With New Orleans being such a saturated hub for soulful Rock & Roll, it’s a definite sign that a band has a good thing going when it breaks through the dense competition and onto the radar of fans across the country. The Revivalists, a seven-piece Rock hybrid formed in NOLA in 2007, have done just that, blowing up the stage and building a name for themselves nationwide for the past eight years.
The ensemble — consisting of David Shaw on vocals, Zack Feinberg on guitar, Andrew Campanelli on drums, Ed Williams on pedal steel guitar, George Gekas on bass, Rob Ingraham on saxophone and Michael Girardot on keys and trumpet — were able to stand out not only due to the deep basket of sound and vibration they tap into with so many instruments and influences, but also due to the unbridled passion each member brings to the stage. With a live presence that gives The Revivalists a distinct personality, Shaw makes every show feel intimate and relatable, keeping the audience enthralled and dancing while also drawing from the deep range of collective past occurrences to inspire an emotional perspective of the human experience.
That theme of human experience and growth is largely what the band has been exploring on its forthcoming record, Men Amongst Mountains. The album, due out on July 17, is the band’s fourth release, following a self-titled EP and two previous LPs, Vital Signs and City of Sound. In preparation and celebration of the new release and continuing evolution of the band’s sound, The Revivalists are trucking on a four-month summer tour touching all regions of the nation.
Though the band is based in NOLA, The Revivalists’ area stop is a bit of a homecoming. The band’s guitarist/singer Shaw is a Hamilton, Ohio native, and he will be presenting (with his band headlining) David Shaw’s Big River Get Down at the outdoor RiversEdge amphitheater in his hometown. For full information, visit bigrivergetdown.com. This year’s event will benefit Hamilton’s upcoming Fourth of July fireworks display and concert.
