the pod bay door

.: As noted previously, I have been on the road a lot since mid-May.  My trip to New York was from 15-25 May 2010.  I went to attend a two-day board meeting at Knovel, and spent the remainder of my time hanging out.  The major highlight was seeing Buffalo Tom, finally, at last!, on two successive nights.  Many of you know Buff Tom is one of my all-time favourite bands, having influenced me musically for two decades.  I became a Facebook “friend” with Bill Janovitz, the El Capitan of the group, in 2007, and also have been following and contributing comments to his brilliant blog, Part Time Man of Rock.

On Thursday, 20 May 2010, I saw them perform a three-song set as part of the Cabinet of Wonders evening, hosted by John Wesley Harding.  Afterwards I met Bill, Chris and Tom, and had a marvellous time talking with them about their music and its impact on me.  Meeting Bill, especially, was a dream come true.  I know I sound like a gushing fanboy, but this is a band that has always treated its fans with respect and dignity, and meeting them personally only solidified that belief for me.  Bill’s blog is incredible – he was recorded over 80 “Cover of the Week” tunes in the past 20 months or so, enough material to fill 6 albums at least – and always provides a fascinating backstory.  Anyway, The Boys were gracious and kind to me, and I left with my friend Amy, feeling like a million bucks.

Me and Tom Maginnis, Bill Janovitz, and Chris Colbourn, at (le) poisson rouge, NYC, 20 May 2010.

The next night, I saw Buffalo Tom play two full shows at The Mercury Lounge.  This was the night I’d been waiting for for two decades, having never seen them perform a full electric show.  I was able to stand close to the stage for both shows, which were not the same (check set lists here and here).  I met some other Buff T fans with whom I’d interacted via Bill’s Facebook page, and after the first show, two of them took me to the legendary Katz’s Delicatessen, where I enjoyed a pastrami on rye and good company.  We then returned to the Mercury for the second show.  A wonderful, memorable evening.  I also finally met Danny DeBruin, an old friend of Bill’s, who has just released his first comic strip novel, I Am Stu Pitt.  I’m looking forward to receiving a copy in the mail soon.

.: I’ll return to more trip coverage soon, but wanted to make note of today’s date, 28 June 2010.  It’s my 57th birthday, and while I lament getting older, I’m grateful for the love and support of so many friends, colleagues, and family at this time of year, and all year round of course.  But on my birthday, I do tend to reflect a bit on what’s happened in my life to date, and to give thanks for the many blessings surrounding me on a daily basis.  So thanks to all who contribute to that warm and fuzzy feeling tonight.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 28th, 2010 at 21:14 and is filed under Buffalo Tom. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.