dusty rhodes and the river band

“It's time to shine, this time it's mine” are the lyrics that come on like thunder as they define and lead off the new album Palace & Stage from Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. Released May 19, 2009, Palace & Stage is the band’s sophomore album and brings with it a new batch of adventures, characters, sing-a-longs and stories. The band successfully blends Modern Rock, Gospel, Motown, and Folk music together in an intoxicating mix that showcases music that is as accessible as it is original.

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band is made up of singer-keyboardist Dustin Apodaca, singer-guitarist Kyle Divine, violinist-singer Andrea Babinski, guitarist-singer Edson Choi and drummer Eric Chirco. Palace & Stage is an album filled with timeless songs that range from the glorious, up-tempo rock of “All One,” “Andy” and “Blind Lead the Blind” – which Apodaca says “…was originally about my personal economic hardship, but now everybody's hurting. Having money and then out of the blue having nothing. You start with respect and relevance, and then you’re forgotten and thrown away. Ultimately you’re in charge of your own destiny.” Other album highlights include the meditative “So Low” and the confessional “Sorry For Now” with Apodaca’s authentic lead vocals rising over an orchestrated wave made up of soaring vocals, violin and keyboards.

“We don't really have a theme for this record. If there is a common thread from song to song it's the power of perception; like seeing a pair of feet shuffling behind the curtain- there's always a hint of smoke and mirrors to what we can take so seriously. To me personally, that's what ‘Palace and Stage’ refers to,” says Edson.

The group’s music defies easy categorization but boasts the freewheeling approach that draws natural comparisons to Arcade Fire, The Decemberists and “Exile on Main St.”-era Rolling Stones. The band has toured the States with Gogol Bordello, I’m From Barcelona, Flogging Molly and Blind Melon to name a few. They have also consistently toured the UK – most recently with Dirty Pretty Things. Q Magazine dubbed the band as one of the “Next Big Things” in 2008 and named the song “Dear Honey” from their debut record as one of the “50 Songs To Download”.

Dusty Rhodes and the River Band have spent the past three years playing every shitty dive bar from the South to the Midwest and back to southern California, sleeping on couches, and giving their hearts and souls to every performance. Palace & Stage is the natural progression from their debut album, First You Live, released in 2007.