Roaring out of the southern Indiana foothills comes Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band playing a brand of Americana and Blues that stands alone – Delta blues and hillbilly fervor combine with musical acuity sharp as razor wire – best know, this trio is a force to be reckoned with. Their new album Between The Ditches is a chronicle of this lifestyle, it arrives August 7th on Side One Dummy as the band hits a plethora of festivals and club dates all summer (see below). The band heads to Europe at the end of September for a full tour, dates to be announced shortly.
Their fifth album celebrates the growl of a good truck engine, the fiercest passion for their country home and the importance of family. The an uncanny ability to breathe new life into old forms of music give the Big Damn Band a pedigree many Americana acts would kill for and an ironclad work ethic keeps them on the road playing for the people with hurricane force. Locked in with an audience, the band create their own community and welcome the crowd into it, transporting them away from their troubles to joyous release, the way great musicians have done for centuries. The Rev. J. Peyton, his wife Breezy and distant cousin Aaron “Cuz” Persinger are a living breathing embodiment of the traditions and hard work ethic native to their Brown County, Indiana home.
My Old Kentucky Blog premieres the first single, “Devils Look Like Angels” this morning, listen to it here: http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=30435
With a reputation for their incendiary live shows well established, The Big Damn Band set out to make the album that would finally capture the same heat. Recorded at White Arc Studio in Bloomington, Indiana, the album was produced by The Rev. Peyton and Paul Mahern (John Mellencamp, Iggy Pop) and mastered by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, Dr. John, Shins). For previous albums, the band had recorded live, straight through in the same mode as a live show. Between the Ditches came together more slowly, with care. “We approached it saying we were going to make a record this time, not just a recording,” explained the Rev. He used a different guitar set up on almost every track, employing two ‘30s National guitars, a cigar box guitar, a custom shop Gibson flattop 1929 L2 and an Airline map electric guitar. The primary amps are custom Weber amps made by Weber speakers – both are one of a kind.
Between The Ditches features a new level of craftmanship in both recording technique and songwriting. The Rev. feels that it’s their best album to date.”I’m very proud of this album, the songwriting and the playing.” The guitar playing alone should put the Rev. in the same class with his much revered idols. The songwriting boasts an added maturity and runs the gamut in subject matter from the barn burning, tongue in cheek, “Shut the Screen”, (where “It’s too dang hot and the bugs are too dang mean”) to the evils of strip mining, an issue close to the hearts of this Indiana born and bred band in “Don’t Grind It Down” . There seems to be a theme expressed throughout the album and stated clearly in their first single, “ Devils Look Like Angels”: “Devil don’t live down in hell, the devil’s right here doing very well”.
This band is fun sure, a lot of fun, but they are for real. From virtuoso musicianship to great songwriting, Between The Ditches has got it all. All from a little Brown County, Indiana band that’s got the nerve (and the right) to call themselves, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band!
Reverend Peyton Big Damn Band On Tour
Thu, May 31 Minneapolis, MN The Brick (with Flogging Molly)
Fri, June 1 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium (with Flogging Molly)
Fri, June 8 Lawrence, KS The Granada
Sat, June 9 Columbia, MO Mojo’s
Fri, June 15 Rochester, MN Hambone Festival
Fri, June 22 Hamilton, OH Paddlefest
Tue, June 26 Buffalo, NY Tralf Music Hall
Wed, June 27 Harrisburg, PA Appalachian Brewing Company
Thu, June 28 Hartford, CT The Russian Lady
Fri, June 29 Burlington, VT Nectar’s
Sat, June 30 Plymouth, NH The Flying Monkey
Sun, July 1 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl
Tue, July 3 McGaheysville, VA Summer Jam at Massanutten Resort
Thu, July 5 Aspen, CO Snowmass Village Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Fri, July 13 Cincinnati, OH Sawyer Point Bunbury Fest w/ Jane’s Addiction
Sat, July 14 Ferndale, MI DIY Street Fair
Thu, July 19 Eanston, Il Town Concert
Fri, July 20 Hutchinson, MN River Song Music Festival
Tue, July 24 Beulah, WY Scott Jarvis Trading Post
Wed July 25 Billings MT Bones Brewing with Young Dubliners
Fri, July 27 Jackson, WY Town Square Tavern
Sat, July 28 Snowbird, UT Snowbird Ski Resort Snowbird Cool Air Series
Sat, Aug 4 Kokomo, IN Performing Arts Center At Foster Park Weberfest
Sun, Aug 5 Bluffton, IN Kehoe Park
Mon, Aug 6 Cincinnati, OH Shake It Records instore
Tue, Aug 7 Indianapolis, IN CD & Vinyl instore
Wed, Aug 8 Nashville, TN Music City Roots show (evening), Grimeys instore (daytime)
Thu, Aug 9, St. Louis, MO Vintage Vinyl in store
Fri, Aug 10, Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlies
Sat, Aug 11 Indianapolis, IN State Fair
Wed, Aug 15, Philadelphia, PA Weekly Concerts in the Park
Thu, Aug 16, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Folk Festival
Sun, Aug 19 North Thornton, NH White Mountain Boogie n’ Blues Festival
Fri, Aug 31 Kansas City, MO Crossroads Del Yeah Fest w/ Del McCoury Band
Sun, Sep 2 Cookeville, TN Muddy Roots Fest
Fri, Sep 14 Bristol, TN Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
Sat, Sep 15 Terre Haute, IN Blues at the Crossroads
Sat, Sep 22 Tahlequah, OK Sparrow Hawk Camp Riverstomp Music Festival
Wed, Sep 26 Fayetteville, AR Bikes, Blues and BBQ
Sat, Sep 29 Belfast, Ireland Empire Music Hall
Sat, Oct 6 Katowice, Poland Spodek Sporthall Rawa Music Festival
Additional European Dates TBA
Fri, Nov 23 Indianapolis, IN The Vogue Theater
For More Information visit www.bigdamnband.com
