The Flannel Buffalo

calgaryherald: Great shot! mophotostudios: #yyc #calgary...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:32:44 -0500

calgaryherald:

Great shot!

mophotostudios:

#yyc #calgary #bridge (Taken with Instagram at Louise Bridge)

Massey and the Fergusons By Charles Hamilton, Bridges Photo by...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:31:00 -0500

Massey and the Fergusons

By Charles Hamilton, Bridges

Photo by Andrew Spearin, Bridges

It’s more than an hour before show time and a few members of the local alt-country band Massey and Fergusons are sitting around a bar table sipping beers and grumbling about how late the show is going to start. They are the opening act and won’t go on stage until around 10 p.m., which, they joke, is past their bed time. Some of them have to get up in the morning to take care of their kids.

“These days there are as many kids around as there are members of the band,” laughs Berkeley Buchko, the lead vocalist.

“It’s pretty hard to go anywhere when everyone is breast feeding,” pipes in Todd Peters, the principle guitar player and jokester of the group.

The members Massey and the Fergusons are not your typical wannabe rock stars. More than half of them are married and have kids. They have day jobs, daycare and diapers to worry about. They have wives, girlfriends and families to spend time with. Getting together to practice can be a challenge, never mind trying to keep a regular touring schedule. Tonight’s show is the first real gig they’ve played in more than half a year.

“We like to think of that as our dark period. We were writing,” jokes Peters.

The band — whose music can best be described as “trucker country” — has become a staple in Saskatoon’s roots/country-rock scene. And just because they don’t take themselves too seriously doesn’t mean their music is simply thrown together. With a slew of harmonies, twang guitar and fast-paced rockabilly riffs, the band lives up to their prairie roots. Taking after legends like Corb Lund and Steve Earl, Massey and the Fergusons is solid, folk-based country.

“I’ve heard people say, ‘You are like Blue Rodeo on steroids.’ But my favourite one is, ‘You guys are like The Band.’ That felt pretty good,” Peters says before letting out a smile that reveals he is pleased to be mentioned in the same sentence as the iconic rock group.

Even after a half-hour conversation, it is easy to tell these guys are here to have fun. They are full of one-liners and self-deprecating humour. They finish each other’s sentences, most often adding another layer of hilarious modesty into the mix. And with lyrics like, “I want to get stoned just like a mountain/I want to drink just like a fish,” it is easy to tell they aren’t all grown up yet.

“It’s pretty hard to take yourself seriously when we only play one gig a year,” says Buchko, before Peters adds in with a chuckle, “I think it’s pretty hard to take yourself seriously at our age.”

The idea for Massey and the Fergusons took root when Peters and Buchko met in 2006. The duo began playing open mikes and jamming together and by 2008 were on their way to becoming the band they are today. Aside from Buchko and Peters, these days Massey and the Fergusons consists of Shane “Schweaty” Buhler on drums, Darcy Burback (fiddle, mandolin, voice, keys), Jody Giesbrecht (pedal steel, harmonica) and their bass player who is known only as “Jerms” — no one would say why.

Buchko is quick to talk up the musical skills of his bandmates, but he insists that after years of practicing and playing rock shows he doesn’t know how to play guitar very well himself. His personal description on the band’s Facebook page reads, “Vocals, Three Chord Guitar, Banjo, Kazoo.”

“Me? I don’t really play music,” he laughs. “If you notice I don’t have strings on my guitar. I just play the radio really well.”

If you ever see Massey and the Fergusons live, you will notice that Buchko’s guitar does in fact have strings. For all their self-deprecating humour, the guys do put on a pretty solid country rock show.

Back at the bar table, the band muses about putting together another album. The group has one self-titled EP for sale, but between Buchko and Peters they have a ton of songs about drinking and heartache, and a few about Jesus and Bigfoot. (They actually have a song called Bigfoot Blues).

“We have 30 songs in the pocket but we only have five recorded,” laughs Peters.

For now, the future of Massey and the Furgesons isn’t that important. They are looking forward to tonight, to the feeling of getting back up on stage for the first time in months. They are revelling in a night out, away from day jobs and family. A night full of staff-priced beers and laughs. It’s an hour before showtime and all they are thinking about now is how they need to borrow some paper to make a set list.

wrlittle: Taken with instagram

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:13:40 -0500

wrlittle:

Taken with instagram

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings perform on Wednesday night at the...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:54:50 -0500

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings perform on Wednesday night at the Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon.

isosecretchord:

Tune of the Day: Perfect for a Wednesday, and some Canadian content as well, “I’ve Had Enough of You Today” by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings from their CD “Bark”.

inmytimeline: #traintracks #sunset #yxe #toaster #instagram...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:49:32 -0500

inmytimeline:

#traintracks #sunset #yxe #toaster #instagram (Taken with instagram)

: Well, the cat is out of the bag. I’ve been talking about putting out...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:48:09 -0500

: Well, the cat is out of the bag. I’ve been talking about putting out...:

zacharylucky:

Well, the cat is out of the bag. I’ve been talking about putting out this new record for quite some time it feels like, and now its only a month a way. I’ve never had kids, but I sort of feel like putting out a record is like raising a child. It grows, it learns things, it changes - some…

nationalpost: Blue Marble: See what NASA calls the ‘most...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:31:54 -0500

nationalpost:

Blue Marble: See what NASA calls the ‘most amazing high definition image of Earth’
NASA recently posted a photo to their Flickr photo stream purporting to be the “most Amazing High Definition Image of Earth.” The image, posted above, is the latest in their series of “Blue Marble” photographs which stitch together dozens of satellite photos into one high quality picture of the Earth. (Photo: NASA/Reuters)

spearin: #frozen #river #yxe (Taken with instagram)

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:29:12 -0500

spearin:

#frozen #river #yxe (Taken with instagram)

Winter is back after a hiatus. spearin: 5th Avenue North #yxe...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:07:49 -0500

Winter is back after a hiatus.

spearin:

5th Avenue North #yxe #snow #winter (Taken with instagram)

wrlittle: #hockey (Taken with instagram)

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:04:50 -0500

wrlittle:

#hockey (Taken with instagram)

fiftymilestillcoffee: outside zion on Flickr.

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:08:28 -0500

fiftymilestillcoffee:

outside zion on Flickr.

Name change...

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:59:57 -0500

So my girlfriend (and a few other people I consulted with) says the name ‘The Prairie Wind’ instills a thought of… manure odour. I still love the Neil Young reference, but most people might not get it.

After some brainstorming, we came up with The Flannel Buffalo.

Is it better? Worse? Any better ideas?

lifeofshralp: Some recent Agfa shooting.

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:57:39 -0500

lifeofshralp:

Some recent Agfa shooting.

notinsandiego: I always enjoy hearing the story behind a song....

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:56:27 -0500

notinsandiego:

I always enjoy hearing the story behind a song. Thanks for sharing this Arts & Crafts!

arts-crafts:

Dan Mangan discussing the title track from his album Oh Fortune and playing it for the Kiyanna Project

Visuals: Ruwan Perera
Production Sound: Karlo Montano
Sound Mix: Karlo Montano

djgagnon: #cdnhistory #railroad #Saskatoon Canadian Northern...

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:35:36 -0500

djgagnon:

#cdnhistory #railroad #Saskatoon

Canadian Northern Railway Yards, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Postcard cancelled onboard the Toronto and Niagara Falls Railway Post Office car, June 11, 1917. Postcard destination was Teeswater, Ontario.

In lieu of snow, on a record-setting balmy day in...

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:01:48 -0500

In lieu of snow, on a record-setting balmy day in Saskatoon…

wrlittle:

Julie Doiron - Heavy Snow

Patrick Carney Producing New Sheepdogs Album Source: Rolling...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:54:06 -0500

Patrick Carney Producing New Sheepdogs Album

Source: Rolling Stone

Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney is producing the new Atlantic Records album by the Sheepdogs, winners of Rolling Stone’s recent Choose the Cover contest. The as-yet-untitled album will be co-produced by Rolling Stone contributing editor Austin Scaggs with mixing by Tchad Blake and is tentatively scheduled for a late spring release.

“We’re recording live in the same room with no headphones,” reports Sheepdogs frontman Ewan Currie. “Pat’s got great ideas and we all seem to be on the same level.” That would make sense – Carney’s band is on our current cover.

Damn good news.

I heard Joel Plaskett will be rollin’ into Saskatoon in...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:34:00 -0500

I heard Joel Plaskett will be rollin’ into Saskatoon in April. UPDATE: April 20 @ Louis’

ursine:

Joel Plaskett - Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’ (Three)

Talk is cheap, but music’s cheaper.

spearin: #highway #saskatchewan #dawn (Taken with instagram)

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:16:34 -0500

spearin:

#highway #saskatchewan #dawn (Taken with instagram)

liliwanderlust: Abraham Lake Ice by Chip Phillips on Flickr.

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:25:43 -0500

liliwanderlust:

Abraham Lake Ice by Chip Phillips on Flickr.