The Revivalists are an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band formed in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, in 2007. The eight-piece band consists of Ed Williams (pedal steel guitar, guitar), David Shaw (lead vocals), Zack Feinberg (guitar), Rob Ingraham (saxophone), George Gekas (bass guitar), Andrew Campanelli (drums and percussion), Michael Girardot (keyboards and trumpet), and Paulet "PJ" Howard (drums and percussion). After The Revivalists released their album, ''Men Amongst Mountains'', on July 17, 2015, they were named by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine as one of "10 Bands You Need to Know". In September 2016, their song "

Wish I Knew You "Wish I Knew You" is a song by American rock band the Revivalists. The song was written by the band and was produced by Ben Ellman. The song peaked at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Alternative Airplay chart, becoming the band's first chart- ...

" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

Adult Alternative Songs Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by ''Billboard'' that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative radi ...

chart, and in May 2017, the song reached No. 1 on the

Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-play ...

chart. On September 11, the single was certified platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. A 2018 single, "All My Friends," from their album, ''Take Good Care'', went to No.1 at Adult Alternative radio.

History

Early history

The Revivalists began when guitarist Zack Feinberg met vocalist/lyricist David Shaw as a young man riding his bike on a different route from usual, and rode past Shaw, recently transplanted from

Hamilton, Ohio Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Cincinnati along the Great Miami River, Hamilton is the second-most populous city in the Cincinnati metropolitan area and the List of municipaliti ...

. Feinberg grew up outside

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and has immersed himself in the

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts and live albums substantially feature improvisational "jam session, jamming". Typically, jam bands will play variations of pre-existing songs, extending them to musical improvisation, improvise ove ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

scenes. The two struck up a conversation and got together to play music. The duo began playing with Andrew Campanelli, a drummer Feinberg had met at

Tipitina's Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. History Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. They began regular jam sessions at Tipitina's. The Revivalists, now including Feinberg, Shaw, Campanelli, Ed Williams (pedal steel guitarist), Rob Ingraham (saxophonist) and George Gekas (bassist), and occasionally Michael Girardot (keyboardist/trumpeter), went on to play an average of 150 dates a year.

''The Revivalists'' EP, ''Vital Signs''

The Revivalists released their first few records independently. This included the self-titled EP on May 15, 2008, which was named one of the best albums of 2008 by

WWOZ WWOZ (90.7 FM) is a non-profit community-supported radio station in New Orleans. It is owned by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. The station specializes in music from or relating to the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the sur ...

New Orleans DJ Sherwood Collins. Their debut album, ''Vital Signs'', came out on March 3, 2010, and was produced by engineer Chris Finney. The New Orleans ''Times Picayune'' said the music had "irresistible hooks, melodies and arrangements." The band spent the time between the release of the EP and after the release of ''Vital Signs'' touring the US.

''City of Sound''

The Revivalists' second album, ''City of Sound'' was self-released in 2012 and re-released on March 4, 2014, by

Wind-up Records Wind-up Records, LLC (legally known as Wind-up Entertainment Inc. until 2004) was an American record label founded by Alan and Diana Meltzer in 1997. It was based in New York City and was distributed by BMG Distribution. Wind-up's best-selling ...

, with a second disc containing over an hour of live tracks. On ''City of Sound'', the band expanded their sound toward folk, pop, and soul. Singles from this album included "Criminal", "Upright", and "Navigate Below", and it was produced by

Galactic Galactic is an American funk band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Origins and background Formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a ...

saxophonist Ben Ellman. In June 2013, The Revivalists appeared at New York City's Governors Ball, among other festivals.

''Men Amongst Mountains''

The Revivalists' third album, ''Men Amongst Mountains'', also produced by Ben Ellman of Galactic was released on July 17, 2015. In March 2016, the band was picked as

Elvis Duran Elvis Duran (born Barry Brian Cope; August 5, 1964) is an American radio personality. He is the host of the daily morning radio program ''Elvis Duran and the Morning Show'' in New York on Z100 and in syndication on Premiere Networks. Before h ...

's Artist of the Month on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's ''

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'' show hosted by

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...

and

Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb ( ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She was the main co-anchor of the NBC News breakfast television, morning show ''Today (American TV program), Today'' from 2018 to 2025, ...

and broadcast nationally performing their single "

". The single, "Wish I Knew You" went to #1 on ''Billboards Adult Alternative and Alternative radio charts, and remained on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for nine weeks. The song was certified platinum by the

, and ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' magazine called it: "one of the best and catchiest radio singles of the year". The Revivalists made performances on ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...

'', ''

Ellen Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth (given name), Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena, and Helen (given name), Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: * Elle ...

'', and ''Conan''. ''Rolling Stone'' touted them among “10 Artists You Need To Know,” and they received a ''Billboard'' Music Award nomination for Top Rock Song and as well as nominations for Alternative Rock Song of the Year and Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist at the

iHeartRadio iHeartRadio (often shortened to just "iHeart") is an American freemium broadcast, podcast, radio streaming and Music Streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. Founded in August 2008, iHeartRadio serves as the national umbrella brand for iHeart ...

Music Awards. ''Men Amongst Mountains'' received more than 2 million streams on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

, and ended up in the Top 5 of the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Heatseekers chart. During this period, The Revivalists played New York City's Central Park SummerStage as well as

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...

, New Orleans Jazz Fest (opening for

Dave Matthews David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is an American musician and the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved frequently between South Africa, ...

), Outside Lands, KROQ Weenie Roast & Fiesta, and more. Two months after the death of

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

, The Revivalists premiered their tribute to the late artist in the song they wrote called "Bowie" featuring a verse sung by saxophonist Ingraham. In late 2017, Paulet "PJ" Howard was added to the line-up on drums and percussion. The band has a partnership with NOLA Brewing Company for The Revivalists American Pale Ale. The artisanal beer debuted during the band's annual New Year's Eve residency at The Orpheum Theater in New Orleans and followed through their distribution center shortly after. A portion of the proceeds benefits The Roots of Music Foundation.

''Take Good Care''

In August 2018, "All My Friends" was released as the first single from The Revivalists' fourth studio album, ''Take Good Care'', and later went to No. 1 on the Adult Alternative radio chart at Billboard. The album, released November 9, 2018, is the band's first release with the indie label Loma Vista Recordings. For the first time, The Revivalists recorded and co-wrote with multiple producers and writers, enlisting the talents of Dave Cobb (

Sturgill Simpson John Sturgill Simpson (born June 8, 1978) is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor. As of June 2024, he has released eight albums as a solo artist. Simpson's style has been met with critical favor and frequent comparisons to ou ...

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Kentucky, Stapleton moved to Nashville in 1996 to study for an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pur ...

), Andrew Dawson (

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, Fun.,

Sleigh Bells A jingle bell or sleigh bell is a type of bell which produces a distinctive 'jingle' sound, especially in large numbers. They find use in many areas as a percussion instrument, including the classic sleigh bell sound and morris dancing. Th ...

), and Dave Bassett (

Elle King Tanner Elle Schneider (born July 3, 1989), known professionally as Elle King, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her musical style is influenced by Country music, country, Rock music, rock, and blues. She signed with RCA Records to ...

Vance Joy James Gabriel Keogh (born 1 December 1987), known professionally as Vance Joy, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and former Australian rules footballer. He is best known for his 2013 hit song " Riptide". Joy signed a five-album de ...

) for sessions Nashville's

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

Studio B. Additionally, it would be the first record with drummer/percussionist PJ Howard joining the band in the studio.

''Pour It Out into the Night''

In February 2023, "Kid” was released as the first single from The Revivalists' fifth studio album, ''Pour It Out into the Night''. The full album was released on June 2, 2023. The Revivalists continue to tour, with shows sometimes four hours at a time with a tour schedule that includes

Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...

, Voodoo Music & Arts Experience, and Music Midtown.

Philanthropy

Over the years, The Revivalists have made efforts to raise money to help various causes. Feinberg, Gekas and Ingraham joined members of Naughty Professor and Cardinal Sons as well as RumpelSTEELskin at The Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans for a show that contributed financial support to Emily's Entourage, a non-profit dedicated to finding a cure for

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner that impairs the normal clearance of Sputum, mucus from the lungs, which facilitates the colonization and infection of the lungs by bacteria, notably ''Staphy ...

. The group also worked with the Roots of Music, an after-school music and tutoring program for over 150 local children. One of the fundraisers included The Roots of Music presents Band Together, a concert with many of the kids and local bands including The Revivalists. The band also donated money from some of their own shows to the program. In the fall of 2019, The Revivalists established Rev Causes. Rev Causes is a fund that supports the essential work of organizations dedicated to reviving and investing in their communities, health, and our environment. By donating a portion of ticket sales, and through fan donations and a variety of fundraising efforts, Rev Causes aims to assist these organizations in building a better future. Organizations include The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), Everytown for Gun Safety, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Songs for Kids Foundation, and Upturn Arts.

Awards and honors

'' OffBeat'''s Best of the Beat Awards

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Music videos

Notes

Notable appearances

Jazz Fest

Red Rocks

In 2019, the band sold out

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...

and followed up with two shows in 2021.

No Regrets Tour (Rolling Stones)

The Revivalists served as the opening act for the Jacksonville, Florida show, as well as the restart of

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

' No Regrets Tour at the Dome @ America's Center St Louis, Missouri.

References

External links

Official website

Wind-Up Records

CincyMusic Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Revivalists Musical groups from New Orleans 2007 establishments in Louisiana Wind-up Records artists Musical groups established in 2007 Pedal steel guitarists