Buffalo Rodeo

BUFFALO RODEO | INDIE PROGRESSIVE ROCK | FORMED OCTOBER 2010 | BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY, USA

MEMBERS

Another perfect addition to your road trip down ‘Memory Hwy playlist’, is Buffalo Rodeo, an indie progressive rock band hailing from the hills of Bowling Green, Kentucky (USA) with an edgy, rapturing and ethereal sound. Describing their sound as ‘Progressive Indie Rock with punchy drums, melodic bass riffs, ethereal synth textures, elaborate guitar tones, and addicting vocals, they are sure to tantalize your audial pallet.’

After hanging out with The Weeks during a concert with Kings of Leon at the House of Blues, longtime friends of The Weeks, Taco of HEYROCCO, invited us to a gig they would be having later in the week for a Movers and Shakers production here in Chicago with Buffalo Rodeo -among other local bands- and we just couldn’t miss it. After an intimate and passionate performance, we were in awe; we just had to get to know them better.

FM) What marked the beginning of Buffalo Rodeo?
BR) Buffalo Rodeo was formed by original members: Nathaniel, Zach, and Ryan in the backwoods of Bowling Green Kentucky. With the addition of Members Jordan and Patrick in January of 2013, Buffalo Rodeo has been creating, writing, and touring non-stop.

FM) What’s the story behind the band’s name?
BR) Our current bass player drove a Nissan Rodeo and, hell, ‘buffalo’ sounds good with rodeo. There’s not much of a story. I can make one up if you need it.
PATRICK) I joined the band and that was already the name. Don’t rock the boat, you know?

FM) Indeed! What else would you have doing if it wasn’t for Buffalo Rodeo?
NATE) Probably another band.
JORDAN) Trying to make it in theater, most likely. I started out college as a musical theater major, and [I] still love musicals and plays.
ZACH) Gosh, probably going to school, trying to figure out another way to make money. I’ve always liked working with kids with disabilities, maybe I would do that. Or play pro basketball.
PATRICK) Before I joined I was thinking of going to graduate school, so I would probably be slaving behind a computer, miserable and sleep-deprived, working towards some desk job that wouldn’t provide anything more than financial stability -which is boring as hell anyway.

FM) Who are your biggest musical and non-musical inspirational people?
JORDAN) Musically, probably Stevie Nicks and Laura Marling. Non-musically, definitely, my dad is a huge inspiration to me.
ZACH) Michael Jordan. I mean his work ethic is the strongest ever recorded. Or maybe my dad, his work ethic is more than ‘MJ’s’. I’ve learned a lot from him.
PATRICK) My biggest inspiration in life is an author named Tom Robbins, who taught me how to feed my soul when I thought I was starving.

FM) This is probably one of the hardest questions to answer, ever: what is your favorite song of all time?
JORDAN) Ahh! That’s an impossible question. “A Day in the Life” [by The Beatles] maybe, or “The Shrine/ An Argument” by Fleet Foxes, or maybe “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac.
ZACH) Haha, yeah there’s no such thing. Maybe “Sirius” by Alan Parsons Project. I mean Michael Jordan walked out to that song. Or maybe “Illegal Smile” by John Prine, that ones good!
PATRICK) Although my favorite songs fluctuate with the times and my moods, I would have to say one constant is “Jesus, etc.” by Wilco. Mmm-mm-mm.

FM) Talking about favorites, any favorite works or pieces of art?
JORDAN) My favorite painter is Van Gogh, and my favorite piece of his is “Irises”. Not sure if that’s my favorite work of art ever, but I do love it a lot.
ZACH) Umm probably…
PATRICK): I really like Salvador Dali. “The Persistence of Memory” is one that jumps out to me.

FM) How important do you feel it is for there to be a direct relationship between music and the visual arts?
PATRICK) I think it’s pretty important because the more you are able to engage the audience’s senses the more immersed they can become in the art that you are creating. Perhaps, then, the most intense art medium would be one that engaged every sense at once. That’d be pretty neat, huh?

FM) Exactly. With that said, when are we doing a fun fashion shoot for FRAMED?
PATRICK) Tuesday or Wednesday would work pretty well for us. Not sure what day or month yet. We’ll get back to you.

FM) Alright then, fair enough! So, in regards to touring, which bands would you like to tour with the most later down the road?
BR) Ah! Probably, [at] the top of the list are: Local Natives, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Broncho, Fleetwood Mac (haha), Of Montreal, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Wilco, Arcade Fire.

FM) What do you do to be more connected with your fans?
BR) Talk to em! They’re not fans really at this point, but more like friends. One of our favorite things [to do] is meet people at the merchandise table or finding cool diners to go to after shows with people from the town we’re in. Most of the time we stay with people that we meet at shows because we don’t really have a budget yet for hotels. Some of the most amazing stories we have all come from the experiences we’ve had staying with different people we meet.

FM) Well thank you so much Buffalo Rodeo for this great opportunity to get to know you a little bit more, as a band and individually. We wish you much more success and that all your goals are met as you grow stronger than ever! We will definitely be seeing more of you.
BR) Thank you! •