Donna the Buffalo News & Rumors

August 2006 Just Added: Photos From 8/19/06, Lafayette, GA With a name like T-Dawg's Back Porch Hootenany with the Herd, you might have expected something special from Donna the Buffalo's performance on 8/19/06 in Lafayette, GA. And if you had been there, you wouldn't have been disappointed. Though it was only a one-day event, and though due to rain DtB's set didn't start until after midnight, the band pulled out one of their signature performances that explain why many in the Herd are willing to drive or fly untold miles to see the next show. The 3-hour-plus set including several songs DtB hadn't performed in a while (see below, "DtB Digs Deep Into The Songbook At Shows In GA, SC") and a monster of an encore. First just Jeb and Tara came out for Me & Depression. Then Bill joined them and the trio did No Place Like The Right Time. Bill left Jeb and Tara to perform Let's Try Again, a beautiful Jeb song that seems to be working its way back into rotation. After a brief break, Jeb and Tara came back out for I Wish You Love and then Times Are Bad to close the night. Ever-reliable DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust provides us with 11 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing on 8/19/06 in Lafayette, GA, including one of Jeb and Tara during the encore. Major thanks to John for the photos, and to T-Dawg for making this show happen. (posted 8/29/06)

New Photos: Buffalo, NY 8/17/06 Rumor had it that cameras weren't permitted at Donna the Buffalo's show in mid August at Lafayette Square in beautiful Buffalo, NY, but that didn't stop several determined fans from getting the set photographed. First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Nicki Chaconas was among those who broke the rules to share with us what went on that night, and her 10 photos of DtB playing in Buffalo, NY on 8/17/06 including several classic shots, such as this great one of Bill and Tara (left), another of Bill singing his heart out, and one of Kathy Z and Jeb looking very pleasantly surprised by "something." Be sure to also check out Lori Sands' review of this show. Thanks so much for the photos, Nicki! Coming next: Photos from the Hootenany and the two-night run at the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC! (posted 8/28/06)

DtB Digs Deep Into The Songbook At Shows In GA, SC At recent shows in Georgia and South Carolina, Donna the Buffalo treated the Herd by breaking out several songs that they hadn't played in a while. The fun started on Saturday 8/19 at T-Dawg's Back Porch Hootenany with the Herd in LaFayette, GA. During an epic 3-hour-plus set that didn't start until after midnight due to rain, the band pulled out the song Hundred Miles, which according to Donnabase.com, they hadn't played since 4/30/03, and Revelation Two-Step, last played 9/20/05. The show ended with Jeb and Tara performing Times Are Bad, a tune DtB hadn't played since 5/4/05. To celebrate their two-day return to the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC, DtB played a few other songs that hadn't seen the light of day in more than a year. On Monday, 8/21, they broke out The Waltz (last played 5/29/05) and When Love Comes Around (last played 6/10/05, at this same venue). The next day they pulled out Behind the Door Waltz (last played 5/12/05). Thanks to John Yust for the set lists and Jane Mauldin for the photo, which is from the encore on 8/19/06. (posted 8/23/06)

New Review: 8/17/06 Buffalo, NY Donna the Buffalo has a longstanding tradition of playing shows that are free to the public, often at concerts that are part of a city's summer music festival. The latest of these took place on Friday, 8/17/06 at Lafayette Square in Buffalo, NY. Lori Sands was there, and she provides a brief but telling review of DtB's set on 8/17/06 in Buffalo, NY. (You can download a copy of this show from here.)Lori also explains why photos of this show might be a little rare: "This was weird--cameras were prohibited at this show. All bags were searched...but the searcher-guy did let us take in our little 35 mm and Ben got some pics of the band, though not digital." She added that for her, If You Only Could was the highlight of the set. Thanks for the review, Lori! (posted 8/22/06)

Help Save The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festivals! Plans are well underway for the annual Fall Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, which will take place 10/5 - 10/8 in Silk Hope, NC and features performances by Donna the Buffalo, Preston Frank, the Sam Bush Band, the Duhks, and many others. If you're a fan of either the Fall or Spring Shakori fests, you should know that some of the neighbors in the surrounding Chatham County area are voicing a loud and persistent protest to the Chatham County Commissioners against the Festivals and the Friday Night Music series. Festival organizers are extremely willing to work with those involved to address all complaints, but are concerned that the Commissioners, who will be holding a hearing on Monday, 8/21, are getting feedback only from people who oppose the Festivals. If you support Shakori Hills and either live in the area or visit to attend the Festivals, please immediately let them know that there is support for these events. The Commissioners' contact information and more details about the situation appear on this post on the Chatham County message board. For more info also check out this page of the Shakori Hills site. Don't let this beautiful Festival disappear! (posted 8/18/06)

Photo Flashback: 7/6/96 Great Blue Heron The oldest photos of Donna the Buffalo on this site have come from John Miklasz, who's obviously been a fan since the early days. This week John shares with us seven photos of DtB performing at the Great Blue Heron Festival in Sherman, NY on 7/6/96. At that show the lineup consisted of Jeb Puryear (guitar), Jim Miller (guitar), Tara Nevin (guitar/accordion/fiddle), Joe Thrift (keys), and, though you can't really see them in this batch of photos, Jordan Puryear (bass) and Jimmy Triplett (drums). Both Jordan Puryear and Jimmy Triplett were winding down their time with DtB; Triplett most likely played his final shows with the band at GrassRoots a few weeks after these photos were shot, while Jordan's last show was 9/14/96 in Titusville, PA. John's also kindly shared photos of DtB from 5/9/97 in Jamestown, NY and Great Blue Heron Festival in July 1993. Thanks so much for allowing me to host your now-historical photos, John! (posted 8/15/06)

Another Look: Grand Rapids 7/13/06 First-time DonnaFans.com contributor Michael Bazuin was one of the lucky ones who was on hand when Donna the Buffalo performed at the lovely Meijer Gardens Amphitheater in Grand Rapids, MI in mid-July. "This was a great show, although short by comparison to other Donna shows," Michael said. "The venue at the Fred Meijer Gardens is beautiful, and the sound was right on. The only downside was the heat (in the 90s) and that they were done playing by 10 p.m. Seems like they were just hitting their groove when they had to stop playing." Michael's five photos of DtB playing in Grand Rapids, MI on 7/13/06 reveal a large crowd having a good time in what looks to be a near-perfect setting. Thanks for the photos, Michael! Jeff Frank had also already shared nine photos of this same show. (posted 8/10/06)

More Photos From Floyd Fest At the Ford family, two things are very popular: Enjoying the music of Donna the Buffalo, and taking photos of the band as they perform. A few days ago, DonnaFans.com was happy to share Artie Ford's photos of DtB at Floyd Fest. Today his wife, Teri, shares her 10 photos of Donna the Buffalo's 7/29/06 set in Floyd, VA. As Artie did, Teri grabbed some great shots from several vantage points, and you can just tell bassist Bill Reynolds was in the groove that day. Thanks so much for the photos, Teri and Artie, and I hope to meet you at a show someday! (posted 8/6/06)

First Photos: Floyd Fest 7/29/06 For coverage of Donna the Buffalo's annual appearance at Floyd Fest, DonnaFans.com brings you photos from two fans. First-time contributor Artie Ford grabbed a handful of great shots of DtB on 7/29/06 in Floyd, VA, including a few keepers of Bill having fun in his groovy shirt (left). And Gail Vanderheyden took not only photos of DtB's set on 7/29/06, but also a few of Jeb sitting in with Cajun legends the Balfa Tourjours later that night, and Tara joining the Balfa Tourjours (on triangle, no less) the next day in the dance tent. Looks like a good time for all involved. Thanks for letting me host your photos, guys! (posted 8/3/06) DtB To Kick Things Up A Notch In Late August After a quiet early August, Donna the Buffalo will play a string of dates in the second half of the month. They'll start out close to home with a free show in Buffalo, NY on Thursday, 8/17, then to Charleston, WV on 8/18. That will be followed by a gig in LaFayette, GA (8/19) before a two-night run at The Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC (8/21 - 8/22), where DtB played two outstanding shows last June. After a day off they'll be dates in Athens, GA (8/24), Wilmington, NC (8/25), and Kill Devil Hills, NC (8/26). The tour ends on Sunday, 8/27 with a 6:15 p.m. slot at Avett Festival in Charlotte, NC; in addition to DtB, that fest will feature The Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles, The Blue Rags (featuring Bill Reynolds) and the Everybodyfields. Check the Tour dates page on DonnaTheBuffalo.com for the latest information. (posted 8/3/06)

Backstage At GrassRoots Friday 7/21/06 Greg Cotterill decided to photograph Donna the Buffalo's afternoon set with Jim Lauderdale on 7/21/06 at the GrassRoots Festival in Trumansburg, NY from every conceivable angle. He shot it from the Grandstand, onstage from the Tara side, onstage from the Kathy Z side, and even onstage from behind the band. But my favorites are the two pictures he grabbed backstage before the band even hit the stage: This one (right), with everyone all relaxed and smiling, ready to lay down a killer performance, and another he took a second later, when Bill realized the camera was on him. Nice work, Greg! Is this the end of DonnaFans.com's coverage of GrassRoots 2006? I wouldn't count on it. (posted 8/1/06)

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