Unusually we are slap bang in the right demographic tonight with an audience largely made up of like-minded and similarly aged men. The main difference is that we do not begin to match the energy from the stage. Whilst it’s a brisk eighty minute set each song is played at break neck speed so much so that the band make hasty additions to the setlist as they rattle through their greatest hits with a few tracks from their excellent album from this year ‘Quiet and Peace’ thrown in for good measure.
Buffalo Tom are a throwback to the guitar bands of the nineties and it’s a shame that there aren’t more of these bands around now. You can’t beat a power trio of just drums, bass and lead. Led by the relentless Bill Janovitz on guitar and lead vocals this is a proper rock show. Ably supported by Tom Maginnis on drums and Chris Colbourn on bass we are offered some slight changes of pace when Colbourn takes over lead vocals and the songs take a Teenage Fanclubesque air to them which is a good thing. This is particularly evident on new song ‘Roman Cars’.
The highlights are many and varied from ‘Sodajerk’, new song ‘All be Gone’ but of course it’s a belting version of ‘Taillights Fade’ with the whole of the Ballroom calling it back.
A great, exhilarating night with the finest purveyors of guitar rock who show they can still do it.
Keep on rockin y’all