April 2009
More Incredible 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 below. Thanks for the photos, John!
(posted 4/27/09)
New Photos: Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, 4/16/09 - 4/19/09
Always-reliable DonnaFans.com contributor Terry Killebrew 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 (see below) 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 4/21/09)
First Report From Shakori Hills
On Thursday, 4/16/09, Donna the Buffalo kicked off the first day of the Shakori Hills GrassRoots festival with a stellar set that included several lesser-heard tunes and the brand-new Jeb tune the band had debuted in Knoxville last month, which is called It's Love Time, before ending the night with Mystic Water and some new zydeco. "Gorgeous evening here in central NC. I have never seen the Thursday Shakori opener so crowded," said Paul Roberge."The band was in great form, and the positive vibe in the crowd was palpable. 'It's Love Time' is a wonderful addition to the DtB canon. 'The Mill' stood out for David McCracken's muscianship during a nicely paced jam (Tara switching to rubboard). I like how 'Mystic Water' has been reworked to include a descent into free form. If I understood correctly, the closing zydeco is Tara's composition, and it came off quite well. The band seems to have found the sweet spot this evening." This festival started runs through Sunday, 4/19, and will include several more performances by DtB and many, many other bands; for more info, visit www.shakorihills.org. Thanks for the quick report, Paul! (posted 4/17/09)
DtB Will Perform At Mountain Aid In June
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 4/16/09)
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 (left), the Rowan brothers, and a great shot of a smiling Vic Stafford. Thanks for the photos, Phil!
(posted 4/7/09)
New Photos: 3/26/09 - 3/29/09 Live Oak, FL
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. As described in John Yust's report (below), 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! I hope to provide more coverage of this event, including the special after-Springfest jam that lasted until dawn and included a ton of Beatles covers. (posted 4/5/09)
