John Buffalo Tapped by Old 97's for Summer Tour

John Buffalo has been tapped by the Old 97’s to join them for a short summer tour that kicks off in Lexington, KY on July 31st. The run of mostly Midwest dates is the first US run for John Buffalo following the release of his self-titled new album John Buffalo via State Fair Records on November 10th, 2023 – listen HERE.

When asked about the invite, John Dufilho (who records as John Buffalo) said, “Having the 97’s put their stamp of approval on my new solo project, John Buffalo, means the world to me. Plus, their crowds are the best. This trip is gonna be crazy fun. I’ve toured with them before, with The Deathray Davies and with I Love Math, but never solo. I’m definitely gonna be trying some new things.”

The choice to bring John Buffalo out on the road with them comes as no surprise. Upon hearing the new album, Old 97’s Murry Hammond sent John a note, “GREAT record and great concept. I don't know how you continue to do it - the quality of your writing and recording just stays so high no matter the project. You're a treasure, my friend, and not just around Dallas.” In addition, John has been a longtime friend and collaborator to the band’s Rhett Miller.

Along with the tour news, John Buffalo is releasing a brand-new music video for his single “Who Gotta Lighter?” – watch HERE. The single features candid lyrics, where John expresses his frustration with the current state of women’s rights throughout the bold track. When the song was first released John shared, “This is a song about equality for women. It's ridiculous and just plain wrong that it even needs to be addressed in 2023… but here we are. It sounds like a call to arms, but really it's more like a call for awareness. I don't believe in violence, but I'm up for starting again.”

“Who Gotta Lighter?” is one of several album singles to be released ahead of the album and reflects the entire embodiment of Dufilho’s indie music roots while evoking sounds of Devo and Beck. At the time of the LP release John discussed this shift towards a synth-heavy sound with The Dallas Morning News and KXT, the former during which he stated, “Pretty much my whole existence has been guitars and bass and drums, so it’s kind of cool and interesting to make the record (John Buffalo) this way…It might surprise a few people, especially if they’d made up their mind about me before.”

KXT is referring to Dufilho’s near death experience last year that led to him recording his first all-electronic album. It started after a routine doctor’s visit that uncovered a hereditary condition that required Dufilho to undergo lifesaving open-heart surgery (2x)! Unable to play any live instruments, John started playing on a synth and drum machine and, while he didn’t know where these sessions would lead at the time, he was creating John Buffalo. The surgery that saved his life and led to this new studio album also resulted in massive medical bills that Dufilho was able to pay in large part thanks to Stephen King and his non-profit, The Haven Foundation, which awarded him their biggest grant to date.

The San Antonio native and Dallas based musician is best known from his work with The Deathray Davies, CLIFFFS, I Love Math and John Singer Seargent. John Dufilho is excited to be continuing this next chapter of his musical career with his John Buffalo project and now this tour with his friends in Old 97’s.

John Buffalo with Old 97’s US Tour Dates:

JUL 31, 2024 @ The Burl in Lexington, KY
AUG 1, 2024 @ The Bluestone in Columbus, OH
AUG 2, 2024 @ Delmar Hall in Saint Louis, MO
AUG 3, 2024 @ Hi-Fi Annex in Indianapolis, IN
AUG 4, 2024 @ The Magic Bag in Ferndale, MI
AUG 6, 2024 @ Elevation @ The Intersection in Grand Rapids, MI
AUG 7, 2024 @ Castle Theatre in Bloomington, IL
AUG 8, 2024 @ Wooly's in Des Moines, IA
AUG 9, 2024 @ First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
AUG 10, 2024 @ The Raccoon Motel in Davenport, IA
AUG 11, 2024 @ Madrid Theatre in Kansas City, MO

Photo Credit: June Dufilho

To post a comment, you must register and login.