A band stabled in Trumansburg, New York. They have been touring together since forming in Ithaca, New York in 1987. Currently their lineup consists of:
- Jeb Puryear (guitar, vocals, pedal steel, etc.)
- Tara Nevins (guitar, fiddle, vocals, accordian, scrubboard, etc.)
- Jim Miller (guitar, banjo, vocals)
- Kathy Zeigler (lowery organ, keyboards, vocals)
- Jed Greenburg (bass)
- Tom Gilbert (drums)
For those fond of categorizing bands by comparing them to other groups, at times Donna the Buffalo sounds like the Grateful Dead with a strong zydeco influence. The accordian plays a big role in this. At times they will veer towards country (influenced by the pedal steel), but with a folk twist. One site describes them as "American roots-rock," whatever that means.
Not that I'm an expert, since I've only heard them once live (March 5, 2002, at the Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts) and on a live CD of theirs (August 8, 1998).
I'll be seeing them again next time they come through though.
Discography:
- Live from the American Ballroom (2001)
- Positive Friction (2000)
- Rockin' in the Weary Land (1998)
- The Ones You Love (1996)
- "The Purple One"/Donna the Buffalo (1993)
References:
http://www.donnathebuffalo.com/
http://www.funkyside.com/index.cfm/detail/Band/default/22.htm
http://www.gatheringherd.com/