Buffalo's Musical Fame

I was at a party the other day and we were talking about now-famous bands that had originated in small cities. Most of the people in the discussion were from either the Pittsburgh or Scranton areas. I didn't have much to offer there. I was the only one from the Buffalo area. Not too many big name popular bands have come from Buffalo. Probably the biggest act from Buffalo that most people know about is the Goo Goo Dolls, but they got their start years after I left Buffalo. I mentioned that I thought that the Grass Roots had gotten there start there, but I really put my foot in my mouth on that one. A false memory. My head is getting more and more full of them! But the band I was trying to remember was a band that had a bit of their sound: tightly textured pop with rich vocal harmonies.

To find out what band I had been trying to think of at the party, I did some web searches to dig up information about the bands from back in my day. That's actually amazingly hard to do. Most old acts don't have much of a web presence, unless they're still performing. And if you're not careful in structuring your web search, when you search for 70s era bands, you'll get the agent contacts for current bands that play 70s music. But after digging around a bit, I found the home of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

What a great idea! Since 1983, the organization has, according to its web site, recognized "groups and individuals who have had a significant impact on the WNY music scene and/or achieved success in the music industry on a national and often an international scale." The site has an impressive list of inductees, including nationally known talent like the Goo Goo Dolls, Ani DiFranco, the 10,000 Maniacs, Spryo Gyra, and Rick James. But there are more obscure contributors to the national music scene: Robert Moog, an early pioneer of the music synthesizer; Richard Kermode, a keyboardist who worked with Santana, Janice Joplin, and Patti LaBelle; and studio guitarist extraordinaire Tommy Tedesco. The big thing missing from the Hall is Buffalo's contributions to the national music scene in classical music. The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is in the Hall, and it rightly deserves to be there. It has always been one of the great small-city classical orchestras, and has been devoted to opening the world of the classics to people of all ages. But past conductors Lukas Foss and Michael Tilson Thomas have contributed to Buffalo's standing in the world of classical music, and JoAnn Falletta today continues the BPOs fine tradition. None yet have found a home in the Hall.

One of the things I enjoyed most about the Hall's web site was the opportunity to recall the names of some of the big local bands of my day. Mazurland readers of a certain age will remember the bands Weekend, Big Wheelie and the Hubcaps, Junction West, and The Road (which may have been the band I was trying to think of at the party), and personalities such as DJ Danny Neverth. Hank will remember Frank Scinta, SJCI class of 75, who still performs with the Scinta Family. Older Mazurlanders will remember musician, teacher, and music store owner Art Kubera. Younger Mazurlanders will recall seeing Talas perform in the 80s.

The bands were the big draws at high school dances, summertime jams at public parks, and the music venues and bars around town. A few of my favorites are missing: the Pointless Brothers played a rollicking mix of hippie jam music and bluegrass à la  the New Riders of the Purple Sage at the Central Park Grill for many years; the Jumpers were the hottest pop-punk band that ever flamed out over the skies of Buffalo; and why isn't Stan 'Stas' Jasinski, Buffalo's Polka King, in the Hall? But over all, the selections are good, and some of the missing names will fill in, especially if Mazurlanders start nominating.