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 

New Live Album/Summer Shows/ 21st Century Lo-Fi Vinyl Update

Live at the Old Church Theatre 

More exclusive music for Savage Song Supporters! Bonz brought microphones to our show at the Old Church Theatre in Trenton a couple weeks back and the recording turned quite nice indeed! This was the first show Tony and Benji performed together and there are some great musical moments. Bandcamp subscribers can stream or download now!

https://tomsavage.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-old-church-theatre

Summer Shows! Summer Shows!

Looking forward to getting out and playing this summer. It's the first "back to normal" summer since the pandemic started, and it feels good to have a full schedule for the first time since 2019! Keeping it local as I'm not feeling like hitting the road, but playing with...5(?!) different band configurations will keep things creatively satisfying for sure...if you count the jams at Spearhead for industry Mondays, you could say 6,7,or 8 different configurations! 😄

Here is the schedule. Hope to see you at a show or two.

June 24th - Doug Fluhrer Park for River Love! w/ Kevin Davidson on violin (5-7 PM)

June 24th - The Toucan - Kingston - Dead Root Revival (10 PM)

June 25th - Keystorm - Brockville - Tom Savage and Kevin Davidson (8 PM)

June 27th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

July 1st - ArtFest - Kingston - solo show (12 PM)

July 1st -  Bay of Quinte Yacht Club - Belleville - Savage Family Band (7:30 PM)

July 2nd - Private Party - Westport - Dead Root Revival

July 3rd - 1000 Islands Regatta - Brockville - Dead Root Revival 

July 4th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

July 7th - RCHA - Kingston - solo show ( 7 PM)

July 9th - Hotel On Wolfe Island - solo on the patio - 1 PM

July 11th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

July 15th - Joel Stone Park - Gananoque - Dead Root Revival (8 PM)

July 16th - WestFest - Westport - Return of The Foley Mountain Playboys! (2 PM)

July 18th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

July 23rd - Island grill - Savage Family Band - (3-5 PM on the patio)

July 24th - The Mansion - Kingston - Savage Family Band (3-5 PM on the patio)

July 25th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

July 28th - RCHA - Kingston - solo show ( 7 PM)

July 29th - The Toucan - Kingston - Dead Root Revival (10 PM)

July 30th - Keystorm - Brockville - Band Format TBD (8 PM)

Aug. 1st -  Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

Aug. 5th - Lockmaster's Taphouse - Smiths Falls - Dead Root Revival (7 PM)

Aug. 6th - Private Party 

Aug. 8th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

Aug. 11th - RCHA - Kingston - solo show ( 7 PM)

Aug. 12th - Skeleton Park Brewery - Kingston - solo show (5-7 PM)

Aug. 13th - Private Party - Dead Root Revival

Aug. 15th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

Aug. 16th - Confederation Park - Kingston - Savage Family Band (12:30 PM)

Aug. 19th - Private Party

Aug. 20th - Private Party

Aug. 22nd - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

Aug. 25th - Limestone City Blues Fest - Confederation Park - Kingston - Dead Root Revival (4:30 PM)

Aug. 26th - Toucan - Dead Root Revival (10 PM)

Aug. 27th - Z.A.M.F.I.R. - hosting the jam (3-6 PM)

Aug. 27th - Toucan - Dead Root Revival (10 PM)

Aug. 29th - Industry Monday at Spearhead Brewing (3-6 PM)

Sept. 3rd - Longtooth Brewery - Stirling - solo show(2-5 PM)

Sept. 4th - The Mansion - Savage Family Band - Savage Family Band - (3-5 PM on the patio)

Still waiting on vinyl...

It seems like forever since 21st Century Lo-Fi came out in digital and CD formats, but here we are still waiting on the vinyl records. They will get here! The supply chain has messed with delivery schedules for many indie artists, along with major label artists(looking at you Adele!!) monopolizing the pressing plants. We're looking at a ballpark timeline of end of July/ early August for delivery. Thanks to everyone who preordered, and we will have a celebration one day...looking at the end of September for a vinyl release party in Kingston. 

If you haven't heard the new album yet, give it a spin on Bandcamp ( http://tomsavage.bandcamp.com) or add it to your preferred streaming service at https://tomsavage.hearnow.com

What people are saying about 21st Century Lo-Fi:

"With 21st Century Lo-Fi Savage continues this journey, bookending the album with the type of songs we would expect a songwriter of the folk ilk to explore during a pandemic. Just as intriguing is a trio of challenging songs serving as the nervous system of the album, songs that bring to mind various faces of David Bowie, of all people, including guitar threads that remind us of Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick, and creative bass effects that would not have been out of place on the Serious Moonlight tour.

These songs—“The One I Wouldn’t Let In,” “We’ve Outgrown Everything We’ve Known,” and “In the Evening Glow”—are absolutely fabulous, taking the listener on an appealing journey of sounds and visions. Savage’s vocal phrasing on these songs is pure genius, whether intentionally going places I’ve not previously heard from him or not.

But truly, the entire eight-song disc is bleeding amazing, and is certainly my first ‘favourite’ of 2022, closely followed by my recent purchase of Ann Vriend’s new one! The storytelling here is that of experience and emotion rather than narrative.

The press notes site the requisite Van Zandt and Springsteen comparisons, and Yeah, sure. I find Savage more individual, and comparisons—despite my previous attempts—don’t truly work. Toss in Tom Petty, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Ian Hunter while you’re at it, but I prefer to just let his songs—the lyrics, the guitar effects, the vocal harmonies (check out the lead track, “Right Where You Found Me” for the combination of the three)—pull me close and keep me riveted." - Fervor Coulee

"The eight-song collection expands his familiar Roots Rock sound into previously uncharted territory, combined with lyrics that address many issues we are currently grappling with as a society". - Wildfire Music

"I’ve had the privilege of discovering various new talents hailing from Canada in this year alone, but Tom Savage may just be the very best to emerge thus far, and with an album as adept, as diverse, as spurring and overall as remarkable as 21st Century Lo-Fi, that shouldn’t come as much of a shock." - Small Music Scene

"...a rapid-fire indictment of economic disparity overtop a pulsing beat." - Canadian Beats

Hope you enjoy a safe and happy summer season.


Cheers,
Tom

2020 : Year of the Revival

The release of Great Beyond in October felt like the culmination of an eight-year long art project. So many miles on the road, so many shows, and years honing my approach to the solo performance. I'm proud of the recorded result of my efforts.

Toward the end of 2018, I began to feel the call of rock and roll again. Dead Root Revival was born, and since that time, the band has garnered more and more of my creative focus. This is why, in 2020, I will be taking a break from solo touring, and focusing on developing the DRR sound, and performing more shows with the band. I will still be performing solo shows in Ontario, and if anyone wants to offer me a grand a night to go on tour as a sideman, I would be happy to change plans! 😄

The release concert for Great Beyond made for a very special evening, bringing the two very different facets of my creative output together in one show. For many Kingston fans, it was the first time they had seen the solo performance, seeing as most shows over the years had been on the road. Then the other side of the coin: Dead Root Revival hit the stage (after a stellar set from our friends The Mill-Rights)! We were fortunate to have Geoff Chown on sound that night. He also was there to record our set. The resulting recording captures the band at its best, and where it belongs: On stage powering through some epic jams!

To be released on March 2nd, DRR Live : Volume I will bring you to that show. Come rock out with us again and again on CD or digital format ( Yes, this album will be on Spotify, etc. despite my ongoing protestation of the streaming platform.) Our hope is you will purchase the live album to help DRR raise funds for a future studio release. The plan is to release a couple of live records before the studio release, in order to give fans new music, and to keep feeding our musical engine(the band bank account!!).

(Side Note: DRR is a band that likes to jam. Every show is a different musical journey. We encourage "taping" and sharing of shows. If you want to bring mics and recording gear to shows, please feel free. We only ask you don't obscure sight lines of audience members.)

On Friday, March 13th, we will be celebrating the release of DRR Live : Volume I with a show back where it all went down: The Mansion in Kingston, Ontario. Get your tickets here
. Connor Poulain opens the show, then Dead Root Revival hit the stage. The band will feature Tony Silvestri on keyboards, Daniel Chalmers on congas/percussion, Paul Stacey on saxophone, Richard Piche on bass, Bonz Bowering on drums, and myself on guitar and vocals. Powerhouse!!!

Doors at 8 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance/$15 at the door ( tickets are available at The Mansion or from me in person. Hit me up at open mic at the Rose & Crown).

Summer Shows! 2018!!

Playing a whole bunch this summer, and hope to see you out at a show or two. Many configurations. Tom Savage solo, trio, and four-piece band, Tony Silvestri Band, jams and backing up Sandy Stubbert. Keeping it interesting!

May 30th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
June 2nd - Keystorm Pub w/Tony Silvestri Band - Brockville, ON
June 6th - Confederation Park(solo set) - Kingston, ON (12:00 PM)
June 6th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON(8:30 PM)
June 9th - Kawartha Craft Beer Festival w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Peterborough, ON
June 13th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
June 15th - Red Lion w/ Tom Savage Trio - Belleville, ON
June 16th - Z.A.M.F.I.R. hosting the afternoon jam - Lower Beverley Lake, ON(3:00 PM)
June 16th - Private Event w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Lansdowne, ON
June 20th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
June 22nd - The Toucan w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Kingston, ON
June 27th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
June 29th - Keystorm Pub w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Brockville, ON
June 30th - Ribfest w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Gananoque, ON
July 1st - 1000 Islands Regatta w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Brockville, ON
July 2nd - Private Event w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Parham, ON
July 4th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
July 6th - McCloskey's - Chesterville, ON
July 7th - Private Event w/ Black Rapids Gold - Rockport, ON (6:00 PM)
July 7th - Blu Martini w/ Tom Savage Trio - Kingston, ON (9:30 PM)
July 11th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
July 13th - Red Lion w/ Tom Savage Trio - Belleville, ON
July 14th - Confederation Park w/Tom Savage Trio - Kingston, ON (12:30 PM)
July 15th - Belleville Waterfront Festival w/ Tony Silvestri Band
July 18th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
July 19th - Porch Sessions at the Holiday Manor - Battersea, ON
July 20th - The Toucan w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Kingston, ON
July 21st - Chaffey's Locks Community Hall w/ Tom Savage Band - Chaffey's Locks, ON
July 25th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
July 27th - Warkworth Rock Fest w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Warkworth, ON
July 28th - Private Event w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Prince Edward County, ON
Aug. 1st - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Aug. 4th - Beaufort Pub (solo Blues show) - Belleville, ON ( 1:00 PM)
Aug. 4th - The Social w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Peterborough, ON (9:00 PM)
Aug. 8th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Aug. 10th - Grumpy's - Montreal, QC
Aug. 11th - Black Sheep Inn w/ Jenny Whiteley & Luther Wright - Wakefield, QC
Aug. 15th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Aug. 17th - The Toucan w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Kingston, ON
Aug. 18th - Private Event, solo and w/ Tony Silvestri Band - Odessa, ON
Aug. 19th - Back To The Farm Fest w/ Tom Savage Trio, and backing up Sandy Stubbert - Bath, ON
Aug. 22nd - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Aug. 23rd - Limestone City Blues Fest w/ Tom Savage Band featuring Pete Aube on Harp, Confederation Park(3:00 PM) - Kingston, ON
Aug. 24th - Red Lion w/ Tom Savage Trio - Belleville, ON
Aug. 25th - Private Event - Erin, ON
Aug. 28th - Private Event w/ Black Rapids Gold - Ivy Lea, ON
Aug. 29th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Sept. 1st - Deanna's Barn Party! Tom Savage Trio + Sandy Stubbert - Battersea, ON
Sept. 2nd - Acoustic Grill - Picton, ON
Sept. 5th - Rose & Crown Open Mic/Jam - Kingston, ON
Sept. 7th - The Opinicon - Chaffey's Locks, ON

September 11th - October 7th - Western Canada Tour ( details to follow)

Lonesome Highway Tour : September 1st - October 8th

Hitting the road again, friends. The solo show is taking it up another notch this year. A couple of new surprises in store and a pretty awesome sound if I do say so myself. Hope to see you out at one of my stops across this fine country of ours. Please share and help spread the word.

Best,
Tom

9/1 - Pan Chancho BBQ and Band Series - Kingston, ON

9/2 - The Garnet - Peterborough, ON
9/3 - HopeFest - Pefferlaw, ON
9/4 - Acoustic Grill - Picton, ON
9/6 - The Townehouse - Sudbury, ON
9/7 - Naturally Superior House Concert - Wawa, ON
9/8 - Apollo - Thunder Bay, ON
9/9 - The WhiskeyJack - Perrault Falls, ON
9/10 - Selkirk, MB - TBC
9/11 - Watson Arts Centre - Dauphin, MB
9/13 - The Needle Vinyl Tavern - Edmonton, AB (5:30 PM)
9/13 - Cha Island Cafe - Edmonton, AB (8:00 PM)
9/14 - Rum Runner - Coleman, AB
9/15 - The Twin Butte General Store - Twin Butte, AB
9/16 - Palomino - Calgary, AB (5-9 PM)
9/17 - House Concert - Red Deer, AB
9/18 - Lorenzo's Cafe - Enderby, BC
9/20 - WISE Hall - Vancouver, BC
9/22 - Rockwater Bar & Grill - Golden, BC
9/23 - Auditorium Hotel - Nanton, AB
9/24 - Mikey's Juke Joint ( w/ Kent McAlister) - Calgary, AB
9/25 - Last Chance Saloon - Wayne, AB ( 3:00 PM)
9/26 - Shannon's Pub - Regina, SK
9/27 - The Capitol - Saskatoon, SK
9/28 - Winnipeg, MB - TBD
9/29 - Pappy's Cafe - Wabigoon, ON
9/30 - Apollo - Thunder Bay, ON
10/1 - Loplops - Sault Ste. Marie, ON
10/2 - The Townehouse - Sudbury, ON
10/7 - Grumpy's - Montreal, QC

10/8 - House Concert - Ottawa, ON

First Listen : New Tracks From Debut Foley Mountain Playboys Album

Excited to share a couple of tracks from the upcoming debut album of The Foley Mountain Playboys. This project has been quite off-the-grid as far as any kind of web presence is concerned, so I put together a Reverbnation page and a twitter account ( @FMPlayboys)for the band today to bring us into the 21st Century. Come hang with us in cyber-countrymusicland folks. Looking at late spring to release the record. Stay tuned for a firm release date and CD release shows this summer.

We're really diggin' the ways these tracks are coming together. A nice live off the floor, down and dirty sound. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Get Band email for free at ReverbNation.com

Let your ears chew on this, boys and girls!

Haven't listened to this track for awhile. Some nice, chunky, crunchy, slippery, slide-guitar jams here. This is always a lot of fun to play live. Enjoy!

Danger Bird : Killer Jams at the Toucan

For those of you who missed out on our Neil Young tribute a couple weeks back at the Toucan, I present you with some auditory evidence of how seriously we rocked the night, in true Neil Young & Crazy Horse fashion. It was a thing of beauty(if you find loud, distorted guitars, and 10 minute jams beautiful).

A tip of the hat to Neil. Thanks for your music and your influence.

Tom Savage Trio Taking A Break From The Road

It's been a good run over these past seven years, but now it's time for TST to take a break from the road. We've been working hard to bring our brand of dirt road rock and roll to music fans all over Canada, and we appreciate everyone who have come out to shows over the years, and bought merchandise, and given us food and drink, and helped us promote the shows, and given us couches and floors to crash on, and written articles about us in their local paper, and have interviewed us, or had us play live on their radio shows, and helped our record chart on Canadian campus radio, and so on, and so on.

Many of you know of our legendary (some have compared us to Spinal Tap) turnover in drummers. I'm happy to say that the frequent change in drummers had nothing to do with personality conflicts, and Geoff and myself remain friends with all who played in the band. Thanks to Sandy, Joe, Chris, Jeff, and Gary for being a part of the band. And thanks to all of the other drummers who auditioned, or almost played in the band(which would be every drummer in Kingston I think).

At this point in my career, I find I need time to step back, reevaluate things, and figure out what my next move is, both creatively and professionally. Got some ideas, but for much of 2013 I'll be ruminating over them.

Don't worry folks in Eastern Ontario, you'll still see both Geoff and I playing around this area. We are both rocking out with the Tony Silvestri Band these days, and Geoff is also playing around Kingston with Bent On Soul.

I'll be doing a number of shows with Kevin Davidson on fiddle, playing my own original music, and staying busy on the scene. Who knows? We may play the odd TST show in Kingston. Stay tuned for updates about new projects coming down the line.

And even though we aren't touring Canada for awhile, you can still buy/download our records.

Keep on Rockin'
Tom

Learn licks from guitar zen-master Tom Savage

Now offering guitar lessons, and looking to increase my number of students in the new year. If your New Years' Resolution is to learn guitar, I'm your man.

I also offer songwriter mentoring, for those of you who are interested, and want some guidance with this form of creative expression. Click the link below for more details.

Learn licks from guitar zen-master Tom Savage

My 1966 Harmony Silhouette

I am the proud owner of a 1966 Harmony Silhouette. A guitar that I have actually had in my possession since I was 16 or 17. A very long time ago. It was given to me by a friend because he knew I played guitar. At that time it was in pieces.The body, the neck, and the pick guard with the electronics attached to it.

I had no idea what the make was. I had no idea how to fix it. But I really liked the shape of it and thought it would be cool to do something with it someday. So, I put it in my bedroom closet and promptly forgot about it.





That is until, my Mother decided to clean out her house this past spring, and found the disassembled instrument. She brought it over to my place, saying ' I didn't think I should throw this out' or something to that affect. Needless to say, I was pleased that she had kept it all of these years.

Now that it was no longer the '80s, and we have the internet, there was a great opportunity to find out what this guitar was. I should explain, that when i got the guitar, it had 3 coats of white paint ( and maybe a coat of yellow ), and there were no identifying markings, other than a stamp on the inside of the pick guard saying 'manufactured 1966' or something.

It did take me a few hours research to figure out which guitar it was. Not too long to narrow it down to Harmony, but they had quite a few guitars that were very similar. I thought it was a Bobkat at first, but they had a different tailpiece.

Now that I knew what it was I just had to figure out how to go about fixing it up.

The Parts :

Quite a bit of time and research went into finding the right bridge and tailpiece/tremar bar. I figured out the tremar bar was made by Hagstrom. I found the tremar tailpiece at the Hagstrom spare parts site . But they didn't have the bridge. I found that on Ebay ( actually from a music shop specializing in violins ). I'm convinced it was the only one for sale in the entire world.

Gord from the Kingston Guitar Shop had the tuners. Although he had to modify them slightly to make them fit. He also had to fit in some wooden pieces to hold the posts for the bridge to go on.





The Paint Job :

That's all thanks to my friend Richard Piche. He stripped it, sanded it, and added an nice authentic redburst finish to it. Considering he had never done this kind of paint job, I think he did an awesome job with it.This is a pic of the guitar below :

He was using this picture that I found on the internet as a guide :

Pretty cool if you ask me!

Cheers,
Tom