Love for the Grad Club Indeed! Fundraising Concert an Overwhelming Success!

I would call that a success. Love for the Grad Club indeed!!

$4791.65 raised to help support the Grad Club in their efforts to remain a fixture on the Kingston music scene.

And speaking of the Kingston music scene... what an amazing showcase of local talent on stage at Blu Martini on Sunday! We are very fortunate in this city.

Many thanks to Luther Wright for doing such a great job as host and keeping things running on time(we were only 5 minutes behind by the end when DRR hit the stage. Crazy!), to Trevor and Anita on sound( and to Geoff for helping with changeovers and mixing Luella), to Peter Delaney and the Blu Martini staff, to Kingston Live for helping with promotions, to Peter Hendra at the Whig, Stu Mills at CBC Ottawa, and Lauren Tucker at CFRC for press coverage, and to all the musicians who donated their time and talent for the cause:

Jon McLurg Old Tyme Trio

Piner

 
Holy Wow

Emilie Steele

Stephen Stanley Band

Luther Wright and the Wrongs

Goldwing

The Mill-Rights

Tim Sheffield

Luella

Dead Root Revival

And of course many thanks to the audience for your donations! You showed up on time and stayed until the end. Such good vibes!

 
I feel we sent a strong message on Sunday that we value our live music venues in Kingston, we want our music scene to survive and thrive, and when a member of our music community is in need we will be there to offer our support.

The Arts are not expendable!!

Up next for DRR...a Rock Show in a Barn!

Our next show is Saturday, June 22nd at the absolutely wonderful venue known as Furnace Falls Farm, just outside of Lyndhurst, Ontario. We performed here last year and fell in love the place! Grab your tickets now because you won't want to miss this one. It's one of a couple of shows we're performing in the Kingston/Leeds & Grenville region this summer, and THE ONLY SHOW where you'll get the full two-hour rock and roll extravaganza that is a Dead Root Revival concert! 

See you at the rock show,

Tom

Check out www.deadrootrevival.ca for more dates around Ontario this summer

Double Album Pre-order Plus New Single "Trillions of Stars"

It's happening! The long-awaited studio album from Dead Root Revival, "The Controller's Exam", is on its way! The official release date is March 1st, but you can preorder today on indiegogo: https://igg.me/at/DRR

We've also released the first single from the album,"Trillions of Stars". It is available on all streaming services and on Bandcamp.  

Check out the video on YouTube :

A Double Vinyl Album Recorded Completely Analogue

In 2023, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to Athens, Georgia to record our debut studio album at Chase Park Transduction, under the guidance and tutelage of renowned engineer and producer David Barbe, who is known for his work with Drive-By Truckers, among many others. The result is "The Controller's Exam", over an hour of music recorded completely analogue(16-track to 2-inch tape) that exemplifies the raw energy, tightness, and astounding musicianship of Dead Root Revival.

We are releasing this record to the world on March 1st on double vinyl, CD, and digital formats.

What we need from you and what you get

Pressing a double album is very expensive, and we are completing this project without any government grants, or record label assistance. The band has laid it all on the line to bring you our best, and we sincerely encourage you to support this momentous rock and roll achievement by preordering the double vinyl album, or one of the other perks we've made available exclusively during this pre-order campaign.

Here are the different perks:

• The Controller's Exam on digital, CD, or double vinyl album
• Vinyl Bundle including "The Controller's Exam" plus my 2022 release, "21st Century Lo-Fi"

• Tom Savage CD Bundle - 5 CDs for $60(a 40% discount)

• DRR Merch Bundle - includes Double Vinyl Album,CD, DRR LIVE - VOLUME I - CD,DRR T-SHIRT

• a rare opportunity to have a drum Lesson with Bonz Bowering!

• sign up for an exclusive Tom Savage comprehensive 3-hour guitar workshop( limited to 10 people).

• Tom Savage will write a song exclusively for you and record it with members of Dead Root Revival!

• Your very own private rock concert with Dead Root Revival

• The original 32 x 32-inch painting of "The Controller's Exam" album cover by artist Jeremy Bruneel

• Plus, when you pre-order the new album, you can add-on discounted tickets to the album release celebration on March 9th at The Broom Factory in Kingston.

Your support is invaluable to us! Our fans were there for us in the first phase of this project, helping us with travel costs to Athens, Georgia, and our recording expenses. Now that the project is complete, we are calling on you once again for your support, by simply purchasing a copy of the album we've created.

Other ways you can help the cause

If you are not in a financial position to contribute at this time, we encourage you to show your support for Dead Root Revival by spreading the word by sharing links on social media, and talking up the album in your in-person conversations. Word-of-mouth is an essential tool towards this campaign's success.

Thanks for helping the DRR train roll on!

Tom

BIG NEWS: Double Vinyl Album From DRR Coming March 1st!

 The long-awaited Dead Root Revival studio album is coming your way, with an official release date of March 1st, and an album release celebration on Saturday, March 9th at The Broom Factory in Kingston.

Take a look at this mesmerizing album cover art, painted by London, Ontario artist Jeremy Bruneel!




We'll be releasing the first single from the record next Thursday, and kicking off our pre-order campaign on Friday, January 12th. You'll be able to pre-order the record in double vinyl, cd, or digital formats, and there will be deals on other merchandise, plus some one-of-a-kind opportunities to support the band.

DRR fans are going to be so pleased with this record. It was our goal to create an album that delivered our live concert energy and I believe we have achieved that in "The Controller's Exam".

Our trip down to Athens, Georgia to record at Chase Park Transduction not only provided us with the amazing experience of collaborating with renowned producer David Barbe(known for his work with Drive-By Truckers, R.E.M. and many others), and recording completely analogue (16-track to 2-inch tape); it also gave us the laser focus needed to create this album effectively, and brought the band closer together, allowing our music and performances to soar to new heights.

The journey continues. We're thankful to have you on board!

Tom

What's This? A Surprise Album?!!

 Two more shows for Dead Root Revival this year! Friday, December 1st we will be at The Atria in Oshawa, warming the stage for Doghouse Rose and Trash Puppets, then on Saturday, December 16th, we will be at the RCHA club in Kingston, for our final show of 2023(Get your tickets at the bar or on Eventbrite).

I know there's a lot of anticipation for the release of our album that we recorded in Athens, Georgia this year. We are putting the finishing touches on the record, with the album cover being painted by London artist Jeremy Bruneel, and I can tell you that the release date of the album will be March 1st, 2024, with a Kingston release celebration to take place at The Broom Factory on March 9th. 

It has been a long wait and we appreciate your patience. With that in mind, I've decided to release a surprise album to tide you over until then! 

As recording sessions for my 2017 release Everything Intertwined came to a close, we decided to add another day in the studio, switching out bass players(Seamus Cowan played on EI), and bringing in Geoff Chown to record some Blues tracks. It was a really fun day of letting it all hang out musically and getting gritty, live off the floor at North of Princess studio. The recording turned out great, but was promptly put away in the archives for future considerations. In the ensuing years many crazy events occurred in this world of ours, so in the archives the Blues record stayed.

Until now!!!

Looking back at Everything Intertwined and now listening to Sure Can Play That Guitar!!, I can really see how my music and songwriting were turning a corner in 2017, and the seeds were being planted that would grow into what we now know as the band, Dead Root Revival.

Many songs have found their way into the DRR setlist. From EI, there's Kid, Burnt By The Sun, Come Home, and 17 Years, and on Sure Can Play That Guitar!!  you will hear the familiar jams An Angel Rose, Train Blues, Moonshine Baby, as well as the title track.

I hope you enjoy this collection of previously unreleased music.

 

Pick it up Friday, December 1st on Bandcamp as part of #BandcampFriday. Available only in digital or CD format. No Spotify...no Apple Music...no Deezer...no Tidal... you get the idea. 😄😉

Rock and Roll,

Tom 

Georgia Recording Session Exceeds Expectations!

Back from our trip down to Athens, Georgia, and I have to say, the sessions with David Barbe at Chase Park Transduction exceeded all of our expectations. We had a short window to lay down tracks for the album, and we took full advantage, recording more songs than we had anticipated, and really capturing the Dead Root Revival sound.

16-track 2 inch tape. The parameters put in place by this technology might be seen as a hindrance in today's digital world of limitless tracks and limitless possibilities, but when dealing with a band known for live performance like DRR, there really was no other way to go. Limitations can be a good thing! They can allow you to get right to the heart of the matter.






Dead Root Revival. When deciding upon this band name, we wanted to convey our mandate as a band:

Dead = Lamenting things we feel are being lost: An appreciation for the rock show, that is being swallowed up by karaoke machines, home theatre systems and big screen televisions, and corporate-run streaming behemoths all across this land.

Root = Where we came from: Our influences, our rock and roll heroes, and our search for the magic tone that speaks to us.

Revival = Bringing the jams back to the people: The older generations who may have seen Jimi Hendrix in concert, and also to the younger kids who find themselves listening to the classic rock hits from 40 and 50 years ago because the music of today doesn't speak to them. DRR is here for you.😎🤘🎸


It only made sense for us to record the way artists like Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, and Deep Purple did in the 1970s. There's definitely a change in perspective when "fix it later" is taken out of the equation. You've got to perform! And that, my friends, is exhilarating.

Tracking for the album is complete, but it will be a couple of months until mixing and mastering is finished. Stay tuned!


SINGER-SONGWRITER SHOWS

I'll be putting on my singer-songwriter hat for a bunch of shows in April. Coming up first, I'll be performing alongside umberlune and Brock Zeman at ABC Hall (3166 Bolingbroke Rd, Maberly ON K0H 2B0) on Saturday, April 1st. Three songwriters with distinct styles performing in-the-round in a welcoming country hall setting.
Grab your tickets online at Eventbrite 👉 https://tinyurl.com/57zuazhh or send an etransfer for $20 to tomsavagemusic@gmail.com to reserve your spot. You'd be a "fool" to miss it! 😉😄

Doors at 6 PM/ Show at 7 PM

There will also be coffee, tea, and PIE available!

Fresh-baked pie and live music. How can you say no?!





Brock and I will be out performing some shows later in April as well...

April 20th - Jethro's - Peterborough 7 PM - Get tickets
April 21st - Bracebridge Hall - Bracebridge 8 PM - Get tickets
April 22nd - House Concert - Guelph ( Contact Larock Productions for details)
April 23rd - Havelock - matinee show as part of Stone Hall Sessions (2 PM) - Get tickets


TUNESDAY

Thanks so much to Jon McLurg for filling as host for the Tunesday jam while I was away. By all accounts it went swimmingly and our bass player streak is still in tact. Awesome! 😁👍🏻 I look forward to getting back to this fun-filled Tuesday routine at the RCHA(4-7 PM, live music, drink specials, and pizza!).


See you out there!

Cheers,
Tom

Final Shows of 2022/ Rock and Roll Underwear!

Things have quieted down for me quite a bit since the vinyl release show at The Mansion back on Sept. 30th(which was incredible by the way. Thanks to all of you who attended and made it such a special night). Stepping back and doing some behind-the-scenes work for 2023. One really fun development however, has been the introduction of the "Tunesday" afternoon jam at the RCHA club. Since this weekly event began on October 4th, the joint has been jumping with music lovers and musicians alike(on average we've had a seven-piece band plus guests getting up to join in with the band or perform on their own). This has been an incredibly enjoyable new weekly ritual, rich with community spirit. I encourage those in the Kingston area to drop by any Tuesday afternoon from 4-7 PM. 193 Ontario St. up on the 3rd floor.

A Few More Shows in 2022!

There are a few more shows coming up in 2022. First up, on December 10th Dead Root Revival make our return to the Keystorm Pub in Brockville for the first time after a long covid hiatus. Music gets underway at 8 PM. It also marks the first time Tony Silvestri will be joining us at the Keystorm in a long while (first time under the DRR banner…last played there as Tony Silvestri Band).

And on that note, some exciting news! Tony has come on board as a full time member of Dead Root Revival, and will be performing at all of our shows from here on out. We look forward to many magical live performances to come (plus the recording of our debut studio album. Stay tuned for details!).

QRTheBand Concert at the Grand Theatre - Thursday, December 15th(6 PM)

Savage Family Band will be taking part in the concert, which is the culmination of a local music album compilation project we were involved in. Songs for the album were recorded at The Bathouse and will be released at a future date TBA. 

https://www.kingstongrand.ca/events/qr-the-band

Dead Root Revival Live in Concert at the RCHA

Tickets are still available for our show at the RCHA on Saturday, December 17th. $10 advance available at the club($15 at the door). Join us as we rock out one more time in 2022(and for the very first time at the RCHA club).

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dead-root-revival-live-in-concert-tickets-451720667677

DRR "SAVAGE" underwear

One thing I never thought I would be doing when I became a musician: selling underwear. 

You asked for them, so here they are! A limited edition run of @deadrootrevival “SAVAGE” boxers printed at Ironclad Printing Company. M or L sizes. 1 pair for $30, 2 for $40. Kingston locals: Etransfer to tomsavagemusic@gmail.com with colour/size choice and we can arrange pick up/drop off.

Now DRR’s mannequin Bob can safely keep his shorts on!

Here's hoping you have a safe and happy holiday season and we will see you at the rock show!

Cheers,

Tom

Shows starting to happen + Overdrive Express Deluxe (previously unreleased music)

 I hope you are enjoying the summer, and taking advantage of the loosening of COVID restrictions, by taking in some live music and supporting your local restaurants and businesses. It has been a long haul this past 16 months! Shows are starting to happen, and while it is going to be some time before the schedule is full again, there is hope on the horizon.

Here are some events coming up in the Kingston area:

July 24th - Tom Savage and Kevin Davidson at Spearhead Brewing (2-5 PM)

August 1st - Savage Family Band at the Hotel on Wolfe Island (1-4 PM)

August 7th - Tom Savage's Surprise Mystery Band! at the RCHA(7-10 PM)

August 15th - Savage Family Band at The Mansion(3-5 PM)

August 21st - AnnFest 

A celebration of life for my Mom, Ann Savage, who passed back in May. COVID wouldn't allow us to honour her wishes at the time, so we had to wait. Friends of Ann, Johnny, and family are invited to The Cove for an afternoon filled with music, laughter, and no doubt some tears. On stage with myself will be Bonz Bowering, Kevin Bowers, Mike Corrigan, Kevin Davidson, Richard Piche, Tony Silvestri, plus Benji Savage, and other musical guests. Geoff Chown will be providing the sound. There will be a cash bar and some complimentary eats. 2 PM. 

August 25th - Z.A.M.F.I.R

August 28th - Hosting the Z.A.M.F.I.R afternoon jam(3 PM)

September 10th - Dead Root Revival Returns! Joel Stone Park in Gananoque, featuring Tony Silvestri on keyboards

September 17th - Hosting the Spearhead Open Mic (7-10 PM)

September 18th - Savage Family Band in Market Square (6:30-8:00PM)

September 26th - Savage Family Band at the Mansion ( 3-5 PM)

Looking forward to playing music and seeing friends! : )

FROM THE ARCHIVES: TOM SAVAGE TRIO - OVERDRIVE EXPRESS (DELUXE)

Available TODAY! I'm reaching into the archives to bring you some previously unreleased music! This reissue of 2012's Overdrive Express includes five bonus tracks, recorded during the sessions, but never released. Fans will recognize songs Still Hung Up On You, and Northern Ontario Highway[from my 2009 release, Live at the Acoustic Grill],The Slow Decline [which appears as the closing track on History of a Common Man (2014)], and TST's barn burning rendition of the Townes Van Vandt classic, Waitin' Around To Die, which was a fan favourite at live shows.

The digital album costs $10, and you'll receive the 5 bonus tracks with your download. Song Supporters: As always, this album (with bonus tracks) will automatically be added to your collections. 

tomsavage.bandcamp.com

Recorded live off the floor at The Mansion, in Kingston, Ontario, this album truly showcases the Alt Country, Cowpunk, Rockabilly, and Blues stew that the band conjured up in their years of touring back and forth across Canada. It was fun to go back and listen to these tunes. You can hear the seeds of Dead Root Revival being planted. 

Let's head down the sonic highway for another hit of good ol' fashioned Dirt Road Rock and Roll!

1. The Wheel Still Turns
2. Train Keeps A Rollin'
3. 49 More To Go
4. Amarillo
5. Lunatic Baby
6. Down in the Flood
7. We're Older Now

BONUS TRACKS***

8. Still Hung Up On You
9. I Just Wanna Go To Bed
10. Northern Ontario Highway
11. The Slow Decline
12. Waitin' Around To Die 

Bonz Bowering - Drums
Geoff Chown - Bass
Tom Savage - Guitar, Vocals

with guests:

Tony Silvestri - Keys on "Amarillo"
Kevin Davidson - Backing Vocals on "Train Keeps A Rollin"

All song written by Tom Savage, except "Down in the Flood", by Bob Dylan, and Waitin' Around To Die, by Townes Van Zandt
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Geoff Chown

NEW MUSIC IN THE WORKS

I want to send out a big thank you to all the Savage Song Supporters who have been there for me during this pandemic by subscribing to my Bandcamp, and to all fans who have purchased albums over the past 16 months as well. I have been staying creative during this time, working away in my home studio, and my new album is nearing completion. I am really looking forward to you all hearing this record because it is your subscriptions(and album purchases) that have funded this project.

I am also incredibly grateful to have received a resiliency grant from the City of Kingston Arts Fund to help put this project over the finish line. 

Still some finishing touches, but I hope to reach completion this Fall. Stay tuned!!

SAVAGE FAMILY BAND - GOTTA SLOW DOWN

Music is my religion. Over the past 16 months, COVID has really turned the world upside down. Musicians have been unable to work. It has been a weird holding pattern. The uncertainty can lead to incredible anxiety, so it is important to try to live in the moment as much as we can, and not get too caught up in the things we can't control.

"Gotta Slow Down" has become my mantra. Breathe deep and enjoy the sunshine!

This performance is from our set for the Homegrown Live Music Festival, which raises funds for Joe's MILL ( a music instrument lending library in Kingston).

We had the pleasure of having Chris Brown sit in with us for our set at the hotel on Wolfe Island. Amazing!

Check it out!  https://youtu.be/UqslbRzYF9Y

Enjoy the sunshine everyone,

Tom

Music City Monday Concert Stream / Live from the Jam Zone - Session #1

 Music City Monday Series

Dead Root Revival had the incredible opportunity to take part in the Music City Monday Series at the Empire Theatre, in Belleville recently. Mark Rashotte and the crew started this series of live stream concerts as a way to support local musicians and venue staff during the pandemic.

Read more about it here : https://themusicexpress.ca/live-stream-events-plan-b.../...

The production quality of these live stream shows is stellar. I highly recommend you check them out. Shows air live at 7:30 PM every Monday evening.

Our recent concert, which aired Monday will be showing until December 20th. You can view it here: https://vimeo.com/489129839?ref=tw-share...

Become a Savage Song Supporter!

As many of you know, COVID has decimated the live music industry, and has forced musicians to think outside the box to come up with new ways of generating income, engaging and entertaining fans.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I started a subscription service on Bandcamp to help offset my lost touring income.

https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/song-supporter

Become a Savage Song Supporter for as little as $5/ month, and you will receive EVERY new piece of music I release. So far in 2020, I've released three singles and one full-length album:

Beyond the Great Beyond * Song Supporter Exclusive * (full-length album of bonus tracks from 2019's "Great Beyond" recording sessions)

Beach Blanket Bingo Bottle Toke * Song Supporter Exclusive * ( This single is from the "History of a Common Man" recording sessions, reinvented with new instrumentation and a space folk vibe.)

Something Real -https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/track/something-real ( This is truly my pandemic song, with the lyrics focusing on the inequalities in society that have been laid bare by COVID-19, and my personal belief that a universal basic income is needed to stem the tide of economic disparity, to address poverty, and mental health issues of all citizens. Musically, it's a bit of a departure for me. A slow groove vibe with important synth flourishes and bass guitar contributions from musician, Jason Mercer.)

In the Evening Glow - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-evening-glow ( this is a moody, melancholic piece that will hit you in the feels. Solo and acoustic, with an overdubbed spicy guitar solo ).

PLUS you will receive these back-catalog releases:

Great Beyond (2019) - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/album/great-beyond

Everything Intertwined (2017) - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/album/everything-intertwined

History of a Common Man (2014) - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/album/history-of-a-common-man

Never Shed No Tears (2006) - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/album/never-shed-no-tears

Early next year, I will be adding re-mastered versions of Tom Savage Trio releases, The County Line (2008) and Overdrive Express(2012) to the list! Along with previously unreleased bonus tracks!!! Engineer Geoff Chown is in the lab working on it at this very moment. : )

What was that? That's not enough, you say? Well, there's more!

Live Streaming + Multitrack Recording = The "Live from the Jam Zone" Series

My initial plan to put on live streaming events exclusively to subscribers hit a bit of a road block recently when it became apparent that Facebook would have to handle the money...I wasn't down with that plan...not that there is anything wrong with giant evil corporations. Hahaha.

But when I stared at this brick wall, I realized another opportunity to give subscribers more value, and more music. I'll be multitrack recording my live stream shows and releasing them exclusively to Savage Song Supporter Subscribers (say that 5 times fast) in a series of "Live from the Jam Zone" sessions. Actually, this process has already begun. Song Supporters can stream/download Live from the Jam Zone: Session # 1 starting today! - https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/song-supporter

It's a live stream. It's a podcast of sorts. It's a series of albums. I'm excited to see where we can take this. Possibly special guest collaborations. Definitely a Savage Family Band concert coming soon.

Lots to look forward to. Join me on the ride!

I hope you have a safe and happy holiday season. Let's hunker down for the winter and with the vaccine being distributed, Spring will hopefully offer up opportunities for us to gather for live in-person concerts again.

Best,

Tom