Donna the Buffalo’s vocalist/ guitarist/songwriter Jeb Puryear was not in one of his better moods. “My son’s a little under the weather,” he explained. Riding on the band’s vintage tour bus from upstate New York southward to Florida, they were only in Pennsylvania when Puryear called on his cell. “We’re now on our bus around Scranton, Pennsylvania, a beautiful town. Yeah, that’s sarcasm,” he said. “Lotta junk yards along the highway.”In conclusion he added, “I’m neither bored nor having a great time.”
Recently, Donna the Buffalo have been touring with country troubadour Jim Lauderdale, from Troutman, NC. Both will be part of a two-night stand at the Neighborhood Theatre Friday and Saturday.
Lauderdale’s musical attack lends credence and versatility to the homespun boogie of Donna the Buffalo. It’s a mutually beneficial, sonically symbiotic relationship that greatly enhances the two separate yet complementary parts. You get the rootsy, earnest grooves of Donna while Lauderdale adds a vocal counterpoint to the group’s hypnotic rhythm “n’ groove.
In other words, paired with Donna the Buffalo is this goofy, unpredictable showman, a country chameleon, whose previous CD had him teamed with bluegrass patriarch Ralph Stanley in a Grammy-winning effort.
Having these two — Donna and Lauderdale — combine forces should lead to a lively, two-night showcase.
Besides Puryear, Donna consists of the incomparable Tara Nevins singing and playing accordion, fiddle, guitar and washboard. Her vocals, going back to the legendary Heartbeats, are without peer, as is her fiddling expertise. Other band members include former entomologist Jim Miller on guitar and vocals, Kathy Zeigler on keyboards, Jed Greenberg on bass and Tom Gilbert on drums. Zeigler replaces long-time member and North Carolina connection, Joe Thrift, who’s now part of the Carolina old-time band Man Alive!
Interestingly, Donna the Buffalo is not pushing a new album. Their last recording, Live from the American Ballroom, is already a year and a half old. “We need to release more,” said Puryear. However, Lauderdale’s recent effort, Wait “til Spring, is a combination of Lauderdale with Donna the Buffalo as backup band. As Puryear described the combined effort, “It’s nice to put your creative energy in another place. It’s not all yours.”
He said they first met Lauderdale at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium at a Ricky Skaggs show. “We met again at MerleFest, then again at Newport. It was pretty fun. He came up to the Grass Roots Festival (outside Ithaca, NY) and we backed him up. That’s how we got started.” Regarding the current Lauderdale/Buffalo effort, Puryear said, “He wanted to make a record with us. We got together. He was supposed to write the songs and then do “em. But he didn’t. He’d write real rushed half an hour before we recorded. He didn’t even have the lyrics written. He just mumbled something while we recorded.” Puryear’s since learned that the words and the recording have garnered both serious and positive reviews.
Meanwhile, Donna the Buffalo was barreling down the highway to south Florida to play New Year’s Eve in Tampa and a four-day stand for their fans — known as “The Herd” — at a hotel in Key West. “Last year,” Puryear said, “We did a cruise and had 800 people on a boat. This New Year’s we’ll stay in a hotel. We’re ending (the tour) up in Charlotte. We’ll see how it goes.”
Still wondering if he was chatty enough, Puryear signed off, saying, “Call us again tomorrow if you want me to be more lively.”
Or maybe just go see them play.
Donna the Buffalo and Jim Lauderdale appear at the Neighborhood Theatre on Friday and Saturday, January 16 and 17. Doors open at 7pm, showtime is 8pm. Two-night tickets are $35; single-night tickets are $20. Charge via phone at 704-358-9298, or buy for cash only at CD Warehouse (Kings Dr. & Independence locations) and Sunshine Daydreams at the corner of 36th & N. Davidson St.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2004.
