In the Buf with Jo – No Illusions Reunion

Make no mistake, I AM a Buffalonian. I have now officially lived here longer than my beloved hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. There's something about WV that never leaves your heart. But that's for another "In the Buf..."

I moved to Buffalo after a two-year stint in early 80s LA working for an independent record promoter named Tony Muscolo (who had grown up on Buffalo's West Side, btw). I was meeting big shots I had only read about in the trades!

I was in pleasant shock and awe at the caliber of live, homegrown WNY musicians and songwriters. I remember walking into Nietzsche's the 1st week I lived in Buffalo, and there were a bunch of my fellow record reps standing there looking to sign Blue Rodeo!

So I was so honored when the women of 1994's "No Illusion" CD (and cassette) asked me to emcee their reunion gig a couple weeks ago at Sportsmen's. Some of these ballsy women singer-songwriters hadn't seen each other in 20 years...or since The Continental closed. Ha! I gave away a pair of tickets to a couple YRK listeners, and I had a blast with Lana and friends. Great gal! She even gave me an Easter basket filled with anatomically correct chocolate. Hi-LAR-ious.

What an absolute treat to feel the energy of total joy and freakin' GREAT music shared with 300 rockin' WNYers...at 3:30pm...on a Saturday!

I'm STILL smilin'.