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It’s easy to describe Dead Root Revival’s sound as old school—guitar focused rock and roll played with a Southern flair—but with songs derived from front man Tom Savage’s socially conscious worldview, DRR is a band fully in tune with the zeitgeist. That’s clearly evident on the Kingston, Ontario-based quartet’s new album, The Controller’s Exam, a sweeping 11-song collection. Dead Root Revival has released a handful of live albums—capturing all the grit and energy of their shows—making The Controller’s Exam technically their debut. Yet, it was also recorded in a live setting with renowned producer David Barbe (Sugar, R.E.M., Drive-By Truckers) at Chase Park Transduction Studio in Athens, Georgia. All of the classic elements are present on the album’s first focus track, “Trillions Of Stars,” powered by Savage spitting out lines like “We are the instigators of our own disease” in between his fuzzy guitar breaks. It’s all supported by Tony Silvestri on Hammond organ and Wurlitzer, alongside the driving rhythm section comprised of drummer Bonz Bowering and bassist Richard Piche. The heart of DRR is their genuine musical chemistry, which draws from many points across the musical spectrum, and sometimes can shift between these influences mid-song. The result is that anyone seeing DRR live can expect a variety of moods, tempos, and dynamics that add up to a powerful concert experience.•
Greg Smith began playing music professionally in the late 1990s. His first full tour was with the band Rhume in 1999 across Canada and back through the northern US. He then joined Martin Tielli (Rheostatics) as a bass player in his solo band. They made one record (Operation Infinite Joy) and toured Canada a few times. Around 2004, he joined The Weakerthans, and made one studio record (Reunion Tour) and one live record (Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre) together and toured a number of times domestically and internationally. Smith also played on and toured the record Winter Wheat by John K Samson. In 2017, he joined Lowest of the Low and they continue to record and play live dates whenever able. Throughout Smith's career he has sat in with many other artists for records and touring including Greg Graffin, FemBots, Christine Fellows, Minotaurs, The Two Minute Miracles and The Michael Parks. He has also recorded and released a number of solo records and played live when able under the name Greg Smith Sounds.
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B.Knox is a singer-songwriter based north of Toronto, Ontario. Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Knox’s connection to the East Coast is apparent in his songwriting and phrasing, shaped and smoothed like ocean stones, weaving his songs out of the landscapes and heartbreaks that surround him. � Knox's sophomore album — the tellingly titled Far From Folk – blends cosmic Americana, left-field honky tonk, rugged country-rock, and woozy roots music into its own melancholic mix. With Knox moving past the breakup songs that filled his debut — the acclaimed 'Heartbreak & Landscape' — and focusing on something brighter. 'Far From Folk' serves as both a nod to Knox’s past and a reminder of just how far he's grown beyond his folk roots, highlighting an artist in eclectic evolution. Receiving critical acclaim from AmericanaUK, Folk RadioUK, RnR Magazine, AltCountry.NL; a short-listing by both the CCMAs and the International Songwriting Competition; radio play from SiriusXM, CBC, and many nationally and internationally syndicated shows; as well as playlisting from Starbucks, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon music, it’s safe to say that Knox is a voice to be heard.
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Born to entertain, Ginger St. James’ song-writing and voice are as powerful as they are poignant. Powerful in a way where it’s hard to believe such a voice comes from a five-foot frame. Poignant in a way that the music and the message rings true through the test of time. Her repertoire blends country, rockabilly and blues with a sultry voice and commanding stage presence. Ginger St James brings a combination of high energy and incredible sweetness to the stage that is beyond comparison. She is tough, raunchy, has an undercurrent of humor and speaks to the concerns of folks who drink, dance, work two jobs and need to unwind at the first possible opportunity. Songs of hard luck, hard love and hard drinking are delivered night after night channeling a wide swath of enduring musical influences, funneling them out in an intoxicating blend creating a sound all her own . At once the result is original, yet often as authentic as the source material.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Mills Hardware, 95 King St E, Hamilton, ON L8N 1A9, Canada,Hamilton, Ontario
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