This review appeared on the BestofWNY.com web site in December 2006.

Hits & Myths Review
By Bob Silvestri

The Outlyers are one of the most solid and consistent bands on the local music scene. Their live shows have always been an exercise in beauty and grace offering gorgeous melodies over heartfelt honest lyrics. Their new release Hits & Myths captures a glimpse of that power over thirteen tracks. The band, Adam Gearing, David Meinzer, Tom Fischer, Cathy Carfagna, Jim Celeste and Bob Chapman receive help here from Jim Whitford, Jim Bohm, Gretchen Schulz and others. "Criminal" kicks off the disc with a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers feel. "Everything But Time" offers a great hook and a heartfelt vocal delivery by Gearing as Carfagna's organ playing dances around the vocals. "Tumble Down," written by Carfagna, is a pop song in the Sheryl Crow vein. Carfagna also lays down some nice vocals on the Tex Mex sounding "Loteria" co-written with Meinzer. As a matter of fact all throughout the disc Carfagna adds immeasurable parts musically and vocally. 

"Persephone," a tub thumping rocker in the Sun Studio, mode features Schulz on vocals. "The Truth" is a tale of unrequited love and features Jim Whitford's weeping steel guitar playing. Also check out "Kisses" and "Walk Around With You." The one that really stands out here however is the epic "Scatterplot." From the opening notes you know this is a memorable song. It has received much deserved airplay locally on 107.7 The Lake. Its lyrical stand and declaration of purpose are true of us all.

If you're looking for a prime example of a band making real, original, homegrown Buffalo music, you need look no further than the Outlyers. Steeped in a variety of musical influences and comprised of some of the best songwriters and players in town, the band has crafted its latest release, Hits & Myths (Red Jacket Recordings), like a master distiller working in the Bourbon-soaked counties of Kentucky&emdash;slow and easy (if you want cheap moonshine, go down in the holler and get it from the guy filling jars out of an old radiator). This is a great disc. Four years in the making, the result is an intoxicating, 13-song mix with enough genuine quality, both lyrically and musically, to stand beside anything in that catch-all genre known as Americana. Core members of the band include the husband-wife team of Dave Meinzer and Cathy Carfagna, Adam Gearing, Tom Fischer and Jim Celeste, who were joined by an impressive array of players including Jim Whitford, Gretchen Schulz, Jim Bohm, Eric Wozniak, Mike Miskuly, George Olmsted, Kevin McCue and Bob Chapman for the recording. The show will include appearances by most of those folks, along with John Brady III of the Steam Donkeys on drums and special appearances by former members of the Riddlers and Pine Dogs.

Everyone talks about Austin, Texas, as if nothing of any musical worth could come from, or end up, anywhere but there, the home of the annual South by Southwest music industry festival.

There's a reason for this, naturally. Austin - like Athens, Ga., a tiny burg gone famous after R.E.M. made it de rigeur for alternative musicians to make pilgrimages there, or Seattle, after grunge burst out of there like a runaway train - is "the place to be" for musicians. It's held to be the spiritual home of alt-country, roots-rock and every other hyphenated musical form that can cite Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and Johnny Cash as an "influence."

Austin can have its crown. Not a problem. But I'm ready to make a claim for Western New York's musical heritage.

Not too far from here, in Fredonia, producer Dave Fridmann has recorded and produced the most important rock records of the past decade, with the Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. Rev main man Jonathan Donahue gained much of the inspiration that would flourish into profound art, first with the Lips, then with his own Mercury Rev, while going to school in Buffalo, reading Robert Creeley, and no doubt fashioning a gorgeously strange musical vision through a Buffalo lens. Rev also gave musical birth to Jimy Chambers, whose new band, Odiorne, is making some of the more interesting music to fall (broadly) beneath the rock banner these days.

Fridmann first recorded the Lips - during sessions that would come to see release as the "In a Priest-Driven Ambulance" album, widely held to be a classic already - in the recording studio on the Fredonia State College campus, while we were both still students there. The Lips took over the studio when classes ended in the spring of '89; 10,000 Maniacs recorded some of its finest work in that same studio.

There are countless other stories that could quite feasibly bolster the argument that Western New York is a breeding ground for significant rock music. We never get any credit for it, though. Just as state money seems to always end up in New York City, so too does our scene's credibility head south, to Austin, where it has to tough it out with folks who think of us as a bunch of yahoos who live in igloos 10 months of the year. The stone will surely turn. Eventually.

Next Friday, another fantastic Buffalo band will (relatively) quietly release a gem of an album, with a concert/release party inside Nietzsche's. The Outlyers, long a favorite of mine, represents for me an aspect of Buffalo's soul that - as a person who wasn't born here but came to stay because of the music, the art, the intellectual and bohemian subculture, the fact that Robert Creeley taught and lived here - I highly value. The band has incredible spirit. And it's a true spirit, because it is based solely on music, not on any of the ancillary benefits that playing music might gain one. These folks all have day jobs, families, strong ties to our community.

"Hits & Myths" is a beautiful record, stuffed full of what the always-pleasant-to-name-drop Gram Parsons called "cosmic American music." Parsons was trying to come up with a handle for a form of country music that was played by liberal-leaning hippies who liked to smoke grass. He sought to contrast it with the more right-leaning, conservative tendencies of most country-western musicians. It worked. Parsons helped make country music cool for rock fans who had previously thought of country as the music "the man" liked.

The Outlyers - Dave Meinzer, Adam Gearing, Tom Fischer, Cathy Carfagna, and a host of their friends, all of whom boast rich WNY musical pedigrees - isn't a country band, per se. Its members do draw from country, as they do from folk, pop, rock from various decades - you name it. But they have a streak of dignified individualism that should be treasured. This is a true "Americana" band, and for my money, the equal of any similar outfit working in, living in, or even thinking about making the pilgrimage to Austin.

The Outlyers mark the release of "Hits & Myths" at Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St., at 8 p.m. next Friday.

The Outlyers/American Songbook
By Bob Silvestri

When you strip away the one hit wonders, flavor of the month and bubblegum artists the one thing that remains the same are the dedicated group of artists making real American music. American music as defined by the blending of blues, folk, rock, back porch strummers and garage bands everywhere. Of course very few artists even dare to tread these waters. Performers such as Springsteen, Mellencamp, Steve Earle and Wilco among a few others still travel this road. Local artists The Outlyers fall into this group of artists. Consisting of Jim Celeste (drums), Tom Fischer (bass), Adam Gearing (guitars /vocals), Dave Meinzer (guitar/vocals), Jim Whitford (pedal steel) and Cathy Carfagna (keyboards/accordion) The Outlyers continue in this fine form of American music with the release of their CD "American Songbook."

The CD begins with the jangly guitar sounds of "The Journey Is The Thing" and continues with the sweet sounds of the next track "Tremolo." The laid back easiness of The Outlyers is best exemplified by the song "Playing Ball With Shoeless Joe." "Playing Ball…" has always been a highlight of the band's live shows and is an outstanding track on the CD as well. "A Twist Of Regret" a somber lament of mistakes made strikes a chord of "haven't we all been there before." "The Ballad Of Bo" is a swampy mysteriously greasy number a la C.C.R. and "The Last Frontier" with its dreamy guitar sound conjures up Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

"If I Wanted To" is the CD's best track, a Dave Meinzer song about someone who claims to be over a former lover yet still pines for her deep down. Jim Celeste's drum and cymbal playing and Gearing's slide guitar are incredible on this track. "5 Minutes Ago" another outstanding Meinzer written song features Jim Bohm and Al Monte on trumpet and sax respectively and Gearing with some really slinky guitar playing. "Rock Castle" yet another great Meinzer written tune is a roots-rock rave-up about the long gone McVan's Rock Castle. If you are old enough to remember McVan's or to have hung out there in its heyday (yes we were there!) you will know what a great club, possibly the best ever in Buffalo, that it was. Meinzer manages to mention everyone from The Jumpers, The Enemies, Electroman, the B-52s and more, all who were club regulars. "Rock Castle" is a fine tribute to one of the most exciting eras of local music. The nonexistent bonus track at the end is a nice touch.

The Outlyers CD "American Songbook" is a great primer of American roots music.

Sixth annual Americanarama brings musical roots to full bloom

Jeff Miers - Buffalo News, June 24, 2002

... The core performances of the day came courtesy of the Outlyers and Jim Whitford's Real Beat Band, who offered a moving collection of rock, country, folk and blues-based songs. The Outlyers sparkled on a number of gems from their recently released "American Songbook" album, notably "Tremolo" and "Playin Ball with Shoeless Joe." A cover of Tom Petty's "American Girl" and a smoking rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender" concluded the band's stellar set. Whitford, who played lap steel with the Outlyers, took the stage following that band's set and proved that he may be the preeminent guitarist and songwriter in Buffalo. It can't be emphasized enough - Whitford is the real deal, a world class musician with a heart of gold. ...

Jeff Miers - Buffalo News Gusto, May 17, 2002

At this point in the game, it seems fair to divide modern musicians into two rather distinct groups; those who play because they want the fame, the glory, the chicks, etc.; and those who play simply because they live for music and take great joy in the performing of it.

Buffalo's Outlyers fall with a resounding thud into the second category. "American Songbook," their new effort, is a joyful, easy-rollin' collection of songs firmly rooted in the tradition of American song and the laid-back joy of playing simply for the love of it.

That's not to say these songs are in any way lazy or too humble for their own good. Rather, "American Songbook" is a wholehearted and robust entry in the Americana genre, despite the cliched status of such a term. Country, folk, a bit of blues, attention to the joys of the mighty pop chorus, and a heapin' helpin' of tremolo guitars - sounds like the mighty Telecaster to these ears - combine to form a sort of mosaic that recalls Gram Parsons, the Byrds' "Sweetheart of the Rodeo," and even the lambent glow of Neil Young's "Harvest" and "Harvest Moon" duo.

All of this would be a lotta hot air if the songwriting wasn't as sparkling as it is. Adam Gearing and Dave Meinzer - guitarists, singers and songwriters both - lead the proceedings in a decidedly rustic fashion. Gearing's tunes - wry, witty, impassioned and catchy as all get out - are bubbly, believe it or not; album opener "The Journey Is the Thing" lopes along with a nod to Eddie Cochran's "Somethin' Else" and a bevy of background vocal bliss, courtesy of Gearing, Meinzer and drummer Jim Celeste. Similarly, "Playing Ball With Shoeless Joe" packs the pathos of the best country into a longing for days passed, with Celeste and bassist Tom Fischer laying down a relentless C&W shuffle.

Throughout the album, the pedal steel playing of Jim Whitford is a highlight. Stark, lonesome-sounding and yet still somehow jubilant, Whitford's counterpoint adds a layer of pathos to the proceedings and makes "American Songbook" a deeper well in the process.

Meinzer's "Tremolo" acts as the album's centerpiece. Its whistling-past-the-graveyard lyric, idiomatic trem-guitar and unforgettable chorus offer a three-minute primer in the brilliance of the Outlyers - short, sharp, jubilant, musical, and damn fun. For info on upcoming appearances, check wnywebshop.com/outlyers.

The Record, October 19, 1999

Outlyers bring roots rock to BSC
by Donia Clark

Dave Meinzer of the Outlyers has a voice that suggests he's does nothing more than while away his days lazily strumming a guitar on his porch, crooning to the passersby. His vocal style imbues even the most rollicking songs with a sense of laid-back grace. It's a marked contrast to vocalist Adam Gearing, whose deeper voice and more pronounced twang pushes even the mellowest tune with restless urgency.

The Outlyers, which also includes bassist Tom Fischer and drummer Jim Celeste, will bring their strong roots rock groove to the Buffalo State College campus at 7:30PM Thursday in the Fireside Lounge. Meinzer and Gearing also play guitar and harmonica, with Gearing picking up a mandolin and Meinzer strapping on an accordion occasionally.

While Meinzer's voice hints that he leads the life of a languid street musician, in reality, the BSC alumnus holds down a job as director of the United Students Government press services. He does artwork for student organizations and acts as a technical adviser for student publications.

Besides the Outlyers, Meinzer also leads Nimrod Wildfire and the Sagebrush Lotharios. Meinzer said the difference between Nimrod Wildfire and the Outlyers is the musical focus of the groups.

"The scope with the Outlyers is narrower," Meinzer said. "Nimrod stretched into country swing and jump blues. We might throw in some Cajun, if we feel like it. It's wide open. The Outlyers are more focused on classic roots rock."

The Outlyers formed in 1998 when Gearing's wanderlust brought him back to the city after 10 years of roaming across the country and through a few continents. He hooked up with Fischer and Celeste, his former band mates in the power pop group the Riddlers, and they began jamming together. Fischer and Celeste formed the rhythm section of the critically-acclaimed roots group the Pine Dogs after the Riddlers demise.

Using the traditional blueprint of two guitars, bass and drums as a platform, the fledgling group soon realized they would need a fourth member. Fischer said he suggested recruiting Meinzer.

"Dave had done graphic layout for the two Pine Dogs albums," Fischer said. "We had a long history in the Buffalo music scene, so I thought it would be great to have him in the group."

While they are known as a quartet, Meinzer's wife, Cathy Carfagna of the Jazzabels, often joins in, enriching the sound with keyboards or accordion. Carfagna, a former Burchfield-Penney Art Museum employee, is also part of the Frank Zappa tribute band Voice Of Cheese.

"Cathy's an adjunct member of the band, who plays whenever she's available," Meinzer said. "It's fun to have her there."

Carfagna will be appearing at Thursday's gig. Opening act Jim Whitford will also be sitting in with the Outlyers. Whitford was one of the founding members of the Pine Dogs and has recently recorded a solo album in Texas, tentatively titled "Poison In The Well." He rounded up a few nationally known musicians, such as former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagen and Buddy Miller, a guitarist with Emmylou Harris, to contribute their talents to the album. Meinzer is helping his friend with the cover art and the recording is slated for a December release.

Fischer said he enjoys having musicians drop in and play with them.

"It's not the same old, same old," he said. "It broadens your horizons to play with other people. They can help push the music in a new direction."

Whitford also plays pedal steel guitar with the Steam Donkeys and has recently performed with the Fibs and Redheaded Stepchild.

The following is an excerpt from a preview of the 2000 Americanrama festival. The author was Buck Quigly from the festival's host band, the Steam Donkeys.

The Outlyers. Unless you've had your head in the ground for the past twenty years, you are familiar with Dave Meinzer. He's been cranking out great songs the way Orlando, Florida cranks out boy bands. The only problem with that analogy is that Dave's product has genuine quality which stands the test of time. Joining him are an actual who's who of Buffalo's best pickers and grinners, See if you can pick out the ex-Pine Dogs!