Hello, friends! Rob here.
Sorry for the delay. Yesterday was a very busy day and by the time I even realized it was Blog Wednesday I was already on the way from our evening interview with Flowtribe for the Nola Defender to a business meeting. Somewhere along the way, I managed to sign a lease as well. Which is nice, because I needed to line something up quickly soon since The Revivalists are headed to the Northeast during the latter half of this month.
Okay, can we all just sit back for a moment, breathe deep, and contemplate what we’ve been through this week? For me at least, Jazz Fest this year was crazier than Mardi Gras. If you wish for me to elaborate, I would simply direct you towards these photographs of Ed and me sitting in with musicians who are WAY above our pay-grade:
Ed with fifth-season American Idol winner Taylor Hicks
Me with Anders Osborne and Billy Iuso
I would just embed the photos, but I’m trying to respect copyrights here, so you’ll have to do some link-clicking. Deal with it, jerks.
Those photographs were taken Thursday night, after our Cinco de Mayo show at the Nacho Mama’s in Gentilly. There was a mega-benefit superjam going down at The Wolf, and I ended up staying until five in the morning and holding down the saxophone section with local awesome guy Jimmy Carpenter and some nice fellow from Nashville named Max amid a revolving door of special guests. Not pictured: Me hearing The Pimps of Joytime for the first time and falling in all kinds of mushy love with their quirky, energetic funk.
Friday was another great night. We had a show booked at Café Prytania, and we added an awesome band from NYC called Urban Sun to the bill earlier that afternoon. Between the two of us, we managed to put together a nice cram-packed evening of sweaty hip shaking. Saturday we had the evening off (and I think most of us just went home and slept), but we had a great gig during the day. Last time we were in Chicago we met an awesome NOLA emigrant named Chris who still loves the city and comes back every Jazz Fest to host the best crawfish boil ever. This year we provided the first round of live music, followed by a killer trio consisting of Original Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli, drummer Jamal Batiste, and “The Buddha of the Bass” himself, Bill Dickens.
I’m just going to say “Bill Dickens” a few more times so it sinks in. Bill Dickens. Bill Dickens. Go to Youtube right now and type in “Bill Dickens.” Watch him play the bass. He is impossibly good. Bill Dickens.
Sunday, I actually went to Jazz Fest. I got blasted in the face by the sheer force of positivity that is Michael Franti, I saw a bit of The Radiators’ final Jazz Fest, and topped the day off in the WWOZ tent taking notes as one of the last survivors of the Real Jazz Era, Sonny Rollins, put on a clinic. That night I had the pleasure of watching and sitting in with one of my favorite professors from Tulane, John Dobry, who plays guitar for Main Line Brass Band. Capped the evening and week off with a late-night Doctor John set at the Wolf. Fade out. Curtain. Sleep until 2 in the afternoon.
Ed has been sitting in with an awesome group of musicians called The Lee Boys this week, which I am sure has been a treat because they play a pedal steel-centric style of music called sacred steel, and their steel player, Roosevelt Collier, is easily one of the best in the world. If you’re in Hattiesburg, you will have the opportunity to hear some of them Saturday night when they (and we!) will be at Bennie’s Boom Boom Room delivering a symposium on the finer points of awesome rock and roll music.
Friday (tomorrow), come to Blue Nile. The Revivalists are hosting a graduation bash with our friends Coyotes and e.company. It’s going to be super awesome.
Lastly, The Revivalists will be celebrating a birthday this week! On Sunday, our very own guitarist and moustache liaison, Zachary Feinberg, will be one year older and one year more awesome. He is also birthday twins with our friend Natalie Mae from The Blue Party, so there is going to be a joint birthday celebration/jamathon at Café Prytania. All are welcome, so long as you bring either a positive attitude or enough money to buy a beer or two for the birthday boy and girl.
That’s all she wrote. Ed and I might be doing something cool on Monday, but I can’t say for certain just yet. You’ll know as soon as I do. Dave took a cool picture of my bari before the show on Thursday, so I’m gonna end with that, because hey, pictures:
Goodbye everybody! Bill Dickens.
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