Donna the Buffalo News & Rumors

March 2008

Just Announced: More Shows In The Northeast In Early May
Donna the Buffalo has added two shows to its schedule for early May. After their annual performances at Shakori Hills Grassroots (Silk Hope, NC 4/17-4/20) and Merlefest (North Wilkesboro, NC 4/25-4/26), the band heads for a show on Friday, 5/9, at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY. The next night, they'll be at Higher Ground in South Burlington, VT. Both are venues the band has played in the past. These dates are in addition to the previously announced show on Sunday, 5/11 at the Lilac Festival in Rochester, NY. Details about the Rochester show, including the time of the band's set, have not yet been announced. Should be a great weekend! (posted 3/29/08)
DtB Is Heading For Springfest
With McCracken On Keys
Donna the Buffalo's upcoming gigs 3/28 through 3/30 at the Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL will be the first with David McCracken playing keyboards as a full-time member. McCracken filled in for former DtB keyboardist Kathy Ziegler when she took maternity leave in 2006, has sat in with the band frequently since then, and most recently has handled soundboard duties. "This is huge for me. I love DtB," McCracken said. "I first saw them in the mid 1990s. I played Hammond B3 organ back then, and as I saw them wheel the old Lowery organ onto the stage for Joe Thrift to play, I said out loud, 'That should be me.' I don't know why I said it. I didn't say that about anyone else. And 12 years later, it's me. Completely true. I am so excited to play with Jay, Jeb, Tara, and Tom, to make this music, and to see where the music takes us in the future. I believe a lot of good and powerful things are coming down the pike." Welcome, David! (posted 3/22/08)
Delray Beach Show Available On Live Music Archive
Last month I posted Aeric Moskowitz's 12 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing the Garlic Fest in Delray Beach, FL on 2/8/08 and a link to Capnhook's recording of that show, which he had uploaded to the Live Music Archive. Capnhook let me know that the link I posted was incorrect; you can download that show from www.archive.org/details/donna2008-02-08.naks303.flac16. This is a great recording of a fun show that included the recently-added-to-the-rotation Tara Nevins song Wood and Stone, as well as many of DtB's most popular songs, such as Positive Friction, Tide of Time, Blue Sky, Family Picture, Conscious Evolution, and Funkyside. Thanks, Capnhook! (posted 3/14/08)
More Photos From
2/15/08 Genvea, NY
Kevin Colton is a photographer for Hobart and William Smith Colleges and had the pleasure of shooting Donna the Buffalo's performance at the Smith Opera House in Geneva, NY on 2/15/08. This show was opened by Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band; Jeb and Tara sat in with Keith for part of his set. In addition to fans favorites such as Family Picture, Blue Sky, 40 Days & 40 Nights, Funkyside, and Tides of Time, DtB played Wood and Stone, a new Tara song that's been in rotation since the Huntsville, AL New Year's Eve run. The Geneva set ended with No Place Like the Right Time and then the band came back joined by Keith Frank to encore with Part-Time Lover. Kevin's graciously allowed me to post 9 photos of Donna the Buffalo playing in Geneva, NY on 2/15/08, one of which include Jeb and Tara sitting in with Keith Frank. These are in addition to Greg Cotterill's 9 photos of Dtb's soundcheck for this show. Thanks for the photos, guys! (posted 3/8/08)
Soundcheck Photos: 2/15/08 Genvea, NY
On Friday, 2/15/08, Donna the Buffalo returned to the Smith Opera House in Geneva, NY to headline a Mardi Gras event that raised more than $900 for Hurricane Katrina relief. In a rare midwinter trip up from Louisiana, longtime musical friends Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band opened the show. Greg Cotterill, who's provided DonnaFans.com with many photos over the years, was involved in promoting the gig for Hobart and William Smith Colleges and WEOS. He was at the Opera House early, and snapped for us 9 photos of Donna the Buffalo's soundcheck on 2/15/08 in Geneva, NY. "Various soundcheck photos in an empty-cold theater; Tara kept the jacket on," Greg said. "Everyone in DtB and Keith and Brad Frank signed the posters, which will be given to Side to Side for the Trumansburg GrassRoots raffle." He added that he got a shot of Brad and Keith Frank checking out the Preston Frank and his Zydeco Family Band cassette that he purchased at the very first Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg. Next up: Photos of the actual performance. Thanks for the contributions, Greg! (posted 3/4/08)
New Photos: 2/9/0 Jacksonville Beach, FL
The second gig of Donna the Buffalo's early February doubleheader in Florida took place on Saturday, 2/9/08 at the Freebird Cafe in Jacksonville Beach, a venue the band has visited 11 times starting in December 2000. It was fairly well known that this show would be keyboardist Kathy Ziegler's third-to-last show with the band as a full-time member, and her last show outside of New York. Fittingly, frequent DonnaFans.com contributor John Yust marked the occasion by taking what is probably my all-time favorite photo of Kathy Z (right), enjoying herself during a mid-set Hot Tamale Baby with Dave McCracken sitting in. John kindly provides us with 9 photos of DtB performing in Jacksonville Beach, FL on 2/9/08. The two-and-half-hour performance included a trio of "love" songs: Love and Gasoline, Greatest Love of All, and I Wish You Love. The set ended with Conscious Evolution and was followed by a two-song encore: This Goes and Temporary Misery. Thanks for the photos, John! (posted 3/1/08)
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