The roots-rocking, Americana, country groove band Donna the Buffalo will join several members of Big Leg Emma on Friday for a concert in Jamestown.
The show is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Crystal Ballroom. Big Leg Emma's Steve Johnson, Charity Nuse and Kev Rowe will perform at 8 p.m., and Donna the Buffalo will take the stage at 9:30 p.m.
Tara Nevins, vocalist, who also plays accordion, fiddle, guitar and scrubboard, is looking forward to having some fun in Jamestown, she said.
Article Photos
Pictured is Donna the Buffalo. The band includes Jeb Puryear, guitar and vocals; Tara Nevins, vocalist, who also plays accordion, fiddle, guitar and scrubboard; Dave McCracken, keyboardist; Mark Raudabaugh, drummer; and Kyle Spark, bassist. The band will join several members of Big Leg Emma for a show at Jamestown’s Crystal Ballroom on Friday.
Photo by John D. Kurc
"We have a relationship with the area, and we go way back with the town," said Nevins. "We play the Great Blue Heron festival every year, and we used to play Joyce's Keg Room back in the day. And, we're very close with David Tidquist, who started the Great Blue Heron festival. He is a great friend of ours, and we have a lot of other friends out there too. So, it's going to be nice."
Nevins is also looking forward to playing with her friends, the three members of Big Leg Emma, who will play an acoustic set to open the show.
"We've done some shows with them, so it will be very familiar," said Nevins. "It'll also be nice to see friends, the Blue Heron family and it'll be festive with the holiday time."
Donna the Buffalo will perform a full electric show, complete with classics in addition to new material from the album the band is currently recording. The album should be out later in winter or early spring, said Nevins.
For the new album, which was recorded in a church, Nevins and Jeb Puryear, original members of Donna the Buffalo, were joined by three new members including: Dave McCracken, keyboardist; Mark Raudabaugh, drummer; and Kyle Spark, bassist.
"So, essentially we have a new band," said Nevins. "But, we sound better and stronger than ever really. On 'Silverlined,' our 2008 album, we had some guests join us. But, our new one is all Donna the Buffalo doing what we do and better than we've ever done it. "
According to John Streed, of Blue Moon Management, having the show at the Crystal Ballroom will create the perfect combination of musicians at a venue that compliments their performance.
"The idea for the show came when David Tidquist was with Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear at Wegmans in Lakewood, and Tara said that she wanted to play here again," said Streed. "David had always had exclusivity on Donna the Buffalo, but, I got really excited when he called me to kind of turn it over to me. I had to find the right situation so I teamed up with Steve Vinciguerra of Broken Glass Productions. I wanted the show to be at a place where people weren't constricted for seating. And, also for it to be a danceable and festive atmosphere."
Donna the Buffalo doesn't have another area show scheduled until the next Great Blue Heron festival in July, which Nevins is greatly looking forward to.
"We've played (the Great Blue Heron festival) every year since the first one, and as long as they will have us, we'll keep playing it," said Nevins. "As everything is going, we should certainly have the new record by the Blue Heron."
Donna the Buffalo has a large group of followers who have coined themselves "The Herd." According to the band's official website, donnathebuffalo.com, the herd is a growing family of people who enjoy the music and atmosphere surrounding Donna the Buffalo. But, the group isn't just for appreciating the work of the band; it also actively serves to raise funds for charities through a self-started and operated organization called "Side to Side Charities."
"It's our fanbase that years ago started meeting at gigs," said Nevins. "It grew and grew until they self-named themselves 'The Herd.' It's kind of likened to the Grateful Dead having Deadheads. They follow us, and they are pretty active, so it creates a community. We're fortunate to have that because a lot of bands don't, and a lot of these folks have become good friends."
General admission tickets are $20. The show is open to all ages, and kids under 12 get in for $10 with a guardian or parent. The Crystal Ballroom is located at110 W. Third St. in Jamestown. For more information call the Blue Moon Management office at 499-9638, the Crystal Ballroom office at 664-3345 or search for "Donna the Buffalo" on Facebook.