Were it not for a chance encounter in their adopted home of New Orleans that is the first plot point in their band-bio lore, The Revivalists would not currently be touring with Band of Horses. Both acts are fronted by charismatic singers in David Shaw and Ben Bridwell, respectively, but while Band of Horses is primarily Bridwell’s show with several longtime members, The Revivalists’ songwriting core of Shaw and guitarist Zack Feinberg created a friendly jam band mafia in which musicians join but never leave.
Anyone in the eight-member lineup is free to go their own way, of course, with Shaw already having released solo work. The freedom of expression explored on The Revivalists’ latest album, Pour It Out Into the Night, is demonstrative of the chemistry that makes their music irresistible, a chemistry established in 2007 when Feinberg deviated from his regular bicycle commute and pedaled by a porch where Shaw was singing and playing acoustic guitar.
That freedom is manifested in set lists that can change from night to night. “It’s important to me to stay inspired, and if we’re doing the same show every night that’s less exciting to us, I think,” Feinberg told Las Vegas Magazine. “People travel to see us, multiple dates on a tour, and I feel they deserve to hear different songs. We stand behind our whole catalog, so we want people to catch a song that’s meaningful to them.”
Band of Horses Photo by: Taylor Fickes/@yaokingofrock
August concerts found The Revivalists opening sets with material from the new album such as hard-edged “The Long Con” and uplifting anthem “Good Old Days,” as well as “All My Friends” from 2018’s Take Good Care. It’s entirely possible they could break out a cover of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody,” which they recorded for 2020 album Made in Muscle Shoals.
While The Revivalists are part of the jam band community, recently appearing on the July/August cover of post-Deadhead culture magazine Relix, their music resists categorization. Drummer Andrew Campanelli, bassist George Gekas, Michael Girardot on keys and trumpet, saxophonist Rob Ingraham, pedal-steel guitarist Ed Williams and percussionist PJ Howard can sound like Bruce Springsteen fronting Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers as produced by Steve Albini (“Don’t Look Back”) or The Killers’ Brandon Flowers backed by Phil Collins on drums (“Only You”).
Feinberg welcomes the comparisons, citing the galaxy of influences that inform Pour It Out. One highlight is Feinberg-penned “Down In the Dirt,” which Shaw imbued with an earthy vocal reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt that might have brought the late singer-songwriter to tears.
It sounds so unlike Shaw that listeners thought it was Feinberg: “It has been a question I’ve seen on comment threads,” said Feinberg. “People have been asking that are longtime fans: ‘Is this you singing, Zack?’”
Fortunately, Shaw is in a band in which each member is conscious of giving each other space to breathe musically and where his voice can fully flower. The Revivalists stretch beyond the boundaries of jam band aesthetics, but have firm footing in the rich musical heritage of Crescent City that they’ll be building upon well into the future.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, 7 p.m. Sept. 6, starting at $45 plus tax and fee. axs.com
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