SXSW 2010: Avi Buffalo @ Mohawks
Posted by: nick
Avi Buffalo is the vessel through which 19 year old Long Beach California native Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg channels his musical powers of which he is blessed with many. Avi Buffalo is signed to Sub Pop and has a self titled album due out in April. It’s a great record but it’s nothing compared to the live performance. Watching this little Californian play guitar is breathtaking.
For Fans Of: My Morning Jacket, Neil Young, Wilco.
The way Avi’s fingers negotiate his Stratocaster guitar seems impossible and he tells us he’s just made the switch to it recently! Then there’s the small matter of the eight or so effect pedals he dances between with his feet and crouches down to program with his hands while notes are in mid flow. It’s like watching a gymnast at times!
As if that weren’t enough to behold, Avi has an awesome voice. It’s an otherwordly kind of high, Neil Young like but with a lot more reverb employed. His vocals really ride with the music creating an amazingly melodic flow to the songs. ‘Five Lil Sluts’, ‘Coaxed’ and ‘Summer Cum’ are all phenomenal today and ‘What’s In It For?’ is a song worthy of any set. Moreover this is a band worthy of any stage.
