Buffalo Gosspel and Zach Pietrini Bring The Soul of Americana to Cedarburg April 14th.

Cedarburg Cultural Center has run an impressive series of concerts this season as part of their Rebels and Renegades Series.  Over the past several months many of the midwest’s finest Americana, blues, and roots acts have graced the stage at the friendly confines of the CCC.  Coming up, is a true barn burner of a show featuring a dynamic double-bill of two of Milwaukee’s finest acts, Buffalo Gospel and Zach Pietrini.

The good folks at the Cedarburg Cultural Center should make sure the roof is reinforced because if Buffalo Gospel singer, Ryan Necci gets on a roll, the roof could blow right off the Center and into the majestic Cedar Creek below!  Powered by the soaring vocals of Necci and nuanced, well-layered musical interplay between drummer Nick Lang, upright bass player, Kevin Rowe, guitar and banjo player Michael Rossetto, and Andrew Koenig on electric and acoustic guitar, Buffalo Gospel provide an honest soulful sound that is unlike any other.  Buffalo Gospel can make your heart ache with soulful ballads one minute and have your toes tapping on the dance floor the next with juke joint boogies and numbers that would play well at a rowdy barn dance. Buffalo Gospel is gearing up to release their second LP, On the First Bell this May.   I had a chance to catch up with Ryan Necci about the upcoming show at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  

Q1: Have you ever visited Cedarburg?  If you have, what stood out to you?

I have, many times. My wife and I love Cedarburg and were actually looking at some houses there the last time we moved. We really enjoy the downtown area and all that the community has done to revitalize that district while keeping the small-town charm. You can definitely tell they take a lot of pride in their town -- rightly so.

Q2: What are your thoughts about playing as part of the Rebels and Renegades series at the Cedarburg Cultural Center?  

We’re thrilled to be a part of it. My renegade days might be in the rearview but we sure are honored to be a part of such a talent-filled lineup. We’ve heard great things about the CCC and what they’ve been doing for regional music for a few years now so it’s really wonderful to be able to finally work together with them.

Q3: Buffalo Gospel’s music is hard to define by genre.  While you may be a “country” act, you also exhibit characteristics of “soul” and “Americana.:  How would you best describe the Buffalo Gospel sound?

I’ve given up trying to figure out what it is we do. I know we all love country music so there’s a thread of that in everything but we also all have pretty diverse taste. There’s some rock, some blues, some soul, some folk. Really whatever it takes to serve the particular song we’re working on.

Q4: You have a new record coming out, On the First Bell, which is slated to drop in May.   Your last record We Can Be Horses came out back in 2013.  How would you say that this new record and the new material on it is different than your previous work?

I think we put a lot more time and thought into the pre-production of this new one. We Can Be Horses was a very quick, unintentional piece or work that I think worked in its’ favor. Because we were on a tight timeline and budget, we had no choice but to be loose and we were able to capture some lightening. The way folks seemed to embrace it was overwhelming in the best way possible. We didn’t really want to make that record again, though. This time around, I spent a lot of time editing the songs before I brought them to the band. Chris Porterfield basically taught me how to edit my lyrics. It’s something I’d never really thought about but I think it made a world of difference. Then the band worked on rehearsing and arranging the songs for a few months before we finally went into the studio. Those guys - Chris, Kevin Rowe, Ryan Ogburn, Nick Lang - they’re so good at what they do. It blows me away to watch them work. I think the patience and up-front preparation really shows in the final product. We’re all very happy with how it turned out.   

Q5: For fans who have never seen you or Zach Pietrini live, what should they be expect to see on April 14th?

Zach’s a fantastic songwriter and a compelling performer. He’s got a great voice and a formidable mustache. He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll meet out there, which never hurts. We’ve had the pleasure of sharing the stage with him now a couple of times and, as a big fan of quality songwriting myself, it’s always a treat.

Music fans from Ozaukee Country best shine their boots and get ready for a rip-roaring night of soulful Americana at its best when Buffalo Gospel and Zach Pietrini take the stage at the Cedarburg Cultural Center on Saturday, April 14th.