a revival of epic proportion
Posted on 09. Feb, 2011 by Carrie in play
words > TROY R. WELLS
photo > ANNE STAVELEY
I love the word cornucopia. I love it almost to a fault. It is a go-to descriptor that is used in my repertoire more times than I care to mention, but when the case it is being used in is more true than not, well I have to use it. Nederland, Colorado’s neo-acoustic transcendental folk quintet Elephant Revival is such an instance where the term is quite appropriate.
Elephant Revival is the type of band that Wichita and its large bluegrass/Americana scene can get behind. Having come through the past four years, the Revival garners new fans each time, and hope to gain more on February 11th when they stop by to play at the NakedCity Gallery with Dumptruck Butterlips and Wayne Gottstine.
The band is comprised of Bonnie Paine (vocals, washboard, djembe, musical saw); Sage Cook (electric banjo/guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, viola, vocals); Dango Rose (double-bass, mandolin, banjo, vocals); Daniel Rodriguez (acoustic guitar, electric banjo/guitar, vocals), and Bridget Law (fiddle and vocals). With that much musical ammunition and diversity, the amalgamation that is Elephant Revival is more than a little interesting.
Don’t be mistaken—for every great act there is some other “Tom, Dick and Harry” group bastardizing the same style and putting out drivel. But Elephant Revival’s influence and honest approach to writing give them the ability to actually, dare I say it, be unique. A seed was planted back in 2006 when the band came together at a chance meeting at Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival. That seed has since borne fruit in the form of two acclaimed releases and tours that see band on the road for 150 days a year.
The Revival has proven itself to be hungry to perform and has shared the stage with notable acts like Little Feat, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Yonder Mountain String Band, to name a few. They have a deep admiration for this area and its fans and look forward to making new friends with each stop along the way.
It’s hard to stand out in a crowd, even if it is a niche one, but the band’s ability to blend so many historic styles together, makes them an act worth checking out.
