You can't deny that you've seen the posters - from Cabell to the Corner, the signs are ubiquitous: Buzby, Tuesdays, Outback Lodge. The abundance of publicity leads to one of two inferences: This is a band with a substantial fan base, or this is a band with a substantial work ethic. Fortunately for the Charlottesville band, both assumptions prove to be true, and with the addition of a tremendous amount of musical talent and a magnetic stage presence to the equation, Buzby is certainly one band worth venturing off Grounds for.
The band describes its music as being based upon "groove, rock, and jazz with mad guitar riffs, sax and tons of vocal harmonies," an assertion quickly observed on Buzby's recently released album, "Break the Silence" and equally eclectic live performances. The lyricism of songwriter and lead singer Brenton Hund (CLAS '96) is charming and pointedly Dylanesque, while a subtle earthiness brings to mind a spectrum of bands, ranging from the Allman Brothers through Rusted Root. The latter is particularly prevalent in the soaring harmonies and elegant vocal ornamentation provided by vocalist Lydia Ooghe (CLAS '01.)
The instrumental composition of Buzby and the fact that the band is from Charlottesville immediately brings up the inevitable comparison to a certain Charlottesville band which will go unnamed, but Buzby consistently distinguishes itself as an entirely different force to be reckoned with.
"I think every band wants to distinguish itself from every other band," Ooghe said in a recent interview. "That's not always possible, but to live in a place where there has been this hugely successful band, there's a stigma" in not having a distinctive style.
Each individual musician has an impressive resume, from performing on Broadway (Ooghe) to opening for Cheap Trick (Hund), and the diversity of musical backgrounds lends itself well to the genre-defying repertoire.
"I think that's one of the things - that all of us have different influences and bring them all to the table," said drummer Joel DeNunzio (SEAS '99). "We put all of the different elements in each tune and try to keep each song different."
Experience is particularly evident in Hund's songwriting, which reflects an eloquence and maturity through striking poetics and grace within rhythms and chord structures. Hund, who organized and managed Buzby until a recent distribution agreement with AllGood Management, maintains a central role with lyrics that are often intensely personal and yet easily interpreted by listeners to apply to their own lives.
Vocals and songwriting aside, the strong core of instrumentation is what ultimately puts Buzby on a higher level than the average band, featuring DeNunzio, Todd Herrington (bass) and Steve Norfleet (sax, flute). All three are given great improvisational freedom, of which they take full advantage, particularly during live performances.
The dynamic of Buzby's live performances is enhanced by a dominating stage presence. The stage of the Outback Lodge inhibits excessive movement, but the band still manages to maintain an appropriate level of intensity while performing a diverse range of material.
"We want to be accessible to people that are there to just have a good time and have music to socialize to, but also to people who really want to listen and pay attention," Ooghe said. "I feel it's ambiguous like that; you can either tune out and have fun, or you can really pay attention and find that there are some cool things going on."
Though the energy level of Buzby live could not possibly be expressed adequately on any recording, "Break the Silence" is a formidable national debut that does the band justice. The album opens with "Shattered," which immediately exhibits the intensity and depth of Hund's vocals, while the following track, "Tired of Boo," demonstrates textural versatility within his singing.
"Song from Heaven," however, showcases flawless harmonizing between Hund and Ooghe, leaving the listener in awe and adding a curious chilling effect to the track. It would be only natural to assume that the perfect unison was achieved using refining devices in the studio, but that is in fact an incorrect assumption; while performing live, neither party wavered.
The nature of studio recordings leads to the only significant imperfection of the album, which is the lack of emphasis that the work of DeNunzio, Herrington and Norfleer garner. While remaining steadfast in generally accompanying roles, the full range of their talents fails to be expressed. Of course, this is not an issue in live performances.
In a recent show, an impassioned drum break by DeNunzio flowed beautifully into "The Travel Song," featuring Norfleet on flute. Although Norfleet's strength lies in his sax solos, the bass-sax unison line in the title track is an intriguing blend that could not be accomplished without extraordinary delicacy, on Herrington's part as well.
The upcoming months bring a new challenge for Buzby: leaving the comfort of name recognition and a local setting to branch out to new audiences around the country. The signing of the distribution deal with AllGood will bring an extensive touring schedule in hopes of taking the band to the next level.
"The distribution is like a launching pad to take us from essentially a local and small regional band to a regional and national band. It's the end of one chapter and the beginning of another," Hund said. "When I set out to form a band, I wanted to form a band that was capable of going really big and getting to some level of success, and we've done that; now we're starting a new plan."
So, for a limited time only, 5 words to remember: Buzby, Tuesday night, Outback Lodge. For more information, see www.buzbyband.com.
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