Photos and review by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Buffalo Tom, the alternative rockers from Boston, played the Teragram Ballroom in support of their recently released 10th studio album, Jump Rope.
Pre-performance debate ensued among those close enough to the stage to see the setlist taped to the stage floor: “Where’s this song? What about that song?”
Buffalo Tom answered all the questions and played a 21-song setlist, selecting songs from eight of their studio albums with a focus on their most recent release, as well as Big Red Letter Day and Sleepy Eye.
As for the audience, it was largely a fan base made up of those who grew up listening to Buffalo Tom in the 1990s though there was a sizable crowd of younger people hanging out in the audience.
Before the doors opened, passers-by joked with those in the line about how much older the crowd looked compared to the normal crowd that lines up outside the Teragram Ballroom. Those in the line took no offense and acknowledged that it would be an older crowd on this night. When the doors opened, those on the older side got their teenage and 20-something vibes going and crowded the front of the stage. As for the younger audience, they were largely stuck in the back of the venue.
Buffalo Tom hit the stage at 9 p.m. with vocalist and guitarist Bill Janovitz giving the crowd a wave. The band launched into “Summer,” a nice way to start a mid-August set in Los Angeles. There are even lyrics about a beach in that song, “To the beach come follow me,” which was a topic of conversation overheard in the crowd prior to the band hitting the stage. “Tree House” came up next and was perhaps the band’s most rocking song of the night.
For the song “Racine,” the band gave some “contextualization” to the song that was released in the late 1980s. “Alan Thicke was the biggest star other than maybe Michael Jackson.” Did someone grow up loving the comedy series Growing Pains or was it a reference to Robin Thicke? The crowd pleaser “All Be Gone” had the crowd singing along with the band.
The band mentioned how much they enjoyed playing Los Angeles as they gave shout outs to a handful of people they knew in the audience, “Everybody moved here from Boston in the 1990s. We don’t know anyone there anymore.”
The song “Birdbrain” had guitar stretched to the max along with the clashing of the drum kit by Tom Maginnis (who happens to be the Tom in Buffalo Tom). That song drew especially loud cheers from the crowd. This was soon followed up by the tender start of “I’m Allowed,” which had folks in the crowd smiling their biggest smiles and singing along before bouncing as the music picked it up a notch.
Chris Colbourn on bass and vocals got his existential moment in the sun when Janovitz quizzed the audience to name the person on Colbourn’s t-shirt. No one was able to guess. “This is Hollywood,” Janovitz said with fake exasperation. “Boris Karloff” someone yelled out. Not the right answer. “My body is too fat. It is expanding the face. Now I’m embarrassed. Can we just move on now?” said Colbourn. What was the answer? Ingmar Bergman.
Talking about Hollywood. The band exited the stage after “Tangerine.” The crowd wanted their encores and clapped loud and long. When the band came back on stage, Colbourn took the lead vocals with the first of four encores, singing “Late At Night.” What’s the Hollywood connection with that song? It was only featured on perhaps the greatest one-season TV show ever: “My So-Called Life.”
Buffalo Tom Setlist: Summer, Tree House, Mineral, Rachael, Helmet, Sunflower Suit / Racine, Sodajerk, Recipes, All Be Gone, Autumn Letter, Dry Land, Sunday Night, Birdbrain, Larry, I’m Allowed, Kitchen Door, Scottish Windows, Tangerine. Encores: Late At Night, Don’t Cry No Tears (Neil Young cover), Taillights Fade, Crutch.
Check out ‘Jump Rope’ here:
