I have been waiting for this week for months. On Thursday, my friend John L. and I will be traveling to New York City and meeting my buddy Johnny to see Buffalo Tom play at the Bowery Ballroom. Then on Friday I will be seeing them in Philly with my buddy Dennis Doc. This is my favorite band of all time and I will be seeing them twice with some of my closest friends. The nostalgia is kicking in so hard that I might not bring my cell phone and bring a disposable camera to get a genuine 90’s feel. And to kick things off, last night Cailin and I ordered take-out food from the Colonial Diner – which was the ultimate late night after party destination in South Jersey for me from 1992-2007.

Buffalo Tom doesn’t play live often, and when they do it’s usually in their home base of the Boston area. Believe me, if I had the money and resources to go, I would make the trip every time. But they play New York every once and again and we did this trip around this time last year. It was John L, Johnny, Dennis Doc and I – and we got to see them play two excellent shows in one night at the tiny Mercury Lounge. It was a fun night on the town that was capped off by eating New York City’s worst buffalo wings in some diner. That night was one of those moments where I appreciate how lucky I am and what great friends I have. John L is my friend from high school, Johnny is from college, and Dennis and I made friends in the working world. These guys all knew each other, but were connected through me. But from the laughing, the stories, and the comradery, you would have thought the four of us were all lifelong pals. The trip was topped off with something I miss dearly – the classic road trip home rehashing funny things from the night before, playing different songs for each other, and reminiscing about ridiculous times from the past.

As much as I can’t wait to see Buffalo Tom live, I am equally excited for a day in New York City. John L and I had a fantastic day last year sightseeing, even if he wouldn’t pose by himself with the Naked Cowboy despite all my urging. New York is a total shock to the senses for me, and I want to go to one million places in ten million different directions when I go. I love all the bizarre and wacky stuff things you see that make you shake your head and mutter “only in New York”.  Although as a resident of Gloucester City, New Jersey I am treated to wild and jaw-dropping sights on an almost daily basis. Last week I saw a lady buying lemon lime flavored blunts at a convenience store while she had two kids with her. And was pregnant. I shook my head and muttered “only in Gloucester.”

When I go to New York City, I seemingly turn into a wide eyed country bumpkin with a piece of straw in my mouth, dingy overalls on, and barefoot. Regardless of the fact that Philadelphia is five minutes from my home, I am still in awe when I am in the Big Apple. In 2005, my buddy Kevin and I were there and talking to girls in a bar. I was pounding them with questions due to my curiosity and fascination with New York City life.  And of course the 14 year old boy inside of me had to ask if they ever saw someone pleasuring themselves on the train. Thinking maybe one girl had a story- they both wound up having countless stories. Another thing that cracks me about New York City – your commute to work can involve someone freely manipulating their own genitals.

This time around, the music of Buffalo Tom is calling me up to the city that never sleeps. This band has stood the test of time with me, I have fallen in and out of love with many other bands, but BT has been there since high school, through college, and all through my working years. Their last few albums have come at milestones of my life in a way. Their recent album Skins has me easing my way into (and coming to grips with) adulthood and parenthood more and more every day. Their last album Three Easy Pieces (2007) came out right about when we found out that Cailin was pregnant with Jack. And Smitten (1998), came out about a month into my foray into the working world. I still remember the night, rushing to Tower Records in Cherry Hill to pick it up. Sleepy Eyed (1995), my favorite of all their albums, came out during one of the best summers of my life. It was a soundtrack to many drinking games, trips to the shore, concert tailgates, and barbecues. But when I went back to school that summer, it also turned into a soundtrack for bad times. The day I left for school, I crashed my parents Volvo. Got back to school and my roommate seemed to totally change over the summer. Missed my friends from home dearly, and it was the only time in college where I actually missed home.  It’s comical, upsetting, absurd, and hard to believe that I had any problems in college, but I guess that is the ignorance of youth. Many will disagree with me and say Big Red Letter Day (1993) or Let Me Come Over (1991) are better albums, and while I agree that they are both incredible, Sleepy Eyed just always meant more to me. I still tear up a bit listening to Summer and remember all the antics and good times of summer 1995 in Ocean City, NJ.

Buffalo Tom’s music has always been so easy for me to listen to. It’s catchy, it’s melodic, and I equally enjoy their more rocking songs and their slower ballads. I confess that while I am a huge music nut, I may not be the best music reviewer and try my best not to be pushy and insist that if you don’t listen to Buffalo Tom that you are a horrible human being. I invite you to check them out. Not to knock these guys and I am sure they’ve heard it a million times, but they should be all over the radio. This isn’t to say they haven’t seen success. They have been in Rolling Stone, toured the world, and are Jon Stewart’s favorite band. Read this blog post by comedian Mike O’Malley that blows away anything I could ever write in praise of these gentlemen.  Many stories and memories are documented on lead singer Bill Janovitz’s very enjoyable blog Part Time Man Of Rock. This is a band that has provided a soundtrack to so many great times and memories of my life to this point. So much so that I appreciate Buffalo Tom fans that much more and instantly consider them to be a friend.

Speaking of which, I feel bad my friend Dennis Doc can’t make the New York trip. The basis of our friendship started at work talking about Buffalo Tom and Dinosaur Jr. He was instantly my friend for his music taste alone. Another instance of this was back in 1999, the girl I was dating had a roommate whose boyfriend was a military guy from Massachusetts. He was kind of quiet, and we went half a year without saying too much to each other (and if you know me personally, that’s almost insane). One night, I was playing a Buffalo Tom CD and he came out and demanded to know who put it on. He was a big fan as well, and for the rest of the time the girls were roommates, you couldn’t pull him and I apart. And when I am at their shows, I feel like I am in a roomful of my friends.   

So I am feeling great – looking forward to a fun day in New York City and Philly, and two great shows from Buffalo Tom. With great friends – I was in two of these guy’s weddings, and have hundreds of pictures and stories that involve these guys. With these guys I have: defaced a holy statue, sat on a giant chicken, split a case of Natural Light on a recruiting trip to Loyola University, hit a skunk in our buddy’s car on our nightly trips to Sheetz – the list goes on and on.

And if there is any chance that Bill Janovitz, Chris Colburn, or Tom Maginnis read this, your #1 fan from the rough and tumble town of Gloucester City, New Jersey would love to hear Scottish Windows at your show!

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