Louisiana Supergroup The Revelers brought their musical joie de vivre to Denver and they had audience members clapping, singing and dancing throughout both their sets.
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Photos courtesy of H. Talmadge / Baur's Listening Lounge / The Music Appreciation Society
From the moment Louisiana supergroup The Revelers opened their June 28 set at Baur’s Listening Lounge, people danced. Smiling couples twirled to the rhythm and melodies of the opening song, which was solid, while those seated couldn’t help but sway, clap and stamp their feet. The masterful musicians barely gave pause between songs. As one song ended and dancers moved towards their seats, the next song began, sweeping them back up into the music where they continued to dance through both sets.
Each song felt perfectly crafted. Each of the players had their turn in carrying melodies on their respective instruments and they were fully supported by the rest of the band. For example, during the band’s second tune, Daniel Coolik (violin) responded to the main verses just as if he was singing with his instrument. Then, in a show that seemed to prove that there is no one leader of the band, the rest of the players joined in, accentuating by way of support, a kind of instrumental chorus; Blake Miller (accordion, violin) and The Chris Miller (saxophone) joined in first, and then the rest of the players; Chas Justus (guitar), Glenn Fields (drums) and Eric Frey (bass) together created what felt like a rhythmic wall of sound.
Many other songs were like this, as well. The musicians took turns with their individual instruments and voices in the spotlight while their bandmates added sounds in layers over two-steps, waltzes, zydeco, the blues and more. At times, the players even did a little dancing of their own; they synchronized their steps during choruses and they swayed together in time while giving their full attention to soloists. It wasn’t hard to tell that The Revelers were having fun.
The Revelers performed songs from their three self-released titles; their debut self-titled album, theirPlay the Swamp Pop Classics EP and their brand spankin’ new release Get Ready. Both sets included original compositions by the band as well as their special treatments of covers from the Cajun, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, and Americana canons such as “If You Ain’t Got Love” and “Let the Good Times Roll.” Many of the songs The Revelers performed were carried by catchy, fun melodies and lyrics that audience members could sing along to as they bobbed their heads and danced. In fact, quite a few of the songs invited audience participation, especially in the second set; audience members soul-clapped during ripping solos at Blake Miller’s lead, and even joined in on a shout chorus, shouting out “Blow Daddy, Blow,” when The Chris Miller carried the solo in a two-step tune called “Take a Trip to the Moon.”
All in all, the performance was a celebration, a joie de vivre. The Revelers, whose aim seems to be to make people happy for a solid couple of hours with music that is heavily steeped in tradition and a feeling of community, easily won fans who would be anxious for their return.
The Revelers are currently on tour in support of their new self-released album Get Ready. To find out more about The Revelers, find them at their webpage, on Facebook or Twitter. Baur’s Listening Lounge and the Music Appreciation Society post upcoming shows at their webpage. Anyone who wants to stay connected can find them on Facebook.

*originally published on AXS.