The White Buffalo // European Tour – Live Review // The Limelight // Belfast
Tonight is one that I have had on my radar for quite a while. Jake Smith, a baritone vocalist, we all know and love under the name of The White Buffalo. I had it in my head that Jake had played Belfast before, but as his first three songs wrap up, he lets us know that this is his first time in our fair city. So I must have confused his previous Dublin dates with local ones, but either way, we have him all to ourselves this evening for a night of beautiful rootsy, blues rock and Americana.
Jake’s reputation extends far and wide, and the mark he has left on the roots/ rock and Americana scene is evident for all to see. His DNA is firmly ingrained in the musical landscape we all know and love. This, of course, being my first time catching him live is a real pleasure, the venue The Limelight, one of Belfasts infamous locations is not an easy one to fill but clearly as the room is packed with a passionate fanbase who have waited quite a while to have The White Buffalo in their hometown, tonight is their night!
Jake has no shortage of material to toss out at will, and as he breaks into his first tune ‘Wish It Was True’ , it must give him comfort to hear the Belfast crowd sing along; it must be rewarding as an artist to be so far from home but feel so welcome in a strange room. Belfast has spoken and given its seal of approval as he lets loose that glorious baritone voice that just feels like being wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cold winter’s night. He opens up his set by playing his opening track solo on the acoustic and is joined by his band of brothers midway on track two ‘Love Song #1’ as the bass and drums kick in, filling the room with the most glorious soundtrack.
The band’s set list is no doubt carefully curated to take everyone on a unique journey, The stories and tales of The White Buffalo are greeted with rapturous applause as each track ends, roars of approval ring out, and fans shout out the titles of their personal favourites as they hope to hear them in glorious stereo.
For many here tonight, it will be their first time catching Jake and co in the flesh, and like me, we get lost and immerse ourselves in a lifetime’s pain and heartbreak that has been translated across ten-plus magnificent recordings. Each one like a tattoo on his flesh marking a moment in time and capturing the imagination so many, being translated and interpreted in so many different ways Jake himself may not comprehend, but by the time the masses get lost in these recordings Jake’s work is done and he has moved on, happy to have drip fed his army of fans with another delicacy to enjoy.
The relationship between artist and fan can be multifaceted, but when you are here, in a room together, there is no escaping the magic. The artist sees what those melodies, lyrics and stories mean to so many, and it truly is a beautiful thing to witness. The people upfront hugging the barrier are transfixed on the stage, getting lost as the dappled light fuses with the soundtrack that has shaped their summer, and the world is right for maybe an hour or so.
This is what it’s all about, the years of honing your craft, making those sacrifices and we do know any musician worth their salt has given up so much to chase that dream, and then one night you’re thousands of miles away from home and people you never thought you would ever share the same space with are in front of you singing back your lyrics. The smiles as far as the eye can see, couples holding each other tightly, swaying to the music, hands in the air, clapping along as the energy builds to a crescendo. You just can’t beat it.
For myself and so many others tonight, we got to catch a rare glimpse of the magic of The White Buffalo, close to home, with his band of brothers Matt Lynott (Drums) and Christopher Hoffee (Guitar / Keyboards) , share it with friends and live to tell the tale. A bank holiday weekend in Belfast that pretty much marks the end of the summer holidays here as next week schools reopen, the streets will once again be filled with daily hustle and bustle of a major city centre, but tonight we can still enjoy the other worldly soundtrack of Jake Smith / The White Buffalo just a little longer and hand onto this evening with our fingernails before we step out into the cool night air and back to reality once again.
Photography: Mark McGrogan
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