The Dustbowl Revival
The Dustbowl Revival is a Venice, California-based collective that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, pre-war blues and the hot swing of New Orleans to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their roaring live sets, Dustbowl bravely brings together many styles of traditional American music. Some call it string band-brass band mash up. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show teaming up with Louis Armstrong’s Hot Fives and Sevens, or Bob Dylan and The Band jamming with Benny Goodman and his orchestra in 1938. It’s infectious, joyous music – a youthful take on time-worn American traditions.
Named “Best Live Band in LA” by The LA Weekly, each Dustbowl performance promises to be a white-knuckle ride through the history of American folk music that rarely stays just on the stage. Call it the new old-timey dance hall sound made fresh by some of the best soloists in the business. After placing several songs on ABC and Fox and having tunes featured in independent films like “Made In China” (winner of SXSW) winning Americana song of the year from the Independent Music Awards (Tom Waits judging), playing festivals like Outside Lands and Live Oak and opening for bands like Lake Street Dive, Rebirth Brass Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Trombone Shorty, the band began barnstorming more extensively across the USA.
Founder Z. Lupetin came west from Chicago and placed a humble Craigslist ad to get the circus started. The group has grown steadily from a small string band playing up and down the west coast, into a traveling mini orchestra featuring instrumentation that often includes fiddle, mandolin, trombone, clarinet, trumpet, ukelele, drums, tuba, organ, a bass made from a canoe oar, harmonica and plenty of washboard and kazoo for good luck.
With their latest record Carry Me Home rising on the Americana charts, the band is slated for big years ahead. A European tour is in the works. They will be recording their first live album at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall and LA’s famed Troubadour and have toured the Pacific Northwest, The Midwest and East coast.