Your Mount Rushmore for bands from Buffalo

[BuffaloBill]

On 6/7/2025 at 3:52 PM, muppy said:

I remember a band named TALAS that played live gigs at a Batavia area rock club called the primitive scene circa late 1970's . The bass player is Billy Sheehan. He had a career in music. I don't know if he is still active. I will search for a link

a reunion show in 2017 talas billy sheehan

https://talasband.fandom.com/wiki/Talas_(band)

 

says Billy went on to play with David Lee Roth. 

 

 

My sister was basically a Talas groupie…

[US Egg]

16 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

My sister was basically a Talas groupie…

Talas Tuesday at The Barrelhead. Will Billy Sheehan’s head hit the ceiling on stage?

 

(he was tall and wore platforms, ceiling was low)

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

4 hours ago, US Egg said:

Talas Tuesday at The Barrelhead. Will Billy Sheehan’s head hit the ceiling on stage?

 

(he was tall and wore platforms, ceiling was low)

Like a seesaw?!

😇😁

[US Egg]

3 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Like a seesaw?!

😇😁

I thought the song was kinda lame, but by the reaction in the bar seemed I was the only one.

…...kind of a recurring theme in my life.

[BarleyNY]

Patrick Wilson of Weezer wrote the song “In the Mall” about going to the local mall in his childhood. The mall he wrote it about was the Eastern Hills Mall in Williamsville/Clarence. 

[BillsPride12]

2 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

Patrick Wilson of Weezer wrote the song “In the Mall” about going to the local mall in his childhood. The mall he wrote it about was the Eastern Hills Mall in Williamsville/Clarence. 

That's awesome.  I never knew that 

[The Jokeman]

On 6/7/2025 at 6:53 PM, muppy said:

that's a fun band name lol

 

they could tour with Almond Butter

 

😄

They originally went by Green Jello but Kraft didn't like it so they were forced to change it. 

Edited June 11 by The Jokeman

[BillsFanNC]

Willie Nile interview on channel 2.  Amazing story about recording at the same studio with Lennon and lending him guitar strings just before he was killed.

 

 

[Walking Tall]

Tom Jolls and the Commanders.

[RichStadiumGuy]

On 6/7/2025 at 3:52 PM, muppy said:

I remember a band named TALAS that played live gigs at a Batavia area rock club called the primitive scene circa late 1970's . The bass player is Billy Sheehan. He had a career in music. I don't know if he is still active. I will search for a link

a reunion show in 2017 talas billy sheehan

https://talasband.fandom.com/wiki/Talas_(band)

 

says Billy went on to play with David Lee Roth. 

Talas live at the Primitive Scene... aka Devils Rock. The last time I went there was to watch boxing matches!

 

A very good friend of mine was the sound guy for Talas for a while and I used to get the opportunity of hanging out with "the guys" when I attended their gigs. There was also a place near Lockport that I can't remember the name of right now that they played at occasionally in the later part of the 70's. They were without a doubt one of the hottest local bands around at the time that's for sure!

 

There was another band named "The Nightlife Pickers" for a while and then they shortened it to just "Nightlife" in the late 70's and early 80's that did a slew of gigs all around the Batavia area. All of the guys in that band were good friends of mine and we lucked out with their scheduling and got them to play at our wedding reception in the fall of 82.

 

I'm fairly certain we must have bumped into one another likely more than once from reading a bunch of your posts concerning the Batavia area.

[muppy]

1 hour ago, RichStadiumGuy said:

Talas live at the Primitive Scene... aka Devils Rock. The last time I went there was to watch boxing matches!

 

A very good friend of mine was the sound guy for Talas for a while and I used to get the opportunity of hanging out with "the guys" when I attended their gigs. There was also a place near Lockport that I can't remember the name of right now that they played at occasionally in the later part of the 70's. They were without a doubt one of the hottest local bands around at the time that's for sure!

 

There was another band named "The Nightlife Pickers" for a while and then they shortened it to just "Nightlife" in the late 70's and early 80's that did a slew of gigs all around the Batavia area. All of the guys in that band were good friends of mine and we lucked out with their scheduling and got them to play at our wedding reception in the fall of 82.

 

I'm fairly certain we must have bumped into one another likely more than once from reading a bunch of your posts concerning the Batavia area.

the guys last name is Pitcher.  Bill Pitcher? I know of them. HA small world am I right?

[RichStadiumGuy]

1 hour ago, muppy said:

the guys last name is Pitcher.  Bill Pitcher? I know of them. HA small world am I right?

Yeah... small world for sure but that's not him and I'd rather not put my friend's name out there... he passed away at a way too young age of 26 back in 1981.

 

If I'm not mistaken Bill Pitcher and Bill McDonald along with his wife Kay got together and formed the band "Ghost Riders". The two McDonalds are well established in the music scene playing all over the country at some point in time and they wrote a lot of stuff too.

 

It's been a really long time but I'm pretty sure they were nothing but hard core country music and I never saw them myself. I'm not sure but I think both of the Bills might still be doing gigs... maybe not together but separately? I don't care much for country so I haven't heard anything about either one of them in a very long time.

 

 

[muppy]

16 minutes ago, RichStadiumGuy said:

Yeah... small world for sure but that's not him and I'd rather not put my friend's name out there... he passed away at a way too young age of 26 back in 1981.

 

If I'm not mistaken Bill Pitcher and Bill McDonald along with his wife Kay got together and formed the band "Ghost Riders". The two McDonalds are well established in the music scene playing all over the country at some point in time and they wrote a lot of stuff too.

 

It's been a really long time but I'm pretty sure they were nothing but hard core country music and I never saw them myself. I'm not sure but I think both of the Bills might still be doing gigs... maybe not together but separately? I don't care much for country so I haven't heard anything about either one of them in a very long time.

 

 

the McDonalds are on facebook and still perform 🙂 I was a coat check girl at the primitive scene. a lot of their staff were friends anx roommates at the time circa 1977. 

[RichStadiumGuy]

4 minutes ago, muppy said:

the McDonalds are on facebook and still perform 🙂 I was a coat check girl at the primitive scene. a lot of their staff were friends anx roommates at the time circa 1977. 

I thought they were still playing but like I said I was never into country music so they're not anybody I'd have kept up with. As far as Primitive Scene/Devils Rock goes I only went there a few times as I worked from 7 pm to 7 am six nights a week between 1977 and 1980 and having a night off on a weekend was a rarity!

 

How about Nightlife... does that name ring any bells with you? They were one of the few really hot bands around here for a while in the early 80's. When I confronted a couple of the guys in the band about doing our wedding one night they checked their schedule and both of them said almost in harmony "might as well... about half of our regular crowd will be there anyhow" :) Being a bartender at one of the area hot spots back then we drew a lot of the same crowd that Nightlife played in front of.

[PromoTheRobot]

On 6/7/2025 at 1:57 PM, Doc said:

Rick James arguably at the top.

 

On 6/7/2025 at 6:03 PM, dhg said:

Goo Goo Dolls

Rick James 

Talas

Steve Fister

Jackson C Frank

Willie Nile

Peter Case (the Plimsouls)

Rez & Grabbitz

Edited Friday at 03:16 AM by PromoTheRobot

[PromoTheRobot]

On 6/9/2025 at 6:10 PM, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

My sister was basically a Talas groupie…

I remember going to a dance at Bishop Turner HS and Talas was the band.

[Bray Wyatt]

Also I think Benny the Butcher should be on there

[Pecos Bills]

On 6/12/2025 at 11:13 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Willie Nile

Peter Case (the Plimsouls)

Rez & Grabbitz

Grabbitz may not yet be TBD Rushmore worthy but is certainly notable 🤘

 

 

[MarkyMannn]

Some good suggestions in this thread.  I grew up with Talas, mentioned a little in this thread.  Saw them many places, Barrelhead Tuesdays, He & She's, After Dark in Lockport. Billy was in Mr Big. Now lives in Nashville, among other things makes BBQ videos LOL.  Fun fact, Billy crossed paths with Eddie Van Halen who hired him to be in VH replacing M Anthony. Billy accepted, but then never heard from Eddie again.

 

Some people here have to recall Kenny Wilczak, the literal Big man of Buffalo music maybe 50 years.

 

Here's a polarizing band suggestion, big in Buffalo like the last 25 years. Hit N Run.  Imo, great classic rock, then wavered way too much in the genres they played. I lost interest

[Wacka]

5 hours ago, MarkyMannn said:

 

Some people here have to recall Kenny Wilczak, the literal Big man of Buffalo music maybe 50 years.

 

He was in Jambo and then Fat Brat. Jambo was playing at the Barrelhead when my cousin took me out legally to drink for the first time. Over 50 years ago now.