BUFFALO TOM AND BILL JANOVITZ: “NO FANCY TITLE, IT’S JUST WHAT I SAID. BUFFALO TOM AND BILL JANOVITZ”
It was difficult to decide whether I wanted the "center" of this column to be Buffalo Tom or Bill Janovitz. When I say difficult, I actually mean it took me roughly 17-18 minutes. I felt some guilt would arise by going in the wrong direction of the specific homage being paid. On paper, Buffalo Tom as a unit made that decision for me. It's Buffalo Tom. When I say that, I mean Buffalo Tom credits 100% of songwriting to 100% of Buffalo Tom. Obviously that pendulum swings somewhat in one way or another behind the scenes from composition to composition, but they seem to keep it 100% sweetly real as a band, so that is how I'll run with it. Well, there will be that damn Bill Janovitz tilt, of course. Who am I kidding?
One afternoon in April of 1992, almost a year out of college, I sit at my little desk in the offices of Cabaret Nightclubs/Cornerstone Mgmt just outside of Philadelphia. Sometimes the club talent buyer CDs eventually landed on my desk, or I politely borrowed one or two without his knowledge. Whoops! Everybody has to make sacrifices. Even the talent buyer. What's that Buffalo Tom I see here? I loosely heard of them. One curious looking cat wearing a sweet hat in a comfy chair on the cover. Here it comes... "Let Me Come Over." Listen #1, I like this and that. Days later with listen #2, I like with slightly more gusto. After listens #3, #4 and #5 over time, I realized it became essential. That ultimately led to Buffalo Tom for life. Big Red Letter Day, onward to Sleepy Eyed, then all the way back to Birdbrain and the self-titled debut. Thenceforward I comfortably burrowed ahead. Oh, and there were also the live shows.
In the 90's, these Buffalo Tom live shows that demanded my attention were earnest three-dude guitar rock explosions visible from outer space. Turn the entire board up to 10 (yes, matter of expression you sound nerds) and let's have the songwriting cut right through that reverberating kickass racket. This would even apply to the slow and mid-tempo kind-of-ish from the gods ballads that go unconditionally full-on anthem... conjuring up a stunning and, at times, surprising sonic rage. The performance that stood in front of me was so LIVE and ALIVE. Bill Janovitz's vocals directed the physical charge on top of the relentless bottom end of Chris Coulborn and Tom Maginnis. That is what it was with many of these songs... an element of constant foward drive! Better described, sometimes it feels like Buffalo Tom's music is chasing something. The active percussive patterns coming from the drums are continuously pushing the rhythm ahead, while other instrumentation and vocals are keeping up and willing the song towards the next verse, bridge or chorus. Trying to win the race, no matter the pace. Maybe Bill's guitar drove the musical bus at times, sometimes janglin' and sometimes rippin', who actually knows?... but their songwriting and delivery have the ability to carry a unique urgency. This has to be the reason I love listening to them in my car with the window down on a long drive.
(Now we present the not-so-subtle transition to Bill Janovitz)
Here's some news for you. According to the "Encyclopedia of the Anatomy of the Technically Perfect Singing Voice," actually not housed on any website or found in any bookstore, Bill Janovitz's singing voice fits into the column labeled A Bit Raw and Imperfect. Go figure, having emanated from the tasty world of Boston garage and punk rock. Hitting the full bass to soprano vocal targets is pretty much not a part of his repertoire. Still, when it comes to rock "tuneage", no voice is imperfect. You just have to stick the landing with the rest of the band. With his voice and lyrics (which I have to assume he writes) comes purity and reflection, which creates connection. THIS DOES NOT TRULY HAPPEN WITH MANY BANDS TO MANY PEOPLE! Not every VOICE has the inherent skill to sing a story and make you listen, and go back and listen 100 more times, which hopefully gives you the feeling he or she is attempting to reach you specifically... comparable to prodigious singer/songwriters such as Adam Duritz, Chris Whitley, Matthew Good and Justin Furstenfeld, to name a few.
In closing, let's bring up that wretched time frame we have to call "Covid." Do you know what had my ZERO INTEREST? Watching bands stream on my TV. Live on a random club stage- ALONE! Live acoustic in the woods- ALONE! Live playing alone with an acoustic alone with no band full alone- ALONE! Way too depressing. I wanted no part of it at all, ever, under any circumstances. Eventually something stumbled along. Quarantine Happy Hour w/Bill Janovitz & Family, Saturdays at 4:30 PM. On the appropriate day, at 4:25 PM, I whipped up a tall drink, slid open the patio doors, hit the remote and then began my lounge. It became time for Bill to concoct his drink and soon after I soaked up a few hours of Bill in his basement studio, supporting his associate bear Arturo, and accomplishing the impossible. Rubbing all the world stink away. It was glorious. Never missed a week. Later commemorating, he made a poster print, and I bought the poster print. It hangs in my house, on the back wall, leading to the back patio. It reminds me of my lounge lifelines on Saturday afternoons. My back wall is the better for it.
