A couple of weeks ago we let you know that the “2012 Hang Loose Band Competition,” presented by America’s premier beachfront music festival, The Hangout Music Fest, had picked the ten finalists and invited fans to vote. Well the masses have spoken and this year’s big winner is The Revivalists.
The Revivalists
We’re sending our congrats out to the band and thought other Artists might enjoy hearing a little more about their success. So here’s a little background, a Q&A and link to their music so that you can take a listen.
Since forming in 2007, The Revivalists have earned their standing among the best original bands in New Orleans. The group’s blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted ever-evolving live performance. In 2011 they were named Best Emerging Artist at Gambit Magazine’s Big Easy Awards. The band is proud to be included in New Orleans’ burgeoning independent, music scene.
Q. How did the band get together in the first place?
A. Zack (guitar) and Andrew (drums) met at Tipitina’s Sunday Morning musician clinics. They had been jamming for a while when David (singer/guitar) moved into New Orleans in August ’07. David was out on his porch singing and playing guitar when Zack rolled by on his bike. Zack stopped to enjoy the music. The two became fast friends and musical collaborators. The band had its first gig in October ’07. The other fellas were friends, jam mates, and class mates.
Q: What’s the best gig you ever played?
A: That’s a tough question. Everybody has a different favorite. It’s always great to play a huge festival stage, like when we played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the first time two years ago, but sometimes there’s just more magic in a smoky little room in Jackson on a random Wednesday night. I guess our shows are like children. We love them all equally, but for different reasons. Does that sound right? None of us have kids.
Q: How did you learn about this opportunity? And what made you want to apply for it?
A: We learned about it from our ReverbNation email list and decided to apply. It’s a cool beach festival with a great lineup so we definitely wanted to play it.
Q: What was your reaction when you found out you were going to perform at Hangout?
A: We were on stage in San Francisco when our bass player got the news. He shouted, “Tommy just sold a half a million brake pads!” We all went a little nuts and then had a great set.
Q: Why do you think you stood out to the promoter?
A: Aside from our ROCKIN’ sound, we have a nice following in the Gulf Coast region. We’ve played The Hangout Venue. We love Orange Beach, Pensacola, and all the beach towns.
Q: How did you market the opportunity to your fans and get so many votes?
We made an event on Facebook and invited a lot of people, and it just kind of snowballed and took on a life of its own. We’ve always been lucky to have such amazing friends and fans, and a lot of them really took it to heart. We had people making their own Facebook events, or posting the link to vote with comments like “vote for The Revivalists or we’re not friends anymore.” We had aunts walking door to door around the neighborhood, friends forcing office mates into voting, famous bands, radio stations, and musicians tweeting and posting. It was really humbling and gratifying to see so many people get behind us like that.
Q: What other advice would you give to other bands wanting to play festivals like Hangout Festival?
A: Just keep plugging away. Stay positive, stay productive, and stay busy. Work on yourself and all the other stuff will work itself out.
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