A Buffalo Springfield Reunion Tour? Hooray For Our Side!

Fans React to Rumors of a "Possible" Buffalo Springfield Reunion Tour

No too long after the triumphant reunion of The Buffalo Springfield at the 2010 Bridge School Benefit Concerts, rumors began to swirl about a possible Buffalo Springfield Reunion Tour.

The Los Angeles Times got the rumor mill started with the provocative headline "More Buffalo Springfield reunion shows on the way in 2011?" in an article by Randy Lewis. Yet the article cites zero sources as basis for the headline. Lewis writes: "Pop & Hiss is hearing rumblings of some additional performances next year, possibly even a summer tour."

"Rumblings"? So we kind of dismissed the article as just more wishful speculation than actual reporting.

Then an in-depth interview with Richie Furay appeared in Crawdaddy! by Ben Corbett. The interview -- which is quite excellent and should be read in full for some interesting insights into the band's breakup -- gives Furay's perspective on the reunion and tour possibilities.

Crawdaddy!: Was there talk of doing anything else together?

Furay: Yeah, there was.

I wouldn’t be surprised if maybe we didn’t do a couple of other things. We were pretty high when we got done and everybody said, “Hey, let’s just settle down and take a deep breath and see how everyone feels after a couple of weeks, and we’ll see if we want to pursue anything else.” So I sent Neil and Stephen a note last week, and both of them were really very positive about the whole experience.

So we’ll just have to wait and see.

Based on Furay's comments, it would seem that saying "tour rumblings" is highly premature.

But here's an interview with drummer Joe Vitale keeping options open:

Asked if more Buffalo Springfield shows are on the way, Vitale says, “I don’t know yet but I would guess. I know they want to. People went crazy for it.”

Buffalo Springfield - 10/23/10
Photo by Thrashette

Surprisingly -- or maybe not so much -- the reunion has already been ranked as among The 10 Greatest Rock and Roll Reunions by Gibson Guitars?!

But not too fear. Up comes Rolling Stone with a helpful primer "How Buffalo Springfield Could Pull Off a Tour With the Byrds" by Andy Greene. Greene suggests that a Buffalo Springfield and Byrds tour would be just the ticket for 2011. Greene proceeds to walk through all the permutations and complications of such a venture:

"The problem: Unlike Buffalo Springfield, the surviving Byrds aren't a good mix. Crosby has been bitching for years that McGuinn refuses to even consider a reunion. Chris Hillman is a born-again Christian and a Republican, meaning he's the polar opposite of Crosby. But this shouldn't matter. The Ramones toured the country in a van for twenty years while barely speaking. Certainly McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman can suck it up for a mega payday and to help secure their place in history.

So one really has to wonder what's that sound?

It would seem that the tail is wagging the dog. There really seems to be no basis whatsoever for the tour speculation nor a truly far fetched tour pairing.

Besides. What fans really want is a Crazy Horse tour.

After all, if there's one single thing we fans understand about Neil Young, it's that he never, ever listens to his fan base.

So. Crazy Horse in 2011!


The Buffalo Springfield, v. 2010
Joe Vitale, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, Neil Young and Rick Rosas
Photo by Eleanor Stills (via Rick Rosas | Facebook)

---