The Revivalists and Their RevHeads Celebrate the New Year in New Orleans
Article by Evan Turner
Photographs by kind permission of Michelle Stancil Photography
The Revivalists wrapped up 2017 with a sold-out three-night run from December 29-31st this New Year’s at The Orpheum Theater in their hometown of New Orleans. Since their formation in 2007, The Revivalists have released three studio albums and have toured extensively throughout the United States, building a dedicated fan base known as “RevHeads.” I first saw The Revivalists playing a free show at a bar in Pensacola in late 2011 and have since become a dedicated fan with nearly 40 Revivalists’ concerts under my belt. I always knew these guys were special and that it was only a matter of time before their amazing talent was realized by the masses.
Over the years, they started playing larger venues, touring more extensively, and becoming well known within the music festival community for their unforgettable shows. Along came 2015’s Men Amongst Mountains with its nostalgic hit single “Wish I Knew You,” which sent The Revivalists to the top of Billboard’s Adult Alternative Songs chart in October 2016 and again on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart in May 2017. Their newfound mainstream success saw the band touring relentlessly and seemingly booking more sold-out shows than ever before. With all that being said, 2017 was arguably the eight-piece jam band’s most successful year to date, and they bid it farewell accordingly.
The first night of three was the second annual RevHeads Ball, which featured the band playing an intimate acoustic set in the round for an exclusive group of fans who purchased very limited three-night passes. The band was arranged in a U-shape on a small four-sided stage just barely raised in the center of the floor with the crowd’s seats on all sides. It felt as if you were on stage with the band. The set featured classic fan favorites such as “Not Turn Away” from 2010’s Vital Signs and “Chase’s House” from 2012’s City of Sound, a cover of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers,” an unrecorded new song about gun violence called “Shoot You Down,” and live rarity “Mary Joanna and The Music” from 2008’s The Revivalists EP.
The show was complete with lead singer David Shaw inviting a couple onstage for a song as well as an intoxicated woman crawling onstage to closely admire keyboardist/trumpet player Michael Girardot. The latter event was quite hilarious with a side of creepy. Overall, night one was an absolute success and left us all looking forward to round two.
Unfortunately, I woke up with a stomach virus, was unable to attend the concert the second night, and can’t give too many details as to the events of the evening. According to my girlfriend and social media posts, the show was awesome, and their performance of Tom Petty’s “Refugee” was one to be remembered. My soul shall forever be filled with regret. Now, onward to the New Year’s Eve extravaganza.
New Year’s Eve 2017 was accompanied by a record-breaking cold front that swept across the eastern United States. The most dedicated fans would have to sit for at least an hour in near-freezing temperatures to secure a desirable viewing location among the 1500-plus fans in attendance. We arrived at the venue just over an hour before doors, braved the cold with other determined RevHeads, and were able to get great spots on the floor. Opener New Grass Country Club played a energetic blue-grass fueled opening set and seem to have made their impression on the crowd, who cheered and applauded as they left the stage.
The Revivalists opened with “All In The Family” from Men Amongst Mountains. They were on their A-game and made sure that their message of love, unity, and positivity resonated through the crowd from the start. The setlist was a well-balanced representation of the band’s discography featuring newer material and plenty of older fan favorites such as “Souls Too Loud” from Vital Signs and “When I’m Able” from City of Sound. A song in its infancy known as the “Celebration Song” was debuted and felt very appropriate given the band’s recent success.
The last song that the Revivalists chose to play in 2017 was none other than “Wish I Knew You.” During the performance, a woman wearing a full-body disco-ball reflector suit was brought on stage and lifted into the air where she began to do acrobatics on an aerial hoop while spinning and being shot with beams of light in disco ball fashion. This spectacle continued through the song’s end and the NYE countdown. The first song of 2018 was a stunning cover of Michael Jackson’s inspirational “Man In The Mirror,” complete with a dancing mirror man courtesy of Frenchmen Street Productions.
They began their three-song encore with Men Amongst Mountains‘ “Fade Away,” followed by City of Sound‘s ballad “Up The Air.” The Revivalists then played an eleven-minute version of fan favorite “Soul Fight” from The Revivalists. The band left the stage, but the lights were still dim and the crowd remained in hopes of a second encore. The band came back onstage one last time to cheers and roaring applause. Without speaking a word, they went into an awesome version of The Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider.” It was one hell of an ending to an already incredible three-night run.
David Shaw made sure to voice his appreciation for the fans in attendance before introducing the band members and bidding everyone farewell. I’m truly honored to have watched this band grow over the past seven years. These guys are the real deal, and their journey to the top has only just begun. Based on their proven history and recent success, it’s safe to say that 2018 will be another great year for The Revivalists and their fans.
[NYE Setlist: All In The Family, Bulletproof, Criminal, BTBD, Strawman, Souls Too Loud, Appreciate Me 1, Appreciate Me 2, Move On, When I’m Able, Gold To Glass, Stand Up, Celebration Song, You and I, Wish I Knew You, Man In The Mirror; E1: Fade Away, Up In The Air, Soulfight; E2: Midnight Rider]
