02-19-2011
The Orphans Of Buffalo
By Jason Mazzariello
I have lived in the Buffalo area my whole life and I can tell you this; one thing we breed is stellar musicians.
Maybe it’s the great Lake Erie water, maybe it’s the long winter months. Nobody will ever know for sure.
One thing we do know is no independent band, no matter how much potential they exude will ever see the light of day on a national level due to the limited exposure our city provides. It could be fitting perhaps that the “Orphans” of our beloved Buffalo music scene have taken a name that prophetically announces their would-be fate. A symbol of the suggested hope they embody and what we as a talented but unknown music scene lack.
Roger Bryan & The Orphans formed after his second solo release, “The Engine Hum,” brought together a permanent back up band consisting of Matt Smith/Erik Roesser on guitar, Ryan Besch on bass, and Mike Sobieraj on drums. They immediately returned to the studio under the guided hand of prolific song crafter Bryan to record and release a local masterpiece entitled “Wolves.” The Orphans are currently back in the studio and set to release in June what promises to be another crowning achievement. (currently titled “37”)
Roger Bryan and the Orphans deserve to be noticed. If the viral web of blogging functions the way it should then perhaps they will find a rightful home in music lovers ear buds from Seattle to NYC and everywhere in between. Buffalo may be easy to miss, shrouded in grey fog from its dreary economical climate that has endured over half a century. We may not have the resources to champion young emerging artists like so many of our nation’s bigger cities but we do provide a fertile musical crescent in which talent has blossomed. Take the Orphans home with you. For less than a dollar a day you will transform your life and the lives of someone special. You can make a difference.
Check them out all over the web and in a city near you soon.
