It’s not that Minneapolis jamgrass band Buffalo Galaxy’s studio efforts aren’t fun to listen to.
But those of us that have fallen in love with their live performances have long wanted some easily accessible recordings that capture that energy.
Thankfully, Don’t Pet the Fluffy Cows — Live: Volume One is a series. These songs were recorded in the summer and fall of 2023, at various locations along the band’s tours out west.
I’ve written before about this band’s connection to nature, but it’s worth noting here because of the album artwork incorporates a National Park sign.
“National Parks and Buffalo Galaxy tours go hand in hand,” Kovarik wrote in an email. “The band stops whenever a tour allows and the parks are a big part of the sound and energy that they are able to bring to the live shows. Borrowing imagery from our country’s great park system and blurring the lines between the music and the landscapes that inspire it, Buffalo Galaxy is proud to let loose volume one of their live album series.”
The album does capture the energy of this band’s live show. I’m thankful it’s a series.
There’s a number of covers on this album, and I’ll quickly mention my favorites of these:
There’s the late Jeff Austin’s “Steep Grades, Sharp Curves.” Austin and his music have a special place in my heart. I’m glad Buffalo Galaxy has incorporated this song, and they do it justice.
There’s a take on Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter’s “Loser.” The improvisational section is not long, but it is sweet, with some electric effects (guitar?), which I love to hear in my jamgrass.
Bob Dylan/The Band’s “I Shall Be Released,” is song that is dear to me, and covering it (or anybody’s music) shouldn’t be taken lightly. Buffalo Galaxy delivers it delicately, and I love the mandolin, guitar and banjo picking on it. Johnny Kovarik delivers the vocals with care. This classic is in good hands.
The last cover I’ll mention is Bela Fleck’s “Big Country.”
This one is probably my favorite cover on the album, but I’m a sucker for instrumentals. Everybody in this band, and the band itself, is showcased quite well on this recording.
On to the originals, the first one is “Pickin’ Up The Pieces.” I love the vocal delivery on this take. Zach Tauer’s psychedelic banjo gets fired up nicely (I’ll note that improvisational space banjo is probably the thing I love most about jam grass), and Peter Whiteman, who wrote this song, holds down the low end so well.
Kovarik’s “Darker Now” is also a major highlight for me, in part because this version has an electric element to it and there’s lots of spacey wah-wah throughout. It lands at just under 9 minutes long, and it had my attention the entire time upon first listen.
“River,” another song from Kovarik, starts out jammy, a quick way to my heart. And thankfully, the song is not short, shy of 10 minutes.
Whiteman’s “Blank Check and a Bible,” is a favorite of mine in the Buff Galaxy repertoire, both for its vocal delivery and the instrumentation. I love the pedal effects. It’s a good delivery of a promise the band made with fans early in their career with their description “light speed bluegrass.” This version builds to a peak. It’s a great mix of acoustic and electric elements.
You can hear how much this song was loved at the end because the audience howls. I wish I could have been there, which happens to be the Great Northern Bar in Whitefish, Montana.
Lastly, I’ll mention Kovarik’s “Time Machine.” It’s been another song that I’ve gone to repeatedly streaming before, and this version will take over for me. I am a fan of Kovarik’s vocal delivery, and the song’s overall lyricism.