Monthly Archives: October 2012

German Announcement Video

October 24, 2012

Thanks to Uncle M for this great announcement video for our German dates on The Revival Tour!

24.10. DE — Berlin — SO36
02.11. DE — Hamburg — Übel & Gefährlich
03.11. DE — Dresden — Beatpol
04.11. DE — München — Freiheiz
05.11. AT — Wien — Flex
08.11. CH — Zürich — Abart
09.11. DE — Stuttgart — Zapata
10.11. DE – Wiesbaden — Ringkirche

For more information (and a full list of The Revival Tour dates for this fall), visit Tour Dates.

Win an Acoustic Chuck Ragan Concert in Your Apartment!

October 15, 2012

Hamburg – right now you have a chance to win a Chuck Ragan acoustic concert in your apartment the afternoon of November 2! All you need to do is send in a photo of your kitchen and the address. See here for all the details!

PS: Germany, Switzerland, and Austria: most of these shows are almost sold out, so grab your tickets now!

23.10. DE – Köln – Live Music Hall
24.10. DE – Berlin – SO36
02.11. DE – Hamburg – Übel & Gefährlich
03.11. DE – Dresden – Beatpol
04.11. DE – München – Freiheiz
05.11. AT – Wien – Flex
08.11. CH – Zürich – Abart
09.11. DE – Stuttgart – Zapata
10.11. DE – Wiesbaden – Ringkirche *already sold out*

Daytrotter Session

October 4, 2012

The Revival Tour joined Daytrotter at the end of the spring tour in Rock Island, IL to record a session.

For this day and night at the end of the spring tour, Ragan brought his raggedy band of brothers to Rock Island. He, Cory Branan, Nathaniel Rateliff and auxiliary musicians Joe Ginsberg and Jon Gaunt were joined that day by Tom Gabel of Against Me! (who would just weeks later announce his transformation into Laura Jane Grace). On these recordings (minus Gabel, who rested on the bus as they were happening), which run through the solo work of all, one can hear the camaraderie of five men determined to get to the bottom of just what’s being asked of them in life. They are willing to see their days run out and all blood spilled just to learn that there’s something at the ends of all these roads that might be worth continuing for and not just some rambling chase for the chase’s sake. Ragan sings, “Are we not the ones that manifest our destiny/Are we not the ones that spill blood in the streets/Are we not the ones that eat our young, destroy the land and sea/Then cry for help when all is said and done,” and it’s that thought – of when all is said and done – that he and these other men want to feel good about. It’s important to them that there’s something worthwhile, when the punctuation closes for them.

Thank you to Daytrotter for having us out! Visit their website to listen to and download the session.

Chuck Ragan Compiles Tour Stories In ‘The Road Most Traveled’

The Road Most Traveled is more than just a collection of anecdotes, it’s as much a handbook of how to act on tour as it is a cautionary tale of what not to do if you want to sustain this lifestyle for years to come. There couldn’t be a better person to put together this tome than Chuck Ragan and here he’s collected tales from members of the Gaslight Anthem, Rise Against, At the Drive-In and many more, all of whom share their own unique perspective on travel. The road isn’t always glamorous, but for some of us it’s in our blood. These are those stories.

Collecting road stories and cautionary tales from Berlin to Boston, Hollywood to Helsinki, each chapter offers a unique perspective on travel and how to survive it. Each chapter has its own voice and its own pearls of wisdom, from Greg Anntonito of The Bouncing Souls espousing the importance of sleep and water (“if you are touring for up to nine months a year, you have to develop endurance and a healthy lifestyle. Especially if you are a lead singer”) while internationally-published journalist Jonah Bayer finds sage advice in Bill and Ted (“the most valuable lesson that I’ve learned is simply to ‘be excellent to each other’”). Yo-yo demonstrator Steve Brown urges the need to explore (“No matter how tired you are, how broke you are, how little you feel loved or appreciated . . . go check out that county fair”) while Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon advocates not taking this touring life for granted (“I realized one day I’m going to be too old, or too tired, or just called to something else, so I need to enjoy this now. Live today. Watch everything, absorb everything, breathe it in”). Narratives such as these and many more from Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath, Chunksaah Records president Kate Hiltz, At The Drive-In’s Jim Ward, and many more offer snapshots into a world than many have never witnessed while, at the same time, providing much-needed advice to those actually living that lifestyle.

“This book is dedicated to those who have, and continue to live a life on the road, and to our loved ones who’ve dealt with our absence which is result of this way of life and work,” begins The Road Most Traveled, an inspiring assemblage of stories, tales and anecdotes about life on the road and how to survive it. Told by The Camaraderie Collective which consists of members of assorted punk and indie rock bands such as Flogging Molly, Samiam, Social Distortion, Frank Turner, Joe Gittlemen, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Dropkick Murphy’s Al Barr, William Elliot Whitmore, managers, bus drivers, crews, label personnel, and other folks who lived and worked just as long on the road behind the curtains and the lights. These stories were compiled by consummate road warrior, CHUCK RAGAN who himself logs over two thirds of each year on tour with his long-running band HOT WATER MUSIC, his Americana/folk solo career, and his traveling folk multi-artist ensemble THE REVIVAL TOUR. “I chose the road at an early age,” he writes in the foreward. “Although I found amazing places, stories, and people, I’ve lost just as many. I’ll say, looking back on the course of it all, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

You can buy The Road Most Traveled from our store or www.ChuckRaganMusic.com for only $19.99, as well as at some of your favorite bands’ merch tables.