– Tickets are $5 Door
Blackbird Revival bring the alterna-folk, with The Matchsellers’ own alterna-bluegrass, for an evening of alterna-Americana @ RLC Bluegrass Thursday! Open jam at 6pm; show starts at 8pm.
Blackbird Revival started as a duo with Johnny Briggs on drums, harmonica, guitar and vocals, and Ryan Scoggins on ganjo, guitar and vocals in November of 2012. After a previous band didn't work out, the two continued playing in the garage working on new material. Richard Hall, a long time friend, knew the two were working on a new sound, so he offered to play bass — something he hadn't done in quiet some time — to help out. The trio practiced non-stop and played live for the first time at an open mic where they would meet guitarist Craig Pratt. After a few months of playing as a trio, an opportunity came and they asked Craig to sit in with them at some practices. Giving the sound that "something" it was missing, Craig became the lead guitarist of the group. The four members have a great chemistry and bring an unique alternative folk sound to the stage.
The Matchsellers are an alternative bluegrass duo that formed in Leipzig, Germany. Though they met abroad, the group’s members Andrew Morris and Julie Bates are Midwesterners (from Indiana and Kansas City, respectively). While working as ex-pats, Morris and Bates began musically reanalyzing the folk forms of their homeland in the decaying buildings of East Germany. In this environment, they developed their own take on bluegrass. The Matchsellers’ music is stuck somewhere between the electric blues of Chicago and the bluegrass of Kentucky, and has acquired the filth and abandonment of post-communist, ex-patriot life.
Since June 2013 the duo has been on the road performing music full time. Consisting of a mix of traditionals, covers and original music, the live performances are sure to please die-hard bluegrass fans as well as those not so familiar with the genre. The duo has successfully completed self-organized tours through Europe (UK, Germany, Czech Republic) and the US. Their debut EP Claypool Dog Race has been praised by Dying for Bad Music, Musical Pearls Rebirth, Tuning into the Obscure, Road Dog Radio and more. They plan on releasing a gospel album at the beginning of 2014.