Buffalo Nichols with Ryan Lee Crosby
6/25/24
Partial Seating and G.A Standing 7:00pm Doors / 8:00p Show
21+, Positive I.D. Required $28-$33
On his second album, The Fatalist, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols does things with the blues that might catch you off guard. There’s 808 programming, chopped up Charley Patton samples, washes of synth. There’s a consideration of the fullness of the sonic stage and the atmospherics of the music that can only come with a long engagement with electronic music. But this is no gimmicky hybrid or attempt to turn the blues into 21st century music by simply dressing it with skittering hi-hats. Nichols’ vision for the blues is of a form of music that’s intimately tied to everyday life in 2023, something that’s reflected not only in the choice of instrumentation, but in the complexities of the songwriting and the gray areas his lyrics explore. This is music that comes straight from the present, and as such, it’s a reminder that the same shit that drove the first blues singers to pick up a guitar is still present behind the throbs of deep bass hits today. The Fatalist sounds unlike any blues record you’re likely to hear in 2023.
“Boston songwriter Ryan Lee Crosby has played everything from raucous indie rock to Indian classical-influenced folk, always with sensitivity and passion. His new recording, Winter Hill Blues, reflects his frequent travels to the Mississippi Delta, where he’s frequently played with Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, as well as other of the music’s elders. The disc is produced by one of the top champions of deep raw blues, Bruce Watson, and captures an artist whose creative growth never ceases.” - Noah Schaffer
— The Arts Fuse
Partial Seating and G.A Standing 7:00pm Doors / 8:00p Show
21+, Positive I.D. Required $28-$33
On his second album, The Fatalist, Carl “Buffalo” Nichols does things with the blues that might catch you off guard. There’s 808 programming, chopped up Charley Patton samples, washes of synth. There’s a consideration of the fullness of the sonic stage and the atmospherics of the music that can only come with a long engagement with electronic music. But this is no gimmicky hybrid or attempt to turn the blues into 21st century music by simply dressing it with skittering hi-hats. Nichols’ vision for the blues is of a form of music that’s intimately tied to everyday life in 2023, something that’s reflected not only in the choice of instrumentation, but in the complexities of the songwriting and the gray areas his lyrics explore. This is music that comes straight from the present, and as such, it’s a reminder that the same shit that drove the first blues singers to pick up a guitar is still present behind the throbs of deep bass hits today. The Fatalist sounds unlike any blues record you’re likely to hear in 2023.
“Boston songwriter Ryan Lee Crosby has played everything from raucous indie rock to Indian classical-influenced folk, always with sensitivity and passion. His new recording, Winter Hill Blues, reflects his frequent travels to the Mississippi Delta, where he’s frequently played with Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, as well as other of the music’s elders. The disc is produced by one of the top champions of deep raw blues, Bruce Watson, and captures an artist whose creative growth never ceases.” - Noah Schaffer
— The Arts Fuse