In the 90s, I had 3 key moments of exposure to the band, all of which are fond memories and factored heavily into who I am today. Or something like that.
Moment #1 - The "Self Esteem" episode of MY SO-CALLED LIFE. You know, the one where Angela and Jordan were making out in the boiler room and she goes to the Pike to see Buffalo Tom and Jordan is playing pool and totally gives her the cold shoulder. What a douche. We heard "Sodajerk" when Angela enters and "Late at Night" during that unforgettable moment. Side note: who would have thought that years later Jordan Catalano would be in a bigger (but in no way better) band (30 Seconds to Mars) than the one he was going to see that night? Crazy.
(Side note: Claire Danes was in attendance tonight. Awesome.)
Moment #2 - The June 25, 1995 episode of MTV's 120 Minutes, hosted by The Catherine Wheel. The episode premiered Buffalo Tom's video for "Summer," which was most appropriate, not only for its timeliness, but also that it will forever remind me of the summer of 1995, aka The Best Summer Ever.
Moment #3 - The last episode of the John Stewart Show. In his introduction to them, John said the network had given him his choice of musical guest for his last episode. His first choice was Nine Inch Nails, arguably the hardest act to book in 1995. His second choice? Buffalo Tom, a relatively unknown band at the time. Actually, they still are today. The played their newest single, "Summer" and I was hooked.
Fast forward to 1998. Buffalo Tom was running a promotion on their website. Fans could write their local radio station requesting their new single, "Rachael" and forward or cc the email to the band. One lucky winner (presumably) from each town would be put on the guestlist for an upcoming show.
It was to my great surprise one evening that my mom told me that there was a message on the answering machine (no voicemail yet!) from a guy named Bill. Sure enough, it was Bill Janovitz, thanking me for the email I sent to Orlando's terrible (and at the time only) rock station, WJRR. The station around this time had Stabbing Westward and Korn in heavy rotation, so the chances of "Rachael" getting played were slim to none, but I tried. For my reward, Bill would put me on the guestlist of the nearest show...which was in Connecticut. Buffalo Tom had not come through Orlando before and would not again before their breakup, and I never had the chance to see them.
Bill Janovitz on a different night
Which brings us to tonight. When I saw that they were playing the Troubadour, one of the greatest music venues in the world, I couldn't pass it up. And thank god I didn't. Opening with "Tree House" from their album Big Red Letter Day, the band launched right into their 90+ minute set, and hit all of the highlights; every song I wanted to hear. I can't remember the last time I saw a band that played so many of my favorite of their songs. "Summer", "Late at Night", "Mineral", "Taillights Fade", "Sodajerk"...even a cover of New Order's "Age of Consent" and a great one at that.
On top of that, the band was extremely tight, engaging and played with an enthusiasm rarely seen anymore. A fantastic show and the perfect first entry for this feature.
Whatever.
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