Tady: Ambridge grad makes Super Bowl music; Buffalo Rose on the rise

Scott Tady, Beaver County Times

February 11, 2022 at 5:01 AM·6 min read

Wouldn't feel like a Super Bowl without the melodies of Danny Dunlap.

Dunlap, a 1992 Ambridge graduate, again has created music for multiple TV commercials that will air during Sunday's big game.

You'll hear his composing and musicianship in commercials for Amazon and Vroom. Dunlap also adds light instrumentation to the highly touted AT&T Fiber spot with Mila Kunis and Demi Moore.

Dunlap "worked" with Kunis for a Super Bowl commercial last year, too, composing the music for a Cheetos commercial featuring the movie star.

Danny Dunlap has written the music for many Super Bowl commercials.

Now a Mount Lebanon resident after a few decades in California, Dunlap has scored original music for many more Super Bowls, such as Bridgestone tires, Career Builder and Hyundai for the 2010 game, a 2013 Best Buy commercial with Amy Poehler, and a 2014 T-Mobile ad.

And while not planned for this year's Super Bowl, the 2021 LeBron James commercial for Tonal exercise machines features music by Dunlap. From a Heinz ketchup commercial with Ed Sheeran, to spots for Gatorade, Subaru, Walmart, Tide, Hefty, Uber, Jose Cuervo, Twizzlers and Reynolds Wrap, when a commercial maker needed music, Dunlap got the call.

It's a nice niche for the Baden native who after graduating from Berklee College of Music drove across the country to Los Angeles to make his mark. He played in various bands that literally traveled the world, even Dubai, as well as on cruise ships, before his networking skills landed him in the lucrative and more stable commercial music realm.

Visit dannydunlapmusic.com to sample from the huge list of his TV commercial projects.

A few years ago, his dad, Baden resident Dan Dunlap, a former deejay at WSHH-FM, did the voice-over for Budweiser's "Typical American" Super Bowl commercial.

SPUDS return

Few local rock bands can boast of 35 years together. The Granati Brothers, Donnie Iris & The Cruisers, The Jaggerz ... and don't forget SPUDS.

"We were the first band — I think — in the area that have a website which is still up and running," SPUDS member Hank Lewandowski, of Economy, said. "You’d have to click on the written words on the main page to enter."

After taking time off for the pandemic, SPUDS returns to the stage Feb. 18 to perform at the annual Guinness Toast soiree at Moondog's in Blawnox.

SPUDS, short for Special People Under Doctors Supervision, trace their Beaver County ties to the band's 1987 debut album, "Thru the ‘Ears," for which half the songs were recorded at Jeree Studios in New Brighton.

"And for our last effort, ”Cheaper Than Therapy," we recorded and mixed in Ambridge with the fabulous Dave Granati," Lewandowski said. "We keep telling Dave we want to come back for our fifth recording as we refer to it as 'one for the thumb.'"

Lewandowski saved a Beaver County Times article from Jan. 23, 1987, highlighting a SPUDS show at Arthur's, formerly Morry's Speakeasy, in Rochester Township.

"That was the Mecca back in the day, great big place, great stage and lots of parking," Lewandowski said. "I like to brag that we were one of the very few bands that played the Oakland Bermuda Triangle of bars — The Decade, Graffiti and The Electric Banana."

Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley band SPUDS are back in action.

Bianco on TV

Contemporary Christian Music artist Carla Bianco, a Center Township native, performs in concert at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 on the Cornerstone Television Network.

Bianco's performance re-airs at 10 p.m. Feb. 28 on Cornerstone, Pittsburgh's homegrown religious station available on Comcast, Dish, DirecTV, Roku and Verizon and streaming live at ctvn.org.

"The concert will be the relaunch of Cornerstone’s 'Living Room Concert Series' since before COVID," Bianco, now of Moon Township, said. "They normally have artists from Nashville, but I am the first Pittsburgh Christian Contemporary recording artist they ever had on the show. They asked me back after I appeared as a guest on their 'Hope Today' show performing 'You Love Me As I Am' live for the first time, followed by an interview. It was their highest-rated show of 2021."

Her Cornerstone concert consists of songs and stories.

"I will be playing piano and singing songs from my EP 'You Love Me As I Am,' along with a few other favorites. accompanied by my guitarist, Gary Kalinosky, who I’ve been playing with for over 10 years. I recount my faith journey alongside my struggles and successes as a singer-songwriter and actress. A few of my voice students that I teach at Point Park join me on a couple of songs; 'Seasons of Love' from 'Rent' and 'Hero Rising' from my latest EP.

A former Broadway star, Bianco appeared in productions of the groundbreaking "Rent."

Carla Bianco performs next weekend on Cornerstone Television.

Buffalo Rose reps Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh folk-Americana sextet Buffalo Rose collaborated with Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton on a four-song EP, "Rabbit," arriving Feb. 22 via Misra Records.

The first single, "Runaway," came out Jan. 26, with high-energy acoustic strumming and lush vocal harmonies. It's a song about new love potentially evolving, while still heeding the reminder "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Internationally known folk artist Paxton first heard of Buffalo Rose through the band's appearance on a compilation charity album for the Music to Life program.

"And then after seeing us in New Orleans at Folk Alliance International 2020, Tom really wanted to work with us," Buffalo Rose member Shane McLaughlin said. "Our booking agent introduced everyone to each other over Zoom, we hit it off, and the rest is history."

The release of "Rabbit" comes with a national publicity push, segueing into Buffalo Rose performing a showcase next month at the prestigious South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Paxton-penned lyrics grace the EP's songs like "Green Light" where salvation is found with a California woman named Lila Mae, and "I Give You The Morning," where a man watches his lover still sleeping as the morning sun peeks through the blinds, wondering if he should wake her with a hug.

Pittsburgh folk-Americana band Buffalo Rose reaches for national stature on its new EP, "Rabbit."

Buffalo Rose provides the satisfying harmonies and light twang courtesy of band members Lucy Clabby (vocals), Margot Jezerc (vocals), Bryce Rabideau (mandolin), Malcolm Inglis (dobro), Jason Rafalak (upright bass), and McLaughlin (guitar, and vocals).

"It was incredible to work with Tom," McLaughlin said. "He brings a lot of joy to the songwriting process, he takes it very seriously, but has a lot of fun along the way. We have a super-similar approach, so I think that is why it worked so well."

Folk legend Pete Seeger once said of Paxton: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.”

A collab with an esteemed artist like Paxton bodes well for Buffalo Rose, which has drawn comparisons to national acts Lake Street Dive and Nickel Creek.

Receiving hometown support from Pittsburgh's adult album alternative station 91.3-WYEP, Buffalo Rose performs live on Feb. 25 at the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville.

Pittsburgh folk band Buffalo Rose has reached national stature.

Pittsburgh hard-rock show: Volbeat on V-Day: A heavy rocking show plays Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh concert calendar: Concert news: Toto joins Journey tour playing Pittsburgh

Tady talk: Scott Tady: Rochester Twp. venue closing; but Slam good time at Beaver Station

Scott Tady is the local Entertainment Reporter for The Beaver County Times. Reach him at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: Baden native makes Super Bowl music; Buffalo Rose on the rise

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SPUDS return

Bianco on TV

Buffalo Rose reps Pittsburgh

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