Deadwood Revival: Press

When Deadwood Revival took the stage at Eugene's Sam Bond's Garage on a Wednesday night this last week, there was electricity in the air, and it wasn't static. The crowd had been gathering for some time, for Eugene is Trenerry country and the extended clan showed up early to get good seats because DwR sports two Trenerry's, Kim by birth and Jason by marriage. Sure, Jason Mogi is not really a Trenerry, but for this one night it didn't matter, for the family welcomed all of DwR as family, as did the crowd. To the family, this wasn't a show, it was a reunion! What it ended up being was a party, though, and if no dead were revived, it was through no fault of the band who played long and hard in the vein of asses off.

I was lucky enough to have caught the band last Spring at Corvallis' Bomb's Away Cafe and knew they came to play, but even those of us who had seen DwR's sweat-inducing shows in the past were not prepared for what was to come. The doors behind the stage slid open at 7 PM, and the five touring vagabonds (four band members and their manager, Carol Pope) filled the stage with equipment in less than ten minutes which was something to see in itself--- poetry in motion, it was. By 7:30, they had plugged, arranged, mic-checked, sound-checked and body-checked everything to their satisfaction and spent the next half hour visiting and reacquainting themselves with relatives and friends they obviously see all too seldom. Hugs, drinks and kisses were passed around like candy at Halloween until it was time to take the stage and I'm not too sure they didn't take it, literally, because I had to leave on the midnight side of 11:30 due to pure exhaustion (I felt like a deserter) and the party was still going strong. And this was a Wednesday, fer chrissakes!

From the first note, you knew you were in for something. Jason Mogi is a maniac on the clawhammer banjo, Ches Ferguson lays down a bottom line with his uke-bass (you have to see it to believe it amd it uses rubber strings!) that is as bottom as you can get and Trenerry and Julie Campbell? Sharp as a tack on their respective instruments (that would be acoustic guitar and fiddle) and loaded for bear. The band quickly worked their way through a solid list of country and bluegrass flavored songs, mostly originals with a few traditional tunes for good measure and it wasn't long before the tables and chairs were moved to create dance floor. Most notable on the first set were Mogi's Bound To Go, a light-stepper which allowed his banjo and the voices of Mogi and Trenerry a chance to warm up, Mogi's rousing Roscoe Stomp, and Trenerry's Ain't the Buying Kind. Along the way, they belted out a version of Johnny Cash's Big River, Dylan's You Ain't Going Nowhere and songs by the Dead and Neil Young. The highlight of the night, though, was an extended version of Mattie's Jam which eventually gave way to their rockin' showstopper, Shake the Barnhouse Down. By the time that was over, even the building was sweating.

After an hour and fifteen minute set, they took a short break and hit the stage again, picking up right where they left off, and the longer they played, the more the crowd responded. Hoots and whistles began to meet every vocal and solo and even crescendo until the crowd was as much a part of the music as was the band. Like I said. It was a party.

And like I said, I walked out on the left side of 11:30, tired and dreading the long drive home, but I felt good. My ears weren't ringing (my thanks to Kevin, the sound man, and Jason Mogi, who ran the instruments through his own board) and I was grinning (couldn't stop, in fact, and after a bit that gets downright annoying). All the way home, I kept thinking what a shame it is that festival promoters were so busy plucking from lists of so-called 'names' that they overlooked Deadwood Revival. Sure, they get an occasional spot, but not like they deserve, and they are made for the festival circuit. They are the kind of band you stumble upon and stick around for what you think will be a minute but end up staying for the whole set. They are the kind of band that people ask for because it isn't the popularity or status that puts the bomp in the bomp, if you get my drift, it's the music and the showmanship.

This isn't the review I wanted to write. I wanted to convey the rush the music gave the crowd and the good fellowship and the joy it spread. I am not a good enough writer to even begin to describe that, so you'll just have to use your imagination. I also wanted to say that it isn't easy, being on the road for two weeks and playing show after show between long drives. Imagine what it is like to drive somewhere and play two or three sets only to load up and drive again. Luckily, this was their last show of the tour and it was hellacious, the kind of show that can rejuvenate a band. Bet most of the people there that night needed rejuvenation on a grand scale the next morning.

Crap! I'm grinning again. My face muscles are sore. Know what? I'm beginning to hate those guys.

Deadwood Revival
By Frank Gutch

Kim Trenerry could be on Broadway right now. That's where she was headed when she ran into Jason Mogi, who could just as easily be drumming in strip clubs or in a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. Ches Ferguson could still be soaking in the Sol Duc Hot Springs, isolated in winter and overrun in summer. And Julie Campbell - well, Julie would more than likely be doing just what she does, teaching, because she is evidently damn good at it and you tend to love what you do best. Somehow these four ended up as Deadwood Revival, an acoustic rock experiment mistakenly labeled everything from bluegrass to folk rock to newgrass and beyond. They also ended up in Port Angeles, Washington, not exactly center of or central to any kind of serious music business. So why are they there? Because it is home - home for all but Campbell, who commutes from Tacoma - and if you have been paying attention, you know there is a...

BACKSTORY

A number of years ago, Trenerry was a card-carrying member of Actor's Equity, hitting the road with such luminaries as Robert Goulet, Tammy Grimes, Marla Maples, Tom Urich and Lisa Brown. Knee deep in music and neck deep in greasepaint, she worked toward the mecca of all things musical and theater, New York City. Through contacts in the biz, she gained invites to try out for two upcoming Broadway shows, "Will Rogers Follies" and "Crazy for You." While living in Atlanta and awaiting callbacks, she hooked up with a band or two singing backup. The drummer for the last of these was one Jason Mogi.

Mogi, a journeyman drummer scratching together a living playing clubs, knew Trenerry before she joined the band he was with, was impressed with her voice and took time to acquaint himself. One night he sat down with his guitar and they blended their voices (while Mogi does not use the word, it was epiphanic, which is definitely not a real word) and their lives. Trenerry, one foot pointed toward New York, backstepped and they headed out to Port Angeles to visit her mother (Hey, Mom! Guess who's coming to dinner?). In spite of Mogi's lack of manners, they were asked to stay, and Mogi found himself in the midst of paradise with no marketable job skills (the last tree he had felled was a mulberry bush he attacked with wooden sword while still a child and, to his mind, fish came ready to eat). Remembering that fateful blending of voices, he bought Trenerry a guitar and set about teaching her to play. Thus, Tongue & Groove was born.

A simple duo, Tongue & Groove was a band in search of members. Ches Ferguson had just given Sol Duc a goodbye wave, returned to civilization and scored a job at the local music store. The day after he started, in walked Mogi and Trenerry. The connection was immediate and Ferguson slowly worked his way into the simple duo, now trio. Not long after, they found a drummer and a keyboard player and the band was complete - for a while, anyway. After a time, the drummer suffered a realization that working 40+ hours a week AND playing gigs was a sure way to health hell and opted to keep his day job, eating having become a habit. Tongue & Groove were again a trio. They kept it going for a short time, Ferguson lost interest, and Mogi and Trenerry became, once again, a simple duo.

Wait! Did I mention banjo yet? Seems Mogi had picked up banjo a few years before but put it down to concentrate on guitar. Now that they were once again two, he picked it up again, tried it and, voila! - Deadwood Revival! They were invited to String Summit's 2005 gathering, won the competition and were on their way. The gigs lined up, business was good, but keeping the energy for 3+ hours took its toll. They called Ferguson and asked him to fill in on a gig. He did. Then they asked him to do another. He did. And another. At some point, he realized he was as good as a member of the band again. Mogi and Trenerry, needing the support, could not have been happier.

Ferguson's bass gave the band the bottom it needed, but Mogi needed more. Prior to Ferguson's return, DwR had played shows with bassist Jason Mellow and fiddler Ellie Holzemer from Portland-based Cross-Eyed Rosie. It felt good. They set their sights on a fiddler. Julie Campbell played fiddle (and very well, indeed) but she had her own band, Looking Glass. Mogi loved her "soulful" style and her energy. They approached her and made the connection. Not long after, Looking Glass disbanded and, as Mogi likes to say, the rest is history.

THE PRESENT

While that is the Cliff's Notes version of the Deadwood Revival story, even Cliff's Notes would call it incomplete. Behind the scenes, a fifth and non-playing member of DwR plays a crucial role in not just the existence but the development of the band. Carol Pope entered the story during the Tongue & Groove days. Originally just a fan, her interest in the music grew exponentially with her exposure to the band, stopping just short of obsession. Over the years, that interest developed beyond that of fan to helper and then manager. With no prior experience, she threw herself into the fray with dogged determination, no job too small. She provided, and provides, everything the band cannot, from coffee runs to tour scheduling to equipment logistics. More importantly to her, she provides that outside ear that many bands lack, that sense of what works and what doesn't.

Having joined forces in 2001 during the Tongue & Groove days, she saw Mogi and Trenerry (and, in a way, Ferguson) through the transition from a hard working bar band to an old-timey duo. She was against the banjo at first, but softened her attitude as Mogi honed his skills as musician and songwriter until she eventually embraced the idea. Deadwood Revival slowly became Obsession #2, if you will. Summer festivals helped to solidify DwR as a musical force, the banjo more and more a key part of the sound.

Pope has now seen them through three CDs--- 2005's self-titled release, This Old World in 2006, and this year's Sat 730, DwR's first live album. A linear hearing of the albums shows a progression which could only be described as evolution. Rather than toss musical styles under the bus, they carry them forward, adding to them as the future warrants. From the laid-back folk and old-timey days, they have ground their way through their versions of bluegrass, newgrass, country, and now rock and jam. The addition of Julie Campbell's fiddle has opened the band to a more open and fluid presentation and given the other three the breathing room needed for expansion of their individual styles.

One can only say, tongue in cheek and not groove, "Our little band's growing up, Momma." Growing and maturing and loving the very existence of it all. You can hear it in Mogi's rock slams on the banjo strings and his powerful acoustic guitar leads, in Trenerry's treble voice and sometimes transcendent guitar, in Ferguson's always flowing and occasionally booming bass, and in Campbell's weaving fiddle. It seems to get better all the time.

What you cannot hear but can almost feel is the amount of love generated by those four and that quiet fifth. They are family. They just happen to be an extremely talented and musical family. Stay tuned. Their real future is just ahead.

It took Deadwood Revival three years and a whole lotta miles to get this album out and it's live. I have to admit to being a bit miffed, not really wanting rehashed live versions of tracks firmly embedded into my head, but they didn't ask me. I mean, after all, I am their preferred audience of one, never haven seen them (a malady I will correct this summer) but having championed their cause in bars at which they've never played, so I figured they should have at least asked. When I heard, I thought, "Live? What the…?" Then I heard it. I was never more wrong.

In the first place, the DwR I fell in love with were two: Jason Mogi and Kim Trenerry. A simple duo with complications (meaning that both are multi-instrumental), they had a touch with their writing and blending of styles which caught my imagination and, man, in the studio… It is a bias I've always had—when it's not broke…In my mind, I envisioned a different future for them—maybe Americana musicians of note, recognized and respected by peers. Truth is, you can't eat recognition and the festivals and pubs are where survival money is, so down the road they went, again, without my consent.

They worked their asses off, those three (oh yeah, they added Ches Ferguson on bass to give them both added musical wiggle room), before accosting fiddler Julie Campbell and locking her in a closet until she also agreed to join. While the twosome was becoming a foursome, I sat in my room with headphones on, reliving This Old World (reviewed here) probably a little more than I should have. Actually, just enough. It kept me company until Sat 730 and though I was leery, the doubt I had popped like the soap bubble it was. Oh me, of little faith…

From note one, I knew I stood corrected. Ain't the Buyin' Kind, impressive in the studio, is equally impressive onstage, maybe even moreso. Ferguson's bass plunges in, a pop dropkick to the country/folk banjo-guitar riffs and shortly after, here comes Campbell. The music is the same and so is the arrangement, but what a difference. The melodic hillbilly Red Rocking Chair carries on and the ride has started. Traditional folk, country, rock and combinations of the three give you a ride you might not have known you wanted but are glad you took. They even throw in their version of the Dead's China Cat Sunflower and make it sound very, well, Dead-like. You'll be impressed.

The highlight of the album and the song which really shows how far DwR has come is Mattie's Jam/Shake the Barnhouse Down, a Dead-style jam morphing into one of the best and rockin'est tracks from This Old World, then morphing into jam, part deux, and then morphing back into a Barnhouse coda finale. This track would not have been possible when This Old World was recorded (without the help of studio musicians, anyway) but here it is. We get Deadwood Revival in the whole here, all 11+ minutes of it, and they get a chance to prove themselves as musicians and a band. While Mogi and Trenerry are the songwriting and vocal core, Ches Ferguson and Julie Campbell are the much welcome added power. The sound is fuller, the musical possibilities greatly enhanced and the level heightened.

Unfortunately, DwR have kept themselves fairly isolated in the Pac Northwest. Maybe they have their reasons (life on the road is not that much fun and, who knows, there may be family), but I would hate to think that they don't travel because they're not asked. I wrote a review of This Old World and said in no uncertain terms that if I was booking a folk festival or needed an acoustic act for a rock festival, they would be at the top of my list. They still are. Now that they have a live album, maybe booking agents will hear it. Maybe they'll get a chance to expand their territory. Know what? This live album was a good idea. If they'd been smart, they would have listened to me earlier.

Deadwood Revival Sat 730
2009, Deadwood Revival

The state of Washington might be the home to the next great Jam Band. The Deadwood Revival brings their brand of "hillbilly jamgrass" wherever they grow across the northwest US, winning new fans at every stop along the way. Inspired by Jerry Garcia, Deadwood Revival hits a musical state that equals or exceeds The Grateful Dead at the height of their musical powers with discreet moments of instrumental genius and vocal harmonies that are heavenly. Vocalist Trenerry, in particular has a distinctive sound that crosses Kitty Wells with Allison Krauss and makes for an extremely pleasurable listen. Deadwood Revivals' newest CD, a live recording called Deadwood Revival Sat 730 captures the spirit and spit of their live shows while showcasing what may be one of the elite bands in the folk/country divide.

Deadwood Revival Sat 730 opens with Ain't The Buyin' Kind, a song about someone who is more into roaming than settling down. The instrumentation and vocal harmonies are dead on in a delicious blend of bluegrass and folk that will get your feet moving. Red Rocking Chair and Sugar Hill are traditional tunes given the DwR touch. Red Rocking Chair is great back porch music, and Sugar Hill is a rambunctious tune featuring the vicious fiddle work of Julie Campbell. Up next is a cover of Johnny Cash's Big River. The crowd gets really into this one, particularly the jam. DwR sounds inspired here.

Glendale Train may be the musical height of the disc, with the musicianship reaching near-perfection and a tremendous mix on the vocal harmonies. Campbell in particular should be memorialized for this performance. Guitar/Banjo player Jason Mogi chips in four original compositions, highlighted by When I'm Gone. This is one of those songs you'll find yourself singing along to the first time you hear it, and Mogi's guitar work will have the guitar players out there trying to figure out the tabs for the rest of the night. Grateful Dead fans will get excited about the Hunter and Garcia song China Cat Sunflower, which is reverent to the original in both form and spirit, but the highlight of the disc is Trenerry's Mattie's Jam/Shake The Barnhouse Down. Get ready for 11 1/2 minutes of musical bliss! Cover My Tracks and Daisy are fun listens, and don't overlook the band's take on Cotton Eyed Joe; one of the best I've heard.

Deadwood Revival is the sort of band that connects with listeners almost instantly (even through recorded media). The musical trip is there for the taking, all you have to do is let go. Deadwood Revival Sat 7:30 is an exquisite recording you'd be happy for on a road trip. Fans of bluegrass, country, folk and 1960's psychedelia will all find something here. Check it out.

"Impossible to Squelch a Smile..."

The crowd was ready to dance the minute Deadwood Revival took the stage at the Tractor. The bluegrass twosome from Port Angeles, Kim Trenerry (guitar and vocals) and Jason Mogi (banjo and vocals), bring spry sharp harmonies and an effortlessly cheerful energy to every song. The good cheer was in full effect tonight, as Trenerry bopped around smiling whenever she wasn't singing, and couldn't keep the smile off even when she was. A few friends rounded out their sound: violinist Ellie Holzemer of Cross-Eyed Rosie lent a rollicking flair to the second half, and two members of Hot Buttered Rum joined in on a couple of songs with dobro and upright bass. Mogi, seated with his banjo, stayed connected to everyone on stage, nodding and grinning and bending low over his solos. With their sweet, twangy voices and infectious high spirits, they kept everyone moving. The effect was warm, soft, a little prickly, and a little dusty – a haystack in the sun. It was impossible to squelch a smile throughout the set.

"You can tell from the first note that they are crowd-pleasers."

Let's put it this way. If I was booking a folk festival, or was even looking for an acoustic act for a rock festival, I wouldn't hesitate to book DwR. You can tell from the first note that they are crowd-pleasers. They're fun, adventurous and yet true to their roots. They would be something to see. And chances are that if you haven't bought this CD by then, you will buy it then. They're that good.

If you like old-timey, there's enough here to turn your head. Of course, if you're a purist, keep an open mind because Deadwood Revival has the spark of a Goose Creek whose take is maybe a step further toward modern extreme hillbilly music (you have to hear her to understand) but still in the ballpark. That spark, while hard to put into words, works the music until you can't help but move, even if it's just on the inside.

Take the Grand Ole Opry-style Secret or Roscoe Stomp (and we're talking thirties and forties here). Crank a little treble up and you can almost see the clog dancin' and boot stompin', Jason Mogi laying super fine banjo licks over Kim Trenerry's bouncy acoustic rhythm, voices singing into one of those huge gawdawful crystal mikes they used in those days. It's a musical vision.
Mogi's solo banjo takes a short ride on Down To the Wire, as good a ride as given on the best of Pete Wernick's old-time recordings. Too short at 1:04, it is a superb preface to Trenerry's modern folk rocking "Shake the Barnhouse Down" which serves up some excellent harmonies and picking.

Vocally, Mogi and Trenerry acquit themselves beautifully, but never so much as when they harmonize. There is something about the thin old-timey Mogi voice when it blends with Trenerry's which makes it even better, and vice-versa. Instrumentally, they rock. Trenerry is a fine bass player (though they have added Ches Ferguson on bass since the album was released) and has a touch on the acoustic guitar. Mogi's guitar is top-notch and his banjo is one of the most unique out there.

"It's A Revival of the Best Kind"

Deadwood Revival is Jason Mogi and Kim Trenerry, a Port Angeles, Washington-based duo that has earned significant acclaim for their neo/old-time jams. They bonded over Neil Young while playing in a jam band in Atlanta, and ended up on the very northwestern tip of the lower 48 singing a different tune.
Mogi and Trenerry have a vocal chemistry that draws listeners in. They could make any nonsense a pleasing waltz or a raucous romp with the right harmonic twist. Their blend has a gratifying timbre, and their instincts are perfectly in sync. That's not to say the lyrics take second string, especially with lines like, "You wanna get to heaven after foolin' 'round in hell."
Deadwood Revival swoops in with a large sound that belies their two-piece setup. Their broad range emphasizes their remarkable talent for making the right choices. "This Old Bar" demonstrates the purity of their intentions in a simple harmonica solo, pulling all the right strings without virtuosic show.
Mogi's clawhammer has a confidence that speaks to his past as a drummer. Often he slips into the blues, turning Trenerry into a scorching songstress. It's a rare ability to pull off a hoedown and a seduction at the same time, and it bodes well for the future of the Revival.
The choice of cover songs on This Old World reveals the extent to which Deadwood Revival is steeped in the folk tradition. A smattering of old time banjo ("Sandy Boys"), spiritual ("Fully Saved Today"), folk staple ("The Farmer is the Man") and the inevitable - and unusually rendered - Dylan ("You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"), the selections span the history, most likely, of their own musical foundation. The striking feature here is how much these covers sound like original Deadwood Revival works - meaning it's a revival of the best kind.

The most amazing thing about this duo is their ability to sound much bigger than two people playing two instruments. Between the two of them, they actually play many instruments and sometimes it sounds like they're playing them all at once! Kim Trenerry (Guitar (incredible!) Vocals (awesome) Bass) and Jason Mogi (Banjo-incredible! Slide banjo (a new one on me and very cool!) Vocals, Guitar, and Harmonica) call home Port Angeles, WA., just up the road from me and have been playing together for about 10 years. Eight out of the twelve selections on this wonderful CD are original and reflect the diverse musical background which brought these two fine musicians together. They have a magnificent vocal blend anchored by Kim's powerful voice complemented by the softer yet perfect pitch of Jason Mogi. Jason does some incredible things with the banjo, getting sounds out of the instrument that are unique and captivating in his use of a slide on his banjo in "Roscoe Stomp". They both let loose in a rousing rendition of gospel favorite, "Fully Saved Today". Jason wowed me again with his banjo brilliance using a fretless "gourd banjo" on his original instrumental "Down to the Wire". This is just simply a GREAT CD, with mostly original music written and performed by two very talented people. With an aggressive gig schedule including two appearances at Wintergrass, these incredible local musicians are going to hit it BIG and have appearances scheduled all over Western Washington. Don't miss this one!

"...On "This Old World", old-time and folk sensibilities are being forged into evocative new world music. Deadwood Revival isn't trying to make something out of nothing. Rather, they're on the leading edge of the resurgence and revitalized interest in old-time music. They're infusing healthy vigor, gusto, and enthusiasm into their new presentation of "old world' inspired music...."

Whoa: Port Angelenos Kim Trenerry and Jason Mogi, calling themselves Deadwood Revival, have produced themselves a great, fresh sounding CD that manages to mix several influences without making a big show of it. Deadwood Revival, if reminiscent of anything that has gone on before, suggest The Band: obviously deeply rooted in well known traditions, but never lifting licks, crossing styles, or mixing up instruments for the sake of proving it can be done or to prove how hip they are. Trenerry and Mogi have written some great songs and the two are very talented multi-instrumentalists. Trenerry is an assertive guitarist and steady bassist who sings like a young Nancy K. Dillon. Her song, "Southland" is a great slow blues, but her "Rainy Day Blues" is a funny, bouncy country ditty. Mogi, a fine clawhammer banjo player and creative percussionist who sounds somewhat like Rick Danko, wrote most of the songs on the disc and his "Passenger Side and "Cover My Tracks" are such great country classics it's hard to believe they aren't oldies. The disc does have a sprinkling of traditional songs and they fit right in. This is one terrific record!

Male-female duo Jason Mogi & Kim Trenerry evoke a deep, rustic feel on tunes (such as "Cover My Tracks") that feature Mogi's adept clawhammer banjo, Trenerry's solid guitar and the pair's warm, wistful vocal blend. "Old Mother Logo" is a tasty instrumental with a rambling pace, while "Daisy" is a bluegrass vocal duet that picks up the tempo nicely. No question that this award-winning act will put you squarely on the back porch of a woodsy cabin.