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The Revival Tour feat Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music, Jim Ward of Sparta and At The Drive-In, Jon Snodgrass of Drag The River, Chad Price of Drag The River and All, Frank Turner of Millions Dead and Audra Mae
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Monday Nov 16, 2009 9:00 PM
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- All Ages Show -
Jim Ward (Sparta, At The Drive-In) | 9:00 PM
 The first notes of "Fences Down" were written on a stage in Japan in January, during a moment of solitude at a soundcheck on what would be the final At The Drive In tour. I had been listening to the old 97's and slowly discovering that some sort of country and rock n roll combination was taking me over.
I met some new friends who introduced me to the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons and I was hooked. I made some half-joking plans to start a country band, but then got distracted by life. At The Drive In ended, Sparta began.
In the fall of 2002 I went in to a west Texas studio to record some demos of the songs that were bouncing around in my head. There at Sonic Ranch I met Chris Heinrich, who was recommended to me by someone, I can't remember now.
Chris was from El Paso, a little younger than me, but was a pedal steel player and that was what I needed. That session led me to finish writing “Fences Down” and a new song called “Heavy Weights”. Over the next 4 years I would slowly build what is now a record called West Texas.
The original session at Sonic Ranch included my father, Jeff Ward on bass, Gabe Gonzalez on piano, Micah Adams on guitar, and Clint Myers on drums. It was never meant to be a band, it was just a jam, just fun. But I was hooked even more. I wrote some more songs here and there but never thought too much of it.
Then in July of 2005 my friend David Garza convinced me to get a group together to play these songs and open for him on July 4th weekend in El Paso. I recruited Matthew Schmitz to play drums and called Heinrich up to get the songs together.
My dad and my brother-in-law Clay Anderson on guitar filled out the group. After the show, we recorded a more detailed demo to document the progress. With 8 songs now and a decent recording, I continued to chip away at the music while on tour with Sparta, or when I was home for a break.
I started the final recording in a second-story loft that houses an ad agency in El Paso—a little at a time. I recorded all my guitars and keyboards and pianos at my own home studio. Again, just chipping away. Heinrich, Gonzalez, and my dad would round out the recordings on guitars, piano and bass respectively.
Additional musicians include 6-string guitar and farfisa by Ross Godfrey of Morcheeba fame, and Maura Davis of Denali and Ambulette sings on some songs. We mixed the record at Sonic Ranch with Justin Leeah at the controls.
We have got the line up together for the live shows. it will be matthew schmitz on drums, chris heinrich on steel/guitar, gabe gonzalez, me, and greg sosa has signed on to play bass.
-Jim Ward, El Paso, Jan 2008
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Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) | 9:00 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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Jon Snodgrass | 9:00 PM
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Audra Mae | 9:00 PM
Audra Mae was born and raised in Oklahoma. The oldest of 6 children, and brought up in music theatre, she left home at 18 to pursue a career in recording music. Audra tried College outside of Nashville, TN for a year. However, after realizing she spent little time in class and, instead, wrote songs all day, Audra Mae decided to move to Los Angeles. Two years after arriving in LA, and playing live shows, Audra Mae earned a deal with Warner Chappell Publishing. She has now lived in Los Angeles for five years and in November of 08 her cover of Bob Dylan's Forever Young was featured on the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Audra Mae's new EP is an introduction to the artist and showcases her ability to create and interpret genuinely infectious melodies and lyrics giving the listener a true sense of Audra's perspective on her experiences.
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