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The Revival Tour: CHUCK RAGAN / JIM WARD / FRANK TURNER / ZYDEPUNKS
Wednesday Nov 18, 2009 7:00 PM
The second annual run of The Revival Tour will be at Bottletree this fall featuring Jim Ward of Sparta & Sleepercar, Frank Turner, Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, and Zydepunks!
Doors at 7pm. Tickets for this show are $12. This show is for ages 18+. Valid ID required for admissions.
JIM WARD | 7:00 PM
 Sleepercar is the alternative country project of Jim Ward, formerly a member Sparta and At the Drive-In. Regarding the band, Ward has noted that: "I think it will always be “my” band. People can come and go as they please: I don’t want the stress of trying to maintain five or six happinesses, I love playing with the guys and when they want to move on, I will support them in whatever ways I can. |
CHUCK RAGAN | 7:00 PM
 One listen to Feast Or Famine, and it is undeniable that the deep, gruff voice that once screamed powerful punk anthems belongs to none other than Chuck Ragan. The former Hot Water Music frontman has become a musical troubadour, writing stripped-down acoustic songs that retain the same passion evident in his punk rock career. Feast or Famine, his debut studio album for SideOneDummy, beautifully captures the sound of a gifted singer/songwriter as he journeys into the next chapter of his musical life, with an acoustic guitar in hand.
“I think this is the most mature material that I’ve ever been able to do,” says Ragan. “I’ve gotten a little older and while I had a blast with all the yelling and the sweating and falling off the stage, this is who I am right now.”
Teaming up with producer Ted Hutt (Bouncing Souls, Flogging Molly), the laid-back recording process took place with close friends including Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Jolie Holland, Jon Gaunt, Matt Hensley, Tim Barry (Avail), Nathan Maxwell (Flogging Molly) and James Fearnley (The Pogues). The album also displays Ragan’s remarkable musical talents with him playing the harmonica, lap steel and both acoustic and electric guitars.
“I had fun playing all sorts of old instruments on the record and I think we achieved a pretty full sound from the trashcan to the pipe wrench,” Ragan says with a laugh, “I was also very blessed to have some really awesome people contribute to this record.”
Feast or Famine at its core is a folk record in the most traditional sense of the term. Each song stands alone and yet molds together to take the listener on a melodic journey. The violin-driven “Do You Pray” is startlingly reminiscent to Bruce Springsteen’s tribute to Pete Seeger in We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions; “Don’t Cry,” evokes the spirit of Hot Water Music in a new context that recalls Uncle Tupopo; and the austere “Symmetry” makes you feel as if you are in the studio with Ragan.
“I love the fact that the record is such a ride,” says Ragan, “it goes from bluesy, kicking-up-dust kind of porch music to slower more intimate love songs.”
On Feast or Famine Ragan returns to music’s roots and captures a time when creating an album was not about Pro Tools and modifications, but instead about songwriting and talent. As the next chapter in his musical career begins, Ragan could not be more excited about his endeavors.
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FRANK TURNER | 7:00 PM
 For three long and often lonely years of life on the road, plying a brand of honest and passionate folk/punk, Frank Turner continued to rise to prominence with an ever increasing following. But it was in the sweaty climes of the Lock Up Stage at Reading and Leeds 2008 that his solo career really started to take off. Inside the packed out tents, heaving with adoring fans and intrigued passers-by, Frank led the congregation in a mass sing-a-long; a stirring set that not only sparked the interest of the British mainstream but resonated unassumingly across the pond as a wealth of American punk bands watched approvingly from the sidelines.
Frank’s brand of folk songwriting, catchy melodies and punk passion had reached the ears of the CEO of US independent label Epitaph Records, Bad Religion’s legendary guitarist: Brett Gurewitz. Excited by what he had heard and seen when Frank headlined LA’s notorious Viper Rooms in March, Gurewitz got in contact and soon enough plans were formulated and a worldwide deal was inked. With loyalty and integrity firmly intact, Frank kept his relationship with his existing label Xtra Mile Recordings for all releases in the UK and Ireland and so the two labels will work closely for what will undoubtedly be an exciting new era in Frank’s ever evolving career.
“Frank Turner’s music is a revelation to me,” says Gurewitz. “I can’t stop listening to it. It’s a real privilege to get out there and help Xtra Mile spread the Frank Turner gospel.”
Epitaph is the perfect home for Frank. With its fiercely independent spirit, rich in punk and hardcore history it is also home to the song-writing talents of Nick Cave and Tom Waits on sister label Anti; mirroring Frank’s cross-over appeal of punk ethics and strong song-writing abilities. Inspired by the likes of Bad Religion as a kid, this really is a dream come true for Frank.
So with this exciting plot in place the year ahead is looking pretty good. His third studio album, ‘Poetry Of The Deed’, released worldwide in September, sees Frank venture in a more rock direction recruiting his outstanding band for the recording process. Performing live has always been at the very heart of the Frank Turner experience and whilst he’s still writing all the songs, they will be recorded live to help bring that experience to the album. Grammy nominated producer Alex Newport – who has previously worked with Death Cab For Cutie, At The Drive-In, Two Gallants – is on production duties after contacting Frank directly asking if they could work together. Coinciding nicely with the release are tours in America and Europe as well as the massive UK headline tour in October, where having previously supported The Gaslight Anthem at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, he will return triumphantly to headline for the last night of the tour.
Before that though, another summer of further touring and festivals lies ahead. He will jet off to the East Coast of America to support The Offspring for 12 dates of their tour in July, performing solo to potentially 30,000 people. He’ll play at Camp Bestival and Jersey Live fest and return full circle to this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival. This time, however, he will play the larger Radio 1/NME tent midway through the afternoon and judging by what happened last year it’ll be another defining moment in this story of one beardy man and his acoustic guitar. The best is yet to come.
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