Photo by Robert Huskey
No headliner, a sense of community and a crew of musical geniuses all collaborating in front of your eyes.
Sure it sounds pretty cool when you think about it, but in reality “cool” is an understatement.
It does not come close to describing what fans experienced at the Santa Ana Observatory for the second to last show of this year’s Revival Tour.
For the sixth consecutive year Hot Water Music front man, Chuck Ragan, wove together a blanket of unique and talented artists to perform in the acoustic show.
The lineup consisted of Ragan along with Dave Hause (The Loved Ones), Tim Mcllrath (Rise Against) and singer/songwriter Jenny O.
Additional supporting talent since the tour’s conception was Joe Ginsburg, who was mostly seen on his standup bass, and Jon Gaunt who plays fiddle.
Most of the talent that came through the revolving doors of the tour’s lineup are from punk-rock backgrounds.
But the acoustic and folk driven sound the tour is known for gives fans a different perspective on their favorite songs and their favorite artists.
As always, the talented group began and ended the show together. Then as each artist had a short “solo” set, the rest of the group would meander on and off stage to play drums, blow into a harmonica or just to show support.
Kimmy Wasinger, 22, came to see Ragan and Mcllrath perform. Although it was her first time, she was excited for the experience.
“I’ve seen videos online, so I have an idea of what to expect,” Wasinger said.
She was among those in the audience attending the Revival Tour for the first time. But many long time supporters were present as well.
Eric Turner, 27, and Sara Lafave, 29, made a four-hour road trip to attend the show.
“I haven’t missed one yet,” said Turner. “We came from Vegas ‘cause they missed Vegas this year.”
Although the drive from Vegas may seem extreme, the show’s excitement was worth it for the two supporters who came to see Ragan and Hause collaborate with the others.
But expectations only grew for attendees when collaborations were bounced around and the crowd finally began to understand the nature of the show.
Another typical event for The Revival Tour is guest appearances, and Monday’s show was no exception. Surprising the audience for a short set was Johnny2Bags of Social Distortion, who was joined on stage by the band’s drummer, Dave Hidalgo.
Most people would consider the surprise set from half of the Orange County punk band a pretty good deal.
The best moments on stage didn’t end with surprise guest appearances though. One of the highlights was the playful banter and witty lyric changes by Hause, who teased a girl front and center for checking a text message. He teased about whether she was “sexting” or if she had her curfew extended. When the reply seemed to be the latter, his response was simply, “rad.”
Although Hause felt right at home on stage with his teasing and jokes, it seemed that one member of the tour felt slightly uncomfortable onstage.
Although her voice sounded phenomenal and her lyrics were catchy, it appeared as though O. didn’t feel quite at home as other tour members.
She frequently peered to the sides of the stage during her solo set as if beckoning other members of the tour to join her.
But regardless, the audience loved her.
Alanna Leahy, 25, who thought she purchased tickets for a Rise Against show back in January, was surprised but extremely ecstatic after experiencing the acoustic show for the first time.
“Jenny O. stood out to me,” Leahy said. “I recognize her music but I wasn’t expecting it.”
Picking up the pace and the enthusiasm was the rest of the group.
Fan favorite moments came when McLlrath performed “Hero of War” off the album, Appeal to Reason and “Swing Life Away” off of Siren Song of the Counter Culture as part of the group’s farewell set.
Another song that got the crowd’s attention and energy, was “Meet You in the Middle” off of Ragan’s most recent album, Covering Ground. Like “Swing Life Away” it was part of the group’s collective set at the end of the show, and seemed to leave the crowd only wanting more.
One first time attendee who will be back for more is Stefanie Ochoa.
“It was a great set. I love the acoustic vibe of it,” said Ochoa. “It was awesome.”
The last stop for the 2013 U.S. Revival Tour was the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on April 23. If you missed this experience this time around, don’t fret because the tour will be back next year. Stay tuned for line-up announcements and other news at TheRevivalTour.com.