Holy Ghost Tent Revival/ And the Moneynotes, Friday, Feb. 26, 9 p.m., Backyard Ale House
(523 Linden St., Scranton). Cover: $5, 21 and over. UnMundane variety show w/ Holy Ghost Tent
Revival/ Mike Miz, Dustin Drevitch and Bret Alexander/ Panked! DJs, Monday, Mar. 1, 10 p.m.,
River Street Ale House (1575 River Road, Pittston). No cover, 21 and over.
Listeners do not always hear what the band intends.
Guitarist/banjo player Matt Martin of Greensboro, N.C.-based band Holy Ghost Tent Revival explains that while the banjo is instrumental in defining his band’s sound, it is not always accurately interpreted.
“The other night some girl kept screaming that we were like (critically lauded folk rock band) the Avett Brothers,” Murray, 25, said via e-mail. “I was like ‘Shhh! Stop that!’ While we appreciate the sentiment and enjoy their tunes, our music really sounds nothing like the Avett Brothers. I think the similarities arise because we yell and jump about and swing around a banjo. ... (Our music is) ragtime rock, with, you know, some swing and a touch of bluegrass, shaded in by a slight indie-rock ethos.”
Martin’s band, which regularly tours from Massachusetts to Texas and Ohio to Georgia, returns to Northeast Pennsylvania for two shows this week: Friday, Feb. 26 at the Backyard Ale House in Scranton, with local guys And the Moneynotes, and Monday, March 1 at the River Street Ale House in Pittston as part of the March UnMundane variety show series bill.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival is also recording a Weekender Sessions show at the newspaper’s Wilkes-Barre offices on March 1 featuring material from its two recordings: the self-released “So Long I Screamed” and the “Family” EP, released in August on Good Ship Records. The latter release features And the Moneynotes on the song “Someone Too.”
Previous shared bills between the bands led to the collaboration on the recording which led to additional shared dates in each other’s home region and other parts of the country.
“Our relationship with And the Moneynotes is what makes playing in Scranton like playing home. I think people can see how much we enjoy each other’s company,” Murray said. “We had a great string of shows with And the Moneynotes a couple weeks back; we went to Raleigh, (N.C.), Bristol (Tenn.), Charlotte, (N.C.), and had two shows in Greensboro. It was really the best four days of my life. We all had fun sliding down a flight of stairs on a tin pan in Bristol. Very reckless? Sure. Very fun? Yes.”
The Scranton-based band has also had an affect on Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s own musical output.
“Our song ‘She Wilts’ was made because of direct influences from And the Moneynotes. It is electrified gypsy jazz, and no one plays that better than the ’Notes,” Martin said. “(Philadelphia band) Dr. Dog is a wonderful band that has given us countless moments of amazement and useful ideas to utilize in the studio. Their use of harmony and subtlety has begun to inform a lot of our current songcrafting.”
The North Carolina band has established a large regional fan base since Martin and his roommate, banjo player/guitarist Stephen Murray, formed the band while both were acting students at Greensboro College in 2007. When Martin received a banjo for Christmas, the musical instrument created an opportunity for the two friends to experiment in writing songs whose sparse, bluegrass-laced, ragtime sound was filled out nicely with syncopated rhythms and brass notes. Fortunately, Martin’s suite mates were horn-y guys.
“Hank (Widmer) and Josh (Lovings) played euphonium/trombone and trumpet respectively. We asked them to add some parts to a couple songs,” Martin said.
Lovings has since left the group; bassist Patrick Leslie, drummer Ross Montsinger and keyboardist Mike O’Malley complete the current lineup. The stage interplay between Martin, Murray, Leslie and Widmer creates energy during Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s live shows.
“I think the energy we evoke onstage comes from a love of being in front of a group of people; the chance to connect with them through a song; make them laugh between songs or through tuning breaks. It’s all very exciting and meaningful to share a few emotions with strangers, isn’t it?,” Murray said.
The six-piece band tours incessantly, attracting consistently large crowds in Bristol, Dayton, Ohio, and Asheville, N.C. Naturally, the group draws best in Greensboro, where it will return to play Greensboro College’s Greenstock in April.
“Touring involves cramming everything we own into a white Ford Econoline 150; sleeping on couches, floors, bathtubs; losing our voices late at night singing; and reading about history and playing Final Fantasy when no one else is saying anything in the van,” Martin said, adding that he is enjoying the ride.
“A successful band is as much a business as it is an art, and while there are many temptations that threaten to derail bands, it should be treated as such. You measure the success not only in making sure the numbers keep going up, but also by asking yourself how happy it makes you. Right now, success is on the rise.”
w
| Tweet | Follow @wkdr |
|
|
