Donna The Buffalo

For more than three decades, Donna the Buffalo has built one of the most devoted followings in American roots music. Known simply as “The Herd,” their fiercely loyal community has followed the band through thousands of shows, drawn to an unmistakable fusion of Americana, roots rock, Cajun and zydeco, reggae, country, and deep, danceable grooves.

A career highlight includes opening for The Dead, alongside appearances at some of the nation’s most prestigious festivals, including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and MerleFest. They have also shared the road and stage with renowned artists including Los Lobos, Little Feat, Rusted Root, and Grammy-winning bluegrass legend Del McCoury.Led by founding songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear, Donna the Buffalo brings fiddle, accordion, electric guitar, infectious rhythms, and thoughtful songwriting together in a sound No Depression called “indelibly their own.”

The connection between Donna the Buffalo and The Herd extends far beyond the stage. In 1991, the band helped launch the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, originally created as an AIDS benefit and now a longstanding celebration supporting arts and education.