The Revivalists and Van Ghost at Bayou Cafe | 11/17/12

Article Contributed by Lion Child Media | Published on Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Revivalists from New Orleans and 2011's Best Emerging Artist by Gambit Magazine and Chicago's all star 6-piece, Van Ghost, featuring Jennifer Hartswick from The Trey Anastasio Band will co-headline together at Bayou Cafe in Albany, New York on Saturday, November 17, 2012. Tickets can be purchased for $10-$12 and are available by visiting here. Bayou Cafe is located at 79 North Pearl Street Albany, NY 12207. For more information visit here. Phone is 518-462-9033. Doors open at 8:00pm.Since forming in 2007, The Revivalists have rightfully earned their reputation as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The groups blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance. For more information, visit The Revivalists official website.Singer-songwriter/guitarist/founder Michael Harris Berg, Van Ghost features the talents of decade-plus Trey Anastasio Band vocalist Jennifer Hartswick, who has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, among others. The sympathetic interplay between her silk and sandpaper vocals intertwining with Berg's folksy emotive lead vocals has become a staple of Van Ghosts sound, garnering favorable comparisons to CSNY (Flavorpill). The band also features the telepathic interplay of guitarist Grant Tye, drummer Greg Marsh, and Klem Hayes. For more information, visit the Van Ghost official website.ABOUT THE REVIVALISTSSince forming in 2007, The Revivalists have rightfully earned their reputation as the next breakout band from the music capital of New Orleans. The group's blend of soulful, syncopated rock and earnest songwriting comes to life through a meticulously crafted and ever-evolving live performance. In 2011 they were named Best Emerging Artist at Gambit Magazine's Big Easy Awards, and were nominated for Best Rock Act in 2012.With the seed being planted during jam sessions at Tipitina's Sunday Music Workshops, where drummer Andrew Campanelli and guitarist Zack Feinberg first met, the band found its frontman by pure luck when Feinberg heard David Shaw singing on his Birch Street porch. Fueling the rhythm section, Campanelli's college friend, George Gekas, became the bassist. Feinberg later invited saxophonist Rob Ingraham, the two realizing their incontestable dynamic while taking music classes at Tulane University. After a fortuitous meeting at French Quarter Fest, Ed Williams joined on the pedal steel guitar. The newest addition to The Revivalists' cross-generational rocking goodness comes from multi-instrumentalist Michael Girardot. Having played sporadically with the band since 2009, he has grown into an integral part of their live show.The Revivalists incessantly tour on the national level, often times supporting giants like Rebirth Brass Band and Galactic. They're also proud to have opened for notable acts JJ Grey & Mofro, Dr. John, and Trombone Shorty. Additionally, they have established themselves as an engaging festival act, gaining notoriety at CMJ (NYC), DeLuna Fest (Florida), Voodoo Music Fest (New Orleans), Hangout Music Festival (Gulf Shores, AL), The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Series (Washington, DC) and the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. At the latter they grabbed the attention of Rolling Stone Senior Editor, David Fricke, who later called their performance, "a Crescent City-rhythm spin on jam-band jubilee."The Revivalists' 2008 self-titled debut E.P was an Editor's Pick for both the Jam Band and American Traditional Rock on CDBaby.com. The young band was privileged to record under the guidance of Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer Chris Finney, whose resumé ranges from Dr. John to R.E.M. Songs off the album have been featured on MTV, Paste Magazine's Music Sampler, and on American Airlines flights. Their first full-length Vital Signs quickly became the top-selling album on CDBaby in the American Rock category.The band's latest album, City of Sound, released in March 2012, was produced by Ben Ellman, whose credits include Galactic, Gypsyphonic Dysko, and Trombone Shorty.ABOUT VAN GHOSTMichael Harrison Berg of Van Ghost was a musician in high school, but as an adult swapped his onstage pursuits for backstage ones. For over 10 years the Chicagoan has been managing bands and promoting concerts like the North Coast Music Fest and Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Fest rather than making music. But when a band he poured time and money into imploded, he sought solace in songwriting and awoke the musician within.In mid-July, Van Ghost released The Domino Effect (Dustimmoff Music), a focused pop-rock album with smart hooks, cocksure classic rock swagger, and refreshingly optimistic lyrics. In addition to singer-songwriter/guitarist / founder Michael Harris Berg, Van Ghost features the talents of decade-plus Trey Anastasio Band vocalist Jennifer Hartswick, who has shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, the Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, among others. The sympathetic interplay between her silk and sandpaper vocals intertwining with Berg's folksy emotive lead vocals has become a staple of Van Ghosts sound, garnering favorable comparisons to CSNY (Flavorpill).  The band also features the telepathic interplay of guitarist Grant Tye, drummer Greg Marsh, and Klem Hayes. The Chicago Tribune has described Van Ghost as, "an ultra-melodic take on epic '70s rock - augmenting the group's smooth vocal harmonies with blissed-out guitar solos."The Domino Effect is produced by Justin Niebank, a GRAMMY-award-winning producer who has worked with Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, Blue Traveler, and a veritable who's who of contemporary Nashville chart toppers.  Niebank's sterling production aesthetic streamlined Van Ghost's innate pop sensibilities while preserving its classic rock patina.Album standouts are the euphorically uplifting title-track "The Domino Effect" and the empowering soulful pop of "Cage." Van Ghost is currently prepping videos for both songs with Ian Gelfand (director of the TV series "American Pickers"), and 'Cage' is currently in the Top 100 at Triple A Radio. The track bursts with Berg's unflinchingly positive message: Cause the door door door it's wide wide wide/ it's open like a long midnight/and lock lock lock is broken like my brain/and there ain't no bars in front of my face/arms wide open, magical place/let me out of this, let me out of this cage/let me out of this. These uptempo tracks contrast with the shimmering Hartswick-penned ballad "Drowning"' and the haunting beauty of "White Lies," a cosmic slice of Pink Floyd-transcendence with teardrop guitar solos.Van Ghost built an impressive local profile through a tireless work ethic and the broad appeal of their infectious hooks and burly musicianship. They've amassed a devoted local following opening for diverse artists like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's, Drive By Truckers, Grace Potter, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, John Oates, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Tim Reynolds."I didn't plan my future," Berg says of the surprise turn his music business career has taken after those initial private and therapeutic songwriting sessions.  "I found inspiration in writing a song and I took that inspiration and multiplied it. I found I could deal with demons through music." Berg has found that he is as comfortable operating under the spotlight as he is behind the curtain. With Van Ghost, he sets out to inspire music fans the same way other artists have inspired him - one song at a time.