Running Shoes: Punk As F#@!

Saw Buffalo Tom last night at the Troubadour here in LA. They completely smoked it.

I needed that, coming at a time when I'm so freaking busy that I've damn near lost sight of why I loved music in the first place. You can have too much of a good thing, and musical burnout is a very real occupational hazard in our line of work. The show last night reminded me of why I've devoted my life to this stuff.

I've seen the 'Tom, like, 15 times (I'm no spring chick, in case that hasn't been established by now). And every time I see them, I'm struck by how completely ordinary they are in every way except their musical talent. Bill, Tom and Chris looked exactly like your 3 pals that showed up on Sunday afternoon to help you move your couch. Jeans, button down shirts off the rack from Target (these are working men, with families to feed) and running shoes (?!). There was no hipster irony in these threads, no sartorial snarkiness. It was simply three dudes who've always had, and continue to have, their priorities straight: an incredible workman-like devotion to writing and playing godhead songs with a feverish intensity...and then fashion somewhere down around the 7th or 8th rung. (In fairness, Bill was wearing a rather sporty fedora that looked great on him.)

Contrast this to the many hipsters that I encounter at my fave Eagle Rock lunch spot, The Coffee Table (so tasty!). I suspect that many of these people are in bands, and I also suspect that many of them are mediocre to lousy. Because most people who put that much time and effort into looking the way these people look are not spending nearly enough time and effort writing and recording godhead songs. Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, and some people -- The White Stripes, Joy Division, The Velvet Underground, Bowie, Nick Cave, Tim Rogers from You Am I, my Eagle Rock homegirl Best Coast -- are able to achieve the magnificent feat of looking incredibly cool and writing godhead songs.

The Buffalo Tom dudes are not among this group, or else they would be significantly more famous and well-off than they are now. But I get the feeling they don't care, and that's part of why I love them. They put the music first, and discerning listeners and show-goers like myself don't give a hoot if they're not wearing v-necks and rolled-up jeans. In fact, I'm REALLY glad they're not.

Another reason why I heart Buffalo Tom? Because Bill Janovitz has blazed a major trail in the straight world, just as I'm attempting to do. Dude has a very healthy real estate career in full swing. Guess what, kids? It's possible to write classics like "I'm Allowed", "Velvet Roof" and "Sunday Night" and go on to have a respectable career that your mother-in-law can be proud of. Who knew??

As someone who's followed the exact same path as these guys (albeit one of much less renown) -- band dude for years, then "real career", wife, mortgage, kids -- I'm really in awe of what they've achieved. In short, these guys are badasses. They can wear whatever the hell they want on stage -- even running shoes. They're allowed. ~ Tim