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Sometimes what you see is not what you get... and it's a damned good thing! I stumbled accross the band Rusty Gun Revival a while back and saw that their leading photo was the typical 3 piece ensemble with the stand-up bass and so I just moseyed right along. Now let me tell you that out here in the southwest you've got a new band every week who runs out and finds a stand-up-bassist, slaps a name on their group like "Big Jane and the Armadillo Bandits" or something equally cliche and proceeds with a predictable cheap knockoff of some really great (but over-copied) rockabilly pioneers. Next thing you know the same 20 pompadored and betty-banged fanatics are flocking to their shows and drownin themselves in enough PBR to make em sound like a well-oiled machine.
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And then on this fine saturday mornin' in a fit of early
morning insomnia I meandered accross their profile on MySpace and let the music player load. And what I heard was something good... a voice like a very young Willie Nelson, and a smooth blend between the guitar, bass and drums. Songs like "Smoke" and "No More Blues" are mellow and heartfelt ballad, While "The Girl Is Hot" and "Step It Up and Go" a reminiscent of old sock hop bands with an extra kick. One thing's for certain: You won't find your standard bum bum bum bum bassline driven rockabilly with these guys... Instead you'll find real music! - www.drunkenhillbilly.com
BLIND JONNY DEATH @ THE HITCHING POST, ALTOONA 11/30/05
Another relatively light Wednesday evening workload at the ol’ radio station enabled me to head to the Hitching Post to partake in the latest hellbound hayride highjinks of Blind Jonny Death.
Slim, Red and Tom were wrapping up their second set as I arrived, storming in their own unique fashion on “Land Of The Navajo.”
A mid-sized crowd populated the Post, and they appeared to be enjoying the Americana party thus far.
Blind Jonny Death soon returned for their nightcap set. After their first two numbers, they introduced a new original number, the honky-tonkish “Step It Up and Go,” which brought one couple up to the stagefront dance floor area. The group then dedicated “Tell It To Me” from Old Crow Medicine Show to the Wood-n-Strings/Texas Toast contingent in the house. From their Git Down On The Farm CD, the trio did “That Girl Is Hot,” with Slim announcing that the song would appear on a compilation album being issued by Atlanta-based Shuteye Records in early 2006. Blind Jonny Death then performed Big Bill Broonzy’s “Long Tall Mama” and Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain,” before taking Elvis’ “Devil In Disguise” on a wild hellbound hayride. Next was Johnny Cash’s “Cry Cry Cry” and Hank Sr.’s “Hey Good Lookin,’” before the set ended with Traveling Wilburys’ “End Of The Line.”
Given the raucous response given to Blind Jonny Death by the Hitching Post crowd thus far, I figured that an encore was almost automatic. Hell, one woman even stepped atop the main bar to dance! But at the end of the set, the crowd clammed up and didn’t hoot and holler for an encore, and after a few moments, Blind Jonny Death began to dismantle their gear…show over. Altoona, you’ve got to DEMAND your encore if you want the band to play longer, it’s not an automatic thing!
Nonetheless, this was still a good time, with Blind Jonny Death’s brand of feisty roots sounds making it well worth my stopping off at the Hitching Post to check out.
- Jim Price, Q94/PA Musician Magazine
Rusty Gun Revival blends honkytonk vibe, bluegrass drive, blues passion, and punk sneer in a way that most so-called hillbilly bands can't even fathom. This is not a loose collection of urbanite wannabee's... these musicians hail from the farms, timber stands, and tapped-out bituminous coal fields of Clearfield County, in central Pennsylvania. I have had the extreme fortune to share both stage and studio with Rusty Gun Revival, and I can assure you, in a place where hillbilly roots music is experiencing an amazing wave of popularity and influence, these guys are at the top. Get the CD. Go to the shows. Be a part of it. I'm sure you'll agree, the superlatives aren't empty praise... like the band itself, the hype is real.--->JMS
- John M. Stevens
Live Lixx
"Love your music!" "Excellent show as usual." These are just some of the comments fans have made regarding the music and performances from the band The Rusty Gun Revival.
All the way from Clearfield, Pa., Marc Prave, Ed MacDonald and Tom Hipps, the trio of The Rusty Gun Revival, joined BK and I on Live Lixx for an hour of toe tapping, feel good music last week.
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the group walk into our studio prepared to play live on the radio with one guitar, an upright bass, snare drum, harmonica and a stomp box, which, by the way, was made out of a 1950's bottle crate. They even came armed with an old washboard that has now become an Ocean 98 souvenir from their performance on Live Lixx.
Surely, this was going to be a true original performance. Not only was it original, but it was incredible and totally fun! What I loved the most about The Rusty Gun Revival was that regardless of what song they were playing, if I knew the lyrics or not, I still felt like I could sing along.
The band performs original songs as well as covers ranging from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan to Johnny Cash.
However, if you're expecting to hear country music from the boys, your wrong. They call their style "Punkry," a mixture of rock-a-billy, blues and honky tonk. The Revival approaches its music to the tune of a Hank Williams Sr. quote, "I don't know what you mean by country music. I just make music the way I know how." Whatever it is, keep it up guys!
Check out The Rusty Gun Revival online at www.rustygunrevival.com or www.myspace.com/rustygunrevival and hear them for yourself. You can also find out where they are playing next and buy their self titled CD at either of those sites. We look forward to having the guys back in our studio.
Check out our all new Live Lixx page at www.livelixx.com with archived audio clips from past performances. If you're interested in being on Live Lixx, visit www.myspace.com/livelixx for details.
-- Lesley Bunting
- delmarvanow.com/Live Lixx at Six
Discography
-"Rusty Gun Revival" Cd out now! Available at
www.myspace.com/rustygunrevival
-RGR (Formerly known as Blind Jonny Death) Debut Cd "Git Down On The Farm)
Currently sold out
Some recent shows:
-Johnstown Folkfest
-Clearfield County Fair X3
-Elk County Fair
-Bedford Fall Foliage Festival (Bedford, PA)
-Summers End Festival (Ridgway, PA)
-Charles County Fair (Maryland)
-Riverfront Festival (Clearfield, PA)
-Music Is Life Festival (St College, PA)
-Ocean City, MD
-Dewey Beach, DE
-New York City, NY
-RGR's "The Girl Is Hot" is track #4 on Shut Eye Records
"The United State of AMERICANA" (volume four)
Currenty being played on radio stations througout the US.
Music available through CD Baby, Snocap, and various digital outlets throughout the world.
Photos
Bio
To quote the legendary Hank Williams Sr., 'I don't know what you mean by country music. I just make music the way I know how'. This is the way the Rusty Gun Revival approaches their music. No plan, no scheme, no city boys pretending to be cowboys, just raw, pure and honest music that seeps from their very souls. It's easy to see, the music that speaks the loudest to RGR speaks the loudest through them! All musicians are inspired in one way or another to do what they do. Some are just plain copycats that dont have any sense of originality, yet others take that very influence or inspiration and make something all their own. RGR has an authentic sound that harbors enough twang to be reminiscent of their heroes but not so much that they become two bit knock-offs! Armed with an home-made flattop guitar, up-right bass, snare drum, stomp box and plenty of heart, these boys have an original sound and presence that is all their own. 'Punkry', is what they call it. If you are into honky-tonk, juke joint, folk, rock-a-billy, bluegrass, early down-home blues mixed with adrenaline and pumped directly into your veins then these cats should be the next band you see. The Rusty Gun Revival is one of those acts that just makes you want to be part of who they are and what they do. Their music reaches all walks of life from all ages and the energy that beams from this band is truly infectious. RGR has been literally bringing a revival everywhere they go. From the small honky-tonks to the large festivals and everywhere in between, people have been getting a taste of revival. They have shared their music with the 'socially elite', the 'down trodden' and anyone that will listen. One thing is for sure with this band, their love for their music and what they do has earned them a healthy respect from fans, friends and fellow musicians alike. Who knows where this road will take the Rusty Gun Revival? For now, they are just enjoying the ride. In recent months RGR has set their sights on playing their music throughout the world. Yeah, thats a big task, but RGR thinks everyone can agree that the world could use a little 'REVIVAL.'
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