Buffalo Gospel with Joseph Huber- October 1, 2016 "The Secret Garden"

photo by Will Piper

Buffalo Gospel returned to the intimate picaresque settings of Riverwest's "Secret Garden" for their second annual house show performance.  The cool autumn breeze created the slightest nip in the air which caused music fans to huddle close together amid a plethora of plants for this incredible evening of fun, friendship and great music.  This year Buffalo Gospel brought along the prolific Joseph Huber to open the show.

While perhaps best known to date for his tenure with the .357 String Band, Huber has made a name for himself as a solo artist with his regular touring and introspective narrative songwriting.  Joined by longtime collaborator Jason Loveall on fiddle, Huber sat on his suitcase assuming his "one man-many instrument" approach to performing.  He tapped away on the box with a tambourine strapped to his foot as he played a bounty of fresh numbers, many of which will appear on his new record which will hopefully be released before the end of the year.  Huber also played several noteworthy tracks off of his two solo releases, 2014's The Hanging Road and 2010's Bury Me Where I Fall.  A set highlight was a high energy rendition of  "Shovel on Your Shoulder," one of Huber's many stand out tracks off of The Hanging Road, which saw Loveall cut loose on the fiddle as well.  Huber's humility and approachable nature comes forth in his songs and make him a special artist- one whom many fans can easily relate to.

photo by Will Piper

Buffalo Gospel was up next to headline the evening.  The Milwaukee alternative country quintet continues to evolve as vocalist Ryan Necci sharpens his songwriting and vocal prowess.  Like Huber, Buffalo Gospel played a boon of new songs mixed in between fan favorites.  On his Facebook Page, Huber referred to some of the newer Buffalo Gospel tracks as "instant classics."  This would certainly hold true for one of the set highights, "High Time to Hang Fire," a newer track that Buffalo Gospel has been performing throughout the year, and is a likely inclusion on their forthcoming release.  This track showcases Buffalo Gospel's heart tugging songwriting and the locomotive force of Necci's vocals.  

Buffalo Gospel continued their collaboration with fellow Milwaukee musical treasure, Chris Porterfield.   Porterfield's loose jangly guitar added rich texture and timbres to the band's sound. Alongside newer numbers, Buffalo Gospel played many fan favorites, closing the set with "Mule," and then playing a double encore of "If I Was The Last Man" and "Letters to Georgia,"  bringing the "Secret Garden" crowd tot their feet in rousing support of this Milwaukee gem of an act.

The scenic beauty of  "The Secret Garden" coupled with pristine sets of moving music from Joseph Huber and Buffalo Gospel made for a wonderfully enchanting night.  We can't wait for the next "Secret Garden" show.

Buffalo Gospel Setlist:

Lonestar
Hoarse as a Crow
High Time to Hang Fire
Homeless
Cant Afford to Die >
On the First Bell
She Ain't Gonna Hold
Hill Outside My Home
18 Wheeler
When Lonesome Comes Calling
The Western (the Devil is Me)
Son of a Gun
Mule

Encore: If I Was the Last Man
Encore 2: Letters to Georgia

Joseph Huber Setlist:
You Showed Me
Two -Tongued Swear
Drop in the Bucket
Fell off the Wagon
Comin' Down From You
Diminished Things
An Old Mountain Tune
The Suffering Stage
Same River Twice
Tongues of Fire
Broken Paddles
The Hanging Road