The way WXPN Artist to Watch Buffalo Nichols can take command of a room with nothing but a guitar and a chain of effects pedals is remarkable. Delivering a unique sound that draws on experimental ambient, psychedelia, metal, and the blues, Nichols played to a warm and receptive crowd at today’s Free at Noon concert at Ardmore Music Hall, some 12 hours after he headlined MilkBoy in Center City.
Nichols just announced his eagerly-anticipated sophomore album, The Fatalist — pre-order it here — and we were treated to a new live version of its single “You’re Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond.” Mostly, though, the show drew on his self-titled 2021 debut, along with the one-off single he released since then, “Friends” — one Nichols joked he hoped would be a bigger hit, except it’s five minutes long and makes you feel sad. As much as his music addresses weighty themes with whirlwind playing floating on Floyd-ian clouds, he lessens the blow with wry humor between songs, noting the strong attendance at the early hour (“maybe all my shows should be this early and free”), the family-friendly makeup of the crowd (“this is my PG banter”), and demuring when an audience member wanted to hear about how vintage his gear was (“I don’t like to talk about guitars, sorry”).
Check out photos of Buffalo Nichols’ Free At Noon performance below. His tour continues tonight in Monkton, Maryland; get his full itinerary of dates at his website.