Buffalo Music: Album release shows coming up at Mohawk, in Versailles

By Robert J. McLennan

Raucous, rowdy and rootsy always comes to mind as a description of Uncle Ben’s Remedy. And with the release that dropped on Oct.16 on all streaming platforms of their seventh full-length album, that description and the reputation they’ve built holds true.

The new album is entitled “Garage Country” and UBR presents 10 new songs that sound like they are still rooted in the small towns in Western New York where most of the band grew up. 

Ben Westlund (lead vocals and guitar) wrote all of the lyrics for these songs, and he said, “These are story songs. Songs about the people we grew up with; grew together with and grew apart from. This music is medicine.” 

Their music has the honest, back porch feel of the country music they love. 

The writing of the music is a team effort for the entire band.

Guitarist and vocalist Harmony Griffin (guitar, vocals) said, “UBR wrote these songs in a circle in the basement underneath the Versailles Community Hall.” 

That building is a dance hall that Westlund’s and Griffin’s grandfather built with other old-timers — long ago, before they were old-timers — in the town. How’s that for small town roots?

Both Westlund and Griffin grew up in Versailles, N.Y., a town on the banks of the Cattaraugus Creek. Shawn Huestis (piano, organ, trombone, vocals) grew up in Panama, N.Y. Josh Mullin is from Attica, N.Y. and Kate Clark (violin, vocals) is from the bigger town of Hamburg, NY.  The only city boy in the group is Brendan O’Connor (upright bass, vocals), who is from Long Island.

There are very few bands in WNY whose music and image in some way identifies so clearly where they are from. UBR fits under the Americana umbrella, but they offer much more by creating their own sound and style of roots-rock, country, indie, gritty American music, emphasizing their roots.

RELATED MEDIA: Preview “Garage Country”

On “Garage Country,” they play all sorts of traditional and rock n’ roll instruments and stomp the floors and shout out encouragement; all while singing their hearts out in service to their songs. 

I asked Westlund about the album’s title. He said, “I was listening to an interview with Evan Felker from Turnpike Troubadours and he used the words Garage Country to describe a type of raw country music. I loved this term because it spoke to me about where all good music comes from: a few people in a room, maybe a garage, barn, or basement, being brave enough to push their emotions out into song. Playing off each other, laughing, yelling, crying together for a common goal. I decided that would make a good album name.”

Westlund continued, “But, the more I thought about the people that we make music for, the more I realized it also described where so many of them come from. The land of the garage! The garage has become so much more than where we park our cars; it has become almost a shrine to our way of life. A place of both solitude and socializing, birthday parties, late night listenings, as well as wrench knuckles and breakdowns. We make garage music for garage people.”

Garage music for garage people, with songs written in a community hall built by your grandfather.

A few of the songs are about the struggle of the working life, and regrets that creep up on you, but making sure you try to enjoy your brief time on this planet. One song remembers Christian Carlson, a good friend of the band who lost his life much too young.

“Calving Season,” lyrically, reminded me of Bruce Springsteen’s “Meeting Across the River” about a desperate man making a bad decision.

A couple songs are about show-biz; “All Dressed Up” refers to having the guts to put yourself out there and perform. And “Bottom of the Bill” is a humorous, all too true story of life as the opening band.

The music is classic UBR, mixing up country melodies and guitars, roots-rock, organ and jangly guitars, and some swampy punk-rock energy.  And fiddler and vocalist Kate Clark brings another dimension to the album, particularly on country-driven tracks “Animal” and “Bottom of the Bill.”

The first time I saw UBR was at the very first Sportsmen’s Americana Music Foundation summer festival in 2017 and they put on a wild, boisterous show under a tent on Niagara Street across from the river.  Since then, they’ve built a reputation for tight musicianship mixed with humor and crowd engagement in all their shows, regardless of audience size.  Their loyal following gets into their barn-burning live performances, leaving the shows sweaty and smiling.  The songs on “Garage Country” will fit right in with all their older songs and give their fans a new batch of sing-along opportunities.

Back in 2016, UBR started touring around WNY relentlessly, playing every small town and honky-tonk that would have them.  Since then, they’ve toured extensively throughout the eastern US and parts of Canada and they’ve shared stages with the Wood Brothers, The Sadies, Shooter Jennings, Asleep at the Wheel, Lake Street Dive, Frank Turner, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and many more.  

After you listen to “Garage Country,” you are going to want to see this music performed live, right in front of you!   You have two opportunities coming up real soon at album release parties.  First up, in the city of Buffalo, is Mohawk Place on Friday night October 23^rd.  The Mohawk at 47 E. Mohawk Street 14203 is recently revamped and officially reopened.  Along with UBR, Folkfaces, The Night Shift, Witty Tarbox and TJ Zindle are also on the bill.

Your next chance to experience “Garage Country” is on Saturday night November 7 at the Versailles Community Hall, 11703 Main Street in Versailles, NY 14168.  Also on that bill is Ten Cent Howl, Leroy Townes and Furious George.

Uncle Ben’s Remedy is a great band, in the studio and especially, live.  And with this brand-new album, they’re showing themselves to be in peak performance mode.  Mark your calendar for one or both dates for the album release shows and get out and experience the magic of UBR.