The Revivalists perform on July 28, 2023 in the Amphitheater.
FAITH SIEGEL
Copy Editor
Returning to Chautauqua Institution on their “Get It Honest” tour, The Revivalists will perform their new album of groovy, soulful indie rock at 8 p.m. tonight in the Amphitheater.
The eight-piece collective formed in New Orleans and has been together for almost 20 years; as such, their releases track the musicians’ growth through a span of life experiences. George Gekas, The Revivalists’ bass guitarist, said he has been with the band since 2008.
“We started this thing in college and never gave up,” Gekas said. “The dream back then was to never have to get real jobs, and now we keep upping the ante for what the dreams are.”
Because the group has been together for so long, Gekas said, they have become a “tribe.”
“There’s definitely moments of almost brotherly competition and infighting, but I would say the biggest catalyst for us happened around the pandemic when we all started to have children,” Gekas said. “Now that we all have kids, there’s a greater sense of purpose, a greater sense of unity, and we’re definitely all on the same page now, more than ever.”
Growing from college students to parents has presented its share of adult responsibilities, but amid the chaos, The Revivalists find unity.
“Everybody is at a different point of their lives, more so collectively than on previous records,” Gekas said. “And because of that, we view our time together as far more precious than we had.”
With this precious time, The Revivalists took intentional measures to shape Get It Honest into their specific vision. They precisely whittled the album down from 100 songs to give the record a more cohesive focus and sense of seriousness — while still retaining playfulness.
“We made a point for this record to have it be a time capsule of where we are currently as adults, as artists, as songwriters, as creatives, as humans,” Gekas said. “We feel that this is our best work to date, and it’s exciting because now that we’ve done a record that has this kind of aesthetic to it, anything is possible for the next record.”
Beyond the stage, The Revivalists are donating $1 per ticket sale to Rev Causes, their fund “dedicated to reviving and investing in our communities, our health, and our environment,” according to their website. It supports national causes, including organizations like Neuroscape, Conscious Alliance and Trans Lifeline, and local causes, such as ACLU of Louisiana and Innocence and Justice Louisiana.
Though The Revivalists have headlined major stages like Radio City Music Hall and are soon to debut at Madison Square Garden, there is no feeling like giving back and doing good, Gekas said.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to be in spaces with some people who we admire and people that have the ability and the network to really move mountains, and you realize these people, these beautiful humans, they give so much,” he said. “… What becomes an easy thing for you to do can really help someone, and that feeling you get is pretty indescribable.”
The Revivalists’ Friday night performance will mark the band’s return to Chautauqua; they first performed at the Institution in 2023. Gekas noted how they recognize Chautauqua’s role as a relaxing, intellectual summer “refuge,” especially with the newfound perspective of being parents themselves.
“It’s lovely, and it’s one of the … beautiful parts of being on the road so much is getting to have so many different captivating human experiences that span such a wide spectrum, and this is one of them,” Gekas said. “It’s singular, and there’s nothing else like Chautauqua in the country — we’ve been all over.”
Gekas said the band’s performance tonight will be reciprocal; the more energy the band gives, the more it feeds the audience, and the more energy an audience gives, the more it feeds the band. He said he hopes The Revivalists’ storytelling will allow the audience to let go and feel.
“The beauty of music is that you can create all these worlds, and you can convey all these beautiful emotions through art,” Gekas said. “We just want people to enjoy themselves and have a good time, and [they] hopefully can live in the moment with us.”
