We've got a lot of our favorite harp and sax players sitting in this spring and summer. Check the schedule to see if it's Big Al Groth, Westside Andy, Benny Rickun or Steve Vonderharr. I love em all
The Sunday blues shows at Kochanski's have been a big success so we of course are going to do more of them.
May 5, 2003 - The Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band with Jimmy Voegeli (and Rev on rhythm guitar) 3:15pm
The Thriftones open at 2pm $10.00
June 2, 2003 - Tweed Funk and Reverend Raven & The Chain Smoking Altar Boys 2pm $10
June 30, 2003 - Straight from Chicago - John Primer with Westside Andy, AJ Love, Steve Dougherty and Dave Woods.
Reverend Raven & The CSABs open at 2pm. $10.00
We're trying to set up more touring acts and heavy players from Chicago to come to Milwaukee again. You can help by passing the word and coming to the shows.
Got back from the IBC challenge in Memphis on Monday after a long train ride thru the night in a sleeper car the size of a broom closet. What a ball. Saw so many friends from our road tours and a lot of great music from talented unsigned blues bands. Ready to go back to work and in the van Jim Liban took the city by storm winning the "Best Harp" award and getting a standing ovation in the second song of their set. It was great to see him shaking the shack. Alex Wilson and his band were my personal favorite and exciting things I think are in Alex's future. Mr Sip and Kin from Vicksburg, Rock Island Rollers, Joel DaSilva, Poppa Dawg and Crankshaft were all cool acts to see.
The touring bands were there too. Nick Moss, Dennis Gruenling, David Gross (wow) Janiva Magness, Anson Fundergurgh, Tom Holland, Greg Nagy, and more. Great event to put on you list to go to next year.
The Up & Under Blues Reunion will be held at Kochanski's Beer Hall on Sunday from 2pm - 6:30pm. Four great bands forced my hand to increase the cover charge to $15 from $10. It's a great deal and will be a ball. Danno will be working the door too. Here's the poster. Please pass it around:
The Fox Valley Scene Magazine put my scruchy old face on the cover of their February issue. Thanks Jim Lundstrom and crew.
Good review of the guitar book by my friend and cohort Bobby Evans. Read it at: http://www.scenenewspaper.com/
And the results are in!
- 2012 Touring Blues Band of the Year: Reverend Richard Raven & The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys
- 2012 Touring Blues Band Show of the Year: Mac Arnold and Plate Full O' Blues at the Southwest Florida Blues Festival.
Our last CD "Shake Your Boogie" is still listed on CDBaby.com as a top ten seller for Chicago Style Blues. You can also find us at Amazon.com and a locally in Miwaukee Metro at The Exclusive Company, in Greenfield,WI.
We're starting our way back home tomorrow after playing the Time Out Pub in Rockland Maine tonight at 7pm. Good tour so far. Great driving thru some cool old three and four hundred year old towns. They think we talk funny!! Imagine that LOL.
Check the schedule for remaining shows. Otherwise we'll be home to play 5the Italian Community Center, in Milwaukee on Tuesday 9/2/12 with Benny Rickun on harp.
Time for another great Sunday afternoon of blues at Kochanski's Concertina Beer Hall, 1920 s. 37th ave, Milwaukee, WI tomorrow 8/19/12 with The Blind Giant of Bourbon St, Brian Lee and his great band. We'll be opening on the front stage and Brian will be holding court on the back stage. $15 cover helps Brian cover some of the massive medical bills he's incurred with his recent surgeries.
Brian is a New Orleans institution. Playing for many years at the Old Absinthe Bar, 5 nights a week, 6 sets a night. He's a Grammy Award winning guitarist...
Big Al is back on the band stand on Friday and Saturday night this weekend. We're looking forward to having him back in the van.
Here's our schedule this week...
We're home from our tour of Canada. Played three big blues festivals and played and met a slew of great people. Check out our Facebook page for updates.This week we're on home turf again. Here's the schedule...
Back to the salt mines for us. Here's our schedule for the week and then it's off to the Great White North of Canada for 3 blues festivals in a row. Bring lot's of water, beer and wine to stay hydrated...
We're playing at the Rock N' Blues Haus - 939 south 8th street, Manitowoc, WI on Friday, June 22nd. Show starts at 9pm.
Big Al Groth returns to the bandstand! RUSTIC WOODS CAMPGROUNDE2585 Southwood Dr.Waupaca, WI, 54981715-258-2442 Saturday - June 23rd - 9pmE2585 Southwood Dr.Waupaca, WI, 54981 715-258-2442
We're scheduled to return to Summer Fest 2012. We'll be on the Harley Stage at 2:30pm on Thursday, July 5th. Featuring the return of Big Al Groth on Saxophone. Please pass the word...
Danny Moore is setting up shop to teach piano to all comers. Email him at fatguyonpiano@yahoo.com.
We'll be at the Milwaukee Ale House on Friday, May 4th at 9:30pm. Then Saturday join us at Rockerz in Two Rivers, WI at 9:30pm
Rev Raven's Sunday Blues Matinee at Kochanski's Beer Hall featuring Jimmy Voegeli and Benny Rickun. Show starts at 2pm. Please pass the word.
It's WAMI weekend on College Ave in Appleton WI this weekend. Nominated bands and artists will be performing at clubs up and down the avenue. You can catch us at Deja Vu at 9pm. Sunday it's the WAMI award show. Doors open at the Performing Arts Center at 6:30pm with a pre-party at Mill Creek.
Mamie's, Milwaukee last full time blues bar tonight at 9:30pm. 3300 W. National Avenue, Milwaukee WI
Thanks to everyone who came out to support the PAWS benefit in Escanaba. Over 300 dancing sinners made it a night to remember. Great to see old friends from Gladstone's Sandbar days too.
Summer is shaping up nicely. We have lot's of cool outdoor shows and festivals coming up. Some featuring the return of Big Al Groth on saxophone. Check the gig page for a list of featured guests...
We return to Buddy Guy's Legends on Tuesday, March 20th at 9:30pm. 700 S. Wabash Ave, Chicago, Il. We'll have the big band including Danny Moore on piano and Tom Sobel on sax.
Our Virgin Islands tour was a blast. We played, sailed and drank our way thru the islands. We brought Tom Sobel along on sax and he tore it up. Met old friends and made lots of new ones. Good to be home and ready to hit the road this weekend. Milwaukee Ale House tonight (3/15/12) at 7pm. Beckett's in Oshkosh on Friday at 8pm and The Smiling Moose in Osman on Sunday at 4pm with special guest Tom Sobel for the second set.
Our CD "Shake Your Boogie" hit number #12 on Roots Music Report's Top 100 blues albums for 2011. Thanks to everyone concerned.
We've been selected to open the Bayfront Blues Festival on the main stage next year. We hit the stage at 12 noon.
New review/show notice in the press section
New video with Madison Slim on harmonica on the video page.
SOLD OUT - SRO only!
We played to a full house at 10:10pm Thursday night at Buddy Guy's Legends. Made it thru the show in one piece. So many great musicians in the house too. A video on "Walking to Chicago" from that show is below...
Our cds are sold at the following Milwaukee area stores:
Exclusive Company, Greenfield, WI
Barnes & Noble, Greenfield, WI
Our new DVD, "Live at Wilebski's Blues Saloon" is for sale for only $10.00 at all shows. You can order it on-line in a few days or just send $12.50 which includes shipping to: Nevermore Records, 3851 E. Holmes Avenue, Cudahy, WI 53110.
We also have overstock of white Reverend Raven t-shirts in large and xxxl. Shirts are $10.00 and you can get them on this site or by sending $12.50 to Nevermore Records.
"A band that demands national attention"
Check out the review of our show at the Blues Cruise send off party last January written by Andre Hobus in France's Soul Bag Magazine.
We had two shout outs from Blues Revue Magazine. Go to: Blues Revue Magazine
I looking for backers to fund a complete re-mixing and re-mastering of my first CD "Slow Burn".
Interested music patrons go to: Slow Burn Remix
Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys' Shake Your Boogie is in the top 15 blues cds on roots radio around the world! AND in the top 3 on the Internet Radio for blues! Roots Music Report >>
Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys' Shake Your Boogie is among the top selling Chicago Blues CDs at CDBaby (for 5 months) - AND - The Top Chicago Style Blues song #1 Stomping and Shouting! CDBaby >>
What we're hearing about our latest release, Shake Your Boogie...
"Any fan of straight ahead, tough electric blues will really like this cd" - Bruce Iglauer/Alligator Records
"Your release is also looking VERY good for my Best of 2010 list!” - Bob "Blues Doctor" Decker, host of "Clinic of Boogie & Blues", WNRB, 93.3 FM, Wausau.
"I f$%^ing love it" - Stefan Levy, Blues Foundation Board of Directors
"Highly recommended" - Steve Jones, Crossroads Blues Society
"It is a really great CD" - Bob Kieser, Blues Blast...
Reverend Raven's Big Bee release makes Elwood's favorites list... LOOK >>
