. 7/22/12. Several sets by DtB and other artists were webcast live throughout the weekend. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to share the festivities with fans who couldn't be there in person.

Posted On: Sunday, July 29, 2012

photos from carnavalito 7/14/12

Less than a week before their venerable GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY, Donna the Buffalo headed down to North Carolina to perform at Carnavalito, a friendly little fest hosted by their friends, Toubab Krewe. John Yust was in attendance and kindly shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing on 7/14/12 in Black Mountain, NC, including a shot of Toubab Krewe's Justin Perkins sitting in on scrub. DtB did a late-afternoon set that featured a surprising Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday opener, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Cornbread, a long, jammy Voice in My Head, Hot Tamale Baby, and more. DonnaFans.com contributor Terry Killebrew also was at this show, and captured a near-perfect soundboard recording, which you can download from the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2012-07-14.aud. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Tuesday, July 24, 2012

dtb grassroots sets will be webcast on herd.tv!

As has become almost a tradition, Herd.tv and a group of Donna the Buffalo fans collectively known as Black Vest Brothers Productions will be teaming up to provide free live webcasts of performances by DtB and others from the Trumansburg GrassRoots Festival, which will take place Thursday 7/19 through Sunday 7/22. The tentative schedule has the webcasts staring at approximately 5 pm on Thursday 7/19 with coverage of Sunny Weather, followed by DtB at about 6:30 pm. Friday 7/20 will feature Jim Lauderdale with DtB at 8 pm and Sim Redmond Band at about 10:30 pm. The webcasts on Saturday 7/21 will feature the Horse Flies at 3 pm and DtB at 11 pm or so. For more details and to view these webcasts, go to http://Webcast.Herd.TV. The team will be using 4G service this year so the quality of these webcasts should be better than ever. Thanks to all who dedicate their time and resources to making these special sets available to anyone who can't attend GrassRoots!

Posted On: Wednesday, July 18, 2012

great videos from great blue heron fest!

Thanks to several dedicated fans, a bunch of terrific videos of Donna the Buffalo's performances at the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY has already been posted. First, Mark "DaBabe" Roth has shot and posted an incredible video of Buffalo Zydeco's entire set from the dance tent on 7/7/12. Buffalo Zydeco is DtB's zydeco alter ego, and this particular set lasted approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. Gene Gene Martin shares a sweet video of DtB performing a highly anticipated song, Yonder, on 7/7/12. Gene also shot and posted a hour's worth of the band's set on 7/8/12. This video includes Voice in My Head, What It Takes, Everyday, Bad Bad Woman, It Will Be Right, and Arrows Pointing Sideways. And finally, Brian Grystar shares videos of the last five songs DtB performed on 7/7/12: You Worry Me, Blue Sky, All Aboard, No Place Like The Right Time, and 40 Days & 40 Nights. Thanks, everyone!

Posted On: Sunday, July 15, 2012

new photos: clearwater festival 6/16/12

In mid-June, Donna the Buffalo returned to Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, NY for Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, a folk-dominated festival that according to Donnabase.com the band first played in 2001. This event is produced by the nonprofit environmental organization Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. which was founded by Pete Seeger. All proceeds go directly to support Clearwater’s environmental research, education, and advocacy efforts to help preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries. Ken Coughlin was at this year's fest and shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing at the Clearwater Festival on 6/16/12. In addition to DtB, the 2012 event featured Ani DiFranco, Martin Sexton, Bela Fleck, Arlo Guthrie, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ollabelle, and many others. Thanks, Ken!

Posted On: Sunday, July 1, 2012

Now Available: Rare Recordings Of Early DtB Shows

Thanks to an incredibly dedicated group of tapers, uploaders, and other fans, a slew of older recordings of Donna the Buffalo—most of which hadn't been widely available before—are being uploaded to the Live Music Archive, including shows from more than a decade ago. These includes such gems as Middlesex Music Festival, Middlesex, NY 7/26/92 (soundboard); Ziggy's, Winston-Salem, NC 6/27/98; Alligator Alley, Sunrise, FL 5/4/00; Brew Glass Festival, Terra Alta, WV 8/18/00 and 8/19/00; and many others. You can download or stream all of the DtB shows in the Archive for free from http://archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo. Major thanks to Capn Hook, who is uploading these shows, and retracking most of them; Brenda McGee, for supplying the CDs from which these recordings are being culled; and of course the tapers, including as Tim Anderson, Gary "Madtaper" Pudvan, Steve Andrews, Jason Espie, Gene Martin, John Bischman, and anyone else who I'm forgetting to mention who's ever taken the time and trouble to record DtB's shows for posterity.

Posted On: Monday, June 25, 2012

new photos/videos: 6/15/12 Blairstown, NJ

This year, Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear celebrated his birthday by joining his bandmates for a stellar 3-hour performance in a small town in northwestern NJ. The occasion was not overlooked: a few songs into the show, Jordy came onstage with a birthday cake complete with candles, we all sang Happy Birthday, and Jeb shared his cake with everyone there. I was at this show, and can share 2 short videos I shot with my cellphone: the jams during If You Only Could and Blue Sky. I also posted 12 photos of DtB playing on 6/15/12 in Blairstown, NJ. Beyond Jeb's birthday celebration, it was a wonderful night, with quite a few unexpected gems in the setlist (Spinning World, I Can Fly, It Will Be Right), a new Jeb song, a broken string (Jeb's) that led to a beautiful David McCracken-led jam on Hot Tamale Baby, a 27-minute version of Conscious Evolution that soared from deep and dark to beautiful and gentle and back again, and more. Unfortunately, this show may not have been taped, but it was a night to remember.

Posted On: Saturday, June 16, 2012

more of jeb on pedal steel from spring shakori

For years the Herd had been patiently waiting for Jeb to again play his pedal steel guitar at a live performance. That wait came to an end in late April, when Jeb broke out his pedal steel at the Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, first for Riddle of the Universe and then for a cover of The Band's The Weight, which DtB and many other musicians played as as a tribute to Levon Helm, who had just passed away. Gary Pudvan was at this festival and shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing on 4/21/12 in Silk Hope, NC. Gary wisely snapped a few shots of the instrumental backstage before the set (above), and also managed to grab a shot of Tara playing Jeb's Kent guitar during the band's late-night dance tent set with Preston Frank. A few weeks ago, Paul Roberge also had provided us with 11 photos of DtB playing at this festival, including shots of the aforementioned songs with Jeb on pedal steel from 4/21/12 as well as a few from the band's early-evening set on Thursday, 4/19/12. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Sunday, June 10, 2012

4 great videos from the edinboro festival 5/17/12

On Thursday, 5/17/12, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Edinboro Art & Music Festival in Edinboro, PA. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Michelle Chylinski was there and shot 4 great videos of DtB playing on 5/17/12 in Edinboro, PA, including an absolutely smokin' version of Blue Sky, Be the Change, One Day at a Time, and the last few minutes of Who Stole My Chicken? Michelle has a ton of other great videos of live music on her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/0thecookielady0, including bands such as Big Leg Emma, Claire Stuczynski, the Town Pants, and more. Thanks, Michelle!

Posted On: Saturday, June 2, 2012

5/18 Richmond Show Is Available For Download

Thanks to Capnhook and John Bischman, a recording of Donna the Buffalo's show last Friday, 5/18/12, at Kingdom in Richmond, VA is already available for you to download from the Live Music Archive at http://archive.org/details/donna2012-05-18. The band was on fire pretty much right out of the gate for this show, following up a Way Back When opener and Beauty Within with a sweet, stretched-out version of Voice in My Head that set the tone for the rest of the evening. The rest of the set contained plenty of pleasant surprises, including Do It for Love, I Love My Tribe, Lifetime of a Fool, Big Parade, Let Love Move Me, and a version of There Must Be performed by Tara and Jeb as a duet. Thanks so much, guys, for taping and quickly uploading this show!

Posted On: Monday, May 21, 2012

May Madness: dtb is coming to PA, VA, and MA

Donna the Buffalo has a run of shows coming up that guarantees to make the rest of May a stellar month to be a DtB fan, especially those of you in or near Virginia. The fun begins on Thursday, 5/17, when the band returns to Edinboro, PA for the Edinboro Art & Music Festival, a fest they've played each year since 2009. From there, it's south for a pair of shows in Virginia: Friday, 5/18 at Kingdom in Richmond and Saturday, 5/19 at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville. The following Friday, 5/25, DtB will be in Greenfield, MA for the Strangecreek Campout. Tickets for all of these shows are still available from the respective venues. See you there!

Posted On: Monday, May 14, 2012

Jeb Breaks Out The Pedal Steel At Shakori!

The biggest news coming out of this year's Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival: The return of Jeb Puryear's pedal steel guitar. The instrument has taken on an almost mythical status among the Herd since Jeb last played it, which most likely was in 2004. Jeb brought his pedal steel with the band when they traveled to Florida for a run of shows in January 2006, but it stayed on the bus. The instrument returned to the public eye during DtB's set at Shakori on Saturday, 4/21/12, first for a performance of (surprise, surprise) Riddle of the Universe, during which Tara played Jeb's Strat. Then, at the end of the evening, Jeb played on pedal steel for a moving, all-star version of The Band's The Weight as a fitting tribute to Levon Helm, who passed away on 4/19/12. This tribute also include guest appearance by Ritchie Stearns, Greg Humphreys, Chris O'Neil, and others. DonnaFans.com contributor Paul Roberge generously shares with us 11 photos of DtB playing at Shakori Hills GrassRoots in Silk Hope, NC, including shots of the aforementioned songs with Jeb on pedal steel from 4/21/12 as well as a few from the band's early-evening set on Thursday, 4/19/12. At this fest, DtB also performed with Preston Frank twice: a late-night dance tent set on Friday 4/20/12 and a mid-afternoon set on Saturday, 4/21/12. Thanks for the photos, Paul!

Posted On: Friday, May 11, 2012

new video: 2/9/12 Virginia Key GrassRoots, Miami, FL

More video has been posted from the inaugural Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival, which took place 2/9/12 to 2/12/12 in Miami, FL. This time, Gene Martin has post a video of Donna the Buffalo's complete set on Thursday, 2/9/12 in Miami, FL. "A short but sweet set with great energy and a super selection of songs," Gene said. During this set, DtB played It's A New Day, Living in Babylon, Me and Depression, Love and Gasoline, 40 Days & 40 Nights, Part-Time Lover, Broken Record, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday, and The Ones You Love. Gene's got a bunch of great videos, including performances by DtB, Sim Redmond, the Horse Flies, Big Leg Emma, and many more, on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/Genegenedtb. Thanks, Gene!

Posted On: Sunday, March 11, 2012

More photos from virginia key grassroots!

Turning in the next batch of photos from the inaugural Virginia Key GrassRoots festival is longtime fan Phil Ross, who kindly shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 2/9/12 to 2/12/12 in Miami, FL. Besides DtB, this newest addition to the GrassRoots festival series included performances by Chaka Kahn, Del McCoury, The Lee Boys, Sim Redmond Band, Toubab Krewe, and many others in a varied mix of GrassRoots favorites and bands popular in the Miami/Florida music scene. Phil's photos include a few beauty shots of the Virginia Key Beach Park, such as this one, a great shot of Keith Frank, and several of DtB's festival-closing Sunday night set. Thanks, Phil!

Posted On: Saturday, February 25, 2012

Great videos & audio from Virginia Key GrassRoots!

Coverage of the inaugural Virginia Key GrassRoots festival, which took place 2/9/12 through 2/12/12 in Miami, FL, continues with some wonderful video and audio contributions. First, Gene Gene Martin produced an excellent 17-minute video that captures the essence of this festival that includes not just Donna the Buffalo perfoming but also a sampling of the rest of the event. He's posted this to his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh06wOrWOes.
Next, Mark "DaBabe" Roth has shot and shared a unique video: Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins performing a special pre-festival set in the Dance Tent for the VK GrassRoots volunteers and special guests on Wednesday, 2/8/12. Mark posted his video of this entire set on his YouTube channel at http://youtu.be/vfD8y31lRsM. Finally, several audio tapers captured Jeb and Tara's set; capnhook created a matrix of his recording and a soundboard feed from Gene Martin, which he's shared on the Live Music Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/DonnaTheBuffalo2012-02-08.matrix.flac16. Thanks so much, everyone!

Posted On: Monday, February 20, 2012

First Photos: Virginia Key GrassRoots Fest

The inaugural Virginia Key GrassRoots festival was just about hitting full speed when Mark "DaBabe" Roth thought it was time to begin sharing some of the sights of the event with those of us who couldn't be there in person. Mark generously provides us with 15 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 2/9/12 and 2/10/12 at the Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival in Miami, FL, including a shot of the fantastic full rainbow that perfectly framed the camping area. DtB played early in the evening on Thurs. 2/9; their set consisted of It's a New Day, Living in Babylon, Me and Depression, Love and Gasoline, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Part Time Lover, Broken Record, Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday, and The Ones You Love. On Fri. 2/10 the band performed with Jim Lauderdale. In addition to DtB, this fest featured Chaka Kahn, Del McCoury, Arrested Development, Fishbone, the Frank family, and many, many more. Thanks so much for the photos, Mark!

Posted On: Sunday, February 12, 2012

Recording of 1/26/12 Show Now Available on LMA!

John Bischman has generously uploaded to the Live Music Archive his stellar recording of Donna the Buffalo's performance at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC on 1/26/12. The show is notable in several regards: in addition to a deep selection of fan favorites, DtB also performed a selection of lesser-heard songs, including a cover of Keith Frank's Give Me Just A Little Time, It Will Be Right, a new Tara Nevins tune, a handful of songs with supporting act Woody Pines and members of his band, and a 14-minute version of Hot Tamale Baby to end the night. You can grab John's recording from http://www.archive.org/details/donna2012-01-26. Thanks, John! There are many other recordings of DtB shows on the LMA at http://www.archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo.

Posted On: Saturday, February 11, 2012

Virginia Keys GrassRoots Festival Takes Place Feb 9-12!

The legendary GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance—which Donna the Buffalo and friends started 22 years ago as a not-for-profit supporting arts, education, and the fight against AIDS—is expanding to 4 fests a year in 2012. The inaugural Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will take place 2/9/12 through 2/12/12 at Miami's Historic Virginia Key Beach Park. The musical lineup virtually guarantees that the fest wil be a success: In addition to multiple sets by Donna the Buffalo, there will also be performances by Chaka Kahn, Del McCoury, Jim Lauderdale, Arrested Development, Fishbone, Keith Frank, Preston Frank, The Lee Boys, Sim Redmond Band, Toubab Krewe, Locos Por Juana, Suenalo, ArtOfficial, and many, many other artists. The events will also feature healing Arts, movement, dance, and music workshops, a kids village, craft vendors, and more. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.virginiakeygrassroots.org.

Posted On: Saturday, January 28, 2012

New Video: 1/7/12 Orlando, FL (Complete Show)

Mark "DaBabe" Roth is at it again. This longtime fan has always made a habit of shooting photos and videos of the Donna the Buffalo shows he attends (see his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/dababe44), but his efforts during the recent FL tour were especially superb. In addition to photos of many of the shows on this run (see below), Mark now shares with us a video of DtB's complete performance on 1/7/12 at the Plaza Theater in Orlando, FL. "What a great ending to a totally memorable and fun tour," Mark said. "This stretch of shows, cities and venues made for the very best of vacations...Thank you Donna the Buffalo and The Herd for all the joy and life you bring to mine!" Thanks to you, Mark, for putting all of the time and effort into sharing this experience with those of those who weren't there.

Posted On: Saturday, January 21, 2012

Just added: photos from key west 1/4/12 & 1/5/12

In the middle of their recent late December/early January Florida tour, Donna the Buffalo did 2 nights at the legendary Green Parrot in Key West. These shows were on weeknights, but that didn't stop the crowd or the band from enjoying a couple of back-to-back 3-hours-plus gigs that included plenty of surprises. Mark "DaBabe" Roth was at these shows and generously provides us with 12 photos of DtB performing on 1/4/12 and 1/5/12 in Key West, FL. On 1/4/12, the band's set included a number of songs from 2008's Silverlined, such as Beauty Within, Locket and Key, Broken Record, and the title track, plus a handful of zydeco tunes, including Chocolate Three-Step, Hot Tamale Baby, and Revelation Two-Step. The next night the band set the pace with a Conscious Evolution opener and also played In Another World, Revolution, Forty Days and Forty Nights, Off to Dreamland, The Ones You Love, and more. The 1/5/12 set also featured a guest vocalist for a pair of reggae covers (Stir It Up and Soul Rebel) and ended close to 3 am with Jeb, Mark, and Kyle playing America, Little Wing, and Magic of Love. Both of these shows were webcast via http://webcast.herd.tv. Thanks for the photos, Mark!

Posted On: Saturday, January 14, 2012

new Photos: 12/30/11 - 1/1/12 Tampa, FL

Donna the Buffalo ended 2011 in more or less the same way they started it: by playing some high-energy shows to a large, overly enthusiastic group of fans in FL. After performing a pair of shows at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa in early January 2011, the band returned to this venue to ring in the New Year with a run of shows on 12/30/11, 12/31/11, and 1/1/12. A three-night stretch gave the band the opportunity to play all of their greatest hits plus a mix of newer songs and a few less-often-heard older tunes, including It's a New Day, Times Are Bad, Magic of Love, Faith to Believe, Bloody Mary Morning, and Push Comes To Shove. Mark "DaBabe" Roth did the full run and kindly shares with us 15 photos of DtB playing on 12/30/11 - 1/1/12 in Tampa, FL. Recordings of the 12/30 and 12/31 shows are already available on the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo, and all three nights were webcast. Thanks so much to Mark, the Vest Bros, Herd.tv, and everyone else who put their time and energy to sharing the sights and sounds of these shows with those of us who couldn't be there in person!

Posted On: Monday, January 9, 2012

new year's eve shows will be webcast!

If you're not going to be able to make it to Tampa, FL for Donna the Buffalo's 3-night New Year's Eve run at Skipper's Smokehouse, there's an excellent chance you'll be able to watch these shows online at Herd.tv. Rand Knapp says the probability of these shows being webcast is very likely for 12/30, almost certain for 12/31, and to be determined for 1/1/12. The sophistication of these webcasts will be reaching new heights for this NYE run, as Rand explains: "The video signal should be strong and clear via a very close 4-G cell tower. We are shooting for a three-camera mix (but at least two) and will continue using the new video mixing board. The audio will be a matrix from John B., who is coordinating a mix of all the on-site audio taper's microphone sources for archival purposes, and he has very kindly offered up that mix to the webcasting team to use as well." The webcasts should start with coverage of the opening acts at approximately 8 pm eastern time on 12/30 and 12/31 and 5 pm eastern on 1/1. For more details, and to view the webcasts, go to http://webcast.herd.tv.

Posted On: Wednesday, December 28, 2011

new donna the buffalo fan sites!

Oregon-based Herd members Debby and Gordon Rosenberg have recently added several worthy entries to the list of web sites all Donna the Buffalo fans should bookmark. The two created and maintain a most excellent music blog, Tuned-In Music (http://music.lightreport.org) that features podcasts and videos of artists from an extremely broad range of genres. Tuned-In's DtB content can be found at http://music.lightreport.org/?cat=226. In additional, Gordon has created a DtB group on the roots music web site No Depression at http://www.nodepression.com/group/donna-the-buffalo. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Monday, December 26, 2011

new video: Zydeco Party, 12/18/11 Ithaca, NY

On Sunday, 12/18/11, Donna the Buffalo capped off their annual run of holidays shows with an afternoon zydeco-only performance. Thanks to Mark "DaBabe" Roth, you can see a video of DtB's entire set on 12/18/11 at Castways in Ithaca, NY. The setlist this day included You're Breaking My Heart, Uncle Bud, Revelation Two-Step, Hamilton Club, a cover of Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing, Paper in My Shoe, Part-Time Lover, and of course plenty of zydeco instumentals. Mark's got a ton of excellent videos of DtB and other bands at his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/dababe44. Thanks, Mark!

Posted On: Friday, December 23, 2011

DtB with aidan o'brien, 12/16/11 Woodstock, NY

Fans who attended Donna the Buffalo's show on Friday, 12/16/11 in Woodstock, NY got an special treat: guitarist Aidan O'Brien sat in for an impressive version of Mystic Water. Using Jeb's guitar, Aidan—who's the son of longtime DtB fans Steve and Liz O'Brien—immediately jumped into the groove and laid down some licks on what was arguably the most interesting jam of the evening. You can check out two brief video clips of Aidan's guest performance at YouTube.com/donnafansdotcom., as well as 6 photos of DtB playing on 12/16/11 in Woodstock, NY. Other highlights of this show included Positive Friction, Love and Gasoline, Come to Life, Conscious Evolution, Ones You Love, Jamestown Christmas, and Hot Tamale Baby. The encore started with just Jeb and Mark performing a song, then the full band for a new Jeb Puryear tune, a zydeco instrumental, and then Hey Trudy to end the evening.

Posted On: Saturday, December 17, 2011

Unique DtB Interview on Myjoogtv

On Sunday, 12/2/11, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD. While there, the band hosted an interview on their bus with MyJoogTV ("where we pair our favorite musicians with makers of fine wines, brews, spirits, or anything else that is fermented"). Over the course of the 12-minute video, the band discusses the upcoming inaugural Virginia Keys GrassRoots Festival, which will take place 2/9/12 - 2/12/12 in Key Biscayne, FL; the beginning of their relationship with country legend and longtime musical collaborator Jim Lauderdale; playing during extreme weather conditions during Floyd Fest; Tara's recent solo effort, Wood And Stone; and more, all while drinking a bottle of Cirrus Vodka, "a potato vodka distilled in Richmond, Virginia." The footage also include approximately three minutes of DtB onstage, performing Revolution at the Ram's head on 12/2/11. All of this is found in MyJoogTV Episode 12, available at www.myjoogtv.com/2011/12/myjoogtv-episode-12-donna-buffalo-with.html.

Posted On: Monday, December 12, 2011

new photos: 12/8/11 ann arbor, MI

There's nothing better than having Donna the Buffalo come to your home state, especially for those who live outside the eastern US. DonnaFan Kim Goolsby recently had exactly that happen to her, and generously shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI on 12/8/11. According to Donnabase.com, this was the band's third performance at the Blind Pig; the other two gigs took place in 2003 and 2004. "Tara played some oldies, including It Will Be Right and Family Picture. Lots of new stuff from Jeb," Kim said. "The encore was Each & Every Direction—my favorite Donna song, played for my birthday! We had a great time." Thanks so much for the photos, Kim, and happy birthday!

Posted On: Saturday, December 10, 2011

vote for wood and stone as album of the year!

Tara Nevins' solo CD Wood And Stone is a candidate in WNCW 88.7 FM's "Top 100 of 2011" contest. Visitors to the radio station's site can rank from 1 to 10 their favorite discs of 2011. One lucky contest entrant will be chosen at random to win the Top 10 CDs of the year, and 9 others will win a grab-bag of other great WNCW favorites. The deadline to cast your vote is noon on Friday, 12/16. On Thursday, 12/29 at 9:00 am, the station will count down the Top 100 Discs of 2011. For more information and to vote for your favorites, visit www.wncw.org/Top100Contest.html. Wood And Stone recently hit #3 on The New York Roots Radio Airplay Chart. You can pick up a copy of Wood And Stone—on CD or on vinyl—from Funkyside.com or wherever excellent music is sold.

Posted On: Wednesday, November 30, 2011

new photos: 11/18/11 Rochester, NY

Water Street Music Hall has long been a favorite venue of Donna the Buffalo—the band has played there almost every year since 1996, and frequently has made two visits a year. So it was no surprise that the turnout and enthusiasm were especially high when DtB recently returned on a mid-November night. Mark "DaBabe" Roth traveled to this gig, and kindly shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 11/18/11 in Rochester, NY. On this night, the band's performance included If You Only Could, Revelation Two-Step, Hot Tamale Baby, Wood and Stone, In Another World, and Each and Every Direction, with an encore of Biggie K is a Superstar, Co Fa (Tell Me Why), and All Aboard. This show was webcast live (audio and video) by the Vest Bros. and company on http://Herd.tv so fans across the country could join in the fun. Thanks so much for the photos, Mark, and thanks to the entire webcasting team, who also covered the next night's show in Syracuse!

Posted On: Monday, November 21, 2011

side2side announces Thanksgiving raffle winner

Congratulations to Jefferson H. of Vermont, who was the winner of the Side to Side online raffle for a pair of tickets to the New York Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, which will take place 7/19/11 - 7/22/11 in Trumansburg, NY. The raffle raised $505, which will go to Loaves and Fishes of Tomkins County (www.loaves.org) in Ithaca, NY, and a Native American charity. Thanks so much to all who entered! For more information about Side to Side, visit visit http://herdcharity.org.

Posted On: Monday, November 14, 2011

More coverage from magfest

In late October, Donna the Buffalo headed down to a very familiar venue in Florida for a weekend's worth of good times with good friends. Phil Ross was among the attendees, and generously shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 10/22/11 and 10/23/11 at Magnolia Festival in Live Oak, FL. Phil's images include shots of the band playing their own sets as well as with Jim Lauderdale, plus a terrific shot of drummer Mark Raudabaugh. Also documenting the festivities was Mark "DaBabe" Roth, who posted videos of several songs from the 10/22 set, including 40 Days & 40 Nights, We're Working On That, Blue Sky, and All Aboard on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44. And Tim Wright has already uploaded his recording of DtB's 10/22/11 show to the Live Music Archive; you can grab it from www.archive.org/details/donna2011-10-22.tw.akg461mod.flac16. Thanks so much, guys!

Posted On: Thursday, November 3, 2011

jeb & jonas at occupy wall street

Posted On: Sunday, October 30, 2011

two excellent videos from magfest

Mark "DaBabe" Roth has done it again! This dedicated fan and videographer was at MagnoliaFest at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL and has posted two fantastic videos of Donna the Buffalo on his YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/dababe44. The first is of the band performing The Beauty Within on the Meadow Stage on Saturday, 10/22/11; it's available at http://youtu.be/6zl_EqygZXQ. The second video is a 12-minute masterpiece of Jeb and Tara doing Mystic Water as a duet on the Main Stage to close out the fest on Sunday, 10/23/11; you can see it at http://youtu.be/PAiOOHHvaoQ. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Saturday, October 29, 2011

new photos from shakori hills grassroots

Donna the Buffalo loves the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival so much that they play it twice each year—once in the Spring and once in the Fall. This year's Fall rendition was a spectacular affair, featuring not just multiple sets of DtB at their finest, but also many performances by the greatest bands the mainstream press has barely heard of, several of whom sat in with our favorite band. DonnaFans contributor John Yust kindly provides us with 12 photos of DtB playing 10/6/11 - 10/9/11 in Silk Hope, NC. John documented in pixels the band's festival-opening set on Thursday, which included Each and Every Direction, Rockin' in the Weary Land, and Current Theme into Hot Tamale Baby (the latter two with Nery Aravelo on percussion); the Saturday night gig; and the all-star jam to end the fest on Sunday, which featured guest appearances from Bela Fleck, The Duhks. Driftwood, Greg Humphries, and several others. John Bischman has uploaded his recordings of the Thurs. and Sat. sets to the Live Music Archive; you can download them from www.archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Monday, October 24, 2011

fantastic photos from 9/30/11 Atlanta, GA

Donna the Buffalo wrapped up a very busy September with their third visit of the month to the Southeast. Long-time DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust turned out, and generously shares with us 10 fantastic photos of DtB playing at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA on 9/30/11. The band's performance on this night included many gems, such as an early-set Me & Depression, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Why You Wanna Leave Me Baby, Revelation Two-Step, The Ones You Love, Positive Friction, Funky Side, and No Place Like The Right Time, all capped off with a sublime rendition of Let Love Move Me. Fortunately, thanks to capnhook, you can download an extra-crisp recording of this show from the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/DonnaTheBuffalo
2011-09-30.matrix.flac16. Thanks, John! Thanks, capn!

Posted On: Thursday, October 13, 2011

new photos: jeb & tara, 7/16/11 Masontown, WV

Back in July, a few days before the start of this year's Trumansburg GrassRoots Festival, Donna the Buffalo made an appearance at the All Good Music Festival in West Virginia. While there, DtB's Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins performed a mini set as a duet. DonnaFans.com contributor Jim Kirk was on hand, and kindly shares with us 4 photos of Jeb and Tara playing on 7/16/11 in Masontown, WV. As part of this appearance, Jeb and Tara participated in an interview with Tri State Indie, during which they spoke about the band's approach to setlists, the Herd, Herd Charity, and the official word on origin of the name "Donna the Buffalo." You can check out this video at http://youtu.be/9hyZ7GiNkUY. Thanks for the photos, Jim!

Posted On: Tuesday, October 4, 2011

photos from the sept tour: 9/11/11 New Haven, CT

Much to the delight of DonnaFans from Tennessee to the northernmost reaches of New York state, Donna the Buffalo is in the midst of a very busy September. The band kicked off the month down south with shows in Adams, TN on 9/3 and Mcgaheysville, VA on 9/4. A few days later they were back up north for a string of shows in Canton, NY (9/8), Norfolk, CT (9/9), Saratoga Springs, NY (9/10), and New Haven, CT (9/11). After just a few days off, it was back on the road for shows in New Hope, PA (9/15), Lexington, VA (9/16), Winston-Salem, NC (9/17), and Wilmington, NC (9/18). The tour picks up again on Wednesday, 9/21 in Stanhope, NJ, followed by gigs in Allston, MA (9/22), Providence, RI (9/23), Hudson, NY (9/24), and White River Junction, VT (9/25). September will end with a show in Atlanta, GA on 9/30, for a total of 16 shows in the month—and the band will play on 10/1 in Charlotte, NC. Longtime DonnaFans.com Jennifer Klaas caught a show in the middle of this exciting tour, and kindly shares with us 3 photos of DtB playing on 9/11/11 in New Haven, CT. Thanks, Jenny!

Posted On: Monday, September 19, 2011

New Photos: Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival

In mid-August, Donna the Buffalo kicked off the Western leg of their tour with a two-day appearance at the Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival in Alta, WY. According to Donnabase.com, these may have been the band's first-ever shows in Wyoming. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Bob Hagen kindly shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 8/12/11 and 8/13/11 in Alta, WY. Bob's photos include several lovely shots of Tara, a few of Jeb and Tara playing with longtime musical friend Peter Rowan and his band, and even a couple of shots that show just how beautiful this part of the country is. Thank you very much, Bob! You can also check out a nice video of the band performing Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday from the 8/12/11 set on videojay68's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu8Cdj7g_ag.

Posted On: Sunday, September 11, 2011

photos from the two-night run at the state bridge lodge

"Legendary" is a word that gets tossed around pretty loosely these days, but if there ever was an occasion worthy of that superlative, Donna the Buffalo's recent two-night run at the recently-reopened State Bridge Lodge in Colorado is it. On Thursday, 8/18, the band came onstage at about 8:45 pm and played until close to 4 am—a 7+ hour set! The setlist started out normally enough with Everyday and also included a new Jeb tune, Look to the Future, Tennessee River, an instrumental jam, On Our Way On, Rockin in the Weary Land, WV Rastafari, Little Wing, a cover of Lay Lady Lay, and more. The later portion of the night primarily featured Jeb solo, doing songs such as the Place That Lovers Do, Step it Up To Life, The Mystery, and In The Middle Distance. The next night, the band turned in a set that was "only" two hours and forty minutes(!). Fortunately, thanks to some extraordinary efforts (the marathon set was not announced in advance) the entire event was audio taped, video taped, and photographed, so we can enjoy 12 photos from Bill Davis and 9 shots from Andrew "Ziggy" Zweigbaum of DtB played on 8/18/11 and 8/19/11 in State Bridge, CO. Thanks so much for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, September 3, 2011

just added: Photos from 8/20/11 Taos, NM

As part of Donna the Buffalo's tour of several states in the Western U.S., the band performed at the Taos Mountain Music Festival in Taos Ski Valley, NM, which is approximately 25 miles outside of Taos. For 2011 (its third year), this festival expanded to 2 days, and in addition to DtB, also featured performances by Matisyahu, Jackie Greene, Railroad Earth, and Left Salmon. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Coad Miller attended this festival, and kindly shares with us 5 beautiful B&W photos of DtB playing on 8/20/11 in Taos Ski Valley, NM, including this great shot of bassist Kyle Spark. Thanks so much, Coad! Update: Kevin Hook just let me know he taped this show, and has posted his recording for download on the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/DonnaTheBuffalo2011-08-20.matrix.flac16. Thanks, Kevin!

Posted On: Sunday, August 28, 2011

new photos: 8/15/11 Park City, UT

Donna the Buffalo spent most of August bringing the music and the good times to fans in the Western United States. After a stop at Dunegrass in Empire, MI 8/6-8/7, the band headed to Alta, WY for an appearance at the 24th Annual Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival on 8/12-8/13. From there, DtB performed in Park City, UT (8/15); Bond, CO (8/18-8/19); and Taos, NM (8/20). The Utah gig was an intimate house concert, and Don Pugatch shares with us 12 photos of DtB peforming on 8/15/11 in Park City, UT. "There is a great organization in Park City called Mountain Town Music that has concerts at various venues in town," Don said. "This was so special, cost 30 bucks, included food, beer, wine, water, soft drinks, and music. Everyone also brought a dish to pass around and it was a magic evening." Thanks for the photos, Don!

Posted On: Sunday, August 21, 2011

Video Of DtB's Saturday Set at GrassRoots!

Thanks to Gene Martin, you can see a video of Donna the Buffalo's entire performance on Saturday, 7/23/11, at the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY. The video is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAe4kmmTfTs. Gene also has posted many other videos of interest to DonnaFans, including one of Tara Nevins and the Heartbeats at GrassRoots on 7/24/11, and several other complete DtB performances. Be sure to check out Gene's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/Genegenedtb Thanks so much, Gene!

Posted On: Thursday, August 18, 2011

More great photos from GrassRoots Fest!

Greg Cotterill always catches Donna the Buffalo play whenever he can, but he never misses the band's gigs at the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY each July. Greg's also an accomplished photographer, and generously provides us with photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on Thursday, 7/21/11 and on Friday, 7/22/11 with Jim Lauderdale. Greg's images show the band performing to a huge, adoring crowd in sweltering conditions on both days. Greg even grabbed shots of Jeb Puryear and the rest of the Bubba George Stringband kicking off GrassRoots on Thur. 7/21. You can check out recordings of DtB's 7/21 and 7/23 sets on the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo, and DtB's 7/22 set with Jim Lauderdale at www.archive.org/details/jl2011-07-22. Thanks for the photos, Greg!

Posted On: Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Great interview with Tara by JAMerica

JAMerica has posted a fantastic 9-plus-minute interview with Tara Nevins at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOL7Nh_-woY. Tara reveals that it was Jim Lauderdale who suggested she work with Larry Campbell to produce her latest CD, Wood & Stone, and explains how grateful she is for how that decision worked out. She also talks about the story behind the songs on that CD, particularly the beautifully haunting Tennesse River, which she performs solo acoustic during this interview. JAMerica (www.jamerica.net) is a dual book/documentary film project dedicated to telling the story of the roots of the jam and festival scene. Tara's Wood & Stone is available from Funkside.com, iTunes, Amazon, and other outlets.

Posted On: Sunday, August 7, 2011

New Photos: GrassRoots Fest, Trumansburg, NY

If something special is going to happen in the world of Donna the Buffalo, there's probably no better place for it to occur than the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY. The band is always full of surprises at GrassRoots, but few in attendance would have expected former DtB guitarist Jim Miller to sit in with the band during their set on Thursday, 7/21/11, and again on Friday for the Jim Lauderdale and DtB set. Larry Franklin kindly shares with us 18 photos of DtB and friends from 7/21/11 to 7/24/11 in Trumansburg, NY. In addition to the Jim Miller appearances, Larry's photos document all the rest of the festival's most important moments for DonnaFans, including the Jeb and Friends set, Tara Nevins' performance with the Heartbeats and special guests, and DtB's always-legendary all-star Sunday night set to close this fest, which these year included guest slots from Sim Redmond, Driftwood, Hee Haw Nightmare, and many others. You can check out Gene Martin's recordings of DtB from this festival on the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/DonnatheBuffalo. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Wednesday, August 3, 2011

New photos: 7/8/11 Rochester, NY

In between two of their biggest festival gigs of July—Great Blue Heron in Sherman, NY and GrassRoots in Trumansburg, NY—Donna the Buffalo played a handful of shows, including a return to the Public Market in Rochester, NY. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Greg Cotterill was at this show, and generously provides us with 13 photos of DtB performing on 7/8/11 in Rochester, NY. Greg's professional-quality images feature some great candid shots, like this one of Kyle and Tara, plus a few of drummer Mark Raudabaugh, who is relatively new to the band. The band played a varied set that opened with Funky Side and also included Corn Bread, Sailing, No Reason Why, Each & Every Direction, a cover of Bob Marley's Stir It Up, and Me & Depression. Thanks so much for the photos, Greg!

Posted On: Monday, July 25, 2011

DtB's grassroots sets will be webcast!

Thanks to Herd.tv and the Vest Brothers, Donna the Buffalo's sets from this week's GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY will be webcast on http://webcast.herd.tv. Most likely the fun will start with DtB's performance on Thursday, 7/21, which is scheduled to begin at 7 pm eastern time. Check the GrassRoots Festival schedule for the days and times of the band's other sets. In addition to DtB, this webcast may include other bands, so check Herd.tv often. Past webcasts have featured video and audio consisting of a matrix of external mics and a soundboard feed. Many thanks to all who dedicate their time and resources so fans who can't attend GrassRoots don't miss out on these gigs!

Posted On: Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Photos from the Great Blue Heron festival

Every July, Donna the Buffalo plays two of the festivals many fans call their favorites within a few weeks of each other, both in the band's home state of New York. The first of these is always the Great Blue Heron Festival, which this year took place 7/1 through 7/3. Larry Franklin attended this year's Great Blue Heron, and shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 7/1 through 7/3 in Sherman, NY. This year's fest featured the band doing a late-night set in the dance tent, a Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins duet set on Saturday afternoon, a set of DtB on Saturday night, and DtB and friends, who this year included members of the Hindu Cowboys and Ritchie Stearns, to close the party on Sunday. "The dance tent rocked 'til dawn Saturday with what they called Zydeco Experiment (it was Donna The Buffalo all on all their regular instruments), and Saturday nite/Sunday Jeb & Tara joined The New Alien String Band," Larry said."I do have to say, it was once again the best Great Blue Heron. I don't know how they keep getting better, I just can't imagine it getting better after every festival there, but that seems to happen, at least for us." Thanks so much for your words and photos, Larry

Posted On: Saturday, July 9, 2011

Download Recordings of DtB from great blue heron!

Thanks to the always-dedicated taper Gene Martin, you can already download recordings of Donna the Buffalo's performances at last weekend's Great Blue Heron festival in Sherman, NY from the Live Music Archive. You can grab the band's set from Saturday, 7/2/11 from www.archive.org/details/dtb2011-07-02.dtb2011-07-02matrix.flac and their Sunday, 7/3/11 performance from www.archive.org/details/dtb2011-07-03&reCache=1. This festival featured the return of the rarely-heard Hamilton Club, a verson of Ribbons and Bows with Ritchie Stearns sitting in, a 33-minute version of Let Love Move Me, and much more. I hope to be able to post photos and more coverage soon. Thanks so much for the super-quick turnaround on your recordings, Gene!

Posted On: Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Video: Jeb And Tara, 6/18/11 Knoxville, TN

On Saturday, 6/18/11, Donna the Buffalo played at the Meadow Lark Festival in Knoxville, TN. Earlier that day, Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins were scheduled to perform a set as a duo for WDVX's Blue Plate Special, which the radio station broadcast live. Unfortunately, impending storms cut the set to just one song; fortunately, Mark "Dababe" Roth had his camcorder rolling, and shares with us a video of Jeb and Tara playing What Money Cannot Buy (aka I'll Be Gone) on 6/18/11 in Knoxville, TN. Mark has an excellent YouTube channel with tons of videos of DtB and other artists at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Thursday, June 23, 2011

New photos: 6/12/11 Syracuse, NY

On Sunday, 6/12/11, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Syracuse Big Splash! at the Inner Harbor in Syracuse, NY. The concert was held to raise awareness about a controversial form of drilling for natural gas called hydraulic fracturing. The event featured a full day of music on two stages; also on the bill were Sophistafunk, Ayurveda, Hee Haw Nightmare, Driftwood, and several other bands. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau was at the Big Splash, and kindly shares with us 10 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on 6/12/11 in Syracuse, NY. Ward Puryear sat in on scrubboard for part of this gig. Thanks for the photos, Karen! For more information about hydro-fracking and protecting and improving water quality in New York state and beyond, visit http://fingerlakescleanwaters.org.

Posted On: Saturday, June 18, 2011

Photos of Tara from Levon Helm's Ramble, 5/28/11

On Saturday, 5/28/11, Tara Nevins reunited with the Heartbeats for a very special gig at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble. For his Midnight Rambles, which take place at Helm's studio in Woodstock, NY, Helm handpicks a very elite group of musicians for intimate performances that draw fans from across the country. Erin Scholze attended this show, and share with us 12 photos of Tara performing on 5/28/11 at the Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY. "[Tara] played with The Heartbeats, Carol Elizabeth, and Larry Campbell, and Teresa Williams came out and sang one with her as well," Erin said. "Then Tara came out for the last song of Levon's set with him, Larry, Amy Helm, Teresa, the 5-piece horn section, and the baby grand. She sang The Weight and it was fantastic! It was an amazing event. Team Levon really went out of their way to make everyone there feel welcome and comfortable. It was truly a spectacular evening!" You can find many more of photos of this gig at https://www.facebook.com/TaraNevins and http://taranevins.com, plus a video of Tara and the Heartbeat rehearsing for this show at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOOOZ_EcjoI. Thanks so much for the photos, Erin!

Posted On: Sunday, June 12, 2011

new photos: 5/21/11 Clarence, NY

One Saturday in late May, longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau headed over to Club Infinity, which is located just outside of Buffalo, NY, for a Donna the Buffalo show. Karen shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 5/21/11 in Clarence, NY. DtB's set on this night included performances of Me and Depression, Mystic Water, West Virginia Rastafari, No Sad Songs, and Conscious Evolution, and ended with Jeb and Tara doing Silverlined as the encore. Thanks for the photos, Karen!

Posted On: Friday, May 27, 2011

check out wood and stone lyrics at taranevins.com!

Lyrics for the songs from Tara Nevins' new solo release, Wood and Stone, are posted on Tara's NEW web site at http://taranevins.com. Also check out 3 videos with Larry Campbell about the making of the album, listen to a couple of tracks, and see a photo gallery!

Posted On: Tuesday, May 10, 2011

New Photos From Shakori Hills Grassroots festival

As he likely does every April, in 2011 Larry Franklin wandered down to North Carolina to take in the musical celebration that those who love it call Spring Shakori. Larry took time out of his fun to document the event in pixels, and kindly provides us with 13 photos of Donna the Buffalo from the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Silk Hope, NC on 4/21/11 through 4/24/11. Larry's photos captured all of this festival's greatest moments, including DtB keyboardist David McCracken's set with friends in the dance tent on Friday, 4/22 (left). "Spring Shakori was just awesome. Everything we've come to love that place for. And more," Larry said. "The new-to-us bands were duly impressive, and the bands we knew furthur impressed us with their fine, fine sounds. Kudos to the bands, staff, volunteers, and soundmen who do such a wonderful job bringing us their best. Thank you, Donna The Buffalo!" Thank you, Larry!

Posted On: Monday, May 9, 2011

Tara's New CD, Wood And Stone, Is Now Available!

Tara Nevins' new solo release, Wood and Stone--which is available on both CD and vinyl--is now on sale at Funkside.com, iTunes, Amazon, or wherever you prefer to buy your music. The record, Tara's first since 1999's Mule to Ride, was produced by Larry Campbell, who performs on several tracks, and recorded at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock, NY. Helms plays drums on two tracks, and the record also features guest appearances by Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, and Teresa Williams. For more information and to download a free MP3 of one of the new songs, Snowbird, visit www.facebook.com/TaraNevins. Also check out Dreamspider's blog, and http://taranevins.com for more details.

Posted On: Tuesday, May 3, 2011

photos from 4/16/11 Boulder, CO

After exciting shows in Vail and Denver, Donna the Buffalo ended their 3-night Colorado mini-tour with a gig at the Fox Theater in Boulder, a venue they first played in 2004. Bill Davis continued to document this special run of shows, and kindly provides 6 photos of DtB playing on 4/16/11 in Boulder, CO. Songs performed at this show included a Funky Side opener, Story of the Ages, Front Porch, Let Love Move Me, In Another World, and Take A Walk on the Wild Side as the encore with The Believers and Sean Foley on accordion. Videos of some of this night are available on Ziggy's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/aziggy63. "The sound system at the Fox Theater was just great, seemed that no matter where you were in the building the sound was perfecto," Bill said. "This set started off just hopping and was well played the entire time. They really blew the roof off the Fox and left people wanting more for sure." Thanks, Bill!

Posted On: Monday, April 25, 2011

new photos: 4/15/11 Denver, CO

Colorado Donna the Buffalo fans were treated with the band's recent 3-night tour with stops in Vail, Denver, and Boulder. Bill Davis was at these shows and shares with us 6 photos of DtB performing at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. The band's set on this night included No Sad Songs, Each and Every Direction, Ring of Fire, Love and Gasoline, Blue Skies and Buttercups, No Reason Why, Conscious Evolution, and Hot Tamale Baby. For the encore, DtB was joined by the Believers, with Craig Aspen playing Jeb's Strat for a cover of Helter Skelter, followed by a version of the Believers' Higher Ground. The night ended with a new Jeb Puryear song that began with the Believers and ended with just Jeb and Tara. "Too many highlights to mention them all but I will say that I love the new Jeb song that ended the set," Bill said. "I can really see that one growing into the rotation. The Colorado peeps I talked to [were] glad to see them back in town." Bill also shot photos at the next night's show in Boulder, which will be posted soon. Thanks, Bill!

Posted On: Saturday, April 23, 2011

videos from the colorado shows!

Ever remaining high in the Rockies, Colorado's biggest Donna the Buffalo fan was at the band's recent run of shows in his home state, and lucky for us, he brought his video camera. Ziggy posted several clips from DtB's Colorado shows on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/aziggy63, including Front Porch, which the band has reworked with a funky new uptempo arrangement, plus Let Love Move Me, a smokin' version of Arrows Pointing Sideways, and more. Thanks so much, Ziggy!

Posted On: Thursday, April 21, 2011

David McCracken & Friends Will Play At Spring Shakori

On Friday, 4/22, Donna the Buffalo keyboardist David McCracken will play a set in the Cabaret Hall at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Silk Hope, NC. On the Shakori Hills web site, David's set is billed as David McCracken & Friends; those friends will include DtB bandmates Vic Stafford and Kyle Spark, plus Sam Frazier, other NC musicians, and members of David's family. David's musical tastes and talents are extremely eclectic, and the set promises to be unique. Of course, DtB also will perform at this festival, on Thursday, 4/21, Saturday, 4/23, and their traditional festival-closing set on Sunday, 4/24.

Posted On: Sunday, April 10, 2011

Pre-sale For Tara's 'Wood and Stone' STARTS on 4/13! AVAILABLE ON CD & VINYL!

***Sugar Hill Records to Release Wood and Stone from Tara Nevins ~ Street Date May 3, 2011***

Celebrated Donna the Buffalo artist, Tara Nevins releases introspective solo album produced by Larry Campbell with guests including Levon Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Allison Moorer, Teresa Williams and more…

PRE-SALE has begun at Funkyside.com

$15 for CDs, $22 for vinyl, and $32 for CD+Vinyl

CLICK TO ORDER

Wood And Stone Tracks:
1. Wood And Stone
2. All I Ever Needed
3. You’ve Got It All
4.You’re Still Driving That Truck
5. Who Would You Tell
6. Snowbird
7. Nothing Really
8. What Money Cannot Buy
9. The Wrong Side
10. Stars Fell On Alabama
11. Down South Blues
12. Tennessee River
13. The Beauty of Days Gone By

Listen to a track from the new release at www.facebook.com/TaraNevins

Watch a video of Tara and Larry Campbell talking about the making of 'Wood and Stone'. This is part one of a series of videos leading up to the release on May 3rd. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNjzbzzphNE

Posted On: Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Photos From Suwannee Springfest 3/26 & 3/27

How can you tell it's really Spring? Well, if you see Donna the Buffalo's bus parked on the grounds of the Suwannee Springfest, that pretty much confirms it. John Yust was at this festival, and kindly shares with us 15 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 3/26 and 3/27 at Live Oak, FL. John's already shared the setlist from the band's Saturday show; highlights included Front Porch and WV Rastafari. On Sunday DtB closed Springfest with their usual epic all-star jam, which lasted nearly 4 hours and included Ralph Roddenbery, Rushad Eggleston, Jim Lauderdale, Sean Foley, Randy Judy, and others. The setlist featured the debut of a new Jeb Puryear song and a cover of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, as well as Sailing, Seminole Wind, This Goes, and Hot Tamale Baby to end the night. Thanks so much for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, April 3, 2011

Tara Nevins Launches New facebook page

In anticipation of the 5/3 release of her new solo CD, Wood and Stone, Tara Nevins has launched a new facebook fan page. On this page you can stream the title track, check out photos from the Wood and Stone recording sessions, and more. You do not need to join or sign in to facebook to access this page, which is available at https://www.facebook.com/TaraNevins.. Details about the presale for Tara's new CD will be announced soon.

Posted On: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tara Nevins' New Solo CD To Be Released May 3

Tara Nevins' new solo CD, Wood and Stone, will be released by Sugar Hill Records on 5/3/2011. Wood and Stone was produced by Larry Campbell, who also performs on the CD. Perhaps best known as a member of Bob Dylan's band from 1997 to 2004, Campbell is an accomplished producer whose credits include Levon Helm's two Grammy-winning albums, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt. Longtime Donna the Buffalo collaborator Jim Lauderdale joins Tara on this CD for the Nevins original Snowbird; for a video of Jeb Puryear and Tara performing this tune at Shakori last October, check out burskee59's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYl5nUYa-mk. Other guests include Allison Moorer and Teresa Williams. Ten of the CD's 13 tunes are originals, such as the title track, Tennessee River, You've Got It All, and You're Still Driving That Truck. Covers include Stars Fell on Alabama and Van Morrison's The Beauty of the Days Gone By. For an excellent article about Wood and Stone that includes quotes from Tara and Larry Campbell, check out http://dreamspider.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/sugar-hill-records-to-release-wood-and-stone-from-tara-nevins-%E2%80%93-street-date-may-3-2011.

Posted On: Thursday, March 10, 2011

New Facebook Page For DtB Webcast Announcements

If you're on Facebook and want to get timely announcements about upcoming webcasts of Donna the Buffalo shows, check out (and "like") the Herd.tv facebook page at www.facebook.com/herd.tv. This page will also feature info about DtB videos archived on Herd.tv's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/HerdDotTV. Thanks so much, Rand!

Posted On: Sunday, March 6, 2011

more photos from 2/11/11 Rochester, NY

Dedicated DonnaFans.com contributor John Miklasz was at Donna the Buffalo's recent show at Water Street Music Hall, and generously provides us with 11 photos of DtB performing on 2/11/11 at Rochester, NY. This night held particular significance for John: "I really enjoyed [this show] with my wife, Elizabeth, as we had first met at the DtB show at Water Street on 4/14/01 and have been together ever since," he explained. "We used to live in Rochester and always enjoy going back." As described below, the show was one for the ages, with inspired performances of many of the band's best-known tunes along with a healthy dose of newer songs. The gig was especially well-documented; in addition to John's photos and Karen Landau's photos, this show also was webcast live and taped; Gene Martin's recoding is available at http://www.archive.org/details/donna2011-02-11.donna2011-02-11matrix.flac. Thank you for the photos, John!

Posted On: Saturday, February 26, 2011

New Photos: 2/11/11 Rochester, NY

In mid-February, Donna the Buffalo did a series of 4 shows that on consecutive nights had them in Saranac Lake, NY; Albany, NY; Rochester, NY; and White River Junction, VT. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau was at the next-to-last show of this run and kindly shares with us 9 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on 2/11/11 at the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY. On this night the band's set included It's Love Time, If You Only Could, Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday, Conscious Evolution, Love and Gasoline, Each and Every Direction, Funky Side, and No Place Like the Right Time. For the encore, first Jeb and Tara came out and performed Seems to Want to Hurt this Time, and then the entire band did Hot Tamale Baby into No Reason Why. Karen's photos include a shot of the Jeb/Tara duet, a few from Water Steet's famed balcony, and a few of the dedicated webcasting crew, who send this show out live on HaveYouHerd.com. You can download Gene Martin's outstanding recording of this show from the Live Music Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/donna2011-02-11.donna2011-02-11matrix.flac. Thanks for the photos, Karen!

Posted On: Monday, February 21, 2011

Video of 2/5/11 show in Syracuse, NY

On a very snowy Saturday, 2/5/11, Donna the Buffalo rolled into Syracuse, NY for a show at the Wescott Theater. The Vest Brothers and HaveYouHerd.com (Gene F., Gene M., Doug, and Rand) were on hand and generously provided a webcast of this performance that streamed live on HaveYouHerd.com. Now, this webcast has been archived for all to enjoy. A video of DtB's entire show on 2/2/5/11 is available on the HerdDotTV YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/HerdDotTV?feature=mhum#p/c/5/wkZaPPXOno4 and also on HaveYouHerd.com's archive at http://webcast.haveyouherd.com/archive. This outstanding webcast and the many others that have come before it are a labor of love by people who donate time and resources out of love for the band; all they ask is that you please support taper-friendly bands by attending shows and purchasing merchandise. Thanks so much, guys!

Posted On: Thursday, February 10, 2011

Sweet video of tara playing at nashville radio station

In late January, Donna the Buffalo headed down to Tennessee for two shows in Nashville. On Wednesday, 1/26/11, Tara Nevins stopped by the studio of radio station Lightning 100 WRLT-FM 101.1 FM for an interview and performance. The station later posted a sweet video of Tara playing Snow Bird in their studio.

Posted On: Saturday, February 5, 2011

New photos: 1/22/11 Morgantown, WV

On Saturday, 1/22/11, Donna the Buffalo returned to 123 Pleasant Street in Morgantown, WV for their first gig in that state since July 2009; the band last played this venue in November 2006. Larry Franklin made the trip and generously shares with us 8 photos of DtB performing on 11/22/11 in Morgantown, WV. The band was in loose, improvisational mood on this night, extending many of their songs into new musical territory and even breaking out a few seldom-heard tunes. "It was a superb show," Larry said. "Current Theme and Front Porch were highlights, as was, of course, WV Rastafari and the story of its inception. They went into some stellar places in jamland last nite! Far more than usual. What fun!" Fortunately, you don't have to take Larry's word for it—thanks to Bean, who taped this gig, you can listen to and download a quality recording of this show from www.archive.org/details/donnathebuffalo2011-01-22.ka500.603a.722.flac16&reCache=1. Thanks so much, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, January 29, 2011

Photos from 1/20/11 Roanoke, VA

Donna the Buffalo's recent performance at Awful Arthur's in Roanoke, VA was a fine example of why you never really know what will happen at a DtB show. For starters, the band (minus Tara) opened the night with an instrumental version of the blues standard It Hurts Me Too, followed by more instrumental fun that was lead by keyboardist David McCracken. After a string of crowd-pleasers such as Funky Side, Part-Time Lover, Tides of Time, Me and Depression, and Temporary Misery, the band played the relatively new Jeb Puryear song that the fans have been calling Blue Skies and Buttercups. Later in the evening, they would break out a new Tara Nevins song that fans have given a working title of No Reason Why. The encore featured the somewhat rare Sailing, and Hot Tamale Baby. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Scott Craig shares with us 6 photos of DtB playing on 1/20/11 in Roanoke, VA, included this outstanding shot of Tara and several gorgeous B&W images. Thanks so much, Scott!

Posted On: Sunday, January 23, 2011

New photos: 1/7/11 & 1/8/11, Tampa, FL

For many Donna the Buffalo fans, the absolute pinnacle of the band's early January tour of Florida was the two-night stand at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa. The band has turned in some of their greatest performances ever at this venue, and these recent appearances certainly will make that list. Mark "DaBabe" Roth continued to document this tour and generously provides 12 photos of DtB playing on 1/7/11 and 1/8/11 in Tampa, FL. DtB pulled out all the stops for these two incredible nights, pleasing fans with gems such as Story of the Ages, Snowbird (from the upcoming Tara Nevins solo CD), and a transcendental Let Love Move Me on Friday, 1/7, a show that ended with a 3-song encore: This Goes, Revelation Two Step, and Yeah You Right. The band brought it again the following night, when the set list included Mr. King, Hot Tamale Baby, a cover of Hendrix's Little Wing, Biggie K, Front Porch, Rockin' in the Weary Land, and even a partial version of Sacred Ground by request. Mark's also posted on his YouTube channel a video of the band doing Family Picture on 1/7/11. Thanks so much, Mark.

Posted On: Monday, January 17, 2011

First photos from 1/6/11 Orlando, FL

For the second night of their recent run through the Sunshine State, Donna the Buffalo headed into Orlando. Mark "DaBabe" Roth was on this tour and kindly provides us with 12 photos of DtB playing at The Plaza Theater in Orlando, FL on 1/6/11. The band opened this show in a somewhat uncommon fashion with These Are Better Days and also performed Tides of Time, Positive Friction, Part Time Lover, a tease of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, If You Only Could, It's Love Time, Beauty Within, Conscious Evolution, Love and Gasoline, In Another World, Revolution, Family Picture, Magic of Love, The Mill, Spinning World, Times Are Bad, Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday, and No Place Like the Right Time, capping off the night with an encore of Mystic Water and Co Fa. "The Orlando show was absolutely amazing," said frequent DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust. "Tara's bow was down to about one hair by the end." Thanks for the report, guys!

Posted On: Thursday, January 13, 2011

new photos: 1/5/11 jacksonville beach, fl

Years from now, when fans reminisce about Donna the Buffalo's tour of Florida in early January 2011, besides the band itself, they'll have someone else to thank profusely: Mark "DaBabe" Roth. Mark was a one-man press fleet for this tour, covering all nights of this tour in photos, video, and audio. You can see the videos at Mark's YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44; at the moment, Mark seems to be posting new videos daily. Mark also has very generously allowed DonnaFans.com to share his images, starting with 12 photos of DtB performing at Freebird Live in Jacksonville Beach, FL on 1/5/11. On this night, the band's set included the relatively rare Tara Nevins song I'll Be Gone, No Sad Songs, Each & Every Direction, and Co Fa. The night ended with Jeb and Tara performing Mystic Water as a duet (see Mark's video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EalPn68WAxc), followed by the full band for The Mill. Thanks, Mark!

Posted On: Tuesday, January 11, 2011

more photos from new year's eve in raleigh

First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Gilbert Simmers ended 2010 and started 2011 in the best way a Donna the Buffalo fan could: by seeing DtB play live. Gilbert was at First Night Raleigh, and kindly shares with us 8 photos of DtB performing on 12/31/10 in Raleigh, NC. As described below, the band put forth an energetic set that led us to the Acorn Drop and fireworks at midnight. Gail Vanderheyden and Terry Killebrew also provided us with 9 other photos from this New Year's Eve gig. "New Year's downtown was great," Gilbert said. "I did not quite have the lens I needed to take these pictures; hope you enjoy them." Thanks so much, Gilbert!

Posted On: Sunday, January 9, 2011

Video From 1/5/11, Jacksonville Beach, FL

Donna the Buffalo's Florida mini tour isn't even over yet, but already fans have started to share their coverage on the Net. First up is a most excellent, 9-minute-plus video of Jeb and Tara performing Mystic Water as a duet during the encore of the 1/5/11 show at Freebird in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Mark "DaBabe" shot it and posted it to his YouTube page at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EalPn68WAxc. Thanks so much, Mark!

Posted On: Friday, January 7, 2011

First photos from New Year's Eve, Raleigh, NC

For New Year's Eve, Donna the Buffalo treated fans in Raleigh, NC to a very special performance by headlining that city's First Night celebration. Playing outdoors at City Plaza, DtB started at about 10:30 pm with Way Back When and just kept building momentum from there, playing Blue Sky, It's a New Day, Part Time Lover, Tides of Time, It's Love Time, Locket & Key, Family Picture, Let Love Move Me, The Mill, Broken Record, and Funky Side, finishing just in time for a countdown to 2011, an impressive fireworks display, and Auld Lang Syne. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributors Terry Killebrew and Gail Vanderheyden took time to document the festivities, sharing 9 photos of DtB performing on 12/31/10 in Raleigh, NC, including shots of the fireworks and the Acorn Drop. Terry also recorded this show, and you can download his recording from the Live Music Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/donna2010-12-31.aud. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Thursday, January 6, 2011

DtB To Start 2011 With A Tour of Florida

After ringing in the new year in Raleigh, NC (see below), Donna the Buffalo will continue to head south to start 2011 with a mini tour of one of their other favorite states, Florida. The fun starts on Wednesday, 1/5 at the Freebird Cafe in Jacksonville Beach, followed by a show at The Plaza Theater in Orlando on Thursday, 1/6. Next comes a two-night stand on Friday, 1/7 and Saturday, 1/8 at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa. The Skippers shows will also feature the Believers and you can get a ticket for both nights for $35; for more details see the venue's web site at www.skipperssmokehouse.com. The Florida tour wil conclude on Sunday, 1/9 at Revolution in Fort Lauderdale; this show will also feature the Rhythmn Devils, led by former Grateful Dead percussionists Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart. For more details about any of these shows, visit the Tour page.

Posted On: Thursday, December 30, 2010

New Year's Eve in raleigh, NC!

Donna the Buffalo will celebrate the arrival of 2011 by headlining the 20th Annual First Night in Raleigh, NC. The band's set will start at 10:30 pm and leads up to the annual Acorn Drop and fireworks at midnight to ring in 2011. In addition to DtB, First Night also will include a Children's Celebration, a People's Procession down Fayetteville Street, an Early Countdown at 7:00 pm, music from Tropic Culture and Holy Ghost Tent Revival, dance, comedy, interactive activities and more in two dozen venues throughout downtown Raleigh. Admission buttons cost $9 and entitle you to access to all events. They are available from local Triangle area retailers, online from etix.com, or on site on 12/31 (for $12). For more information and a complete schedule, visit http://www.firstnightraleigh.com.

Posted On: Sunday, December 19, 2010

New Herd Documentary: Have Buffalo, Will Travel

Anyone can make a film but few can tell a story as well as Ernie Smith of Skelly Films does with Have Buffalo, Will Travel, a documentary that sets out to explain who the Herd is and why we do the things we do. The film succeeds, mainly because Smith chose to let the Herd tell their own story in a series of interviews conducted at some of Donna the Buffalo's most popular festivals. These interviews are interspersed with clips of the band performing and the Herd enjoying. Whether you're new to the Herd or personally know each of the interviewees, you will learn more about DtB's dedicated fanbase from Have Buffalo, Will Travel. To see a teaser of the film or for more information, visit www.skellyfilms.com or contact skellyfilms@cox.net.

Posted On: Sunday, December 12, 2010

Great videos from 8/6/10 Rochester, NY

On his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dababe44, Mark "DaBabe" has posted a slew of terrific videos he shot at Donna the Buffalo's show on 8/6/10 at the Rochester Public Market, Rochester, NY. Mark's videos include performances of Part-Time Lover, Conscious Evolution, If You Only Could, We're Working On That, It's A New Day, Family Picture, Ring of Fire, and Meaning of It All with Ry Cumming. Thanks, Mark! BTW, an audio recording of this show made by Gary "Madtaper" Pudvan is available for download from www.archive.org/details/donna2010-08-06.madtaper.flac.

Posted On: Saturday, December 4, 2010

New Photos: 11/19/10 Buffalo, NY

On Friday, 11/19/10, Donna the Buffalo returned to Buffalo, NY to play at Tralf Music Hall, a venue that according to Donnabase.com the band has played 3 times before: twice in 2001 and once in 2002. Longtime DonnaFans.com supporter Gene Martin attended this gig, and provides us with 8 photos of DtB performing on 11/19/10 in Buffalo, NY. The band's 3-hour set included plenty of favorites (such as Tides of Time, Family Picture, Conscious Evolution, Funky Side, and No Place Like the Right Time) as well as some relatively new tunes, including Blue Skies and Buttercups. The encore started with just Jeb, Tara and Kyle performing There Must Be. Then the full band came out for We're Working On That and Hot Tamale Baby to end the night. Thanks so much, Gene, for the photos!

Posted On: Sunday, November 28, 2010

Photos From 11/13/10 Atlanta, GA

On their recent stop in Atlanta, Donna the Buffalo treated fans to a rare doubleheader: The band first performed a "regular" gig at the Variety Playhouse, and later did an afterparty at the Five Spot, where they were billed as the Phatty Acids, a band consisting of DtB, former DtB bassist Jay Sanders, Bret Hartley on electric guitar, Jay Hoots on percussion, Paul Roovey on trumpet, and Jonathan Ripley on sax. John Yust captured all of the action and generously shares 12 photos of DtB and the Phatty Acids performing on 11/13/10 in Atlanta, GA. During DtB's set at the Variety, Woody Pines and his band sat in for a few songs; Pines had opened the show. Later, Roovey and Ripley joined DtB for a Hot Tamale Baby encore. The Phatty Acids afterparty was primarily a funky affair that included covers of James Brown songs and an unforgettable version of Joy To The World by Three Dog Night. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, November 21, 2010

New review: 11/12/10 Charlotte, NC

On Friday, 11/12/10, Donna the Buffalo stopped at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC in the midst of a 3-night mini-tour of the southeast that included shows at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, VA, the night before and at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA the following night. Paul Roberge was at the North Carolina gig, and provides with us his review of DtB's performance on 11/12/10 in Charlotte, NC. On this night, the setlist included an atypical It's a New Day opener, Meant to Be and Ancient Arms by request, the always-show-stopping Let Love Move Me, and a relatively new Jeb Puryear song (working title: Blue Skies and Buttercups) as the closer. Paul also provided several photos from this night, which I hope to post soon. Thanks for the report, Paul!

Posted On: Thursday, November 18, 2010

New Photos: Halloween, Ithaca, NY

To celebrate Halloween 2010, Donna the Buffalo played a very special performance at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY. On this night DtB shared the stage with Sim Redmond Band, who began the night's entertainment, and Railroad Earth, who concluded it. Frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau was at this party, and generously shares with us 9 photos of DtB performing on 10/31/10 in Ithaca, NY. DtB performed their set in costume, with keyboardist David McCracken going all out as the Green Man, Jeb Puryear in a blonde wig, and more. The set ended with an impromptu costume contest, with dozens of fans taking Jeb up on his offer to join the band onstage during the Hot Tamale Baby closing tune. Thanks for the photos, Karen!

Posted On: Thursday, November 11, 2010

Photos From 10/29/10 New York, NY

On Friday, 10/29/10, Donna the Buffalo returned to Irving Plaza, a venerable New York City institution that the band last played on 12/2/04, when they shared the bill with—and performed several song with—Del McCoury. On this fall night, DtB was on the bill with Railroad Earth, and turned in an energetic set that included a Funky Side opener, Tides of Times, It's Love Time, Silverlined, Conscious Evolution, Family Picture, a new Jeb Puryear song, Part-time Lover, and No Place Like The Right Time. Thanks to David Grace for the setlist. Paul Livingstone was on the rail for this show, and shares with us 3 photos of DtB playing at Irving Plaza in New York, NY on 10/29/10. Paul's images included a pair of shots of Tara on accordion during Part-time Lover. Thanks for the photos, Paul!

Posted On: Thursday, November 4, 2010

New Photos: Magnolia Festival, Live Oak, FL

Every October, Donna the Buffalo travel to Live Oak, FL for a festival that's as much a gathering of the Herd as any gig the band plays all year. Longtime DonnaFans.com John Yust was on hand, and kindly provides us with 12 photos of DtB performing at Magnolia Festival in Live Oak, FL on 10/22/10 through 10/24/10. John did his usual outstanding job of capturing photos of all of the action at this festival, including pictures of DtB performing their own sets, DtB with Jim Lauderdale, the annual DtB and friends jam (which included Lydia Garrison Damiano, Oteil Burbridge, and many others), the late-night "secret" session, and even a shot of Jeb playing his guitar with a drumstick. Setlists for all of DtB's performances during this weekend are available at Donnabase.com. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, October 31, 2010

Photos from 9/11/10 Wilkes-Barre, PA

In mid-September, Donna the Buffalo made their first-ever appearance at the FM Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Dave Slack was at this show and generously shares with us 10 photos of DtB performing on 9/11/10 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Highlights of the band's set on this night included Conscious Evolution, Living In Babylon, and Locket and Key. DtB shared the stage at this show with Railroad Earth, and will do so 3 more times in late October: After kicking off a 4-show run by themselves on Thursday, 10/28/10 at the Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville, PA, DtB will perform shows with Railroad Earth on Friday, 10/29/10 at the Filmore at Irving Plaza in New York, NY; on Saturday, 10/30/10 at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA; and at a special Halloween show on Sunday, 10/31/10 at the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY. The Ithaca show will also feature the Sim Redmond Band, and the times for that gig has been revised as follows: Sim at 7:30; DtB at 8:30, and RRE at 10:30. Thanks for the photos, Dave!

Posted On: Tuesday, October 26, 2010

More Photos From Shakori Hills GrassRoots

Bill Davis brought his keen eye and his camera to this year's Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, and captured fantastic shots of some of this event's most memorable musical moments. Bill kindly provides us with 4 photos of Jeb Puryear (on acoustic guitar) and Maggie Roberge (on harp) performing a beautiful rendition of Evensong on 10/10/10 in Silk Hope, NC. A day earlier, Jeb and Tara Nevins performed another of what have affectionately become known as their duo sets; this one included performances of Snowbird (a new Tara tune that will appear on her upcoming solo CD), as well as Don't Go Down, Silverlined, Come To Life, and more. Bill was again in the right spot at the right time for this one, and shares 8 photos of Jeb and Tara playing a duo set on Carson's Grove Stage on 10/9/10. Thanks, Bill!

Posted On: Monday, October 18, 2010

Tons of videos from shakori hills grassroots

A bunch of videos of Donna the Buffalo performing at last weekend's Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Silk Hope, NC have been posted on the Net in the past few days. On xscreamthynamex's YouTube channel, there is a wonderful video of DtB (minus Tara) covering the Jimi Hendrix song Little Wing to open their set on 10/10/10. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Terry Killebrew offers up clips of DtB from 10/8/10, including Conscious Evolution, It's Love Time, Part Time Lover, and No Sad Songs. A video of Sam Fribush sitting in with DtB and Preston Frank for an unbelievably good Hot Tamale Baby on 10/10/10 is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brnaj2neO_k. And finally, on burskee59's YouTube channel, there are a slew of videos from Shakori, including a clip of Jeb and Tara performing Snowbird, a new Tara tune that will appear on her upcoming solo CD, during their duo set on 10/9/10; DtB doing Tides of Time on 10/10/10; DtB with Preston Frank in the Dance Tent on 10/10/10; and much more. Thanks to everyone who took the time to shoot and share these videos, and keep 'em coming!

Posted On: Thursday, October 14, 2010

First Photos From Shakori Hills GrassRoots

Donna the Buffalo's GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance now takes place three times each year: once each summer in Trumansburg, NY and once each spring and fall in Silk Hope, NC. This year's fall edition of GrassRoots took place on a glorious weekend in early October, and frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Paul Roberge was there to document the event, generously sharing with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 10/7/10 in Silk Hope, NC. "The band was tight and seemed in great spirits," Paul said. "They turned in a strong set, the highlights of which were The Mill, which the crowd really got into, and Me and Depression, which featured some intriguing guitar and fiddle work. The ambient vibe among those of us gathered in front of the stage was one of family and joy at our having returned to this sacred ground." Songs the band also performed in this early-evening set included Look to the Future, I'll Be Gone, Positive Friction, Part-Time Lover, If You Only Could, 40 Days and 40 Nights, Spinning World, and Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday. Thanks so much for your words and photos, Paul! Stayed tuned for more coverage from this special weekend.

Posted On: Monday, October 11, 2010

Photos from Mr. Small's, 9/9/10

In early September, Donna the Buffalo set off on a four-night run of shows that included a stop at one of the band's regular haunts, Mr. Small's Theater, a venue just outside of Pittsburgh in Millvale, PA that they've played since at least 2004. Larry Franklin turned out for this show, and generously shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 9/9/10 in Millvale, PA. On this night DtB was in fine form, putting forth a set that included relatively new songs (We're Working On That, It's Love Time, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday), relatively rare songs (That Place That Lover Do), cover tunes (No Sad Songs, Went Down To The River) and of course a bunch of fan favorites, including Positive Friction, Conscious Evolution, Forty Days and Forty Nights, Me and Depression, and more. Thanks for the photos, Larry!

Posted On: Sunday, October 3, 2010

Photos From Rhythm & Roots Festival, 9/4/10

On Saturday, 9/4/10, Donna the Buffalo pulled off an impressive doubleheader. The band began the day with an afternoon set at the Hudson Valley Green Festival at Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, NY, then packed up and headed 180 miles east to Charlestown, RI for an evening set at the Rhythm & Roots Festival. Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau was on hand for the second gig, and kindly shares with us 9 photos of DtB performing in Charlestown, RI on 9/4/10. At R&R, the band played a set that included It's Love Time, Blue Sky, Funky Side, Part-Time Lover, Silverlined, and Voice in My Head. Musical friend/zydeco legend Preston Frank sat in for Hot Tamale Baby and several other songs before DtB ended the night with Mystic Water. Thanks for the photos, Karen!

Posted On: Thursday, September 23, 2010

new videos from recent dtb shows

Thanks to a pair of dedicated Donna the Buffalo fans and the ease of sharing videos on YouTube, there are a handful of new videos available of the band from recent shows. First, TusVideo14 shares a very trippy, artistic video of DtB performing Part-Time Lover from 9/4/10 at the Rhytmn and Roots Festival in Ninigret Park, Charlestown, RI. Also, baer 157 has posted a slew of excellent, high-quality videos from the band's 9/8/10 show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH. including Way Back When, Mystic Water, No Place Like the Right Time, Need You More and More, and Positive Friction. Thanks to both videographers.

Posted On: Sunday, September 12, 2010

Many new dates added to fall tour schedule

A host of new shows have recently been added to Donna the Buffalo's 2010 Fall Tour schedule, including stops in Wilkes Barre, PA, Portland, ME, Fairfield, CT, Cazenovia, NY and Cumberland, MD in September; Floyd, VA, Pittsboro, NC, Ozark, AK, Athens, GA, Live Oak, FL, Sellersville, PA, New York, NY, Boston, MA, and Ithaca, NY in October; and Charlottesville, VA, Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, GA, Buffalo, NY, and Oneonta, NY in November. See the Tour page for more details.

Posted On: Thursday, September 9, 2010

McCracken To Play B3 showdown in St. pete on 8/21

On Saturday, 8/21/10, Donna the Buffalo keyboardist David McCracken will perform at a very special event, the Hammond B3 Showdown N'awlins Style, which will take place at the Palladium at St. Petersburg College (253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL). At this show, Dave and fellow B3 masters Joe Krown and John Gros each will play his own set with the legendary Russell Baptiste Jr. (Funky Meters) on drums and Walter Wofman Washington on guitar; Dave's set will also feature former DtB bassist Jay Sanders. On his site, www.folkswaggin.com, David writes "My set will include funky psychedlic jams and material by the likes of organ greats Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff and Jimmy McGriff and Steve Winwood." For more info or for tickets, visit www.spcollege.edu/palladium or call 727-822-3590.

Posted On: Thursday, August 19, 2010

New Photos: 8/6/10 Rochester, NY

On Friday, 8/6/10, Donna the Buffalo returned to Rochester, NY for the band's second appearance in this city in 2010. The event was Band on the Bricks at the Rochester Public Market. DtB has performed at this free concert series each August for the past several years. John Miklasz kindly shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing in Rochester, NY on 8/6/10, while Greg Cotterill generously provides 11 photos from this same night. The band opened the show with Ring of Fire and went on to play a set that included It's Love Time, It's a New Day, Conscious Evolution, and the relatively new Jeb Puryear song We're Working on That, which the band debuted at Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY on 7/4/10. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, August 14, 2010

GrassRoots Photos Part 3

Of all of the sets Donna the Buffalo performs at each year's GrassRoots Festival, the Saturday night gig is the hardest to photograph: It's dark, the Infield crowd is typically huge, and getting close enough to the stage to take decent shots can be a challenge. But longtime DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust knows the drill, and comes through with 9 excellent photos of DtB playing on 7/24/10 in Trumansburg, NY. John's shots include a few images of Joe Thrift, the former DtB keyboardist who sat in on Part-Time Lover and Hot Tamale Baby; Paige Lindsey also joined in on tambourine for the latter. Other highlights of this set included Rockin' Horse, If You Only Could, a superb and super-extended version of Me and Depression, Funky Side, and Jeb and Tara doing Seems to Want to Hurt This Time as the encore. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, August 8, 2010

More amazing photos from grassroots

One of the things that makes every GrassRoots Festival unique is the special guests who join Donna the Buffalo, especially during the band's festival-ending Sunday night sets. What made this year's GrassRoots collaborations particularly memorable was the abundance of former DtB members who joined their old bandmates at various points during the festival. Former DtB keyboardist Joe Thrift sat in on scrubboard for parts of all 3 of DtB's GrassRoots sets. In addition to performing her own set in the Cabaret, former DtB keyboardist Kathy Ziegler sat in with Jeb & Them on Saturday and with DtB on Sunday night on both keys and guitar. And former DtB drummer Tom Gilbert helped Jeb, Tara, and David McCracken back The Believers, and also sat in for a good part of DtB's Sunday night set. These former DtB members were only a few of the close to 30(!) guests who sat in on Sunday night's epic gig, which started at about 9 pm and ended at 1:45 am. Amazingly, DonnaFans.com Larry Franklin captured photos of all of this and then some, and kindly shares with us 15 photos of DtB and friends performing at GrassRoots in Trumansburg, NY on 7/23/10 - 7/25/10. How he managed to be in all of the right places at all of the right times is anyone's guess, but we're sure grateful he was. Thanks, Larry!

Posted On: Tuesday, August 3, 2010

First Photos From GrassRoots: Thursday 7/22/10

As has become a tradition, Greg Cotterill provides us with photos from opening day of the beloved Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, which this year celebrated its 20th anniversary. Greg generously supplies us with 12 photos of DtB playing on Thursday, 7/22/10, in Trumansburg, NY, plus three photos of Bubba George (with Jeb Puryear on fiddle) opening up the festival. This set was webcast live by HaveYouHerd.com, DaBabe, and the Vest Brothers, and included stellar performances of Let Love Move Me, Funky Side, and Hot Tamale Baby. Greg's images include a shot of former DtB keyboardist Joe Thrift sitting in on scrubboard. Thrift joined the band for a cover of the Darryl Carter tune No Sad Songs, In The Shade, and Tides of Time. Greg also snapped a photo of the eager crowd on the rail and in the first few rows, so if you were there, you'll probably be able to spot yourself in this shot. Thanks for the photos, Greg!

Posted On: Friday, July 30, 2010

Video Of New Jeb Song From GBH Songwriters' Circle

At this year's Great Blue Heron Festival, Jeb Puryear debuted a new song at the Songwriters' Circle. Thanks to a group of dedicated fans, you can check out a video of Jeb playing the new song, Mystery, on 7/4/10 in Sherman, NY. This high-quality video was shot and mixed by Bill D., the audio was provided by Madtaper, and the video is hosted by Rand and Carol from Oregon on their HerdDotTV channel on YouTube. A big thanks to everyone involved!

Posted On: Sunday, July 18, 2010

Photos: Jeb solo acoustic 7/9/10 Ithaca, NY

On Friday, 7/9, Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear was interviewed and performed solo acoustic on a radio station in Ithaca, NY. Longtime DonnaFans.com Greg Cotterill, explains: "Jeb was a guest last Friday when Ithaca's newest radio station--WITH 90.1 FM--broadcast all day live from The Commons. He talked with Open Tunings DJ Scott Regan about GrassRoots and played one song." Greg, who is station manager of WEOS 89.7 FM and a tremendous supporter of the Ithaca-area music scene, kindly shares 6 photos of Jeb appearing on WITH 90.1 FM on 7/9/10 in Ithaca, NY. The song Jeb played was It's Love Time. You can see a video of Jeb performing this tune solo acoustic on Jeanne Fisher's YouTube channel. Fischer has on her YouTube channel several videos of other local musicians who performed during that broadcast, including Johnny Dowd, Hubcap, Joe Crookston, Djug Django, and Mary Brett Lorson and The Soubrettes. Thanks so much for the photos and info, Greg!

Posted On: Saturday, July 17, 2010

More great photos from Great Blue Heron

In addition to the terrific video he shot of the Herd groovin' to Donna the Buffalo playing The Ones You Love at Great Blue Heron (see below), Bill Davis also took the time to capture a dozen photos of DtB playing at GBH in Sherman, NY on 7/4/10. Bill got some great shots, including this one of a smiling Kyle Spark, several very beautiful black and white photos, and a few of special guests Keith Secola (on flute) and Joseph Martens and Jessy Daumen of Hindu Cowboys, who sat in for a pair of songs during this all-star set. Thanks, Bill! Also be sure to check out 11 of Larry Franklin's photos from the same gig.

Posted On: Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Awesome video from great blue heron festival

If you've never been to one of Donna the Buffalo's festival gigs and have wondered what it was like, wonder no more: Bill Davis' video of DtB playing at the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY on 7/4/10 captures the experience in all its glory. The video was shot during DtB's performance of The Ones You Love, and the band looks and sounds great, but the real stars of this video are YOU, the Herd, as Bill took his camera and strolled through the happy, smiling, dancing crowd for the second half of the song. Thanks to Rand Knapp, you can watch Bill's video on HaveYouHerd.com or on the HerdDotTV channel on YouTube. This best shows why so many people spend so much of their time and energy to see Donna the Buffalo whenever and wherever they can. Whether you recognize every face in this clip or just haven't met everyone quite yet, you're going to love this video! Thanks so much, guys! Bill's also kindly shared with me some terrific photos from this gig that I'll post soon.

Posted On: Tuesday, July 13, 2010

First Photos from great blue heron festival

As is their custom, Donna the Buffalo wrapped up the annual Great Blue Heron Festival with a monster all-star jam that included plenty of special guests and surprises. Fortunately for us, Larry Franklin was on hand, and generously shares with us 11 photos of DtB and friends performing on 7/4/10 in Sherman, NY. After opening the set with a solid string of tunes that included Do It for Love, No Sad Songs, Seems to Want to Hurt This Time, The Ones You Love, Conscious Evolution, and I'll be Gone, the collaborations began. First came Joseph Martens of Hindu Cowboys, followed by Rachel Eddy (fiddle) and Kristian Herner (banjo). Later in the set, Keith Secola (flute) joined in for a pair of songs. Toss in a new Jeb song and a stellar version of Let Love Move Me, and you've got a set for the ages. Thanks for the photos, Larry!

Posted On: Thursday, July 8, 2010

Photos From 6/20/10 Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Donna the Buffalo's recent performance at Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival was the band's third appearance at this environmentally-themed fest; previously the band played Clearwater in 2001 and 2002. Ever-intrepid taper Gary Pudvan was at this gig, and generously shares with us 6 photos of DtB performing on 6/20/10 in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. The band's set on this day consisted of Movin' On, The Beauty Within, Conscious Evolution, Locket & Key, Family Picture, It's Love Time, Hot Tamale Baby, Blue Sky, These Are Better Days, Livin' On Love & Gasoline, Tonight, Tomorrow, & Yesterday, Hey Trudy, and No Place Like The Right Time. "Short but oh so sweet," Gary said. "It was a blazin' hot day, so when the rain came during Hot Tamale nobody minded. The rain only lasted for a couple of songs and was really refreshing." Thanks as always for your photos, Gary!

Posted On: Thursday, July 1, 2010

New Photos: 6/18/10 Teaneck, NJ

On Friday, 6/18/10, Donna the Buffalo graced the stage at Mexicali Live, a NJ venue they first played in October 2006. The Jersey Herd contingent was out in full force, as evidenced by all the smiling faces and bouncing bodies. Mad Taper Gary Pudvan and I were there, and together we share 9 photos of DtB playing in Teaneck, NJ on 6/18/10. The band was relaxed and in the groove this night, turning in a solid set that included Do My Thing, Arrows Pointing Sideways, Co Fa, The Ones You Love, and Each and Every Direction. The encore started with the band discussing not just which song to play but which of two tambourines Tara should play; she explained that she liked the way both sounded but one was easier to play so she preferred it. Jeb seemed to disagree with her choice. Then Dave launched into a high-energy, gospel-like vamp and the rest of the band joined in, including Tara on the less-favorite tambourine. After a few seconds, they ended and someone said, "Now let's play it again using the other tambouine," and so they did. After this, they went into Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday and then ended the night with Hot Tamale Baby. Thanks for the photos, Gary!

Posted On: Saturday, June 26, 2010

First Photos: 6/12/10 Preston, CT

On Saturday, 6/12/10, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Blast From The Bayou, which is informally known as the Strawberry Park Cajun/Zydeco Festival. This was the band's second appearance at this event; the first took place in June 2007. DonnaFans.com contributor Kevin Umlauf generously shares with us 9 excellent photos of DtB playing on 6/12/10 in Preston, CT. Kevin's shots include several of Steve Riley sitting in with DtB on accordion; sharp readers will remember that Kevin also provided us with shots of Steve Riley's band sitting in with DtB at the Mardi Gras Ball in Cranston, RI on 2/13/10, as well as photos from the band's first appearance at the Strawberry Park festival on 6/10/07. About this year's gig Kevin said, "We threaded the needle with rain on Saturday. It cleared up long enough to get their set in. Best part about no rain was I could get my camera out!" Kevin's got a wonderful selection of his photos of DtB and other musicians posted on his site at www.kevinuphoto.com/main.php?g2_itemId=14137. Thanks so much, Kevin!

Posted On: Thursday, June 17, 2010

More Photos From Hookaville 5/29/10

Jim Kirk has been a fan of Donna the Buffalo since the late 1990s, but his 4 photos of DtB playing on 5/29/10 at Hookaville in Thornville, OH are his first contribution to DonnaFans.com. The band performed most of their set without lead guitarist Jeb Puryear, who was ill. "The show was enjoyable just from the uniqueness of it" Jim said. "Once they settled in they rocked, with Dave trying to fill in on the organ and keyboards some of the space left by the missing leads. Dave is a really assertive player and jumps right in there with the solos. The band is sounding the best I've ever heard!" Thanks so much, Jim, for your excellent photos and description.

Posted On: Saturday, June 12, 2010

New Photos From Hookaville, 5/29/10

On Saturday, 5/29/10 Donna the Buffalo returned to Hookaville, a festival hosted by the popular Ohio-based band ekoostik hookah. DtB had played at this twice-a-year fest before, in Spring 2001 and Fall 2005. The band's set included Tides of Time, Hot Tamale Baby, Blue Sky, I'll Be Gone, Family Picture, and I Wish You Love. This year's appearance was unique because the band performed a portion of their set without Jeb Puryear, who was ill. DonnaFans.com contributer Gady "Mad Taper" Pudvan, who generously shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 5/29/10 in Thornville, OH, explains: "Jeb actually lasted 3 songs before having to depart. The Hot Tamale Baby was a very cool jam. Dave sang just the first verse and then the fun began. Tara switched from accordion to rubboard and she and Vic lay down a solid rhythm while David, who has his clavinet sounding like a guitar, goes off with Kyle. What a fun jam." Gary added that a guitar player, Will, from a local band that covers Donna songs joined DtB for The Ones You Love; if anyone knows his full name, send it to me at fans@donnafans.com. Jeb valiantly returned to perform Conscious evolution to close the set. Thanks for the photos, Gary!

Posted On: Saturday, June 5, 2010

Photos of Preston Frank, DtB From Rochester, NY 5/21/10

It's somewhat cliche to describe a gig as "historic," but Donna the Buffalo's recent performance at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY more than lived up to that superlative. This was mainly due to the presence of zydeco legend Mr. Preston Frank, who opened the show with a group of musical friends known as Big Daddy Zydeco (above), which featured DtB's Jeb Puryear on guitar, creole fiddler Ed Poullard, former DtB members Tom Gilbert on drums and Jed Greenberg on bass, and Ward Puryear on scrub. This might have been the first time Jeb, Tom, and Jed performed together since Jed left DtB in October 2003. After this, DtB came out for a high-energy set that included You're Breaking My Heart (with Ward Puryear on scrubboard), Love and Gasoline, It's Love Time, and a set-closing, four-alarm version of Hot Tamale Baby, for which Preston Frank sat in on vocals and accordion while Ward Puryear returned on scrub. All of this action was captured by two of DonnaFans.com's dedicated contributors. Greg Cotterill shares with us 6 photos of Big Daddy Zydeco and 12 of Donna the Buffalo performing on 5/21/10, and John Miklasz kindly provides 7 photos from the same show, including shots of Preston and Ward sitting in with DtB. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

First Photos From Edinboro, PA 5/13/10

On Thursday, 5/13/10, Donna the Buffalo returned to Edinboro, PA for that city's Art & Music Festival; the band first performed at this fest last year. New DonnaFans.com contributor Cal Robinson said it was "a very good set--great time had by all" and kindly provides us with 9 photos of DtB playing on 5/13/10 in Edinboro, PA. Cal's images include several close-up shots of individual band members, plus a particularly interesting photo of Jeb and Kyle. Lori Sands wrote that the set included Off To Dreamland, Way Back When, Positive Friction, Sailing (by request), Me and Depression, Beauty Within, Love and Gasoline, Blue Sky, Ring of Fire, Wood and Stone, Silverlined, Locket and Key, Family Picture, Mystic Water, No Place Like the Right Time, and Another World into Revolution for the encore. Thanks for the photos and words, guys!

Posted On: Wednesday, May 19, 2010

New Photos: 4/30/10 Merlefest, Wilkesboro, NC

A new DonnaFans.com contributor who wishes to be known only as Old Milwaukee Folkie has generously shared with us 11 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 4/30/10 at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC. Old Milwaukee's images include a shot that shows the size of the politely seated crowd at this always-popular fest, one of Tara that the photographer tastefully photoshopped for artistic effect, and a few of the band sharing the stage with Jim Lauderdale. Thanks for the photos, Old Milwaukee Folkie!

Posted On: Friday, May 14, 2010

Video From 5/6/10 Chattanooga, TN

Mike Poole has just posted a sweet 9-minute video of Donna the Buffalo's encore from on 5/6/10 at Rhythm & Brews, Chattanooga, TN. Mike's video includes the end part of There Must Be done by Jeb and Tara as a duet, the band and crowd singing Happy Birthday to Jordy, and a super-jammy Everyday to conclude the show. The band's set on this night featured several seldom-heard gems, including Wood and Stone, Look to the Future, and All the Time, which was played by request and according to Donnabase.com may have been last performed on 1/12/08 on the cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. Be sure to check out the rest of Mike's blog, http://suchabigparade.blogspot.com, as he's got some simply stunning photos of DtB and other artists from past gigs. Thanks for sharing, Mike!

Posted On: Saturday, May 8, 2010

New Photos: Shakori Hills GrassRoots Fest

Leaving after their set on Friday, 4/23/10, Donna the Buffalo drove directly from Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, LA to Silk Hope, NC for the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival. The band's performances at this fest were accented by top-shelf special guests. On Saturday, 4/24/10, banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck sat in for several tunes. Among the musicians to join in on Sunday's "Donna and friends" set were former Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones, who sat in on bass (for If You Only Could and The Ones You Love), keyboards (for Voice in My Head), and mandolin (for I'll Be Gone). A few terrific shots of John Paul Jones onstage with the band are among Gary Pudvan's 12 photos of DtB performing on 4/25/10 in Silk Hope, NC. Other guests on Sunday included Bela Fleck, Casey Driessen, Chris O'Neill, Nate Lee, Preston Frank, Kelley Breiding, Nick McMillian, Paige Lindsey, and Abigail Washburn. Thanks to John Bischman, you can download a matrix recording of the all-star set from www.archive.org/details/donna2010-04-25.matrix. Thanks for the photos, Gary!

Posted On: Tuesday, May 4, 2010

First photos: 4/22/10 Lafayette, LA

First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Amber Lehmann generously shares with us 5 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on Thursday, 4/22/10 in Lafayette, LA at the Festival International de Louisiane. Amber, who "just wanted to send some recent pics from Louisiana's premier festival," captured some fantastic images of Tara and Jeb. Details of this set appear below. In addition to Daniel's video of DtB playing It's Love Time during this performance, Rand Knapp has uploaded to HerdTV a video he shot of the band playing Tides of Time from earlier in the set. DtB also performed a second set at this Festival the next day. Thanks, Amber, for the fantastic photos, and thank you, Rand, for the new video.

Posted On: Monday, April 26, 2010

New video: 4/22/10 Lafayette, LA

Major thanks go out to Daniel, who has quickly uploaded a video of Donna the Buffalo performing It's Love Time during their set on 4/22/10 at Festival International De Louisiane in Lafayette, LA. The band's hour-long, early-evening set also included Movin' On, Tides of Time, It's Love Time, Blue Sky, Rockin' Horse, Family Picture, Conscious Evolution, Why You Want to Leave Me Baby, Hot Tamale Baby, and No Place Like the Right Time. Later that night, Jeb (on guitar and fiddle) and Tara (on rubboard and accordion) sat in on the Lost Bayou Rambler's set. DtB had another set at Festival International on Friday, 4/23 before heading up to Silk Hope, NC to play at the Shakori Hill GrassRoots Fest. Thanks to Daniel for this video and to John Yust for the setlist.

Posted On: Friday, April 23, 2010

More Photos From The Midwest: 4/2/10 Rochester, MN

Our second batch of photos from Donna the Buffalo's early April tour of several cities in the upper Midwest come from Gary Pudvan, who shares with us 6 photos of DtB playing on 4/2/10 at WhiskeyBone's Roadhouse in Rochester, MN. In addition to many of their more well-known songs such as Positive Friction, Conscious Evolution, Blue Sky, and Family Picture, the band broke out several of their less-frequently-performed tunes, include Arrows Pointing Sideways, Off to Dreamland, and Sailing. The relatively new Jeb Puryear song Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday was followed by The Mill to end the set. Then just Jeb and David came out to start the encore with a duet version of Times Are Bad, followed by the complete band for Each and Every Direction and a cover of Keith Frank's You're Breaking My Heart to end the night.

Posted On: Saturday, April 17, 2010

New Photos: 4/1/10 Berwyn, IL

Donna the Buffalo's second stop on the recent mini-tour of the Midwest took place just outside of Chicago. Gary "Mad Taper" Pudvan was at this show and generously provides us with 7 photos of DtB playing on 4/1/10 at FitzGerald's in Berwyn, IL. The band put forth a fine set that included In This Life, Tides of Time, a mid-set Conscious Evolution, the new Jeb Puryear song Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday, and a three-song encore: Mystic Water (Jeb & Tara duet), Mr. King, and You're Breaking My Heart. Thanks to Jeff Frank, you can already download a recording of this show from the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2010-04-01.akg481. Thanks so much for the images, Gary. Gary also shot photos at DtB's gig the next night in Rochester, MN, so stay tuned.

Posted On: Sunday, April 11, 2010

First Photos From Suwannee Springfest

Our first batch of photos from this year's Suwannee Springfest come to us via longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Robert Chrismer, who is responsible for the always enjoyable Internet radio station HaveYouHerdRadio.com. Robert shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing 3/26/10 through 3/28/10 at Live Oak, FL. These shows were bass player Kyle Spark's first with DtB; like drummer Vic Stafford, Spark is former member of Blueground Undergrass. Robert's photos include several shots of Kyle, as well as Ritchie Stearns sitting in on banjo and the legendary Jim Lauderdale. The band also shared the stage with Jonathan Edwards, playing Edwards' hit Sunshine (Go Away Today) not once, but twice. More details and photos to come soon. Thanks, Robert!

Posted On: Thursday, April 1, 2010

More Photos From The Mardi Gras Ball

First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Gordon Paterson kindly shares with us 8 photos of DtB performing on 2/13/10 at the Mardi Gras Ball at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, RI. Gordon's shots from this show include some beautiful B&W images, as well as 2 photos that feature fiddler David Greely of Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, who joined DtB for a good part of their set. Gordon has posted several other excellent photos from this show on his site at www.formerlygwpphoto.com. Thanks, Gordon!

Posted On: Sunday, March 28, 2010

Ticket/CD Giveaway For 3/30 Show In Birmingham, AL

In celebration of Donna the Buffalo's return on 3/30 to The WorkPlay Theatre in Birmingham, AL, Alabama Bloggers is giving away two pairs of tickets to the show and two copies of the band's 2008 release Silverlined. To enter the contest, go leave a comment at www.alabamabloggers.com/2010/03/donna-buffalo-at-workplay-and-music-and.html. Hurry--this giveaway is open until Monday, 3/22, and the four winners will be randomly chosen and announced on Tuesday, 3/23. You can purchase tickets for this show from the WorkPlay's site at http://www.workplay.com/purchase-ticket.

Posted On: Thursday, March 18, 2010

New Photos: 2/13/10, Cranston, RI

This year marked Donna the Buffalo's first appearance at Lagniappe Productions' Annual Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball, but judging from the band's performance and the crowd's response, it mostly likely won't be the last time DtB headlines this event. The Ball took place at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in beautiful Cranston, RI. Kevin Umlauf was at this party, and generously shares with us 4 photos of DtB playing on 2/14/10 in Cranston, RI. Also on the bill were Corey Ledet and Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys. Kevin's photos include shots of DtB sharing the stage with Steve Riley. First DtB joined Steve for Oh Ma during his set, and then the band had Steve and several members of his band come out for the last third of their set, which included performances of No Place Like The Right Time, Uncle Bud, and Hot Tamale Baby. DtB ended the night with a raucous Funky Side. Thanks for the photos, Kevin!

Posted On: Thursday, February 25, 2010

First Photos: Jeb & Tara, 2/14/10, New York, NY

On Sunday, 2/14/10, Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins celebrated Valentine's Day by treating New York City fans to a performance as a duet at Bess Greenberg's 25CPW, an artist-run alternative space located at 25 Central Park West and 62nd Street. Paul Livingstone and John Ramspacher were both lucky enough to attend this special gig, and collectively share with us 12 photos of Jeb and Tara playing on 2/14/10 in New York, NY. "Some of the highlights of Sunday night were Peggy O, Deeds of a Few, There Must Be, Rockin' Horse and In This Life," John said. "The rest [of the set consisted of] typical DtB songs, with a Mardi Gras set thrown in. What was nice was that they were open to Q&A between songs. All in all it was a very up close and intimate evening; they played long and all of us left satisfied." Thanks for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Thursday, February 18, 2010

New Photos: 2/6/10 Atlanta, GA

Fans of pedal steel guitar were in for a treat at Donna the Buffalo's show last Saturday night in Atlanta. No, it wasn't Jeb who broke out this instrument but Mark Van Allen of Blueground Undergrass fame. Mark sat in for 4 songs late in the set: Ancient Arms, the new Jeb song Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday, a set-closing No Place Like the Right Time, and Mystic Water during the encore. Earlier in the night, the band played a wide variety of songs old and new, including Come to Life, Tides of Time, Broken Record, Lifetime of a Fool, Conscious Evolution, and Magic of Love. Thanks to John Bischman, a matrix recording of this show is already available for download on the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2010-02-06. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Vincent Tseng was there, and generously shares with us 12 excellent photos of DtB performing on 2/6/10 at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA. Thanks, Vincent!

Posted On: Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Jeb & Tara To Perform A Duo Show In NYC On 2/14/10

On Sunday, 2/14/10, Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins will again perform as a duo--this time in New York City. The show will take place at 25CPW, an artist-run alternative space located at 25 Central Park West and 62nd Street, New York, NY. Tickets are $15 and can be ordered online from www.25cpw.org. This unique concert event is limited to 75 tickets, so if you're planning on going, get your tickets early. Doors at 6 pm, show at 7 pm. For a preview, you can listen to or download the Jeb/Tara duo show from 1/1/10, Nashville, TN.

Posted On: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Photos From 2/5/10 Charlotte, NC

Maggie Roberge must have had a heck of a good time at Donna the Buffalo's show last Friday night: First she took a bunch of great photos of DtB playing on 2/5/10 at The Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC. Then, she capped off the night by (at Jeb's urging) joining the band onstage to lead a sing-along of No Place Like The Right Time. The band played a set heavy on Jeb Puryear songs this night, including Tomorrow Still Knows, Me and Depression, Ding Dang Dong, It's Love Time, and the new one, Tonight, Tomorrow and Yesterday. Jeb also stepped up and took lead vocals on Blue Sky and Family Picture. After the band closed the set with Maggie on NPLTRT, for the encore first Jeb and Tara came out to do Mystic Water as a duet, and then the entire band played America. Maggie's father, Paul, also has kindly shared one of his beautifully written reviews of this show, which I'll post shortly. Thanks, Roberges!

Posted On: Sunday, February 7, 2010

In-Studio Video From 1/28/10, WNCW 88.7 FM

On Thursday, 1/28/10, just ahead of their two-night run at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC, Donna the Buffalo stopped by Studio B of WNCW 88.7 FM in Spindale, NC to play a few songs and be interviewed. John Watson was there, and shot some very interesting videos of this unique in-studio performance, which he posted to his Watson Video Productions page on YouTube. John kindly shares his professional-quality videos of the band doing Ding Dang Dong (during the interview Jeb says this song "is not really titled"), If You Only Could, and Spinning World, as well as the interview with host Martin Anderson. Thanks, John!

Posted On: Thursday, February 4, 2010

New Photos: Raleigh, NC 1/29/10 & 1/30/10

After going to Donna the Buffalo shows for a while, you're sure to notice a rather unusual phenomena: The worst the weather, the better the band seems to play. No one knows for sure when this pattern first started, but DtB's recent two-night run at the Lincoln Theatre was a prime example. In the middle of a serious winter storm, the band put forth the type of shows "that keeps you coming back for sure," said Bill Davis, who kindly shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 1/29/10 and 1/30/10 in Raleigh, NC. The band's set on the first night included Hot Tamale Baby, Tomorrow Still Knows, Voice in My Head, Let It Snow, Faith to Believe, and Yonder, and an encore that started with Jeb doing a solo version of On Our Way On, followed by covers of Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues and the Beatles' Helter Skelter with the Believers, who opened both nights. Though that was hard to beat, on Saturday the band gave it their best, playing Rockin' in the Weary Land, In Another World>Revolution, Ring of Fire, Peggy-O, and the new Jeb song Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday. The Saturday show's encore with the Believers consisted of covers of the Dead's Friend of the Devil and R.E.M.'s The One I Love, followed by Do It For Love. "The band reached perfection on Saturday night," Bill said. Thanks so much for the photos!

Posted On: Sunday, January 31, 2010

Lewis J Tezak Jr. Photos From Rochester, NY

The great photographer Lewis J Tezak Jr. made some amazing photographs at the Richie Hayword benefit that Donna played with Little Feat at the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY.

http://www.themusicneverstopped.org/Photo-Gallery4.html

Posted On: Tuesday, January 26, 2010

First Photos: 1/3/10 Tampa, FL

The second of Donna the Buffalo's two gigs in Florida in early January took place on a chilly (by Florida standards) night at the venerable Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa. Robert Chrismer was in attendance on this evening and kindly provides us with 8 photos of DtB playing on 1/3/10 in Tampa, FL, including this awesome shot of Jay Sanders. While the band always seems to put on a good show at Skipper's, this night seemed especially legendary--an almost unbelievable 32-song performance that lasted close to 4 hours and included a new Jeb Puryear song (Tonight, Tomorrow, Yesterday), an instrumental cover of Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry, several seldom-heard tunes (Wood & Stone, Spinning World), the first-ever full-band cover of Peggy-O (aka Fennario, a song Tara played during her mini-tour last May/June with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's trio, BK3), Jeb and Tara doing Pancho & Lefty as a duet, and a big, sweet Ones You Love/Let Love Move Me sandwich to end the night. You can listen to or download Tim Wright's matrix recording of this special show from the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2010-01-03.matrix.peluso.flac16. Thanks for the photos, Robert! BTW, don't forget to check out Robert's HaveYouHerdRadio.com, which is usually the first place you'll hear streams of DtB's latest shows as well of tons of your other favorite bands.

Posted On: Monday, January 18, 2010

Just Added: Photos From 1/10/10 Kent, OH

Our latest batch of photos come from a longtime Donna the Buffalo fan making her first contribution to DonnaFans.com. Marianne Kline generously shares with us 9 photos of DtB performing at Kent Stage in Kent, OH, a venue the band has played periodically since 2003. "It was very cold outside the Kent Stage, [but] Donna put on a hot show inside!" Marianne said. "The set included (in no particular order) Arrows Pointing Sideways, Me & Depression, Rockin' Horse, Family Picture, Visitor, Big Parade, Let Love Move Me, It's Love Time, Ring of Fire, Greatest Love, Why You Wanna Leave Me, Pancho & Lefty, Sailing, Rockin' in a Weary Land, I Don't Need a Riddle, and many others." Thanks so much for the photos, Marianne!

Posted On: Saturday, January 16, 2010

New Photos: 1/2/10 Wellington, FL

Donna the Buffalo followed up their wildly successful New Year's run in Nashville, TN with a show at the WCHS Theatre in Wellington, FL, which is about 16 miles west of West Palm Beach. Prolific DonnaFans.com contributor Phil Ross was among the faithful, and generously shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 1/2/10 in Wellington, FL. The band hit the stage at about 8:45 and included a bunch of gems in their set, such as I Wish You Love, Another World>Revolution, Yonder, It's A New Day, The Ones You Love, and Times Are Bad, which Phil had requested. "[The Wellington] show was great," Phil said. "The staff of the venue were super-friendly and helpful and the sound and light were great. I would definitely love to see another show at this theater; what an unexpected surprise this place was! Thanks so much for sharing your photos, Phil!

Posted On: Monday, January 4, 2010

New Photos: 12/11/09 Millvale, PA

Each December for quite some years, Donna the Buffalo has treated fans in the Northeast to what has affectionately become known as the "holiday run" of shows, a series of gigs on consecutive weekends at some of the band's favorite venues in the region. The first two shows took place at Mr. Small's Theater outside Pittsburgh, PA and Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY. Frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Larry Franklin was at the former, and provides us with 12 photos of DtB playing on 12/11/09 in Millvale, PA. On this night, the band played an early-set Let Love Move Me, The Mill, Love and Gasoline (by request) and an absolutely legendary version of Mystic Water. They capped off the night with Jeb and Tara performing There Must Be as a duet, and then the entire band did Funky Side. Thanks to taper Lee Maine, a BitTorrent of this show is already available at http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=530704. Thanks so much for the photos, Larry! The holiday run continues next weekend with shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York, NY and Bearsville Theatre in Woodstock, NY.

Posted On: Sunday, December 13, 2009

Photos from 12/5/09 Ithaca, NY

Donna the Buffalo's roots run deep in the Ithaca area, so any time the band is able to play a gig there, it's cause for major celebration. The most recent of these took place on an early December night, as Ithaca's venerable State Theatre hosted Life Is Water, A Concert to Defend the Finger Lakes Against Unsafe Gas Drilling. Tim Anderson, the person responsible for the most excellent Funkyside.com, a site dedicated to music of all genres from the Finger Lakes region, was at this show and kindly shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 12/5/09 in Ithaca, NY. After spirited performances by the Horse Flies and Sim Redmond Band, DtB took the stage for a set filled with favorites old and new, including Family Picture, It's Love Time, Conscious Evolution, Ding Dang Dong, and Funkyside. You can already listen to and download this show--in addition to taking these photos, Tim also made a soundboard recording and uploaded it to the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2009-12-05.sbd. Tim, on behalf of DtB fans everywhere, thanks so much!

Posted On: Monday, December 7, 2009

Site Updates

In addition to updating the photograph at the top of the page, we have rebuilt our community forums! You can visit them by clicking on the forum link above, or by visiting http://dtbforum.com directly! Let us know what you think!

Posted On: Tuesday, December 1, 2009

New Photos: 11/28/09 High Point, NC

Donna the Buffalo recently headed south for their final show of the year in North Carolina. The band has many a favorite venue in this area, but this time they performed at a brand-new spot: The Aquarius Music Hall in High Point, a former furniture warehouse/showroom. In his review of DtB's show on 11/28/09 in High Point, NC, frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Paul Roberge describes the new digs as "enormous but really very cool. The stage is low, like at Ziggy's, only wider and open at the ends." The set, which the band performed with a substitute bass player, included older gems such as Hit the Groove, The Ones You Love, Positive Friction, and Voice in My Head. Jeb and Tara started the encore by played Do It For Love as a duet, and then the entire band came out for No Place Like the Right Time. Paul's daughter Maggie kindly shares with us 7 photos of DtB's gig on 11/28/09 in High Point, NC. Thanks, Roberges!

Posted On: Monday, November 30, 2009

Live Twitter Coverage of DtB's 11/20 show

Donna the Buffalo's next performance will take place Friday, 11/20/09 at 8 pm at the beautiful 275-seat Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, NY. This will be the band's first show ever in this city and venue, so come out and show your support. To order tickets call the Emelin Theatre's box office at 914-698-0098 or visit http://www.emelin.org/concert.html. During this show, I will be tweeting the setlist, photos, and updates live as it happens on http://twitter.com/donnafans.

Posted On: Saturday, November 14, 2009

Three Great New Videos of donna the buffalo

Three fantastic new videos of Donna the Buffalo recently have been posted to YouTube. The first comes from filmmaker Ernie Smith, who shares video of DtB performing I Wish You Love on 10/8/09 at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Fest in Silk Hope, NC. "No real production here, just the band singing and playing," Ernie wrote. "My challenge was syncing my sound with that of Gary Pudvan, who provided the field recording." Ernie's got a ton of similarly fantastic DtB videos on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/handesmith. The second video, posted by Dan Payette, is nothing less than a slice of DtB history: nearly 10 minutes of the first-ever Jeb and Tara duet show from 9/26/09 in St. Petersburg, FL. This video shows the complete performance of Life's A Ride and half of the Jeb tune Hopes & Dreams. Dan's handheld video captures the banter and crowd sounds that really give you a feel for the atmosphere at this very special show. On his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/danpayette, Dan's also posted a video of Jeb and Tara doing Blue Sky from this same show. Thanks, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, November 7, 2009

Special Guests Announced For NYE Show In Nashville!

Donna the Buffalo's New Year's Eve extravaganza just keeps getting better--for this special performance, the band will be joined by the Josh Williams Band, the Believers, and other special guests. The New Years Eve show will take place at the Loveless Barn, a very cool and beautiful new venue in Nashville, TN. The band played for the venue's grand opening in January 2009 and is excited to be back celebrating New Year's! Tickets are $60 and include light hors d'oeuvres, champagne, hats, noisemakers, and a late-night brunch after the show.

Be sure to come to Nashville early, and stay late: On Wednesday, 12/30/09, Tara and Jeb will perform two sets (9 and 11 pm) as a duo at The Family Wash (615-226-6070,) which is famous for their Shepherd's pie. They have a very nice menu with both veggie and non-veggie dishes. Reservations are fully booked for the 9 pm seating but a limited number of standing room only spaces will be available on a first come, first served basis. For the 11 pm seating (light menu only), reservations are still available and there will also be limited standing room. There's no cover--it's a pass-the-hat affair.

Then on Friday, 1/1/10, Jeb and Tara (plus special guests) will perform another duo show at Saffire Restaurant (615-599-4995). Doors at 3 pm, show at 4 pm; a heavy hors d'oeuvres menu will be available. Like the Family Wash shows, there's no cover for this performance--it's a pass-the-hat affair.

For hotel reservations, contact the Hampton Inn (615-662-3133; mention the Loveless Barn show for a $105 plus tax rate) or the Microtel Inn (615- 662-0004; $79 plus tax).

Posted On: Tuesday, November 3, 2009

MagFest Photos Part 3: Saturday, 10/24/09

Donna the Buffalo played a headlining set at Magnolia Festival on Saturday, 10/24/09, and once again the always-reliable Phil Ross did not let the occasion go undocumented. Phil's 9 photos of DtB performing on 10/24 in Live Oak, FL include 3 great shots of Jay and Tara, a few of Jeb on his Kent guitar, which he played for It's Love Time and Ding Dang Dong, and one of percussionist Nery Arevelo, who sat it during Blue Sky and the set-ending 40 Days & 40 Nights. In addition to these songs, DtB also played Funkyside, Locket & Key, Family Picture, I'll Be Gone, Me & Depression, Tides of Time, and Hot Tamale Baby. Thanks to the dedication of a handful of kind fans, this performance was webcast live on HaveYouHerd.com so fans around the country could get in on the fun from the comfort of their own living rooms. Thanks so much for your contributions, Phil!

Posted On: Monday, November 2, 2009

More MagFest Photos: 10/23/09 With Jim Lauderdale

One of the highlights of MagFest every year is the set Donna the Buffalo plays with longtime musical friend and Grammy award-winning country music star Jim Lauderdale. Frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Phil Ross was at this year's "Jonna the Bufferdale" set and kindly shares with us 10 photos of DtB performing with Jim Lauderdale on Friday, 10/23, in Live Oak, FL. The setlist for this gig included Except For That One Time, a song Jeb Puryear and Lauderdale started writing together at MagFest last year and finished sometime this year, as well as multiple songs from the 2003 DtB/Lauderdale release Wait Til Spring. Thanks for the photos, Phil!

Posted On: Friday, October 30, 2009

First Photos From Magnolia Festival

The first batch of photos of Donna the Buffalo from this year's MagFest come to us courtesy of first-time DonnaFans.com contributor Charlie Houder. Charlie kindly provides us with 5 photos of DtB performing on Magnolia Festival's Meadow Stage in Live Oak, FL on Thursday, 10/22. These big, beautiful images include shots of everyone in the band except drummer Vic Stafford. Thanks for the photos, Charlie! I have plenty more photos from this festival that I'll post soon, so check back often.

Posted On: Thursday, October 29, 2009

Join The New Email List

The old Herd email list is no more, but you can join the new donnafans email list with just a few simple clicks. To subscribe, send an email to donnafans+subscribe@googlegroups.com. You don't have to have a Google account to subscribe to this list, but if you do, or if you want to create one, you can join the list by going to http://groups.google.com/group/donnafans.

Posted On: Saturday, October 24, 2009

First Photos From Shakori Hills Grassroots

Twice each year--in April and October--the celebration known as the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance turns a piece of land in North Carolina into a little bit of heaven. Bill Davis attended the most recent gathering of this Herd, and kindly provides us with 12 stunning photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on Thursday, 10/8/09 in Silk Hope, NC. Bill's excellent photographs were in part the payoff from a new lens (a Pentax 1.4 50mm) that he obtained just two days before the festival. "The results are pretty good; I will say it's not very forgiving since the depth of field is microscopic, so I still need to practice with it," Bill said. "What a nice time at Shakori Hills for sure. Every time I return to that property I like it better." Thanks for the photos, Bill, can't wait to share the rest of what you shot at this fest! For a description of DtB's performance this night, check out Paul Roberge's review. You can also watch the band's performance of Why You Wanna Leave Me? from this show thanks to a very well-done video Ernie Smith posted on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgzQblK9cv8.

Posted On: Sunday, October 18, 2009

Photo Flashback: 4/4/09 Stroudsburg, PA

Here's a look into the not-so-distant past: On Saturday, 4/4/09, Donna the Buffalo rolled into Stroudsburg, PA for what according to Donnabase.com may have been the band's first show ever in this Pennsylvania city. The setlist for this gig, which took place at the Sherman Theater, was heavy on songs from DtB's latest CD, Silverlined. In addition to the title track, DtB also performed Temporary Misery, Locket & Key, Biggie K, Broken Record, and Garden of Eden. Among the older favorite songs they played were Family Picture, Hit the Groove, Sailing, Hot Tamale Baby, and America. The night ended with a heck of an encore: In Another World, Revolution, and Blue Sky. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Dave Slack was at this show, and shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 4/4/09 in Stroudsburg, PA. Thanks for the memories, Dave--if it wasn't for you, images from this show most likely never would have seen the light of day.

Posted On: Thursday, October 15, 2009

Photos from 9/27/09 St. Petersburg, FL

St. Petersburg, FL recently received a double dose of Donna the Buffalo: First this city got to host Jeb and Tara playing their first shows as a duet (see below), and then the next day the band did a free show as part of the St. Petersburg FolkFest. Robert Chrismer was at the Folkfest, and generously provides us with 12 photos of DtB performing on 9/27/09 in St. Petersburg, FL. On this day, the band's set consisted of Way Back When, Tides Of Time, These Are Better Days, The Beauty Within, 40 Days & 40 Nights, Temporary Misery, Ring Of Fire, The Mill, Arrow Pointing Sideways, Locket & Key, Family Picture, It's Love Time, I Don't Need A Riddle, Ding Dang Dong, Blue Sky, Times Are Bad, The Ones You Love, Conscious Evolution and a Hot Tamale Baby encore. Percussion Nery Arevalo came onstage for Locket & Key and joined the band for the rest of the set. For part of this show, Jeb played for the first time an early '70s Gibson L6-S. Thanks for the photos, Robert!

Posted On: Thursday, October 8, 2009

First Photos: Jeb & Tara, 9/26/09 St. Petersburg, FL

Longtime Donna the Buffalo fan and DonnaFans.com contributor was one of the lucky few who got to see one of the two unique shows by Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins that took place last Saturday at the Craftsman House Gallery & Cafe. Phil was in attendance at the second performance of the evening; the first was slated to start at 7:30 pm and the second at 10. Each set lasted about two hours, and Jeb and Tara were backed by percussionist Nery Arevalo for both. Phil shares with us 11 photos of Jeb and Tara playing on 9/26/09 in St. Petersburg, FL. "Needless to say, last night was magical," Phil said on Sunday. "Many Herd friends packed tightly into this wonderful little cafe/gallery. Highlights for me included Peggy-O, Times are Bad, and Stars Fell On Alabama. The vibe was beautiful and happy and the music was sweet, mellow, and spiritual at points. Current Theme was awesome, and they finished with a long version of Looking For A Place to Be." Thanks so much, Phil!

Posted On: Monday, September 28, 2009

Photos of Tara & friends, 9/20/09 Huntsville, AL

On Sunday, 9/20/09, Tara Nevins performed a show at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment in Huntville, AL with local singer/songwriter Charlie Howell. The Believers' Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini opened the show and later joined Tara and Charlie for some of their set. Mike Poole was at this event, and shares with us 12 photos of Tara Nevins and friends playing on 9/20/09 in Huntsville, AL. "We had a blast," Mike said. "They moved the show indoors due to rain. Charlie Howell's a very talented singer-songwriter and a nice guy to boot. It's interesting to see Tara trying some new things. Mike also posted two videos from this performance: Locket & Key at www.youtube.com/watch?v=awL9I9H8yow and a sweet version of Stars Fell On Alabama at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zh5HFN1a4I. Thanks for the words and photos, Mike!

Posted On: Sunday, September 27, 2009

Jeb & Tara To Play In St. Petersburg

On Saturday, 9/26/09, Donna the Buffalo's Jeb Puryear and Tara Nevins will play two very special sets in St. Petersburg, FL. The shows will take place at Craftsman House Gallery & Cafe, 2955 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, (727) 323-2787. Backed by percussionist Nery Arevalo, Jeb and Tara will play two shows: one at 7:30 pm and a second at 10 pm. The 7:30 show sold out instantly; as of 7 pm EDT on Thur. 9/24, there were a dozen tickets left for the 10 pm show. If you get shut out, don't fret: Donna the Buffalo will play a free show 2:30 pm the next day, Sunday, 9/27 at Folkfest St. Pete.

Posted On: Thursday, September 24, 2009

Photos from Missoula, MT 8/29/09

In late August, Donna the Buffalo played in Montana for the first time ever. The band headlined the first day of the River City Roots Festival in Missoula, taking the stage after a great set by Great American Taxi, featuring Leftover Salmon's Vince Herman. Performing a two-hour set in front of several thousand fans in an outdoor, downtown setting, DtB played the relatively new Jeb Puryear songs Ding Dang Dong and Love Time as well as a slew of their most popular tunes, including Tides of Time, Family Picture, Blue Sky, The Ones You Love, Conscious Evolution, No Place Like the Right Time, and a Funkyside encore. The hightlight, however, may have been a mid-set Mystic Water. Gary Pudvan was at this show, and provides us with 10 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on 8/29/09 in Missoula, MT. Thanks for the photos, Gary!

Posted On: Tuesday, September 22, 2009

New photos: 8/3/09 Grand rapids, MI

Bryant Drechsel's first contribution to DonnaFans.com is a terrific one: Bryant is the first (and so far, the only) fan to submit photos from Donna the Buffalo's recent return to the beautiful Meijer Gardens. His 12 photos of DtB playing on 8/3/09 in Grand Rapids, MI show a relaxed band performing in what has to be one of the most beautiful venues in the Midwest, if not the entire United States. This show was notable in that band opened with a Tara Nevins song, Locket & Key; if you cruise through the setlists on Donnabase.com, you'll see that the band usually starts with a Jeb Puryear song. The Grand Rapids show also featured Family Picture, Movin' On, I Don't Need A Riddle, Positive Friction, Blue Sky, Rockin' Horse, Ring Of Fire, Livin' On Love & Gasoline, and Conscious Evolution. Thanks for the photos, Bryant!

Posted On: Tuesday, September 15, 2009

More photos from Denver 8/26/09 & 8/27/09

Gary Pudvan was among those fortunate fans who got to see Donna the Buffalo during the band's swing through several states in the Western United States in late August. He generously shares with us 10 photos of DtB playing on 8/26/09 and 8/27/09 at Owsley's Golden Road, Denver, CO. . "Out of the mountains for a two-day run with our favorite band in the 'funnest venue in the USA,'" Gary said. "Donna was on fire for these shows...no repeats. My feet haven't touched the ground since these stellar shows. Thank you, Donna The Buffalo!" Thank you, Gary, for these wonderful photos!

Posted On: Friday, September 11, 2009

new review: 9/5/09 Boone, NC

DonnaFans.com's most prolific review contributor, Paul Roberge, recently attended the Daniel Boone Days Music & Culture Festival in Boone, NC, where Donna the Buffalo had a headlining set. He provides us with a description of the event in his review of DtB's performance on 9/5/09 in Boone, NC, including a concise summary of exactly what it is that makes Donna the Buffalo who they are: "The connectedness between band and audience is what makes Donna the Buffalo shows so special (in addition to musical virtuosity in its own right), and that special, indeed precious connection was achieved again this evening in Boone." Thanks for the write-up Paul, and happy (belated) birthday.

Posted On: Monday, September 7, 2009

Photos from 8/27/09 Denver, CO

The first photos from Donna the Buffalo's late August tour of several Western states come to us from Bill Davis, who shares 3 photos of DtB performing on 8/27/09 at Owsley's Golden Road, Denver, CO. This was the second night of a two-night stand at this venue. The band opened the show with It's A New Day and performed several classics, including Tides of Time, Voice in My Head, and Blue Sky, as well as a few pleasant surprises, such as a mid-set Let Love Move Me and Yonder to end the set. The fun continued with 2 two-song encores: first came the new Jeb tune Ding Dang Dong paired with Chocolate 3-step. Then, Jeb and Tara came back out to play Need You More And More as a duet, which Bill photographed (right). Then the entire band ended the night with a rousing version of Funkyside. Thanks for the photos, Bill!

Posted On: Saturday, September 5, 2009

Videos From DtB's SHows in Denver, CO

Colorado's biggest Donna the Buffalo fan, Ziggy, has posted some videos of the band's performances on 8/26/09 and 8/27/09 at Owsley's Golden Road in Denver on his YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/aziggy63. These include clips of the rarely-heard I'll Be Gone, Greatest Love of All, Me & Depression, a smokin' cover of the Keith Frank tune Why You Wanna Leave Me, David McCracken laying down a scorching solo during Blue Sky, and the entire band doing a funky jam. Thanks, Ziggy!

Posted On: Thursday, September 3, 2009

Tara To Perform In Huntsville, AL on 9/20/09

On Sunday, 9/20/09, Tara Nevins will perform a unique gig in Huntsville, AL with local singer/songwriter Charlie Howell. The show will take place at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, 2211 Seminole Drive, Huntsville, AL; 256-533-0399. Tara and Charlie will perform a mixture of both Tara's and Charlie's material. The Believers (Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini) will open the show and later will join Tara and Charlie for some of their set. Doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m. Admission is $7 and kids 12 and under are free. Bring your food, drinks, blankets, and lawn chairs.

Posted On: Monday, August 31, 2009

Another Chance To Win Tickets To See DTB On 9/6!

The National Autism Association-Northeast Ohio (NAA-NEO) is giving away another pair of tickets to Donna the Buffalo's performance on Sunday, 9/6/09, at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, OH. The band will play as part of a benefit for NAA-NEO that includes the legendary Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Tim Easton, and several others. The contest winner also receives their choice of a CD by Donna the Buffalo, Ralph Stanley, or Tim Easton. To enter the contest, send your name, address, and choice of CD to dpattison@autismnortheastohio.org. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday, 9/4. Tickets for this special show cost $35 and include the music, swimming, hiking, children's activities, and overnight camping; kids under age 12 are free. All proceeds go to NAA-NEO. For more information, visit www.nlqp.com or www.autismnortheastohio.org.

Posted On: Tuesday, August 18, 2009

New Photos: 8/7/09 Rochester, NY

In what's hopefully becoming an annual tradition, Donna the Buffalo recently returned to Rochester, NY in early August for a free outdoor show. The gig took place on Friday, 8/7/09, at the Rochester Public Market, and two of DonnaFans.com's steadiest contributors share their photos of this event. Greg Cotterill, who most recently shared his photos of DtB from this year's Trumansburg, NY GrassRoots festival, generously provides us with 9 photos of the band playing on 8/7/09 in Rochester, NY, while Karen Landau shares 6 photos from this show. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Friday, August 14, 2009

Photos from Rockin' the River, New York City

Donna the Buffalo recently returned to New York City to perform a gig that combined the band's high-energy music with unbelievable views of the City skyline that can be seen only by boat. The Rockin' The River Cruise set sail from the Circle Line Pier 83 at 42nd St. and 12th Ave. for a voyage to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more. DtB upped the ante by having their friends Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini of the Believers join them for several songs, including Silverlined and a cover of Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side. DonnaFans.com contributor John Bahlinger shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing on 8/6/09 in New York, NY. "Awesome show, awesome sights and fun for all," John said. "I took 11 friends who had never seen Donna and they were amazed. DtB was at their best." Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Monday, August 10, 2009

DtB To Play Benefit That Also Features Ralph Stanley

Donna the Buffalo will perform at a very special benefit for the National Autism Association-Northeast Ohio (NAA-NEO) at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park in Garrettsville, OH. The band will play on Sunday, 9/6, as part of a bill that includes the legendary Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, JiMiller Band, The Jack Fords, Hillbilly Idol, and others. The cost is $35 and includes the music, swimming, hiking, children's activities, and overnight camping; kids under age 12 are free. All proceeds go to NAA-NEO. The gates open at noon on 9/6. For more information, visit www.nlqp.com or www.autismnortheastohio.org.

Posted On: Thursday, August 6, 2009

Floydfest Photos Part 3

DonnaFans.com's coverage of this year's Floydfest concludes with Terry Killebrew's 9 photos of DtB performing in Floyd, VA on 7/25/09. Terry's shots show the band valiantly playing on despite the rain and during the crew's scrambling to protect the equipment, the glorious rainbow that appeared soon after the rain ended, and the sunny, rocking conclusion of the set. Thanks, Terry!

Posted On: Sunday, August 2, 2009

More Floydfest Photos

Kimmy Tiedemann was in attendence at Donna the Buffalo's recent set at Floydfest and kindly provide us with 9 photos of DtB playing on 7/25/09 in Floyd, VA. Her images include some before-and-after shots of the rain storm that erupted during the set; by late in the set the sun was once again shining, in plenty of time for Christian Dugas of the Duhks to sit in on scrubboard for the Hot Tamale Baby encore. "What a beautful festival," Kimmy said. "Floyd is just sooo gorgeous!" For a detailed description of the band's performance, check out Paul Roberge's Floydfest review. Thanks for the photos, Kimmy!

Posted On: Tuesday, July 28, 2009

First Report From Floydfest

Donna the Buffalo's appearance at Floydfest this year consisted of just one set, but it was quite a memorable one. Paul Roberge explains: "The weather report for 7/25 indicated no rain in the forecast, and the sudden storm caught most of us by surprise. As the band launched into 40 Days & 40 Nights, 'it rained and rained like cats and dogs.'" After quickly overcoming some weather-related equipment issues, DtB prevailed and turned in a hits-heavy set that included Tides of Time, Mystic Water, Blue Sky (after the rain stopped, naturally), and Funky Side. As Paul explains in his review of DtB's performance on 7/25/09 in Floyd, VA, after the rain stopped, a rainbow formed over the stage. "It was one of those fleeting moments that stays with you," Paul wrote. Luckily, Paul's daugher, Maggie, had camera in hand and shares with us 4 photos of DtB at Floydfest, including several with the aforementioned rainbow in the background. Thanks, Roberges! I have more photos of Floydfest that I'll post soon.

Posted On: Monday, July 27, 2009

More Photos From GrassRoots

Coverage of Donna the Buffalo's performances at the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY continues with photos of current and past members of DtB sitting in with other groups and each other, as well as guests joining the band for the big Sunday night finale. John Yust shares with us a dozen photos of DtB and friends peforming at GrassRoots, including shots of Jeb and former DtB drummer Tom Gilbert backing the Believers, Jeb sitting in with Keith Secola, Saturday morning's set by Jeb & Them, and much of the action from Sunday night, such as the impromptu cover of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean (above). John Bahlinger provides 9 photos of DtB from GrassRoots, including a great shot of Tara from Sunday. Thanks so much for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Saturday, July 25, 2009

Photos From GrassRoots Festival

Our first batch of photos from Donna the Buffalo's recent performances at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance comes from no less than three photographers. Greg Cotterill provides us with 10 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on Thursday, 7/16/09. His photos include shots of the beloved tapers' section, as well as what was probably the largest-ever Thursday GrassRoots crowd. Michelle Perkins generously shares with us 11 photos of DtB from throughout the festival. Her images include some beautiful portrait-style shots, and one of Jeb playing with banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck--who performed his own set, a set with Oumou Sangare, and sat in with the Horse Flies and Alash Ensemble for a wild version of Cluck Old Hen, which you can watch here. And finally, Paula Martin offers up 8 photos of DtB playing on Saturday, 7/18/09. Paul took these shots from the rail, which for DtB's Saturday night set is traditionally a difficult place to get to, never mind take photos from; Paula did a a superb job. Thanks so much to all three of you for making the effort to document these sets, and for sharing your handiwork with DonnaFans.com.

Posted On: Thursday, July 23, 2009

Watch DtB perform michael jackson's billie jean

One of the many highlights of Donna the Buffalo's festival-closing set at GrassRoots on Sunday, 7/19, was an unrehearsed cover of the Michael Jackson song Billie Jean. Thanks to some sharp fans, you can see not one but two videos of this performance on YouTube. The first is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiWrniWUAL0 and the second is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P9G83vN29E. More details from this festival, and plenty of photos, are on their way.

Posted On: Wednesday, July 22, 2009

New Photos: 7/11/09 Ribfest, Fletcher, NC

North Carolina loves Donna the Buffalo, and judging from the way the band plays whenever they're in NC, the feeling is mutual. The most recent stop took place on Saturday, 7/11/09, at Ribfest in Fletcher, NC, just outside of Asheville. DtB performed a handful of new songs at this show, including the Jeb Puryear song Ding Dang Dong (debuted 7/4/09 at the Great Blue Heron Festival), Tara's Why Do You Want to Leave Me (also debuted 7/4/09), and a new Jeb ballad titled To Have and to Hold, which made its debut at this show. "I think what made this such a pleasant evening was that the show felt like a reunion of friends--the band, band family and associates, and so many fine folks in this Herd -- in the cool evening air of the North Carolina mountains, with mist and fog rolling in to heighten the effect," writes Paul Roberge in his review of Donna the Buffalo's show on 7/11/09 in Fletcher, NC. Frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Kimmy Tiedemann also was at this show, and kindly shares with us 9 photos of the band performing on 7/11/09. Her shots include the flowers and balloons presented to Tara to mark her birthday; the crowd also sang her Happy Birthday between songs. Thanks so much, Paul and Kimmy, for the words and photos!

Posted On: Monday, July 13, 2009

New Photos: Great Blue Heron Festival

The 2009 edition of the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY--which many fans call their favorite due to its intimate, family-friendly vibe--took place 7/3 - 7/5/09. For Donna the Buffalo, the event started on Friday (technically Saturday morning) with a late-night set by the band's zydeco alter ego, Buffalo Zydeco. DtB also had the headlining slots on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Larry Franklin was at this year's Great Blue Heron, and his 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing in Sherman, NY 7/3 through 7/5/09 captured all of the action, including Jeb at Sunday morning's Songwriters Circle (above) as well as Sunday night's performance of the Lou Reed song Walk on the Wild Side with special guests Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini, aka the Believers. Thanks to Jim Burns, you can see 3 minutes of this musical highlight at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnOFJFm8lkQ. DtB and the Believers had performed this song together once before, on 2/7/09 at the Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY. Other special moments from this festival include the debut on Saturday of a new Jeb Puryear song Ding Dang Dong. Check out the lyrics. Thanks to Capn Hook, you already can listen to and download DtB's 7/4/09 set from the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2009-07-04.LSD2.minime.flac16. Thanks, everyone, for making the photos, video, and recording available so quickly!

Posted On: Saturday, July 11, 2009

Donna on Twitter

Donna now has a twitter feed; follow the tweeting buffalo! If you use twitter, you can follow @donnathebuffalo. The direct link to the page is http://twitter.com/donnathebuffalo.

Posted On: Friday, July 10, 2009

Download DtB's Mountain Aid Performance

Thanks to Capnhook, a recording of Donna the Buffalo's performance on 6/20/09 at Mountain Aid in Silk Hope, NC is now available. You can download this show from the Live Music Archive at www.archive.org/details/donna2009-06-20.LSD2.minime.flac16. This show is perhaps most notable for the band's performance of Walk The Way The Wind Blows with Kathy Mattera. Thanks for recording and uploading this show, Capn!

Posted On: Friday, July 3, 2009

More Photos From Mountain Aid

Longtime DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust was at Donna the Buffalo's recent Mountain Aid gig, and shares with us 9 photos of DtB playing on 6/20/09 in Silk Hope, NC. John's images include several of the band performing Walk the Way the Wind Blows with Grammy-winning singer Kathy Mattea, whose latest CD, Coal, was released by Captain Potato Records in April 2008. These photos are in addition to 16 previously posted photos of this show submitted by Kelly Farkas. Thanks for the great photography, guys!

Posted On: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

New Photos: 6/20/09 Silk Hope, NC

Donna the Buffalo has a longstanding history of playing gigs to benefit a worthy cause. The latest of these was Mountain Aid, which took place 6/19 - 6/20 at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival Farm and raised funds for the Pennies of Promise campaign to build a new school for the children of Marsh Fork Elementary in Raleigh County, WV, which sits in the shadow of a Mountain Top Removal coal mine, just 225 feet from the coal silo and 400 yards downstream from a leaking dam holding back nearly three billion gallons of toxic sludge. The band's set at this show included In This Life, It's Love Time, I'll Be Gone, Funky Side, the new Tara Zydeco song, and Magic of Love. For the encore, DtB did Walk the Way the Wind Blows with Grammy-winning singer Kathy Mattea, who hosted the festival, and then ended the night with a rousing version of Seems to Want to Hurt This Time. Kelly Farkas attended Mountain Aid, and generously provides us with 16 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing in Silk Hope, NC on 6/20/09. Kelly's images include many fantastic portrait-style shots, and one of the band with Mattera. Thanks for the photos, Kelly!

Posted On: Saturday, June 27, 2009

Photos From 6/19/09 Spartanburg, SC

On Friday, 6/19, Donna the Buffalo performed at a brand new festival called The Music Camp, which took place on the banks of the Pacolet River just north of Spartanburg, SC. Donna played the first day of this two-day event, which also featured The Duhks and Dirty Dozen Brass Band; Saturday's lineup included The Infamous Stringdusters, The Belleville Outfit, and Boombox. DonnaFans.com contributor Kimmy Tiedemann was at this event, and kindly share with us 4 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on 6/19/09 in Spartanburg, SC. Thanks for the photos, Kimmy!

Posted On: Thursday, June 25, 2009

DtB To Perform In SC, NC This Weekend

Donna the Buffalo hits the road this weekend for a pair of gigs in the Carolinas. On Friday, 6/19, the band will play at The Music Camp, a festival in Spartanburg, SC. See details at http://themusiccamp.net. On Saturday, 6/20, Donna the Buffalo will perform at Mountain Aid 2009, a festival that will raise funds for the Pennies of Promise campaign to build a new school for the children of Marsh Fork Elementary in Raleigh County, WV, which sits in the shadow of a Mountain Top Removal coal mine, just 225 feet from the coal silo and 400 yards downstream from a leaking dam holding back nearly three billion gallons of toxic sludge. The concert, which will take place 6/19 - 6/20 in Pittsboro, NC, will also feature Kathy Mattea and Ben Sollee. Tickets are $22.50 in advance, $30 day of concert, and camping is $10 for tent camping, $40 for vehicle camping. For more information, visit the Mountain Aid site at http://www.mtnaid.com.

Posted On: Thursday, June 18, 2009

New photos: 6/13/09 Niagara Falls, NY

Donna the Buffalo resumed its tour by performing at The Centennial Stage at the Hard Rock Cafe in Niagara Falls, NY. This show was part of the Centennial Celebration of the The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. In addition to favorite tunes like Family Picture, Conscious Evolution, and Arrows Pointing Sideways, this show included the band's first-ever performance of the Star Spangled Banner. Gene Martin explains: "They shot off fireworks before Donna's set was finished so there was some confusion if they should stop playing until the fireworks were done or to play one. So while discussing it, Jeb started singing the Star Spangled Banner and the rest of the band and then the crowd joined in, too. A special Jeb moment." Frequent DonnaFans.com contributor Karen Landau was on hand, and provides us with 5 photos of DtB playing on 6/13/09 in Niagara Falls, NY. Thanks for the photos, Karen!

Posted On: Monday, June 15, 2009

New Photos: Tara Nevins With BK3

The recent tour by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's trio, BK3, with special guest Tara Nevins has created quite a buzz, with a certain contingent of DtB fans especially excited at the prospect of Tara singing and playing on songs made famous by the Grateful Dead. DonnaFans.com contributor Mike Poole was at this show and kindly shares with us 12 photos of Tara performing with BK3 on 6/5/09 at the Music Farm in Charleston, SC. The band's two-set performance on this next-to-last date of the eastern leg of the tour included versions of the Dead's Alabama Getaway, Peggy-O, China Cat Sunflower, Franklin's Tower, He's Gone, Scarlet Begonias, and Bertha, as well as the Max Creek song Chains of Life and the Nevins composition If You Only Could. You can check out Tara absolutely tearing it up on fiddle during the band's peformance of Franklin's Tower at this show on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL6CIiwI5Qw. Thanks for the photos, Mike!

Posted On: Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Tara & BK3 Play With Phish's Mike Gordon In NYC

On Wednesday, 6/3, Phish bass player Mike celebrated his birthday with a public party at City Winery in lower Manhattan, performing two sets of music with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann, Max Creek guitarist Scott Murawski, and Tara Nevins. Tara has been touring as a special guest with Kreutzmann's trio BK3, which usually features bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson. The band performed Doin My Time, Eyes of the World, Cumberland Blues, Peggy-O, Tore Up Over You, Come Together, Skin It Back, US Blues, Express Yourself, Quinn The Eskimo, and Mercury Blues. Gordon was playing a wild new bass given to him for his birthday by Phish keyboardist Page McConnell. Check out a video of Tara singing Peggy-O at this peformance at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pal6fDg4nfg.

Posted On: Thursday, June 4, 2009

Watch Tara Sing He's Gone With BK3

If you've always wanted to see Tara Nevins sing a Grateful Dead song, now you can: A video of her singing He's Gone with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's trio, BK3, on 5/29/09 has been posted to YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkR4T31otcs. The video was shot by Doug Baker and posted by Gene Martin; the pair also posted Tara singing If You Only Could from the same show. There's still time to catch Tara singing this and other Dead songs live: she'll appear with BK3 on 6/4 in Carrborro, NC; 6/5 in Charleston, SC; and 6/6 at the Wannee Festival in Live Oak, FL. Thanks for the videos, guys!

Posted On: Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Tara & BK3 Available For Download; 6/3 Show Is Canceled

The first two shows of the tour by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann's trio, BK3, featuring Tara Nevins as a special guest, are available for download via bittorrent. You can get 5/29/09 Portland, ME from http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=525479 and the next night's show in New Haven, CT from http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=525485. Tara sang several Dead songs at each performance; on both nights, the band also did If You Only Could, a Tara Nevins tune frequently played by Donna the Buffalo. Many thanks to the tapers for making these unique shows available so quickly. In related news, the BK3 gig originally scheduled for Richmond, VA on Wed. 6/3 has been canceled; the band will be performing in-studio for the Sirius radio network on that day.For more information about this tour, visit http://www.myspace.com/billkreutzmann or http://www.billkreutzmann.net.

Posted On: Sunday, May 31, 2009

New photos: 5/14/09 Edinboro, PA

It was a Thursday evening when Donna the Buffalo headed into Edinboro, PA to perform as part of the Edinboro Arts & Music Festival. The venue was indoors at the Culbertson Hills Golf Course, which Madtaper described as "small, crowded, & hot...perfect." The band laid down an enthusiastic set that included many pleasant surprises, such as the Hit the Groove opener, Tara's new zydeco tune, a mid-set Let Love Move Me that was followed by the rarely heard Tara gem I'll Be Gone, Story of the Ages, an "over the top" version of Blue Sky, another performance of the Sheryl Crow song A Change Will Do You Good, and more. The trifecta of an encore consisted of Standing Room Only, Big Parade, and a super-hot Hot Tamale Baby. DonnaFans.com friend Larry Franklin was at this show, and generously shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing in Edinboro, PA on 5/14/09. Thanks, Larry!

Posted On: Monday, May 25, 2009

Tara Nevins with Bill Kreutzmann Trio

Tara Nevins will be a special guest performing with BK3 on upcoming dates. BK3 is Bill Kreutzmann's trio. As a founding member of the Grateful Dead, Bill has played drums at every one of the Grateful Dead's shows. Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt) and Scott Murawski (Max Creek) will be joining on guitar and bass.

May 29 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME
May 30 - Toad's Place - New Haven, CT
May 31 - Mountain Jam - Hunter, NY
June 4 - Cat's Cradle - Carrborro, NC
June 5 - Music Farm - Charleston, SC
June 6 - Wannee Festival - Live Oak, FL

Posted On: Monday, May 11, 2009

new photos: 4/25/09 St. Petersburg, FL

One week after Shakori Hills GrassRoots, after a quick stop at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, NC, Donna the Buffalo returned to one of the band's favorite Florida venues, Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg. The band's performance included the new Jeb song It's Love Time, The Mill, Each & Every Direction, and No Place Like The Right Time. For the encore, first Jeb and Tara came out and did an extremely spirited version of In Another World as a duet; you can see a video of this on Ziggy's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/aziggy63. Then the rest of the band joined them for Revolution to end the night. Robert Chrismer, who is the person responsible for the excellent Have You Herd Radio, attended this show, and provides us with 12 photos of DtB performing on 4/25/09 in St. Petersburg, FL. Thanks, Robert!

Posted On: Saturday, May 2, 2009

More Photos From Shakori Hills GrassRoots

Fans who attend the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival always seem to have great things to say about the experience, but this year's event appears to have been particularly magical. The festival takes place in Silk Hope, NC, and with each passing year it seems to increasingly represent a time for a Gathering of the Herd, a herd that includes both newcomers and longtime fans alike; the only requirement is a kind vibe and a love of the music of Donna the Buffalo and their extended musical family. John Yust was at this Spring's event, and generously shares with us a dozen photos of DtB performing in Silk Hope, NC on 4/16/09 - 4/19/09, almost all of which feature the band with big, beaming smiles. A brief description of the highlights of DtB's sets appears on DonnaFans.com. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Monday, April 27, 2009

First Photos From Shakori GrassRoots

Always-reliable DonnaFans.com contributor made his annual trek to the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Silk Hope, NC, and as usual, his photos are stellar. The band followed up a very strong Thursday performance with a set backing Jim Lauderdale on Friday that included a new Jeb Puryear/Jim Lauderdale composition, the excellently titled Except For That One Time. Saturday's slot was notable for a guest appearance by former DtB keyboardist Joe Thrift, who sat in on scrubboard for the opening tune, Tides of Time. This set started before midnight and ended close to 2:30 am. The festival concluded with the annual Donna the Buffalo and friends gig, another marathon set with a rotating cast of guests. Terry's 12 photos of DtB performing in Silk Hope, NC on 4/16/09 - 4/19/09 capture all the flavor of this truly unique festival. Terry's also posted some videos from Shakori on his YouTube page at www.youtube.com/user/grdngy000. Thanks, Terry!

Posted On: Tuesday, April 21, 2009

DtB to play at mountain aid 2009

On 6/20/09, Donna the Buffalo will perform at Mountain Aid 2009, a festival that will raise funds for the Pennies of Promise campaign to build a new school for the children of Marsh Fork Elementary in Raleigh County, WV, which sits in the shadow of a Mountain Top Removal coal mine, just 225 feet from the coal silo and 400 yards downstream from a leaking dam holding back nearly three billion gallons of toxic sludge. The concert, which will take place 6/19 - 6/20 in Pittsboro, NC, will also feature Kathy Mattea, Ben Sollee, and the Sim Redmond Band. Tickets are $22.50 in advance, $30 day of concert, and camping is $10 for tent camping, $40 for vehicle camping. For more information, visit the Mountain Aid site at http://www.mtnaid.com.

Posted On: Thursday, April 16, 2009

More Photos From Springfest

Our second batch of photos of Suwannee Springfest, which took place late last month in Live Oak, FL, comes from longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Phil Ross. Phil, who shot more than 600 images during the four-day festival, provides us with a dozen photos of Donna the Buffalo and friends playing 3/26/09 to 3/29/09 in Live Oak, FL. "Once again we had a wonderful Springfest," Phil said. "If you come once, you will never want to miss it again. The Sunday night jam was legendary." Phil's photos include shots of Jim Lauderdale, the Rowan brothers, and a great shot of a smiling Vic Stafford. Thanks for the photos, Phil!

Posted On: Tuesday, April 7, 2009

New photos: Suwannee Springfest

The sites, sounds, and stories of Suwannee Springfest 2009 have begun to circulate. As her contribution, Amanda Abercrombie generously shares with us 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo and friends performing on 3/26/09 to 3/29/09 in Live Oak, FL. DtB's sets at this festival featured tons of surprises, including new songs and sharing the stage with an ever-rotating lineup of musical friends. "This Springfest was fantastic!" Amanda said. "I really do think that this is the best band lineup yet for Donna. They just have a certain depth to their sound now. They really have this intense energy and my legs are still killing me from all the bopping around!" Thanks for the photos, Amanda!

Posted On: Sunday, April 5, 2009

Photos from 3/25/09 Knoxville, TN

On Wednesday, 3/25/09, Donna the Buffalo headlined the Tennesse Shines event at the Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN, a concert that also included The Gourds, Theresa Andersson, and Scott Miller. The band's 30-minute set included two special surprises. First, country legend Jim Lauderdale joined the band for a version of Wait 'Til Spring, the title track off the Lauderdale/DtB 2003 release. Also, Jeb Puryear debuted a new song at this show. The set also included Funky Side, If You Only Could, Temporary Misery, and I Like the Way You Walk. Mike Poole kindly shares with us four photos of DtB playing on 3/25/09 in Knoxville, TN. Next up for the band comes their annual appearance at Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL, which started on Thursday, 3/26 and runs through Sunday, 3/29. Thanks for the photos, Mike!

Posted On: Thursday, March 26, 2009

New photos: 1/24/09 Nashville, TN

On Saturday, 1/24/09, Donna the Buffalo performed the second of two consecutive gigs at a brand-new venue, the Loveless Barn in Nashville, TN. While the first night had been a public gig (see photos), this show was a private party that a few fortunate Herd were able to attend. John Yust was among the lucky ones, and shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing in Nashville, TN on 1/24/09. As he'd done the previous nice, Craig Aspen of the Believers filled in for Jay Sanders on bass. Jim Lauderdale also sat in. On the first night, he joined DtB for just one song, Halfway Down, but at this party he performed a trio of songs with the band: Wait Till Spring, Halfway Down, and The King of Broken Hearts. For their duet portion of the encore Jeb and Tara played There Must Be, and then the full band did Hey Trudy. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, February 15, 2009

Photos From 1/23/09 Nashville, TN

Donna the Buffalo wrapped up a very busy January with a pair of performances that marked the grand opening of The Loveless Barn, a new venue in Nashville, TN. The band played a public show at the Loveless on Friday, 1/23, and a private party there on Saturday, 1/24. For these two gigs, the Believers' Craig Apsen (in the center of this photo) filled in on bass for Jay Sanders. John Yust was on hand for both nights and kindly provides us with 12 photos of DtB playing on 1/23/09 in Nashville, TN. This show featured Funky Side, Silverlined, Blue Sky, Seems to Want to Hurt This Time, Conscious Evolution and No Place Like the Right Time. For the four-song encore, first Jeb and Tara did In Another World as a duet, then the band came back out for Revolution. After Jim Lauderdale came onstage for a version of Halfway Down (a song Jim wrote that was made famous by Patty Loveless) the night ended with Hey Trudy. Once again, thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Saturday, February 7, 2009

Photos From DtB's inauguration bash

Donna the Buffalo has played in Falls Church, VA—a town just 9 miles outside of Washington, DC—many times before, but their recent visit was the most historic occasion: the inauguration of the United States' first African-American president. The band pulled out all the stops for this celebration, starting the show with It's A New Day and continuing the theme throughout the evening. "I just want to say for the record, I've always loved my country, I am more proud of my country right now," Jeb said between songs. The musical highlights included a new introduction for Do My Thing, the Believers coming out for a pair of songs, including a cover of Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, a new Jeb tune (working title: It's So Beautiful), and Jeb and Tara doing Mr. King as a duet for the encore. Lind Dicus generously share with with 12 photos of DtB performing on this historic evening. Originally, I had credited these photos to John Yust; sorry about that, Linda, and thanks for use of your photos!

Posted On: Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Photos From 1/22/09 Lexington, KY

Less than a week before a massive ice storm struck Kentucky, Donna the Buffalo visited Lexington for a show at the Kentucky Theatre. DtB bassist Jay Sanders was not with the band for this show; in his place was Craig Aspen, a member of the Believers, the band that opened for DtB at several of the shows during the band's November 2008 tour of the Western U.S. First-time DonnaFans.com Matt Preston was at the Lexington show, and shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 1/22/09 in Lexington, KY. The set consisted of a mix of old favorites like Conscious Evolution and Family Picture mixed with the most popular tunes from Silverlined, including the title track, Biggie K, Temporary Misery, Broken Record, and Garden of Eden. "The show closed on a perfect note with a Tara and Jeb duet of In Another World, into Revolution and closing with Hot Tamale," Matt said. "What a wonderful way to set the hook for the good amount of newbies in the crowd--socially conscious lyrics slowly eased into classic DtB zydeco--beautiful!" Thanks so much for the photos, Matt!

Posted On: Saturday, January 31, 2009

New Photos: 1/17/09 Jacksonville Beach, FL

According to Donnabase.com, Donna the Buffalo first played the Freebird Cafe in Jacksonville Beach, FL on 12/30/00, and has played there a dozen times all told. The band's most recent visit took place on 1/17/09 on the next-to-last night of five consecutive shows in Florida. Phil Ross was at this gig, and kindly provides us with 12 photos of DtB peforming on 1/17/09 in Jacksonville Beach, FL. Other than these wonderful photos, Phil didn't provide many details from this show, other than to say "Life's a ride when you're a railrat." Florida fans won't have to wait very long for the band to return—DtB will be back 3/26 - 3/29 for Suwannee Springfest at Live Oak, FL. Thanks again for use of your photos, Phil!

Posted On: Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Photos From Delray Beach, FL 1/16/09

Photos continue to stream in from shows on Donna the Buffalo's mini-tour of Florida in mid-January. Here longtime DonnaFans.com contributor Phil Ross, who attended four of the five shows, shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing at City Limits in Delray Beach, FL on 1/16/09. Phil got quite a few great shots, the best of which is probably this one of Tara. Kim Shockley reports that the band performed Visitor, River of Gold, and Let Love Move Me. "Love was in the air, you could feel it, share it and move it all around," Kim wrote. "It was a very emotional, love-filled night." Thanks for the photos, Phil!

Posted On: Saturday, January 24, 2009

Just added: Photos from 1/18/09 Tampa

The last of Donna the Buffalo's recent run of five shows in Florida took place at a venue the band books almost every time they play this state: Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa. Many in the Florida Herd made several or all of these five shows, and gave the band a rousing send-off before they headed North for the Inaugural Party in Virginia. DtB responded in kind, laying down a set that began with It's A New Day and went on to include America, Spinning World, Do My Thing, Come To Life, and Mr. King, which Jeb and Tara did as a duet. Robert Christmer was on hand and generously provides us with 12 photos of DtB performing in Tampa, FL on 1/18/09. Rumors has it that this show was both audiotaped and videotaped. Thanks again, Robert!

Posted On: Thursday, January 22, 2009

new photos: 1/14/09 Orlando, FL

At The Social in Orlando, FL, in its first Florida show since MagFest last October, Donna the Buffalo unleashed a performance filled with songs from deep within its songbook—including Our Way On (done by Jeb alone), West Virginia Rastafari, and Universal Love—as well as a selection of its most popular tunes, including Positive Friction and Family Picture. Robert Christmer, who is responsible for the excellent Internet radio station Have You Herd Radio, was at this show and shares with us 12 photos of DtB playing on 1/14/09 in Orlando, FL. "It was 'no flashes allowed,' so I ended up with a bunch of 'motion' shots," Robert said. "A few came out good, and I did sneek in a few flash shots closer to the end in case they booted me." Robert also used new photo editing software to create a beautiful image of Tara from one of his shots. Thanks so much, Robert!

Posted On: Saturday, January 17, 2009

DtB kicks off FL tour, will perform on Inauguration Day

On Wednesday, 1/14/09, Donna the Buffalo performed at the Social in Orlando, FL. This set included some real gems, including On Our Way On, West Virginia Rastafari (by request), Me and Depression, Universal Love, and Life's A Ride as the closer. This show was the first of five consecutive nights in the Sunshine State. Tonight (Thursday, 1/15), DtB will perform at The Engine Room in Tallahassee, and then in Delray Beach (1/16), Jacksonville Beach (1/17), and Tampa (1/18). On Tuesday, 1/20, on their way back up north, the band will perform an Inauguration Party at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA.

Donna the Buffalo ended a very busy 2008 with a two-night New Year's run at one of the band's favorite venues, the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. John Yust was at both shows, and shares with us a dozen photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 12/31/08 in Asheville, NC. After playing a dozen energetic tunes, the band rang in the new year in what has become its traditional way: By having Greg Hurtt join them to sing Auld Lang Syne. The Believers--Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini--also sat in for this song and Higher Ground, which was part of the encore. To top it all off, the band debuted two new songs: one from Jeb Puryear and one from Tara Nevins. Thanks so much for the photos, John! (posted 1/8/08)

Posted On: Thursday, January 8, 2009

New Year's Shows Available For Download

Recordings of Donna the Buffalo's two New Year's shows at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC are already available from the Live Music Archive. You can grab the 12/30/08 show from www.archive.org/details/donna2008-12-30 and the New Year's Eve show from www.archive.org/details/donna2008-12-31. Thanks to Jagraham at Roanoke for taping these shows and getting them posted so quickly! (posted 1/4/09)

Posted On: Sunday, January 4, 2009

Hotel deal for New Year's Shows

Fans planning to attend Donna the Buffalo's shows in Asheville, NC on 12/30 and 12/31 can get a special room rate from the Crowne Plaza Resort Asheville. To get the $96 rate, call the Crowne Plaza at 800-733-3211 or 828-254-3211 and mention Donna the Buffalo and that the group has a rate offer.

Posted On: Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Photos From Teaneck, NJ 12/11/08

Teaneck, NJ is a musical hotspot, and so Donna the Buffalo has made sure that Mexicali Live has been a regular stop on its tours. The band's most recent performance there occurred on 12/11/08. Not one but two of DonnaFans.com's regular contributors share with us photos from this gig: Gene Martin provides us with 8 artistic shots of DtB performing on 12/11/08 in Teaneck, NJ, while Phil Ross, who came all the way from FL, gives us 4 images of the same show. Highlights of the gig included The Ones You Love, Greatest Love, and Nashville Christmas. For the encore first just Jeb and Tara performed a beautiful version of There Must Be, and then the entire band came out for a stellar Let Love Move Me. Tom Gilbert was on drums for this show.

Posted On: Friday, December 19, 2008

NEW YEAR'S EVE shows in Asheville!

Donna the Buffalo is pleased to announce that it will share the stage with some very special musical friends when the band celebrates its upcoming two-night New Year's Eve run at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC.

On Tuesday, 12/30, before their full set, DtB will host the New Year's Asheville Revue from 9 to 10 pm. This will be a taste of featured Asheville performers, including Mad Tea Party; Old Time String Music with Trevor Stuart, Cary Fridley, Meredith McIntosh, John Herrmann, and Ira Bernstein's Traditional Appalachian Clogging; Woody Wood; Josh Phillips Trio; and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra and a burlesque act. WNCW's Martin Anderson will be the MC for the evening. This Revue came about because of the band's strong connection to the area: Nevins and Puryear have taken part in many old time circles around Asheville for years, and many members of DtB--former and current--also have ties in Asheville. Ten songs from DtB's current CD, Silverlined, were recorded at Asheville's Echo Mountain Studio.

On New Year's Eve, Wednesday, 12/31, The Believers will open up for Donna the Buffalo. Based out of Tennessee, The Believers--Craig Aspen and Cyd Frazzini--just completed the West Coast tour as DtB's opening act, typically sitting it with DtB for a song or two each show. The Believers' recently-released Lucky You effortlessly blends 1970s pop hooks and harmonies (a la Fleetwood Mac) while keeping one foot firmly planted in American roots music (a la Gram & Emmylou).

Tickets for these unique shows cost $20 in advance, $25 day of show for 12/30 and $30 in advance, $35 day of show for 12/31 and are available from The Orange Peel box office, online from www.theorangepeel.net/, or by calling 1-866-468-7630. For both nights, doors open at 8 pm and showtime is 9 pm. See you there!

Posted On: Thursday, December 18, 2008

New Photos: Chicago 12/6/08

Donna the Buffalo recently treated fans in the Midwest to a pair of weekend gigs, including a stop at a venue they've played many times before, Martyr's in Chicago. John Yust made the the trip for this show, and shares with us 7 photos of DtB performing on 12/6/08 in Chicago, IL. This show was notable in that it featured the debut of a new Jeb Puryear song, tentatively titled It's So Beautiful. Thanks to taper Christos Georgacopoulos, a recording of this performance is available for download from the Live Music Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/donna2008-12-06.aud.ck1.16bit. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Sunday, December 14, 2008

On drums this week: Tom Gilbert

Tom Gilbert will be on drums for Donna the Buffalo's next four shows: State College, PA on Wednesday, 12/10; Teaneck, NJ on Thursday, 12/11; Troy, NY on Friday, 12/12; and Buffalo, NY on Saturday, 12/13.

Posted On: Wednesday, December 10, 2008

DtB To Return To Florida In January

Donna the Buffalo will close out 2008 with shows at State College, PA (on Wednesday, 12/10), Teaneck, NJ (12/11), Troy, NY (12/12), Buffalo, NY (12/13), and a two-night New Year's engagement at the venerable Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on 12/30 and 12/31. After a short break the band will head down to Florida for a five-night run of gigs that includes stops in Tallahassee (1/14/09), Orlando (1/15), Jacksonville Beach (1/16), Fort Lauderdale (1/17), and Tampa (1/18). On the way home, DtB will play an Inauguration Party at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA on 1/20.

Posted On: Sunday, December 7, 2008

Videos From The Western Shows

Colorado's most dedicated Donna the Buffalo fan, Ziggy, has posted several videos of songs from shows on the band's recent tour of the Western United States, including parts of Broken Record and Wood and Stone from the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and Conscious Evolution from the Oriental Theater in Denver. You can see them at http://www.youtube.com/aziggy63. Thanks, Ziggy!

Posted On: Monday, December 1, 2008

New Photos: 11/21/08 San Francisco

On Friday, 11/21/08, Donna the Buffalo's tour of the Western states reached California with a gig at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Bill Davis flew out for this show and kindly shares with us 10 photos of DtB from 11/21/08 in San Francisco, CA. "The sound was excellent in this place; it is a very old music hall with amazing woodwork everywhere," Bill said. "The crowd was stellar, everyone who I met was super nice and looked to having a great time. I spent pretty much the whole show pretty close to the front dancing really hard." One of the highlights of the set for Bill was the band's performance of It's Just Me. "It was a wonderful rendition," he said. Thanks so much for the photos, Bill! The band concluded its Western tour the next night with a show at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, CA.

Posted On: Saturday, November 29, 2008

Photos From Boise, ID 11/18/08

Last week, Donna the Buffalo made their first-ever appearance in Idaho. The venue: The Grizzly Rose in Boise. The set: A tasty mix of crowd favorites (Family Picture, Conscious Evolution, Me and Depression, Blue Sky, Positive Friction, No Place Like The Right Time), less-frequently-heard gems (Co Fa [Tell Me Why], Greatest Love, Need You More And More), and songs from Silverlined (Garden of Eden, Temporary Misery, Broken Record). The night ended with the Believers joining DtB for Higher Ground. The setlist comes courtesy of Kimmy Tiedemann. "The venue had a mechanical bull right in front of the soundboard," Kimmy said. "That was a first for me! Crowd was small but really happy DtB was there!" Kimmy also provides us with 8 photos of DtB performing in Boise, ID on 11/18/08, including one of Dave on the aforementioned bull. Thanks, Kimmy, you efforts are very much appreciated!

Posted On: Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Hollywood Show Has Been Cancelled

The Donna the Buffalo show originally scheduled for Sunday, 11/23 at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA has been cancelled. The band's next gig will take place on Friday, 12/5 in Grand Rapids, MI.

Posted On: Sunday, November 23, 2008

New Photos: Salt Lake City, UT

After two enthusiastically-received gigs at The Oriental Theater in Denver, CO, Donna the Buffalo headed about 530 miles west to Salt Lake City, UT. Their they performed a Sunday night gig at Bar Deluxe, "the home of the Slippery Kittens Burlesque." Kimmy Tiedemann was on the bus from Denver through the Boise, ID show, and shares with us 5 photos of DtB playing on 11/16/08 in Salt Lake City, UT. Kimmy also photographed the Boise show two days later, and we'll post her shots from that gig next. Thanks, Kimmy!

Posted On: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Photos From Denver 11/15/08

If you enjoying checking out photos of Donna the Buffalo laying out the tunes with huge smiles on their faces, then you're going to love Larry Altshuler's images. This first-time DonnaFans.com contributor was at the second of DtB's gigs in Colorado, and kindly shares with us 12 photos of DtB performing on 11/15/08 at The Oriental Theater in Denver, CO. Larry got some fantastic portrait-style shots and a few terrific B&W images. For the second night at this venue, the band played many of the fans' favorite old songs, such as Mr. King, The Ones You Love, and Arrows Pointing Sideways, as well as a bunch off their latest CD, Silverlined, including Biggie K, Temporary Misery, and Forty Days and Forty Nights. For the encore, Jeb and Tara did There Must Be as a duet, and then the full band did a legendary Let Love Move Me. Thanks for the photos, Larry!

Posted On: Tuesday, November 18, 2008

More Photos from Ithaca 11/7/08

You might think that helping webcast Donna the Buffalo's recent show at Castaways in Ithaca so that fans around the world could see the band live from the comfort of their own homes would have been enough for Gene Martin. But Gene went that extra mile and photographed the band as well. Thanks to Gene, we're happy to present 9 more photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 11/7/08 in Ithaca, NY. These are in addition to Karten Landau's 5 photos from this same show. Whenever the band plays I-town, merriment is sure to be the result, and as these photos shows, this certainly was the case at Castaways. DtB geared up for their trip west with a set that was filled with the things Donna does best. Gene's been quite busy as of late--in addition to photographing and webcasting the Ithaca and Rochester shows, he's also been helping bring the beloved, recently improved Donnabase.com back up to snuff. Way to go, Gene!

Posted On: Monday, November 17, 2008

Photos From 11/8/08 Rochester, NY

> Donna the Buffalo finished off a recent weekend of New York shows with a performance at a venue they've played 20 times since 1996: Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY. With Tom Gilbert on drums and Sim Redmond filling in for Jay Sanders on bass, the band played a set that contained both old songs and new, including The Mill, Spinning World, and Push Comes To Shove, which was dedicated to the memory of Studs Terkel. For the encore, first Jeb, Tara and David did Each and Every Direction, and then the entire band plus Trevor MacDonald on scrub closed the night with Hot Tamale Baby. Karen Landau provides us with 5 photos of DtB performing in Rochester, NY on 11/8/08, including a shot of the faithful webcasting crew, who brought to us live via HaveYouHerd.com both this show and the previous night's gig in Ithaca. Thanks, Karen! Thanks, webcasters!

Posted On: Saturday, November 15, 2008

New Photos: 11/7/08 Ithaca, NY

No matter how far their tours take them, Donna the Buffalo always makes sure to take care of their hometown fans. This fall's extensive tour was no exception. On Friday, 11/7/08, the band performed at Castaways in Ithaca, NY. For this show and the next night's gig in Rochester, Tom Gilbert played drums and Sim Redmond filled in on bass. This show was webcast live on HaveYouHerd.com by the same dedicated crew who have so kindly brought us all of the previous webcasts. The set included a cover of the Johnny Cash tune Ring of Fire, as well as The Funky Side, Wood and Stone, Conscious Evolution, and Do My Thing. The night ended with a Hot Tamale Baby. "Ithaca" Karen Landau was at this show and shares with us 5 photos of DtB playing on 11/7/08 In Ithaca, NY. Karen also attended the next night's show in Rochester, and I'll soon post her photos of it. Thanks, Karen!

Posted On: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Two NY Shows, Then Heading West

Donna the Buffalo's massive Fall tour in support of the band's new CD, Silverlined, is about to head West. After a well-deserved break last weekend, the band returns with two shows close to home: Castaways in Ithaca, NY on Friday, 11/7 and Water Street in Rochester, NY on Saturday, 11/8. Shortly after, the band departs for the West for the first time since 2006, with shows in Denver, CO on 11/14 and 11/15; Salt Lake City, UT on 11/16; Boise, ID on 11/18; Seattle, WA on 11/19; Portland, OR on 11/20; San Francisco, CA on 11/21; Santa Cruz, CA on 11/22; and Hollywood, CA on 11/23. For more info, including links to the venue web sites, visit the Tour Dates page.

Posted On: Thursday, November 6, 2008

Request DtB's Locket & Key Video On GAC TV!

Donna the Buffalo's music video for the song Locket & Key has debuted on GAC, Great American Country TV, on the show Edge of Country. The video was directed by Mary Stuart Masterson, who is best known for her role in Fried Green Tomatoes, and her husband, Jeremy Davidson, who appears in Army Wives, Law & Order and many other shows. In addition to airing on television, the video also will be streamed on both the GAC and CMT web sites and is currently available on DtB's MySpace page and YouTube. The band is very excited and would like to put out a "Calling All Herd" bulletin for requests. The more the video is requested, the more GAC will air it, which means the band will get more notice and better exposure! Request that GAC play Locket & Key by visiting http://online.scrippsnetworks.com/gac/gac_video/request.asp. You can request the video as often as once per day. And be sure to fill out the Request Message field to let GAC know what you like about the band and the video. Let's stampede GAC with our love, good vibes and excitement!

Posted On: Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Photos From The LEAF

Held each spring and fall, the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) has been growing in popularity, and in fact the most recent event was sold out before the first band hit the stage. Donna the Buffalo returned to the LEAF this fall, and John Yust kindly shares 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo performing on 10/17/08 at Camp Rockmount in Black Mountain, NC. The band's two-hour set on the Lakeside main stage this Friday night featured a mix of songs from Silverlined and beyond. As has been his custom lately, Jeb dedicated These Are Better Days to the Barack Obama campaign. The two-song encore consisted of Come to Life followed by Yonder. Vic Stafford continues his role on drums. This gig marked the beginning of a monster run: eight shows in five states in nine days, right up through Magnolia Festival. Thanks for the photos, John!

Posted On: Monday, October 20, 2008

Two dozen photos from 9/25/08 Kent, OH

We celebrate Donna the Buffalo's recent return to the legendary Kent Stage in Kent, OH with a whopping 24 photos of the show. Late-Shift Louie Spinelli steps up with 12 photos of DtB performing on 9/25/08 in Kent, OH, and Kimmy Tiedemann shares with us another dozen images from this same show, including several cool behind-the-scenes shots. This performance showcased many of the songs on the new CD, Silverlined, as well as favorites such as Family Picture, Positive Friction, Revelation Two-Step, Push Comes To Shove, No Place Like The Right Time, and an encore consisting of This Goes followed by Hot Tamale Baby. Thanks for the photos, guys!

Posted On: Sunday, October 5, 2008

free tix for 10/21 show in Knoxville!

On Tuesday, 10/21, Donna the Buffalo will play at The Valarium in Knoxville, TN. From 10/7 to 10/21, free tickets to this show will be available from wherever New Belgium beers are served. Check with The Valarium (865-522-2820) or your favorite Knoxville, TN bar or tavern for details.

Posted On: Friday, October 3, 2008

New photos: 9/17/08 Raleigh, NC

Terry Killebrew returns with another great batch of Donna the Buffalo photos, this time 12 shots from DtB's show on 9/17/08 at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC. Terry images include several photos of the entire band, shot from the balcony and other spots. This show was one of the several September gigs that featured Vic Stafford of Blueground Undergrass filling in on drums. The set in Raleigh included Hit The Groove, Sailing, It's Just Me, and Voice in My Head. In addition to these photos, Terry also managed to capture and post on YouTube videos from this show of the band performing I Don't Need A Riddle and These Are Better Days. Well done, sir!

Posted On: Friday, October 3, 2008

Photos From 9/20/08, St. Petersburg, FL

The Florida contingent of the Herd recently had reason to celebrate, as Donna the Buffalo returned to the Sunshine State for a gig at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg. It was the band's only stop in the Sunshine State for this leg of the tour, but it was a good one: a rare two-set performance, highlights of which included Funkyside and the return of The Mill (last played 5/11/08, Rochester, NY) in the opening set, Push Comes to Shove, This Goes, Current Theme (by request), and Conscious Evolution in the second set, plus a smattering of songs off Silverlined throughout the night. Phil Ross was at this show and shares with us a dozen photos of DtB playing on 9/20/08 in St. Petersburg, FL. Among Phil's photos is a shot of Marlin Patton filling in for Tom Gilbert on drums at what would be the last performance before Tom rejoined the tour. Thanks, Phil! DtB will return to FL for MagFest in Live Oak in late October.

Posted On: Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tom Gilbert's Back!

On Thursday, 9/25, Donna the Buffalo drummer Tom Gilbert returned to his place behind the kit for the band's show at The Kent Stage in Kent, OH. At this show, the set included an incendiary Push Comes To Shove, Wood and Stone, and This Goes (by request). Tom had taken a few weeks off because he and his wife recently had a baby girl, Dorothy Rose. The band had several drummers fill in for Tom while he was away, starting with Kevin Bregande for the shows in Philadelphia and New York; Mike Riddleberger in Greenfield, MA; Vic Stafford (Blueground Undergrass) for the shows in Boston, New Haven, Woodstock, NY and Raleigh, NC; and Marlin Patton in Charlotte, NC, Atlanta, and St. Petersburg, FL.

Posted On: Friday, September 26, 2008

New Photos: 9/19/08 Atlanta, GA

Amanda Abercrombie kindly shares 12 photos of the band playing the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA on 9/19/08. "Decent turnout and the crowd was great," Amanda said. "Nice vibe, good people and lots of folks really into the music. We sang all night long, and many of us were hoarse on Saturday. Donna impressed us again as always and cannot wait for Magfest." In addition to several songs off Silverlined, the band's set on this night also included It's Just Me, Voice in My Head, America, Wood and Stone, and a two-song encore. First just Jeb and Tara came out for There Must Be, and then the entire band for Mystic Water. Filling in on drums for this show was Marlin Patton. New dad Tom Gilbert will return in time for the band's next run of shows, which starts Thursday, 9/25 in Kent, OH. Thanks for the photos, Amanda!

Posted On: Monday, September 22, 2008

Photos: 9/13/08 Woodstock, NY

Donna the Buffalo returned to Woodstock, NY on Saturday, 9/13/08, a town they last played in August 2005. The lineup for this performance was unique: Vic Stafford of Blueground Undergrass played drums, filling in for Tom Gilbert, who was eagerly awaiting a new baby (see below), while longtime DtB friend Sim Redmond filled in on bass, in place of Jay Sanders. The band broke out an exception strong show, played a set that which included several of the songs off Silverlined, plus Voice in My Head, Conscious Evolution, and Funkyside, a sweet It's Just Me, and an encore consisting of Hot Tamale Baby and Let Love Move Me. John Miklasz, who recently provided us with 5 photos of the band's Labor Day gig in Red Hook, NY, share with us 10 photos of DtB playing in Woodstock, NY on 9/13/08. Thanks, John!

Posted On: Thursday, September 18, 2008

It's a girl!

Donna the Buffalo drummer Tom Gilbert and his wife, Nikki, have a new addition to their family. Dorothy Rose Gilbert daughter was born at 8:39 am on Monday, 9/15 (her actual due date). She is 19 inches long and weighs 6 lbs, 4 ounces. Congratulations to the happy, proud parents!

Posted On: Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Special Lineup At The Woodstock Show

On Saturday, 9/13, fans at the band's show in Woodstock, NY were treated to a unique rendition of Donna the Buffalo. Longtime DtB friend Sim Redmond (Sim Redmond Band) played bass, filling in for Jay Sanders, while Vic Stafford (Blueground Undergrass) sat in on drums, in place of Tom Gilbert, as he had done for the two previous shows in Boston and New Haven. The two new performers added a special energy to the set, which included several of the songs off Silverlined, fan favorites Voice in My Head, Conscious Evolution, and Funkyside, a sweet It's Just Me, and an encore consisting of Hot Tamale Baby and Let Love Move Me.

Posted On: Sunday, September 14, 2008

Silverlined Tops The Charts!

On Friday, 9/5, Donna the Buffalo's latest CD, Silverlined, climbed to #1 on the Roots Rock radio chart! You can view the chart at http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/2.0/charts.php?name=altcountry. This week, the band will perform in Boston, MA on Thurs. 9/11, New Haven, CT on Fri. 9/12, and Woodstock, NY on Sat. 9/13.

Posted On: Wednesday, September 10, 2008

DtB Creates Music Video For Locket and Key

Donna the Buffalo’s first music video is close to completion. The video was created for the Tara Nevins song Locket and Key, which appears on the band’s latest CD, Silverlined. It was directed and produced by Mary Stuart Masterson, who is perhaps best known for her role in Fried Green Tomatoes, and her husband, Jeremy Davidson, who currently plays Chase Moran on the Lifetime drama Army Wives. Davidson is also the brother of former DtB bassist Jed Greenberg. “(The video) was an awesome experience,” Nevins said. “It is basically done and we now will deliver it to (record label) Sugar Hill.” Information on where and when the Locket and Key video will air will be announced.

Posted On: Monday, September 8, 2008

Photos from 9/1/08 Red Hook, NY

Jim McGrath attended Donna the Buffalo's free Labor Day gig at WKZE (98.1 FM) Studios in Red Hook, NY and wanted to share his 7 photos from this show. "Holding it outside allowed somewhere between 500 to 600 people to attend," Jim said. "It was originally supposed to be from 12 until 1 pm, but they played for about an hour and forty five minutes! The band seemed to really enjoy playing for so many new people. Lots of new fans made today." He added that in addition to most of the songs off Silverlined, DtB played a "a hot, hot, Hot Tamale Baby," No Place Like The Right Time, Blue Sky, and a set-ending Conscious Evolution.

Posted On: Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Fall Tour To Include West Coast Shows

Donna the Buffalo has recently added a tremendous amount of shows to its schedule for the upcoming months, including West Coast dates in Seattle, WA (11/19), Portland, OR (11/20) and San Francisco, CA (11/21). The band now has more than 30 gigs scheduled between now and the end of 2008. For full details, see DtB's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/donnathebuffalo.

Posted On: Wednesday, August 6, 2008