Country x Midwestern music for wounded souls and restless hearts At the heart of all great music is a story, and for that matter, a storyteller. The stories behind Milwaukee-based RYAN NECCI AND THE BUFFALO GOSPEL begin with its founder, Ryan Necci, and his early introduction, through his father’s record collection, to country music, John Prine, and Townes Van Zandt. Growing up in a small, lower-middle-class farm town, the songs of love and loss and broken blue-collar dreams seeped into him. When he started writing his own music over a decade ago, it was inevitable that the timeless quality of Country/Western and Americana arrangements would profoundly inform his art. Over a period of a few years, he experienced the dissolution of a marriage and the death of his close friend and writing partner. The immediate response was to quit music and live with his demons, yet as time moved on, writing about the darkness was the only way to keep going. These crystalline bits of bleary, haggard, emotion shine through the band's debut album, “We Can Be Horses,” which came out in 2013 to rave reviews. Critics called the work “minimalist and masterful,” “musically arresting,” and “Milwaukee’s Best Kept Secret.” Necci followed up with a critically-acclaimed EP, ‘Waiting For the Lights to Go Out,’ while gathering momentum for the band's sophomore album. “On The First Bell” was recorded with Grammy award-winning engineer, Brian Joseph (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens, Indigo Girls) at The Hive, nestled quietly in the rural landscape just outside Eau Claire, WI. Necci says, “It was the perfect place for us to record these songs.” The new record has the same strong, country-Americana feel as “We Can Be Horses,” combining the band’s dual penchant for hopped-up trucker country and breathtakingly honest ballads. Most of these songs would be right at home amidst the 1970s AM radio nuggets gleaned from Necci’s father’s old record collection. Ryan Necci and The Buffalo Gospel delivers through a virtual “who’s-who” of crack Midwest musicians who have assembled around Necci’s heartfelt and heartbreaking songs – including Kevin Rowe (bass), Nick Lang (percussion), Haley Rydell (fiddle), Andrew Koenig (guitar). The band’s wildcat live performances take listeners to a dusty, forlorn, but strangely familiar place that simply gets sweeter with time. SARAH DEGRAW to open. Doors open by 8 p.m., music starts at 9 p.m. *** O.P. Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall is back in a big way for the Park City summer season! Join us on Friday and Saturday nights for live music in the subterranean "speakeasy-level" Music Hall. General Admission tickets are standing-room-only for the dance floor. Reservations are highly recommended for GA tables on the dance floor and VIP tables on the Mezzanine. For large parties, or to partially or fully buy out the Music Hall (downstairs) or Rockwell Listening Room (ground floor) for weddings, birthdays, or reunions, visit https://oprockwell.com/private-events. FAQ: Is there food available? Yes! You can pre-order a charcuterie board, already packed up and ready for you to bring downstairs with you into the Music Hall. Order from Park City Desserts & Coffee HERE, then pick up prior to checking in at O.P. Rockwell. The cafe is located here, inside The Rock Building at 268 Main Street, directly above O.P. Rockwell, on the ground floor. Food from PCDC is the only food allowed into the performance venue. Where is the show venue located? O.P. Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall is located downstairs in the subterranean "speakeasy" level" of The Rock Building at 268 Main Street in Park City, UT. Look to the right of the porch for a brown door in a red wall. Are children or minors allowed? O.P. Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall is a BAR, therefore everyone attending must be 21-and-over. All guests must present a valid ID at the door. Will tickets be available at the door? Possibly, but it depends on the show. Your best bet is to purchase tickets in advance. If I've reserved a table, does that include entry? Yes.