Toles to headline iPost fundraiser

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Tom Toles was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist when he left Buffalo nearly 12 yeas ago to succeed the legendary Herblock at The Washington Post. Then a funny thing happened: He picked up the drum sticks and became a drummer in a rock ‘n’ roll band. Two of them, eventually.

His one band, “Suspicious Package,” plays mostly covers.  “Lethal Bark” plays all originals. He also is developing a musical comedy with a creative team based in New York City.

Toles, who still has his “day job” at The Post, has played in Washington D.C., the past seven years, but never in his hometown, save for sitting in here and there for a couple of songs with friends such as John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey.

He will have a proper coming out Monday, July 21, at the Sportsmen’s Tavern when he teams with the Outlyers and special guests at a fundraiser to benefit Investigative Post, a Buffalo-based non-profit investigative reporting center.

Toles serves on Investigative Post’s board of directors. Although he lives and works in Washington, Toles and his wife Gretchen have kept their home in Hamburg and return at Christmastime and the months of July and August.

“I’m thrilled that Tom is lending his name and talents to the benefit. And the Outlyers know how to put on a spirited performance. This is going to be a lot of fun,” said Jim Heaney, Investigative Post’s founder and editor.

Tickets cost $25 and are available for sale online and at the door.

Toles will be backed by the Outlyers, who have built a local following since 1998 playing a mix of original compositions and cover songs penned by an eclectic group of artists ranging from David Bowie to Steve Earle to the Monkees.

“The songs we cover can range from the ’50’s to ‘00’s. Our first criteria in choosing songs is do we like them. If the audience loves them, that’s even better,” said bassist Tom Fisher. “The original music tends to reflect the styles we admire. Roots, rock and roll, Americana, British invasion, power pop, punk, post punk, new wave, alternative and retro.”

Other band members include Kevin McCue (guitar) David Meinzer (guitar), Cathy Carfagna (keyboards) and John F. Brady (drums).

The Outlyers have released two albums, “American Songbook” and “Hits & Myths.”

The band’s upcoming shows include: