New Orleans’ The Revivalists and all star six-piece band Van Ghost, featuring Jennifer Hartswick from The Trey Anastasio Band, will co-headline The Bayou Cafe in Albany this Saturday, November 17. Tickets can be purchased for $10-$12 by visiting Ticket Fly. Doors are at 8, show starts at 930pm.
Since forming in 2007, The Revivalists have rightfully earned their reputation as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The groups blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance. For more information, visit The Revivalists official website
Van Ghost, founded by singer-songwriter and guitarist Michael Harris Berg features the talents of decade-plus Trey Anastasio Band vocalist Jennifer Hartswick, who has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, among others. The sympathetic interplay between her silk and sandpaper vocals intertwining with Berg’s folksy emotive lead vocals has become a staple of Van Ghosts sound, garnering favorable comparisons to CSNY. The band also features the telepathic interplay of guitarist Grant Tye, drummer Greg Marsh, and Klem Hayes. For more information, visit the Van Ghost official website.
The Rustic Overtones take a swing through Upstate NY this weekend with a stop a the Putnam Den with special guest Stone Revival Band on Friday, November 16th at 9pm and the next night at Foodstock V at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie, NY at 5:30pm. Saxophone player Ryan Zoidis caught up with Pete Mason after this weekend’s Bear Creek Music Festival and discussed his role in The Rustic Overtones, Lettuce and his affinity for Upstate New York.
Pete Mason: Playing saxophone in Rustic Overtones and Lettuce, how did you get started out with each band?
Ryan Zoidis: I met the Lettuce cats in 1992 at the Berklee College of Music five-week summer program. I met Eric Krasno in an ensemble we were assigned to then met the rest of the guys shortly after. We all wanted to play funk music and that’s exactly what we did. We ended up meeting up after high school when we all went to Berklee and lived in the same dorm. We used to jam till 5am regularly and we started playing parties at different college dorms. Most of us left Berklee after about a year but some stuck around. A few of the guys were in a band called Fat Bag that was a great live hip hop group and they started touring a bit, so that put a damper on Lettuce.
Meanwhile, I left school, moved back to Maine to regroup and find a gig when my good friend Tony Mcnaboe asked if I wanted to play in Rustic. I went to a rehearsal and it went well, although I didn’t love the music initially.
My first show was in Orono, Maine at Geddy’s . The place was jam packed, the crowd was singing the lyrics, Gutter was a star. That’s when I realized I wanted to play music that appealed to the masses, and Rustic was really special. Shortly after I joined we got signed by Clive Davis and the rest is history.
Pete: Bear Creek was a collaboration fest this past weekend. What makes the climate of fests like Bear Creek so conducive to collaboration with other musicians?
Ryan: Our friend Paul Levine started Bear Creek because he wanted to do a funk festival. He booked his favorite bands Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, The New Mastersounds, etc… We have done some great collaborations that weren’t necessarily planned, they just happened.
Pete: What was your musical highlight of Bear Creek?
Ryan: The Friday night Lettuce set was on fire!
Pete: The Rustic Overtones took a hiatus before reuniting in 2007; how has the balance of being in two acts been a challenge in recent years?
Ryan: Well, I’m doing this for a living. I really need to stay busy to make it work. Lettuce has never been a hard touring band, only 30 shows a year max. Since Rustic got back together we only do 60-70 a year. It’s challenging sometimes schedule wise and it’s tough to have to choose between the two. I also started a reggae band called Royal Hammer with Dave Noyes, Gary and Mike from Rustic. Our first album will be out this winter. We want to get that out on the road too.
Pete: How do you like Upstate New York, having played festivals and venues here for many years?
Ryan: Upstate’s always been really good to Rustic. We had some crushing shows at Revolution Hall, which was our favorite venue. WEQX, a radio station here plays us, so that helps. Putnam Den is awesome and they treat us great; Castaways in Ithaca is cool too. There’s a lot of good spots, kids who like to check out music. Getting stoked for the weekend Upstate!
With a history of politically-tinged acts such as State of Alert, Black Flag and Rollins Band, Henry Rollins’ foray into spoken word performance is a natural segue, removing the music and adding in an uninterrupted stream of consciousness covering a multitude of topics for two and a half straight hours. Appealing to the populist crowd scattered with faithful hardcore punk fans, Rollins delved into broad topics, ranging from national literacy to elections, traveling the world to growing up in Washington D.C. and his life with Black Flag on the road and in Los Angeles.
Henry Rollins
On this night at The Egg, dressed as usual in black shirt, black pants and black shoes, Rollins dripped sweat from his left arm as he held the mic, barely moving from his spot at center stage for the entire performance, deviating perhaps only a few inches at most from beginning to end. After an hour, he seemed like a Rockem Sockem Robot, fixed in position and only moving his arms, just a little more fluidly than the robots and with a deep passion that kept the audience engrossed throughout the performance. Rollins was nothing short of intense in speaking to the crowd, never engaging them directly but keeping them on their proverbial toes with random bursts of pure energy, akin to the refrain in the “Liar” video.
Among the multitude of topics that Rollins segued in and out of over the course of the night:
Lincoln and his recognizing that the greatest threat to America was internal;
Having played many state capitals this tour, most of them, Albany included, seem to shut down shortly after 6pm;
The use of polysyllabic words as a sign of intelligence and more prevalent among one of the two political parties;
Hope that the 21st century is looked upon centuries into the future and taught in schools as THE century where things changed for the better for all;
Megyn Kelly of Fox News and her reaction to news stories (one can never look at Megyn the same way again after hearing his observations);
The greatness of live music as described by seeing a 19 year-old playing with a punk band;
The wisdom of David Lee Roth (yes, wisdom);
Having turned 50 recently, recognizing that he is not at the midpoint of life, but rather within field goal range of death;
The trend of old bands and punk rockers reuniting to scare new generations at summer music festivals (with better sound this time);
Black Flag as an ancient traveling troupe and stories from the road, some happy, some sad and but mostly generally fucked up experiences;
Heroin in Los Angeles during Black Flag’s heyday and the friends lost to overdoses;
Visits to Syria, Iran, North Korea, China, Bhutan, Tibet and Haiti; all out of personal curiosity and general restlessness;
While visiting Haiti, having a sense of urgency to do something to help the Haitians, by getting them soap and soccer balls at their request; and,
Realizing that his Western solution to helping them (buying them things) was not a solution, but possibly adding to the problem.
For 150 minutes, Henry Rollins delivered thought provoking laughs to a crowd fixated on his every word. Without a break for a drink or a spare breath, there was much to take away from the mind of a prolific thinker and musician. A spoken-word show of this nature is one not to miss.
Saratoga Springs was in for a treat this past Monday night as Blues Traveler played their smallest, and most northern date of a tour in support of their new release Suzie Cracks the Whip. The Putnam Den was packed tightly, more than ever before, with an eager crowd of all ages rapt with attention to John Popper as guitarist Chan Kinchla took control of the stage and drove the band through a fast paced two hours.
Opening up with “All Things Are Possible” and “Nobody Fall in Love with Me”, two tracks off Suzie, the audience adjusted the to new music and kept their ears peeled for the hits that were forthcoming. Surprisingly, for a few at least, the band broke into Sublime’s “What I Got”, which has found new life in an appropriate band, Popper mastering the vocals on this 90s number. Bassist Tad Kinchla broke down the ending of the song while Popper took a water break on this extended jam and refreshed his whistle. “Love and Greed” off their third album and the classic “But Anyway” followed with songs from the new album mixed in. “Savings Grace” -> “Run Around” provided the longest jam and segue of the night (see video below), highlighting the keys work of Ben Wilson.
“The Devil Went Down to (Saratoga)” stirred the crowd wildly, eliciting screams of joy and fist pumps in step with the drum beat, cheering on yet another apropos cover that allowed Popper’s harmonica skills to shine. A crowd favorite, “Mountains Win Again”, the ballad off the ever-popular Four was the highlight of the night to this point, Popper not having lost anything from his voice over the years. He responded with toasts to the crowd, again and again – five all during the night, showing appreciation for the adoring crowd. To cap the set, “Hook” was the last hit on the list, providing a crowd sing along with the lyrics that somehow, everyone has been able to master over the years:
“Suck it in suck it in suck it in if you’re Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn make a desperate move or else you’ll win and then begin to see what you’re doing to me this MTV is not for free it’s so PC it’s killing me so desperately I sing to thee of love sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self and I can’t keep these feelings on the shelf I’ve tried well no in fact I lied could be financial suicide but I’ve got too much pride inside to hide or slide I’ll do as I’ll decide and let it ride until I’ve died and only then shall I abide this tide of catchy little tunes of hip three minute ditties I wanna bust all your balloons I wanna burn all of your cities to the ground I’ve found I will not mess around unless I play then hey I will go on all day hear what I say I have a prayer to pray that’s really all this was and when I’m feeling stuck and need a buck I don’t rely on luck because the hook brings you back”
Popper, cool on stage with his fans and the crowd sweaty and happy caught their breath on a break for the encore, which started out with drumming and another toast “We love you Saratoga! We never come up here enough and we will come up here more!” Popper then dedicated the next song, “Carolina” in honor of the Yankees, after asking for a score on an off night. Wailing guitar and lyrics capped off a perfect night of music from Blues Traveler, bridging the 90s to the present with songs from a bygone era and present day.
Blues Traveler Setlist: All Things are Possible, Nobody Fall in Love with Me, What I Got, Love and Greed, Can’t Win->But Anyway, Recognize my Friend, Save His Soul->Run Around, Cara Let the Moon, Things are Looking Up, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Mountains Win Again, You Don’t Have to Love Me, Drums->Hook
Barefoot Truth played at The majestic Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts for the final time on Friday, October 12th, part of their farewell tour. This band combines great songwriting, multi-instrumentalism and proud stage presence and made for a bittersweet show in that I was just discovering a band that I would have loved to have seen continue to play. A crowd of 20 year olds and younger middle aged would agree, hanging on every note and lyrics, not wanting it to end.
A group looking like a band of misfit Mormon’s, Barefoot Truth has the 20-something, good looking band motif down pat. Their sound came off as immediately enjoyable, incorporating a little bit of Dave Matthews, Dispatch, O.A.R. and Jack Johnson into their songwriting, replete with harmonica and acoustic guitar mixed in, a staple of the alt-rockers. The song “Rope” featured Garrett Duffy on vocals, notably “You lift me up, you shake me down, you knock me over, you spin me around”. Dan ‘Hombre’ Holmes came in to sit-in on drums for a couple of songs, only to be surprisingly replaced by the lead singer/guitarist Will Evans, showcasing the band’s inclusive versatility
One of the incredible song of the evening that Jeff Howard sat in for was “Life is a Photograph” With popping vocals and solid music, it recalled The Avett Brothers sound, with a soothing electric guitar blended in. After the beat dropped, the crowd responded with a head bobbing zombifying effect. The Andy Wrba-Jeff Howard interplay made the sit-in more awesome, with tunes as catchy as String Cheese Incident’s “Land’s End”, the crowd was fully engaged as the band dipped into what could best be described as delving into early Phish jams.
“Changes in the Weather” had more radio-friendly lyrics. “Until you you realize you’re not there”. Later, on a funk number where Howard played guitar again, Jay Driscoll thanked Jeff for showing him what his guitar could sound like. Jeff looked comfortable on stage with Barefoot Truth, always watching for cues. Collaborator Noah Weiss came in to play sax on “Eagle Front”, a straight up white boy reggae tune and evoking Jars of Clay from the mid-90s. This was really upbeat music, with the crowd rising early and clapping to the beat; overall, a very kinetic show.
An encore that began with the hands of Andy and Jay on Jay’s guitar was a short interlude before “Reelin’” The extrapolated jam was a true treat to end the night, with great harmonica from Garrett Duffy.
A band with enough skill and talent to switch instruments seamlessly, alternate vocals and share the stage was refreshing to see. Songs are well written and groovy, beckoning fans to request and repeat refrains. It’s a shame to see them go, but there are still three chances left: November 9th at Higher Ground in Burlington, November 10th at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, Mass and November 11th at The Sinclair in Boston. For more info, check out barefoottruth.com
I was introduced to Soul Risin’ in 2009 by my friend Greg who noted that Jon Fishman himself called himself a fan of the group. When Phish played the War Memorial in the fall of 2009, an indoor lot scene was created with vendors of food, beer and clothing, as well as a few bands, most notably, Soul Risin’. Their first two albums were in regular rotation on road trips and the third album will find a home in the mix very shortly.
The album kicks off with “Don Negativo (Fool Like You)”, a country/rock foot-tapper, including a Blues Traveler vibe in the vocals that push right to the edge of each peak, building up again to the refrain. Title track “Rise & Fall” has a “You Can Call Me Al” rhythm, very calypso in composition with evenly balanced horns in the back. This is a definite crowd pleaser of a tune. “Heavens Done” has funk and blaring horns from the start, scat style singing and large builds with the horns, giving the band it’s first rock anthem of the album. “Tidal Waves” has a rockabilly, hip shaker beat to it while “Leaving Train” is the first softer track on the album, growing to nearly a full band ballad.
The next few tracks (“Worcester”->”Baby”) carry the theme of the passing of lead singer Bryan Weinsztok’s father last year through the birth of his child this spring.
The island jamming music of “Worcester” is a little Strangefolk-sounding mixed into the progressive jams and guitar work. This track opens up nicely with keywork from Mike D’Ambrosio before returning to the composition and Weinsztok’s impassioned lyrics. “The Door” gets started on a slow and steady path, but halfway through diverges and gets abruptly louder, with notable accents from Adam Fisher’s bass. Another album highlight, “Part Two/Open the Door” showcases John Capozzolo’s drum work and Jim Dunham’s Percussion, providing the framework for the band to create a song with even greater depth; one cannot help but recall Dave Matthews efforts from a decade ago when hearing “Open the Door”, a compliment to this grand track.
“The Greatest Advice” moves by at a breakneck pace but the lyrics chillingly stick out, notably the repeated “Love means more than madness, when we’re tossed off to life’s great abyss. Ours is the flame that burns in this insane world over.” A lullaby sung from father to child, “Baby” is the softest moment on the album. “Punk” takes the album out on a high note, with Weinsztok’s guitar tearing through the song.
Key Tracks – Rise and Fall, Worcester, Part Two/Open the Door, The Greatest Advice
Syracuse’s music scene has always been vibrant and featured some incredible acts in the past and local favorites Soul Risin’ continue to make their mark as one of the best in the region. This Saturday at The Westcott Theater, Soul Risin’ releases their third albumRise & Fall.Recorded in recorded in April at More Sound Recording Studio and engineered by Jason (Jocko) Randle and Andrew Greacen, the album is a fantastic effort (review here). You can pick download or stream the album at www.soulrisin.bandcamp.com or pick up a copy of the physical album and download MP3s at cdbaby.com
On Saturday at The Westcott Theater, Doors open at 7pm with Boots N’ Shorts on shortly after 8pm, then Brother Joscephus and The Love Revival Revolution Orchestra followed by Soul Risin’ taking the stage shortly after 10pm
Adding to the release of the album is the cause behind the show. From ticket and album sales, Soul Risin’ is raising money to help a local Syracuse woman who was recently diagnosed with cancer, has no health insurance, so as to help her family out with basic needs. Bryan Weinsztok, lead singer of the group lost his father a year ago on October 16th, hence the album release date this week. In order to help the family meet their needs with bills and groceries, Weinsztok is looking to raise $1000 or more to benefit the family. Keeping charity close to the cause is noble, especially on such an eventful night already.
Take a listen to the free stream on Bandcamp and enjoy the music. Soul Risin’ is known for putting on a solid live performance with something for everyone, making for a great regional jam show.
TICKET and ALBUM GIVEAWAY!
is giving away a signed double LP Vinyl of Rise and FallAND Two tickets to Saturday night’s CD release party at The Westcott Theater.
Earlier this year, southern jam rockers Widespread Panic embarked on a four city, 11 date tour that relied on acoustic performances of originals and a nice array of covers that took the band a step away from their arena-rocking sound towards subdued but fantastically creative performances. The product of this tour is Wood, which includes a wide array of selections from the Washington D.C., Denver, Aspen and Atlanta shows from January and February this year. The band gave fans a unique experience before taking off the rest of 2012 to relax and refresh.
The full band’s acoustic sound is spectacularly mixed by John Keane at John Keane Studios and mastered by Ken Love at MasterMix, giving each song a crisp sound that allows the listener to hear the subtle instrumentation applied to songs like “St. Louis” and “Good Morning Little School Girl”. The tracklisting features a broad selection of Panic songs from over the years, as well as new covers that hopefully will make an appearance in regular rotation when they return to the road in 2013. The album plays like a regular live, acoustic show with two disks for two sets, or 1 long one depending on how you look at it.
“The Ballad of John and Yoko”, one of the many covers debuted this tour, breaks the ice on this acoustic album; an acoustic album is far from a way to say ‘quieter music’ – this is a full and at times, a heavy album, thanks to great sound and recording. Straight up rocker “Imitation Leather Shoes” has a different sound in this format, and fans of Panic will find this tune a unique twist on the original. A swing version of “Tall Boy” makes this gospel-friendly song a Dixieland tune while “Many Rivers to Cross” is soft and soulful, with JB singing the Jimmy Cliff tune perfectly.
Dave Schools’ bass resonates in the softest thumping manner on “St. Louis”, Alan Price’s “Sell Sell” is a unique song from the British film O’ Lucky Man and Howlin Wolf’s “Tail Dragger”, a nasty blues number that is perfect for Widespread Panic in this format. “Tickle the Truth” is gritty and nasty and it seems that acoustic is a preferable way to perform the song. “Fixin’ to Die” features Col. Bruce Hampton on vocals in a traditional Panic sit-in on the upbeat number.
“C. Brown”, the story of a boy and his dog, is softer than live versions and has percussion that sounds like Sonny Ortiz playing a small child’s xylophone. “Blight”, the Vic Chesnutt classic is as dark as ever without amplification while Bloodkin’s “End of the Show” gives John Bell’s mandolin a go through impassioned vocals, a perfect ending to this album.
Not since the Sit n Ski tour of 1996 were audiences treated to intimate shows like these. Pick this one up and enjoy some classic Panic.
Key Tracks: Ballad of John and Yoko, Tall Boy, St. Louis, Tickle the Truth, C. Brown, End of the Show
Blues Traveler makes a small room stop in Saratoga Springs next Monday at The Putnam Den. Having long ago graduated from the jam-band underground to mainstream stardom, the iconoclastic combo has consistently stuck to its guns and played by its own rules. For their new release North Hollywood Shootout, the quintet ventured out of their creative comfort zone to explore some adventurous new horizons demonstrating the band’s songwriting while capturing the spirit of their live shows.
“We’re still trying to reconcile the different things we do, and cultivate what we’re individually good at into something that’s bigger than the sum of its parts,” notes front man and harmonica-slinger John Popper. “When we’re all playing and it’s working, it becomes this separate entity, and that’s still the thing that we’re chasing.”
Blues Traveler released its self-titled debut in the spring of 1990, featuring the hit track “But Anyway”. The album won the group a national audience that continued to grow with the following year’s Travelers and Thieves and the live EP On Tour Forever, and 1993’s Save His Soul. In 1992, Blues Traveler founded the touring H.O.R.D.E. festival, which became an influential outlet for bands associated with the jam scene. 1994’s Four became a quintuple platinum breakthrough for Blues Traveler, spawning the Grammy-winning smash single “Run-Around” and the followup hit “Hook.”
“It’s unavoidable that if you’re around long enough, you’re gonna fall into ruts,” Popper reflects, adding, “We’ve been in several over the years, but you fight through that and you overcome it. We were little kids when we started, and we approached this like little kids, and I think we’ve held onto that. We’ve made mistakes, but we’ve never allowed ourselves to do anything that we’d be embarrassed about now.”
“It’s funny, but right now the band is feeling a lot like it did in the early days, when we were just playing for the sake of playing and we were hitting on all cylinders and the communication was fresh and alive. The shows have been really kicking, and the new songs have been going over great.”
Blues Traveler takes the stage at Putnam Den on Monday October 15th at 9pm, doors open at 8PM. Tickets are $28 in advance. It is recommended you buy tickets through www.PutnamDen.com as there will be limited tickets available at the door.
Jeff Howard has a history with Connecticut group Barefoot Truth that overlaps his experiences with The McLovins, the group he formed with Jason Ott and Jake Huffman back in late 2008. Recently, Barefoot Truth announced they were breaking up saying,
“In the past few years, it has been more difficult than you may realize for the band to continue the pace. Although we love playing live shows, the pull to be home with loved ones and the desire to pursue other interests has strained our ability to honestly give the band our full devotion and attention. After much soulful discussion, we have decided that it must be time for us to turn a new chapter. Therefore, the band has decided that this fall will mark the final shows for Barefoot Truth. Trust that we did not come to this decision easily, for we truly believe that our music has a place and purpose that is needed.”
McLovins with George Porter
Howard has the incredible ability to play guitar, blending rock, jazz, blues and folk into a wide array of songs and jams, taking time to play through songs but not hogging the musical spotlight, for he shares the stage with a wide degree of humility and maturity not found in more experienced musicians. Jeff plays with Barefoot Truth on the first of four final shows with Barefoot Truth, starting at The Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Jeff spoke with to discuss his musical growth, 2012 and what the future holds for this high school senior with incredible guitar chops.
Pete Mason: How has 2012 been for you musically?
Jeff Howard: 2012 has been quite the musical journey. I’ve had the pleasure of working with roots-rock band Barefoot Truth, and have started a new funk project, Suitcase Rodeo. Suitcase Rodeo was born from these Monday night jams I’d do up in Pittsfield with some of the guys from Barefoot, plus a friend of mine in Canton who plays drums (Andrew Maggennis). We really hit the jackpot with this particular lineup, and became our own group. In a nutshell, I’d say 2012 has been diverse and exciting.
Pete: Last December, you left The McLovins, but you have sat in with them in the past few months. For the record, what led to you leaving the band and branching out on your own?
Jeff: I haven’t yet sat in with the McLovins since my departure. My leaving the band was simply a matter of conflicting circumstances and commitments I had to deal with. It got to the point where I knew that I was unable to be the band member that the other guys deserved.
Pete: How has playing with Barefoot Truth added to your guitar skills and playing with a broader group of musicians?
Jeff: The guys in Barefoot Truth are some of the most refined musicians I’ve ever played with. It’s extremely beneficial to play with guys who write such well-crafted pop songs, and play them with such command. It’s easy to get caught up in Altered Dominant and Whole Tone scales, but in the end people want something that’s simple and hits home. To accomplish this takes just as much skill as it does to play the most complex jazz music.
Pete: These last four Barefoot Truth shows seem to be quite emotionally charged, especially after a thorough and thought out letter to fans. How are you planning to approach these shows?
Jeff: Honestly, I’m going to approach them as I have every other Barefoot show. I put my all into every show I play, no matter what band it’s with. As long as the goal is to give the audience a meaningful show worth remembering, I’m going to simply keep on doing my thing.
Pete: Where did this talent for playing guitar come from? Some experienced guitarists listen to you and are blown away that a 17 year old has more chops than they do after twice as many years of playing.
Jeff: All I know is that one day when I was nine, I had a yearning to pick up the guitar, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. My family isn’t really musical, so it came as a surprise that music was my calling. Whenever people appreciate my guitar playing, I feel very grateful. Sometimes I think they’re hearing something very different from what I’m hearing! When you listen to guys like Tosin Abasi and Shawn Lane a lot, it’s easy to realize just how little you know. In all seriousness, it feels so awesome to be able to move people through music. That’s why I keep on playing guitar!
Pete: Is there a long term goal that you have in mind, musically?
Jeff: Really, I just want to keep on improving my skills. There’s no limit to how far you can go in your mastery of music, so it would be silly to set a boundary as to how far I should achieve. Music is a giant puzzle, and overall I just want all the pieces to come together. In terms of achieving success in music (i.e. fame), my only plan is to see what happens. These days it’s so hard to make a living off of music, so I’m not going to tell myself that I have to make money off of a successful band. If I do turn out to be able to live off of making music, I’ll be extremely thankful.
Pete: You’re a senior in high school. How do you find the balance between music and finishing up school, as well as the high school social life?
Jeff: The balance isn’t too stressful. I think that musical performances are necessary to offset the day-to-day business and grind of school. I remember at Strangecreek this year (when I was sitting in with Sparkplug), seeing a guy wearing a wife beater, and on it was written “Where is McLovin?” It’s funny to think that “McLovin” was stressing out about his chemistry homework the very night this guy was writing his special message. Gigging really provides a healthy release from daily stress, and has a way of recharging your battery.
Pete: Beyond high school, what are you looking into for college and programs? Are you planning to stick with music?
Jeff: I will probably not be putting all my eggs in one basket by majoring in music. I’m still uncertain of what I’ll study. That being said, I will always “stick” with music, in that it’ll be a constant part of my life.
Since forming in 2007, The Revivalists have rightfully earned their reputation as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The groups blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance. For more information, visit The Revivalists official website 
“We’re still trying to reconcile the different things we do, and cultivate what we’re individually good at into something that’s bigger than the sum of its parts,” notes front man and harmonica-slinger John Popper. “When we’re all playing and it’s working, it becomes this separate entity, and that’s still the thing that we’re chasing.”
