The Revivalists Brooklyn Bowl Setlist

THE REVIVALISTS - 05.11.16 - BROOKLYN BOWL (1 hour, 43 minutes)

SET -

Catching Fireflies / All in the Family / Monster / Amber / It Was a Sin / Move On / Fade Away / Stand Up / Need You / Upright (feat. Lucas Ellman) / Keep Going / Wish I Knew You > Criminal

ENCORE -

King of What / Soulfight / Forgot About Dre (feat. Brandon Niederauer)

The Revivalists Debut New Love Song at Irving Plaza

The Revivalists started last night's show at Irving Plaza by flipping the script.  Every time I've seen them, their set has ended with "Criminal," but they put the moody, crescendoing rocker right up front.  It was a powerful move on the band's part, a way of saying, "We're not gonna make you wait for the song you want to hear the most.  We have just as much confidence that we're gonna rock the shit out of anything we're gonna play after this too."  "Stand Up" was the frank rallying cry to unite everyone under this mission.  That was followed directly by another fan favorite, "Concrete (Fish Out of Water)."  Michael Girardot, who was jumping around more than I'd ever noticed before, took the song into his hands with a rip-roaring organ solo that had the crowd screaming for more.  Instead, as soon as he was finished, he picked up his trumpet and soloed on that to even more applause.  Singer David Shaw's hair, which had been tied back for the first few tunes, came unraveled during the number, his brown, shoulder-length curls exploding outward to give off a Sideshow Bob appearance.  "Monster" was next, David pleading in the lyrics, "Stop, save yourself / You could have anyone else."  But it was clear that this audience didn't want anyone else, only the Revivalists, especially when Rob Ingraham picked up his baritone sax for the explosive "All in the Family."

The New Orleans band was keen on inserting fresh songs into the mix, from the gentle finger-tapped melody of "It Was a Sin" to the soul-drenched "Fade Away."  But none of us knew just how new they would get.  After the encore break, Shaw and Giradot emerged for the debut of "Men Amongst Mountains."  Ed Williams joined midway through the heartfelt love song, laying down a solo on his pedal steel that would've made any '80s power ballad's ax-slinger jealous.  As the other bandmates returned to the stage, David quizzed the crowd, "New York City, are you ready to tear this place apart?"  Cheers from the crowd as Michael and Rob convened at the keys to start up the Who's "Baba O'Riley."  Guitarist Zack Feinberg and Williams did their best Pete Townshend windmills as every person in Irving Plaza came together to sing the chorus.  The room was all smiles at its conclusion, and the crowd craved another.  "One more song!" they demanded, the band still onstage.  A brief band meeting made the decision: "Forgot About Dre."  And while I would've preferred another Revivalists original, something along the lines of a "Bullet Proof Vest" or "BTBD," it was hard to deny the wave of excitement that surged through the crowd when Feinberg started playing those familiar staccato notes.

I drank beers with a few of the Revivalists in their van back in April.  You can listen to our conversation here:

THE REVIVALISTS - 11.20.14 - IRVING PLAZA (1 hour, 34 minutes)

SET -

Criminal / Stand Up / Concrete (Fish Out of Water) / Monster / All in the Family / When I'm Able / It Was a Sin > Elementary / Navigate Below > Upright / Not Turn Away / Fade Away / Catching Fireflies

ENCORE -

Men Amongst Mountains / Baba O'Riley / Forgot About Dre

The Next Round - Episode 16: The Revivalists

This week's episode is with New Orleans' renowned live act, the Revivalists.  Well, three of them.  Ed Williams, Michael Girardot, and Andrew Campanelli welcomed me into their van while it was parked outside of Brooklyn Bowl, just prior to their first show of a two-night residency.  Gain insight into the inner workings of the band through this hilarious hangout.  Find out what they like to eat on tour, how they write songs, and who makes the "dad joke of the day."  This episode also features a recurring cameo by their lighting technician, Shepherd Flashman Lowrey.

Subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast hours before anyone else, download directly, or stream below:


Visit the Revivalists' website for tour dates and to buy City of Sound on vinyl.

The Revivalists Return to Brooklyn Bowl

I saw the Revivalists at Brooklyn Bowl in November, and they called it their best show of the year.  Truth be told, had it not been for some issues with the drum inputs on the recording, the show was going to be released as the live album included in the re-release of City of Sound (That night's "Upright" made it onto the compilation in case you were wondering.)  So when the NOLA band returned to Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, expectations were astronomically high.  That made for a strange energy in the room, especially when co-headliner Moon Taxi's "we've got one more song" turned into four or five, with guitarist Trevor Terndrup taking his six-string for a trip around the entire venue, from the bar to the bowling lanes.  The series of fake-outs and showboating made it seem more like the end of the night instead of the middle.

The seven Revivalists began their set with "Soul's Too Loud."  One thing that wasn't too loud was Rob Ingraham's saxophone, buried in the mix to the point of inaudibility.  The soundman didn't appear to be too attentive, David Shaw having to tell him on the mic to "Plug the acoustic in, my man."  "Sunny Days" featured a guest sax solo from Lucas Ellman of Chicago funk outfit, the Heard.  The stint required the sound technician to reassess the woodwind levels, and we could finally hear Ingraham, leading to two of the night's best performances back-to-back: "When I Die" and "Bullet Proof Vest."  One of my favorite Revivalists songs is "Catching Fireflies," but unfortunately for me, a drunk asshole decided he'd like to take up residence where my toes were.  I nudged him off, which he wasn't too happy about, shouting, "Push me again, motherfucker!"  I held my ground, but I resisted getting violent, assenting to the song's lyrics: "I'm a peaceful man today."  "Criminal" sparkled as usual, with bassist George Gekas huddling close to steel guitarist Ed Williams for most of the final number.

"Last time we played this here, we had a very special guest," announced Shaw, reemerging for the encore.  I braced myself for "Whipping Post," as they had performed the Allman Brothers song with the assistance of 10-year-old guitar prodigy Brandon Niederauer.  So I was surprised when they slinked into "Forgot About Dre," which they've played with Warren Haynes in the past.  Rob took the Eminem role, throwing back to Shaw with each "forgot about Dave."  When the tune came to its particularly crunchy finish, the crowd continued cheering for one more song.  It wasn't in the cards, however, as Biz Markie fired up the turntable, and the Revivalists became the latest victim of Bowl Train's too-early start time.

I had a few beers with Ed, Michael, and Andrew before the show.  Listen to the interview here.

THE REVIVALISTS - 04.17.14 - BROOKLYN BOWL (1 hour, 37 minutes)

SET -

Soul's Too Loud / Stand Up / Concrete (Fish Out of Water) > Not Turn Away > Common Cents / Sunny Days (feat. Lucas Ellman) / When I'm Able / When I Die / Bullet Proof Vest / Strawman / BTBD / Catching Fireflies / All in the Family / Criminal

ENCORE -

Forgot About Dre

The Revivalists Decree Brooklyn Bowl Show Year's Best

When I saw Galactic enrapture Terminal 5 earlier this year, they were accompanied on vocals by a man named David Shaw. I was flabbergasted at how such a booming, soulful voice could come from this super-lanky whiteboy. So when I found out that Shaw's band, the Revivalists, were headlining Brooklyn Bowl, I knew I had to go.

Halfway through the opening number "Catching Fireflies," I learned that the rest of the Revivalists were on par with the spectacle of Shaw. The stage was flanked by two of the New Orleans band's liveliest members, Ed Williams on pedal steel and Rob Ingraham on saxophone. Williams often leaned so hard into his instrument that it teetered dangerously on two legs, while Ingraham whirled his woodwind around to amp up the other half of the room. Although their sound would be classified as rock, it was definitely imbued with that NOLA party attitude. Most songs were rife with call-and-response sections and just dancey enough to have everyone grooving on a Friday night. Welcoming us into "Chase's House," David removed his button-down shirt to reveal a white V-neck. "This is probably the funnest show we've played in a long time. My cheeks hurt from smiling. Straight up," he admitted.

The show may have been opened by 14-year-old guitar prodigy, Bobby Paltauf, but the Revivalists introduced to the stage an even younger axeplayer, 10-year-old Brandon Niederauer. Although it would be trite to say that they whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they tore into "Whipping Post," it would also be entirely accurate. Young Niederauer closed his eyes like an old bluesman, his fingers moving nimbly along the fretboard as he traded licks with Williams and Zack Feinberg. "How do you follow that?" asked a stunned Shaw, taking a rare break between songs. They rightfully chose to pull back a bit with "Soulfight." Just six songs after his initial review, Shaw clarified, "So I've gotta say this. It's definitely the funnest show we've played in a long time." Having played for almost two hours, the band closed out the set with fan favorites "Appreciate Me II" and "Criminal."

They couldn't stay away for long, however. "Best show all year for sure. Definitely best crowd," confirmed David. The Revivalists launched into the rap/rock "All in the Family" to snag one last batch of participation from the audience. As the tune neared its end, Shaw shouted, "Are you ready for this, Brooklyn?" I don't think any of us were. David peeled off his t-shirt, and they stampeded into "Bulls on Parade." Let me tell you, you've never heard the song like this. With powerful blasts of bari sax and Tom Morello's solo played on lap steel, it consummated an already terrific night of music. It may even end up on my best performances of the year list, right beside "Does It Really Make a Difference," which Shaw sang at Terminal 5.

THE REVIVALISTS - 11.22.13 - BROOKLYN BOWL (2 hours, 10 minutes)

SET -

Catching Fireflies / Stand Up / Concrete (Fish Out of Water) / When I'm Able / Chase's House > Sunny Days / Bullet Proof Vest / Not Turn Away > Common Cents / Navigate Below > Upright / Keep Goin' / Whipping Post (feat. Brandon Niederauer) / Soulfight / Soul's Too Loud / Two Ton Wrecking Ball / Appreciate Me II / Criminal

ENCORE - 

All in the Family > Bulls on Parade