The White Buffalo - Is more than meets the eye

***** 

Songs the traditional way, go down so well in London

The White Buffalo ***** (Aka Jake Smith) is an American Singer / Songwriter who was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in California. The White Buffalo mixes Country / Americana / Folk / Rock and Blues. he has a voice that is a cross between Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and mainstream Country artists of the last ten years like Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert and Jason Aldean. But The White Buffalo has a more old school traditional tone to his voice, and is gathering a big following after some of his songs where featured in the hit TV show ‘Sons of Anarchy'. 

The White Buffalo has been going almost fifteen years and has produced five albums, but he started in a very cult way… with his music being bootlegged by loads of people that discovered it when watching a surf film called ‘Shelter’. He has played a few shows in the UK before, but their is a bigger anticipation for this one... so from before he comes on, the venue is packed to the rafters.

Opening the set with one of his more haunting songs ‘Radio with no Sound’ off the album ‘Love and the death of Damnation’, you instantly know you are seeing something so special tonight. You would almost think that The White Buffalo was taken out of that, Leonardo Di Cacaprio film ‘The Revenant‘ with the beard and old school Hillbilly look.

The thing I like about The White Buffalo is that he can mix Folk and Country with an added bit of Punk, with more up tempo songs like ‘Modern Times‘ (Sadly not in tonights set) and the Kings of Leon Esq. ‘The Pilot‘. These songs really give new elements to their live show, and give the audience a more varied set.

I think similar acts in the same genre, don’t really know how to mix things up... like The White Buffalo do. You can tell that Jake Smith, listens to a lot of varied genres of music and this comes across in his music. And makes him far more interesting as a Singer / Songwriter.

Half way through you can hear the cheers, when he plays ‘Come join the Murder’… which was used in the finale of ‘Sons of Anarchy’ season seven. Other songs from the series included in his set included ‘Damned, The Whistler’ and 'Oh darling, what have I Done’. All songs got a huge reactions, showing the popularity of the show in the UK… and that their is a lot of Sons of Anarchy fans in the house tonight.

I think the show has helped to build The White Buffalo’s fanbase in the UK, with him playing bigger venues and more shows. I have to say I like The White Buffalo even more live, than I did on CD. He has a stage presence that really shines charisma and his appearance has so much character.

I really do think he is an artist that will grow in popularity the older he gets, and his music will stand the test of time and be listened to in ten or twenty years or maybe even longer. So as he finishes the set with the brilliant ‘How the west was Won’, you realise you have seen a really good Singer / Songwriter who’s songs will stick in your head for years to come.

The White Buffalo - Setlist
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Radio with no Sound
Hold the Line
When I’m Gone
Every Night, Every Day
Oh darling, what have I Done
Joey White
Story
Dark Days
Come join the Murder
Don’t you want It
Last call to Heaven
I got You
Home is in your Arms
This Year
Into the Sun
Joe and Jolene
The Whistler
Damned
Pilot
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Wish it was True
Love Song 1
How the west was Won

Review and Photo’s by Dan Devour and Dezadie

Check Out! The White Buffalo and The Forest Rangers lyric Video for ‘Come join the Murder‘ Below…