Nina and the Buffalo Riders

A chat with Nina, Bobby, and Joe of Nina and the Buffalo Riders as well as fans Noel, Maria, Brenda, ShiAnn and Xlo. We begin with our original stories of discovering Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Then we hit the road with Nina and the Buffalo Riders to hear stories of adventure. We dive into some fan questions about tour plans and the hassles finding parking for the RV. Finally, we explore what everyone’s dream concert would be. This episode is packed, so grab a beverage and settle in.

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Chat with Nina and the Buffalo Riders - Show Notes - Discovering Nina

It has been a minute since we had seen Nina and the Buffalo Riders live. The last time was at the socially distanced outdoor gig at Grove Studios over the summer. Which was our first time seeing Bobby in the band. 

To get things rolling, I asked the fans how they discovered Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Brenda became a fan after seeing the band open for the Steepwater Band at HopCat in Detroit. Within a song, the hairs on her arms were standing up and she was asking “Who is this band?”. It was a happy chance to be there that night, but it made for a lasting love for Nina and the Buffalo Riders.

ShiAnn met Nina and the Buffalo Riders through other local Detroit bands. One time was all it took to become a fan. She has been supporting them ever since.

Marie became a fan from the moment of Nina’s conception. She knew her beautiful daughter had the gift of music when she heard her singing at age 2 to Whitney Houston. Marie and Noel (Nina’s dad) couldn’t believe what they were hearing. 

Noel would bribe Nina for a dollar to sing songs at family get togethers when she was little. Eventually, she started playing guitar and wowed the family with a flawless rendition of “American Pie” by Don McLean. One of Noel’s cousins suggested Nina play at an open mic night. Nina at the young age of 13 and escorted by her dad, played that open mic night and it set her on a course to pursue a life in music.

Xlo had been scouting out venues in Detroit for artists involved with Soundproof Detroit to perform. After stopping in at the Rusted Crow in Detroit, Xlo heard Nina on stage and dug the music. Reaching out to network led Xlo into becoming a fan and eventually working with Nina to produce a video. Be sure to check out the rap, dance, and nerdcore of Soundproof Detroit.

On the Road with Nina and the Buffalo Riders

In order to keep playing music, Nina and the Buffalo Riders have had to migrate south for the winter. They have been posting short videos of some of the fun along the way. I asked Nina, Bobby, and Joe what have been some favorite moments so far.

For Nina, a favorite moment occurred in Asheville, NC on the day that Biden won the election. The band setup on the streets to perform and there were people out celebrating the election. One overly excited woman nearly ran over other folks with her baby stroller trying to get closer to listen to Nina and the Buffalo Riders.

As Nina and the Buffalo Riders are getting to the end of the song “Wish I Could Stay” a woman runs up out of nowhere and starts dancing. She dances into the street and ends up laying back on the hood of a car. The car then drives away with the dancing woman resting on the hood.

Every single moment of being out on the road has been awesome for Bobby. If he had to pick one favorite it would be meeting actor/comedian Peter Dante in Key West. He took them to various bars and bought drinks. He even sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the band at karaoke. 

Joe’s favorite moment was the first night in Asheville. The band setup across the street from a park. Once they started playing people gathered around at a safe distance. Seeing the joy on people’s faces that day and each day since have been a highlight. The entire band agrees. Nina added that it is clear that people are starving for live music and being able to play music for them has been awesome.

Questions from the Fans

We flipped the questions over to the fans. Noel jokingly asked if Nina has enough strings and batteries. This brought a round of laughs. Noel then asked if Nina and the Buffalo Riders have any new gigs. Nina mentioned that they are currently in the Fort Myers area of Florida. They have played gigs at the Pink Piano in Lakeland and gigs at the Lani Kai Island resort.

Maria wanted to know what has been most difficult about playing shows right now. The key issue is parking the RV and permits. Most cities require a permit for musicians to play on the street. In some cases, the requirements include background checks and insurance. All of which makes it nearly impossible to play unless you have a gig with a venue that will support live music during these times.

This isn’t to say that Nina and the Buffalo Riders haven’t tried to work outside these restrictions. They were able to play in Miami for one day. They even tried performing in a cemetery, but this was shutdown by the police. Evidently the groundskeeper was all for it, but not so much the city authorities.

Get in the Van

Brenda asked if Nina and the Buffalo Riders have any summertime gigs lined up for Michigan. Turns out they do. On June 19th at Campit Outdoor Resort in Saugatuck, Nina and the Buffalo Riders will be part of the annual Saugatuck LGBQ Festival. They hope that more shows will spring up as the warmer temperatures allow for outdoor shows again. In particular, looking to get some gigs at Tangent Gallery and in Utica.

In the midst of a pandemic, a lot of folks don’t want to travel. And it makes sense; you may not feel safe at a motel or even an AirBnB. Xlo thinks the idea of hitting the road like NIna and the Buffalo Riders is inspiring. He wanted to know who came up with the idea to get an RV and head out of town.

Bobby relayed that it was sort of happenstance. He was at a buddy’s house and his friend's dog jumped the fence. They ran to find the dog at a house with an RV in the driveway. Bobby mentions that he loves the RV and starts talking with the owner. Next thing you know, Bobby’s driving home with an RV.

Maria and Noel hosted Nina and the Buffalo Riders at their house while the band worked on getting the RV ready for the road. They then set sail for the south in search of musical adventure.

In mid-February, look for Nina and the Buffalo Riders to steer their van into New Orleans. Afterwards, they plan to head west into Texas, Colorado, and then back to Michigan. Eventually they would like to head out to Montana, then down south to New Mexico and Arizona.

What Led to a Life in Music

I love to learn about the origin of an artist. I asked Nina and the Buffalo Riders what led them to seek out a life in music. Bobby was quick to answer that he has always loved music. The movie and the soundtrack to the Lion King was incredibly inspiring as a child. He would sing along to all the songs and loves them today. He never expected to be a musician. He attended Feral Fest in Michigan and that is where he met Nina and Joe. He was inspired by them and became great friends. Ultimately this led to Bobby becoming a member of the band he loves.

Joe is fairly sure his great-grandparents met at a piano bar. His dad was a DJ and his mom played piano. Music has always been a part of Joe’s life. At the age of 14, Joe got to see Bob Weir live. The energy of the fans and the band was captivating. After dozens of failed projects, Joe joined a band that played at Feral Fest and Nina and the Buffalo Riders opened. He was completely blown away. He and Nina became fast friends. 

The project band that played at Feral Fest fell apart and Nina reached out to ask Joe to join. He had an opportunity in another band, but felt his passion stirred by the music of Nina and the Buffalo Riders. Today, Joe couldn’t be happier with his choice.

When Nina was young, she loved the emotional power of artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Selena. She wanted to share that power with people through her voice. Once she started to play guitar Nina found singer-songwriters like Michelle Branch, Damien Rice, and Iron & Wine. From an early age, Nina has wanted to write and perform music. That drive carries forward today.

New Music on the Horizon

Nina, Bobby, and Joe have been working with Mike (keyboards) and Oscar (guitar) to record new music. They have a five song EP ready and just need to get album art completed. Three songs were written in 2020. The other two are older songs that have seen plenty of live rotation, but have not previously made it into the recording studio. Nina is particularly excited for this release as both Joe and Bobby add in vocal harmonies. Sounds like this new album will be stellar.

To engage with fans and provide them with an inside scoop, Nina and the Buffalo Riders will be launching a Patreon page. This will help the band make their music while giving fans some unique content to savor. In addition, be sure to check out Nina and the band on Twitch.

Rounding out with a Dream

For our last topic of conversation, I asked everyone what would be their dream concert. For Nina, that dream concert would have been to see Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and The Band when they toured by train on the Festival Express tour. Bobby would have loved to have seen Bob Markely. Ideally, Bob would have seen Bobby grooving on the djembe and invited him up on stage to jam with Wailers. Joe was super specific in wanting to see The Grateful Dead at the Springfield Creamery Benefit show in Veneta, Oregon on Aug 27, 1972.

Maria’s dream concert is Aerosmith. Doesn’t matter if it's the current day or back in the 70’s. Rocking out with Steven Tyler and the boys will work. Noel would have loved to have seen Santana at Woodstock. Just talking about the power of that performance by Santana had us all wanting to be there.

Prince and Michael Jackson in concert is the dream concert for Xlo. We all completely agree that it would have been amazing to see them both together on stage. Brenda had an incredible experience seeing Chris Cornell and feels the same about seeing Nina and the Buffalo Riders. So her dream concert would be Nina and the Buffalo Riders with Chris Cornell. Wow!