Bradley’s Almanac

Mp3s: Buffalo Tom live in Boston

Posted on July 5, 2006 at 10:52 pm | No Comments

For me, Buffalo Tom is the quintessential Boston band. Around since 1987 with nary a lineup change, the trio’s continued existence is a testament to hanging in there just for the love of making music with friends. No massive stylistic changes over time, peaks and valleys of popularity, from indies to majors and now on their own, but always three guys playing solid songs. First time I saw them was back in ’92 on one of my many trips from Burlington, VT down here to Boston for a good show, and that visit was one of the best: Buffalo Tom, Mercury Rev, and My Bloody Valentine. The stuff from which lasting memories (and ear damage) are made. Got to see BT again just a few months later when they came up to Burlington for Sub Pop’s Vermonstress Fest, and by then I’d become well hooked on both ‘Birdbrain‘ and ‘Let Me Come Over‘, and would soon be equally enamored of 1994’s ‘Big Red Letter Day‘. I admittedly lost track of them just after ‘Smitten‘ came out, when they followed it up with both an A-sides and B-sides collection, as well as a long break from playing out.

While Buffalo Tom never actually broke up, they did hit a five year haitus at the turn of the century while singer/guitarist Bill Janovitz and singer/bassist Chris Colbourn worked on solo material and other projects (Bill with his band Crown Victoria, Chris with former Fuzzy singer/guitarist Hilken Mancini). And as a Red Sox fan, Bill has participated in the ‘Hot Stove, Cool Music‘ project, which brings together both area sports-loving and sports-playing musicians on stage for charity. The next one actually takes place at Fenway Park a week from tonight, on July 12th (update – and at which Buffalo Tom will be playing with Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on guitar, as Mark reminded me of in the comments).

It’s only recently that Bill, Chris, & Tom have returned to Boston-area stages as a trio, with a few Buffalo Tom shows last year and a string of dates this summer. They played the Paradise a couple weeks back for two gigs, one in the Paradise Lounge on Friday, June 23rd, and one in the larger main room the following night. For you, here’s the Friday night set…

Buffalo Tom

Live at The Paradise Lounge
Boston, MA
Friday, June 23rd, 2006

01. Staples
02. Enemy
03. Rachael
04. Summer
05. Mineral
06. Treehouse
07. banter 1
08. Kitchen Door
09. banter 2
10. Bad Phone Call (new)
11. Taillights Fade
12. banter 3
13. Three Easy Pieces (new)
14. You’ll Never Catch Him (new)
15. banter 4
16. Sodajerk
17. banter 5
18. Darl

encore 1…
19. (a stab at Little Red Rooster)
20. Wiser
21. banter 6
22. Tangerine
23. banter 7
24. Clobbered
25. I’m Allowed

encore 2…
26. banter 8
27. Under My Thumb (Stones cover)
28. banter 9
29. Larry
30. Frozen Lake

It was an excellent, energetic night, with songs from all over their discography, although as the band themselves would admit, it wasn’t the tightest they’ve ever been. Whether it was a bit of rust or a little too much beer, I dug it all the same. The crowd was a tad uptight at times, especially for a Friday night; the usual smattering of aging hipsters (aka longtime fans) was filled out by more of a collared-shirt and pleaded pants contingent, possibly some of the mainstream sports-fan crossover crowd that Bill’s been picking up over the past few years. Either way, the applause did come generously, enough to get them out for a couple encores. And the night wouldn’t have been complete without at least one patented song-ending Janovitz-jump…

There aren’t many bands who not only don’t mind that there’s a baseball game on the bar televisions while they’re playing, but actually ask the score inbetween songs (and for the record, the Sox beat Philly 10-2 that night, and again the next day with an Ortiz walk-off homer. BT dedicated their Saturday night set to Big Papi).

They’ve been teasing fans with songs from, and hints about, their eventual next album, so let’s hope there’s more solid news of that in the months ahead. Keep tabs on the BT sites linked above, as well as the lovingly maintained Kitchen Door fansite, where you can find a video clip from their second night at the Paradise. And for a fantastic 3-camera live video of ‘Velvet Roof‘ from the same show, check the BT video page. More song clips should be showing up on YouTube sometime soon.

Buffalo Tom heads to Belgium and Holland for a couple of shows this week, then returns to play the Mercury Lounge in NYC on Thursday, July 13th (tix). That’ll be followed up with a special acoustic set at Joe’s Pub on Friday the 14th (tix).

the fine print: If anyone has an issue with this live set being made available, just say the word (email link on left). Recorded with a Sony ECM-719 mic and a Sony MZ-RH10 minidisc, converted to .wav and then edited to 192kbps mp3s. Mp3s are made available for a limited time, and are not reposted once removed.

Comments

Leave a Reply





  • BOSTON-AREA LIVE SHOW ACTION
    Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday
    January 19th, 20th, & 21st
    Robert Glasper
    two shows each day
    @ City Winery

    Tuesday, January 21st
    This Is Lorelei
    Youbet
    @ the Rockwell

    Thursday, January 23rd
    Copilot (EP release)
    Steve Rondo
    @ the Rockwell

    Friday, January 24th
    The Shallows
    XO
    The Dreamtoday
    Still Life Sounds
    @ O'Brien's

    Saturday, January 25th
    The Meteors
    @ the Middle East

    Saturday, January 25th
    Stereo MC's
    @ the Sinclair

    Sunday, January 26th
    Porridge Radio
    Sluice
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Wednesday, January 29th
    "Born Innocent:
    The Redd Kross Story"
    movie screening with a
    post-film Q&A between biographer
    Dan Epstein & Sox organist Josh Kantor
    @ the Regent Theatre

    Wednesday, January 29th
    Matt Pond PA
    Anya Marina
    Bathtub Cig
    @ the Rockwell

    Thursday, January 30th
    American Ocelot
    Fredette, Fredette, & Bellino
    @ the Village Social Club

    Friday, January 31st
    Sunshine [at Night]
    Violet Nox
    This Bliss
    this.xor.that
    @ Cloud & Spirits, Cambridge

    Friday, January 31st
    Half Waif
    See You At The Maypole
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Friday, January 31st
    Jamie XX
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, January 31st
    Fiddlehead
    Linda Claire
    Glare
    Prize Horse
    Pet Fox
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, January 31st
    Frank Black & his band
    play "Teenager of the Year"
    @ the House of Blues

    Saturday, February 1st
    Sandy Clams
    Black Helicopter
    Bad//Vrb
    Ghosts & Shadows
    @ O'Brien's

    Saturday, February 1st
    Crown Victoria reunited
    (featuring Bill Janovitz
    from Buffalo Tom)
    a benefit for the Trevor Project
    @ the Burren back room

    Saturday, February 1st
    Drop Nineteens
    Horse Jumper of Love
    Wishy
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, February 1st
    Stuart Murdoch
    (Belle & Sebastian)
    "Nobody's Empire" book tour
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday & Sunday
    February 1st & 2nd
    The Bowery Presents &
    Run For Cover Records
    present "Something In The Way"
    with
    Slowdive, Balance & Composure,
    Soccer Mommy, American Football,
    Fiddlehead, Mannequin Pussy,
    Militarie Gun, Sweet Pill, Anxious,
    One Step Closer, Ovlov, Glare,
    Enumclaw, Sadurn, Gouge Away,
    Mini Trees, Great Grandpa, Dazy,
    Wishy, My Fictions, Women in Peril,
    & more TBA
    @ Roadrunner

    Tuesday, February 4th
    EARFULL
    Writers reading. Songwriters performing.
    with writers James Wood & John Sayles
    & musicians Elsa Kennedy & Peter Mulvey
    @ the Burren Back Room

    Tuesday, February 4th
    Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
    Filter
    @ the House of Blues

    Friday, February 7th
    Thalia Zedek Band
    Field Day
    Arto Vaun
    @ the Lizard Lounge

    Friday, February 7th
    Rubblebucket
    Hannah Mohan
    @ Big Night Live

    Saturday, February 8th
    Beeef
    Clifford
    Hey I'm Outside
    @ the Rockwell

    Saturday, February 8th
    J Mascis
    Hilken Mancini
    @ the Sinclair

    Monday, February 10th
    Phantogram
    @ House of Blues

    Monday, February 10th
    Tim Heidecker
    DJ Douggpound
    @ the Royale

    Tuesday, February 11th
    Lauren Mayberry (Chvrches)
    @ the Royale

    Wednesday, February 12th
    Tobin Sprout & Bevel Web
    with the Moles/Richard Davies
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, February 13th
    Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, February 13th
    Lunar Vacation
    Tasha
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, February 13th
    J Mascis
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, February 14th
    Jilted Lovers:
    A Valentine's Day Cover Show

    with
    10,000 Spoons as Alanis Morissette,
    Super Graphic Ultra Modern TIFFY
    & Friends as Chappell Roan, and
    69 Fireflies as The Magnetic Fields
    @ Deep Cuts

    Saturday, February 15th
    Freezepop
    @ the Middle East Down

    Saturday, February 15th
    Travis
    @ the Royale

    Monday & Tuesday
    February 17th & 18th
    Jack White
    @ Roadrunner

    Thursday, February 20th
    Babe Corner
    Heaven For Real
    Mingko
    Lane
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, February 21st
    Chris Lee-Rodriguez
    The Michael Character
    Puppy Problems
    canteenkilla
    @ O'Brien's

    Saturday, February 22nd
    10 years of WORSHIPPER
    with Roadsaw & Summoner
    @ Widowmaker, Braintree

    Saturday, February 22nd
    Father John Misty
    Destroyer
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, February 23rd
    Jenny Owens Young
    @ Club Passim

    Tuesday, February 25th
    Howard Jones
    ABC
    @ the Shubert Theatre

    Thursday, February 27th
    Pom Pom Squad
    Caroline Kingsbury
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, February 28th
    The Bevis Frond
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Saturday, March 1st
    Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve
    @ the Cabot, Beverly

    Thursday, March 6th
    Avengers
    Lupo Citta
    @ the Middle East

    Friday, March 7th
    Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy,
    & friends mark the 40th anniversary of
    R.E.M.'s "Fables of the Reconstruction"
    (and more) with opener Dave Hill
    @ the Royale

    Sunday, March 9th
    an acoustic evening with
    Trey Anastasio
    @ the Wang

    Monday, March 10th
    Kim Deal
    @ the Wilbur

    Tuesday, March 11th
    Kraftwerk
    @ the Wang

    Tuesday, March 11th
    Peter Wolf (J Geils Band)
    presents his new memoir
    "Waiting on the Moon"
    @ Cambridge Public Library

    Wednesday, March 12th
    The MC Taylor Goldsmith Show
    MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger)
    and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes)
    @ the Cut, Gloucester

    Friday & Saturday
    March 14th & 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Teenage Bottlerocket

    Saturday, March 15th
    Hovvdy
    Video Age
    @ the Middle East Downstairs

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dream Theater
    40th Anniversary Tour
    @ the Wang

    Saturday, March 15th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Menzingers
    Teenage Bottlerocket
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, March 16th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Rebuilder
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, March 17th
    Dropkick Murphys
    Bouncing Souls
    Hot Water Music
    Cody Nilson
    @ House of Blues

    Wednesday, March 19th
    Quicksand
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, March 20th
    Derv Gordon (of the Equals)
    backed by So What
    with
    Children of the Flaming Wheel
    @ Deep Cuts

    Thursday, March 20th
    Neil Degrasse Tyson
    @ the Wilbur

    Sunday, March 23rd
    Ida & Tsunami!
    the Coin-Flip tour!
    @ Crystal Ballroom

    Tuesday, March 25th
    Of Montreal
    cumgirl8
    @ the Royale

    Thursday, March 27th
    Horsegirl
    Free Range
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Thursday, March 27th
    José González
    @ the Cabot in Beverly

    Friday, March 28th
    Dead Kennedys
    H.R. (of Bad Brains)
    Raging Nathans
    @ the Paradise

    Friday, March 28th
    The Weather Station
    @ the Sinclair

    Saturday, March 29th
    Robin Lane
    @ Club Passim

    Saturday, March 29th
    Maya Hawke
    Katy Kirby
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, March 30th
    The Hard Quartet
    Sharp Pins
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 3rd
    Alan Sparhawk (Low)
    Circuit des Yeux
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, April 4th
    Beth Gibbons (Portishead)
    Bill Ryder-Jones
    @ the Orpheum

    Saturday, April 5th
    Snow Patrol
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Saturday, April 5th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, April 6th
    The War & Treaty
    @ the Sinclair

    Tuesday, April 8th
    Deftones
    The Mars Volta
    Fleshwater
    @ TD Garden

    Wednesday, April 9th
    Yardbirds
    @ City Winery Boston

    Wednesday, April 9th
    Kylie Minogue
    @ the Garden

    Thursday, April 10th
    FACS
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday, April 11th
    Mogwai
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, April 12th
    Franz Ferdinand
    @ the Orpheum

    Sunday, April 13th
    EXTC
    (Terry Chambers & friends)
    @ City Winery

    Sunday, April 13th
    Heart
    @ Agganis Arena

    Tuesday, April 15th
    Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
    St. Vincent
    @ Agganis Arena

    Thursday, April 17th
    Dead Boys
    Richard Lloyd Group
    (of Television)
    @ Deep Cuts

    Thursday, April 17th
    Mercury Rev
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Friday, April 18th
    Mount Eerie
    Hana Stretton
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, April 18th
    Bright Eyes
    Cursive
    @ House of Blues

    Saturday, Sunday, & Tuesday
    April 19th, 20th, & 21st
    Ani DiFranco
    @ the Somerville Theatre

    Sunday, April 20th
    Gang of Four
    "The Long Goodbye" farewell tour
    playing "Entertainment!" & more
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Monday, April 21st
    Lucy Dacus
    Katie Gavin
    Jamine.4.t.
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    Dweezil Zappa
    @ the Cabot, Beverly, MA

    Wednesday, April 23rd
    The Linda Lindas
    Pinkshift
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, April 24th
    Christian Death
    @ Deep Cuts

    Friday & Saturday
    April 25th & 26th
    The Town and the City Festival!
    @ various venues in Lowell

    Saturday, April 26th
    Poison the Well
    Glassjaw
    Better Lovers
    Teenage Wrist
    @ Roadrunner

    Sunday, April 27th
    Indigo Girls
    Melissa Etheridge
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Thursday, May 1st
    Deep Sea Diver
    Byland
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Thursday, May 1st
    Sharon Van Etten
    & the Attachment Theory
    Love Spells
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, May 2nd
    Bob Mould & his band
    J. Robbins & his band
    @ the Paradise

    Saturday, May 3th
    Cheekface
    @ The Sinclair

    Sunday, May 4th
    The Queers
    @ the Middle East Upstairs

    Sunday, May 4th
    AC/DC
    @ Gillette Stadium

    Wednesday, May 7th
    Japanese Breakfast
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Thursday, May 8th
    Melvins
    Napalm Death
    @ the Paradise

    Thursday, May 8th
    Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
    @ the Crystal Ballroom

    Monday, May 12th
    Kendrick Lamar
    SZA
    @ Gillette Stadium

    Saturday, May 17th
    Amyl & the Sniffers
    Sheer Mag
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, May 24th
    The Wedding Present
    "Bizarro" 35th Anniversary Tour
    with The Tubs
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, Saturday, & Sunday
    May 23rd, 24th, & 25th
    Boston Calling Music Festival
    @ the Harvard Athletic Complex

    Wednesday, May 28th
    Barry Manilow
    "the last Boston concert"
    @ the Garden

    Thursday, May 29th
    Annie Dirusso
    Squirrel Flower
    @ the Paradise

    Friday, May 30th
    Teddy Swims
    @ Suffolk Downs

    Saturday, May 31st
    Jet
    Band of Skulls
    @ Roadrunner

    Friday, June 6th
    The Ocean Blue
    playing their self-titled LP
    and their "Cerulean" LP
    @ the Somerville Armory

    Wednesday, June 11th
    Turnover
    "Peripheral Vision" tour
    with Balance & Composure
    & Citizen
    @ the House of Blues

    Tuesday & Wednesday
    June 10th & 11th
    Queens of the Stone Age
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Thursday, June 19th
    Blondshell
    Daffo
    @ the Sinclair

    Friday, June 27th
    Khruangbin
    John Carroll Kirby
    @ Suffolk Downs

    Saturday, June 28th
    Tree
    @ Brighton Music Hall

    Monday, July 7th
    OMD
    @ House of Blues

    Tuesday, July 15th
    Weird Al Yankovic
    @ the Wang

    Wednesday, July 16th
    Mekons
    Johnny Dowd
    @ City Winery

    Friday, July 18th
    Samantha Crain
    @ Warehouse XI

    Friday & Saturday
    July 18th & 19th
    PIXIES
    performing "Bossanova"
    & "Trompe Le Monde" (18th)
    and a set of classics (19th)
    with Kurt Vile & the Violators
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Monday, July 21st
    Ghost
    @ TD Garden

    Saturday, July 26th
    Toto
    Christopher Cross
    Men At Work
    @ Leader Bank Pavilion

    Saturday, July 26th
    Rod Stewart
    Cheap Trick
    @ the Xfinity Center

    Tuesday, July 29th
    Goo Goo Dolls
    Dashboard Confessional
    @ the Pavilion

    Wednesday, July 30th
    The "Happy Together" Tour
    featuring The Turtles,
    Jay & the Americans,
    Little Anthony, Mark Lindsay
    (of Paul Revere & the Raiders),
    The Vogues, & the Cowsills
    @ Lynn Auditorium

    Friday, August 1st
    LOST 80's LIVE
    with A Flock of Seagulls,
    Big Country, General Public,
    The Vapors, Belouis Some,
    The Icicle Works, China Crisis,
    Josie Cotton, Polecats,
    and more
    @ the Wang

    Saturday, August 30th
    Coheed & Cambria
    Taking Back Sunday
    Foxing
    @ MGM Music Hall

    Sunday, September 7th
    My Chemical Romance
    Idles
    @ Fenway Park

    Wednesday, September 17th
    Alison Krauss & Union Station
    Willie Watson
    @ the Pavilion

    Tuesday, September 23rd
    Viagra Boys
    @ Roadrunner

    Saturday, October 4th
    An Inconceivable Evening
    with Cary Elwes
    & a screening of
    The Princess Bride
    @ the Wilbur