Folk/bluegrass band Buffalo Rose performing live on October 22, 2016, Mendon’s Mac Inglis on far right. The author is Scott Spindler. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
BY DEB AND TIM SMITH
“We would love to a part of this! Calling now!” Those were the words that excited us as that enthusiastic response popped up in our inbox after reaching out to the band Buffalo Rose, which is headlining the main event during the 200th anniversary of The Cottage Hotel festivities. When Buffalo Rose takes the stage at 8:30 Friday night, it will be a special homecoming of sorts for band member Malcolm “Mac” Inglis.
Why so special? When Mac saunters onto the stage Friday night he will be returning to the venue that was, “my very first time ever performing on stage.” Those historic performances occurred during Sunday “Open Mic Nights” when he was actually tending bar at The Cottage so everyone in attendance will truly be witnessing one of those magical “Circle of Life” moments. We’ll get back to this in a moment, but first allow us to rewind and fully capture this local story.
“I spent most of my life in a farmhouse on Parrish Road,” said Mac, “and my love for the guitar took route in the HF-L Middle School jazz band.” After high school Mac’s first job was working for Hilary Stott at The Cottage Hotel. “I started as a dishwasher, then worked my way up to the kitchen, being a waiter and finally tending bar.”
One aspect that we personally remember about the melding of Mac’s roles as bartender and Open Mic performer is how adeptly he managed to simultaneously spin both plates. In the moments before his performances he would have to address all the bar patrons in a rapid-fire fashion with the news that if any drinks needed replenishing he would want to take care of those requests now because his bartending services would be unavailable for the next 5 minutes.
It all seemed like such a folksy, down-to-earth, small-town scenario which epitomized what The Cottage Hotel has always been all about. Then all eyes would fall upon Mac who would hit the stage and wow the audience with some classic blues or some better-known standards such as Pure Prairie League’s “Amie” or Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s “Southern Cross.”
After high school, Mac relocated to Pittsburgh which is now the home base for his Buffalo Rose band. Buffalo Rose is a charismatic six-piece modern folk/Americana band. They take the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in. Delicate and wild, thorny and untamed, Buffalo Rose weaves spiraling harmonies and gorgeously layered instrumentation into a captivating tapestry.
Tickets are $20 for Friday night’s show which is guaranteed to be not only musical magic, but also a piece of local history which should not be missed.
