Holy Ghost Tent Revival

Musical labels don't fit too well with Holy Ghost Tent Revival. The raucous six-piece band plays a lot on the bluegrass festival circuit, but they sure aren't bluegrass, at least not in any obvious way, although they do play essentially acoustic and there are banjos aboard. They're sort of like a jug band, too, but with a rock and pop sensibility, and in truth, they sound like a ragtag New Orleans street corner horn band gone south into the land of indie rock dragging a little ragtime tempo with them. The band itself calls what they do "earthy jazz," and that works, if one recalls that jazz was once dance music with a prime mission of getting people moving and having a good time. All of this and more is readily apparent on the group's delightful debut album, So Long I Screamed, which serves up good-time sounding, horn-inflected tracks that brim with an easy, fun, and natural energy. The songs, although they initially seem like loosely constructed affairs, are actually tightly crafted pop gems with timeless melodies, great harmonies, and subject matter that more often than not circles around the craziness of love, all delivered with an immediate and organic rush of joy. Check out the naturally zippy "Down the Street," or the street corner dance jazz of "Getting Over Your Love" or "Needing You," or the harmonies and pop song dynamics of "Honey Beware" to hear what this fun band has to offer. They may be hard to classify but they sure aren't hard to listen to, and when all is said and done, it's dance music -- pure and wonderful street corner dance music.
- Allmusic.com

Musical labels don't fit too well with Holy Ghost Tent Revival. The raucous six-piece band plays a lot on the bluegrass festival circuit, but they sure aren't bluegrass, at least not in any obvious way, although they do play essentially acoustic and there are banjos aboard. They're sort of like a jug band, too, but with a rock and pop sensibility, and in truth, they sound like a ragtag New Orleans street corner horn band gone south into the land of indie rock dragging a little ragtime tempo with them. The band itself calls what they do "earthy jazz," and that works, if one recalls that jazz was once dance music with a prime mission of getting people moving and having a good time. All of this and more is readily apparent on the group's delightful debut album, So Long I Screamed, which serves up good-time sounding, horn-inflected tracks that brim with an easy, fun, and natural energy. The songs, although they initially seem like loosely constructed affairs, are actually tightly crafted pop gems with timeless melodies, great harmonies, and subject matter that more often than not circles around the craziness of love, all delivered with an immediate and organic rush of joy. Check out the naturally zippy "Down the Street," or the street corner dance jazz of "Getting Over Your Love" or "Needing You," or the harmonies and pop song dynamics of "Honey Beware" to hear what this fun band has to offer. They may be hard to classify but they sure aren't hard to listen to, and when all is said and done, it's dance music -- pure and wonderful street corner dance music.
- Allmusic.com

"Nimbly frolicking from one song to the next, Holy Ghost Tent Revival of Greensboro, N.C. crafts old-timey newgrass-tinged folk pop marked by upbeat banjos, perky horns and wildly harmonizing vocals -- overall, it's chipper, charming, blithe-spirited good time music..." -Creative Loafing Tampa
- Creative Loafing Tampa

"Nimbly frolicking from one song to the next, Holy Ghost Tent Revival of Greensboro, N.C. crafts old-timey newgrass-tinged folk pop marked by upbeat banjos, perky horns and wildly harmonizing vocals -- overall, it's chipper, charming, blithe-spirited good time music..." -Creative Loafing Tampa
- Creative Loafing Tampa

The Greensboro, N.C., (band) play a fantastically entertaining mixture of dirty jazz, roots country/bluegrass, big band and rock that can only be described as explosively intoxicating. The kind of "explosive" that one of those people shot from a cannon perhaps feels. Yes, that kind of funny and yet powerful explosion. Utilizing layered harmonies, gang vocals, superb musicianship and all the necessary trimmings and fixings, the band will certainly revive the musical spirit within all that dare to witness it.

By Matthew Godbey
- The Post & Courier

Americana is a tricky label — and often a cop-out for describing any act with an acoustic guitar or a southern drawl. But for Greensboro’s Holy Ghost Tent Revival it really is the only apt descriptor. Disregard the geographical connection to like-minded tar-heels The Avett Brothers and Squirrel Nut Zippers — the band’s very name evokes images of century-old American confliction wherein religious piety meets raucous party. Musically, we hear elements of the entire lexicon of American popular music. Vaudeville ragtime, rife with swinging horns, doo-wop backing vocals, and the qualities of Golden Age pop. String-band folk and bluegrass collide with rock ’n’ roll abandon. Where the canon of popular music converges in Holy Ghost’s songs, we get not only a sound that is as all-encompassing as a tent revival, but one that is undeniably, and singularly “Americana.”

Bryan Reed - Charleston City Paper

"Don't think too hard about the genre in which Holy Ghost Tent Revival should be pigeonholed. Rather, get up, dance with your eyes closed and relish in the fact that the Greensboro six-piece makes euphonium and banjo sound good together." - Andrew Ritchey - Independent Weekly

Listening to Holy Ghost Tent Revival is like tuning a radio dial from station to station, but without the static. They glide seamlessly from one style to another — folk, ragtime, rock, bluegrass, funk, jazz, do-wop, soul, pop, you name it. And it works.

Their exploration of styles occurs in a coherent and exciting framework, not a gratuitous display or hodgepodge. Their exciting, polyglot arrangements make perfect musical sense. The band also possesses an incredible grasp and feel for historic styles that belies the members' ages. This group of 20-somethings performs as if they're seasoned music veterans. Their blend in startlingly precise vocal harmonies gives the impression they've been singing together forever, not just a few short years.

They readily acknowledge their debt to the past. The first sound you hear on the recording is that of phonograph needle hitting the shellac resin of a 78, and a long-ago sounding brass fanfare. Then the band seems to leap out of record grooves of the past and straight into your 21st century speakers.

Indeed, the project has an intriguing overall form. After they've been thrust into the present, there are occasional episodes on the album where the past seems to be beckoning to them to return from whence they came. And in the end, they succumb, fading into the mist of memory.

But while in our century, they sure have a good time, and so do we. Their frisky signature songs "Down the Street" and "Getting Over Your Love" regularly elicit exuberant swing dancing at the foot of the stage at their performances. The song "Needing You" takes off at such a frantic pace that it requires a cool-down for the second half of the song. "Loving Man" exudes a gritty sensuality. "Love Emergency" is just plain fun.
And so is "Phone Syndrome," which hits the bluegrass nail on the head as squarely as the Monroes, Flatt and Scruggs. They take turns on the verses with a giddy enthusiasm akin to passing around a jug of moonshine.

Lead singer Stephen Murray delivers vocals with refined inflections and impressive ease that enamors his listeners. And he proves that the banjo can be a really sexy instrument.
Guitarist and singer Matt Martin, a calm man of few words when off stage, must be saving his energy for performance, when he's transformed into a musical extrovert with enthusiastic vocal delivery.
Patrick Leslie anchors the band with bass lines that are both dependable and creative at the same time, and he knows how to make electric bass blend coherently with acoustic instruments. His mellow vocals take the lead from time to time as a foil to Murray's straight tone, and blend beautifully in the band's impressive vocal harmonies.
Hank Widmer's trombone and euphonium add an extra punch to performances. With his amazing endurance he must have chops of steel. (Maybe like Samson the secret to his strength lies in those flowing locks of his.)
At the heart of the group, drummer Ross Montsinger's lively and precise cadences keep this motley squad consistently hitting their marks.
The trumpet of former band member Josh Lovings adds fire to some songs and coolness to others.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival has a foot in the past, their heart in the audience-pleasing present, and an eye to the future, which looks bright for this band.
They aren't concerned about genre, so why should we be? Like Duke Ellington said, "if it sounds good, it is good."
And if it sounds great, then it must be Holy Ghost Tent Revival.

-Sarah Hall - Salisbury Post

Listening to Holy Ghost Tent Revival is like tuning a radio dial from station to station, but without the static. They glide seamlessly from one style to another — folk, ragtime, rock, bluegrass, funk, jazz, do-wop, soul, pop, you name it. And it works.

Their exploration of styles occurs in a coherent and exciting framework, not a gratuitous display or hodgepodge. Their exciting, polyglot arrangements make perfect musical sense. The band also possesses an incredible grasp and feel for historic styles that belies the members' ages. This group of 20-somethings performs as if they're seasoned music veterans. Their blend in startlingly precise vocal harmonies gives the impression they've been singing together forever, not just a few short years.

They readily acknowledge their debt to the past. The first sound you hear on the recording is that of phonograph needle hitting the shellac resin of a 78, and a long-ago sounding brass fanfare. Then the band seems to leap out of record grooves of the past and straight into your 21st century speakers.

Indeed, the project has an intriguing overall form. After they've been thrust into the present, there are occasional episodes on the album where the past seems to be beckoning to them to return from whence they came. And in the end, they succumb, fading into the mist of memory.

But while in our century, they sure have a good time, and so do we. Their frisky signature songs "Down the Street" and "Getting Over Your Love" regularly elicit exuberant swing dancing at the foot of the stage at their performances. The song "Needing You" takes off at such a frantic pace that it requires a cool-down for the second half of the song. "Loving Man" exudes a gritty sensuality. "Love Emergency" is just plain fun.
And so is "Phone Syndrome," which hits the bluegrass nail on the head as squarely as the Monroes, Flatt and Scruggs. They take turns on the verses with a giddy enthusiasm akin to passing around a jug of moonshine.

Lead singer Stephen Murray delivers vocals with refined inflections and impressive ease that enamors his listeners. And he proves that the banjo can be a really sexy instrument.
Guitarist and singer Matt Martin, a calm man of few words when off stage, must be saving his energy for performance, when he's transformed into a musical extrovert with enthusiastic vocal delivery.
Patrick Leslie anchors the band with bass lines that are both dependable and creative at the same time, and he knows how to make electric bass blend coherently with acoustic instruments. His mellow vocals take the lead from time to time as a foil to Murray's straight tone, and blend beautifully in the band's impressive vocal harmonies.
Hank Widmer's trombone and euphonium add an extra punch to performances. With his amazing endurance he must have chops of steel. (Maybe like Samson the secret to his strength lies in those flowing locks of his.)
At the heart of the group, drummer Ross Montsinger's lively and precise cadences keep this motley squad consistently hitting their marks.
The trumpet of former band member Josh Lovings adds fire to some songs and coolness to others.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival has a foot in the past, their heart in the audience-pleasing present, and an eye to the future, which looks bright for this band.
They aren't concerned about genre, so why should we be? Like Duke Ellington said, "if it sounds good, it is good."
And if it sounds great, then it must be Holy Ghost Tent Revival.

-Sarah Hall - Salisbury Post

What is it that makes a family?
Sure, it means sharing a bloodline,
but family is not just something
we are born into. It is equally
of our own making, of people
that we invite into our lives. It
includes those with whom we
share our experiences, our loves,
our fears, our triumphs and our
defeats- those with whom we
have drank and danced and sang
and laughed and cried. This spirit
of family is what connects the
members of Greensboro, NC’s
Holy Ghost Tent Revival to each
other and to their audience.
The six-piece band boasts
a lineup that includes guitar,
banjo, bass, drums, trombone
and keys. The instrumentation
and arrangements bring to
mind a varied confluence of
musical styles. One hears strains
of Dixieland jazz, ragtime,
country and bluegrass, but the
songwriting and presentation are
thoroughly modern. They sing
about steamboats one moment
and break into a spirited Beatles
cover the next. This embrace of
different styles combines with
a passionate stage presence
and leads to some captivating
performances of a unique brand
of shambling indie-Americana.
HGTR shows are not merely
attended but also experienced.
“Three of us were theater majors
so we understand the necessity
of performance,” says keyboard
player Mike O’Malley. “We’re
all of the mind that there has
to be a visual accompaniment
to the music.” This attention to
performance is what separates
the band from other like-minded
musicians in the Southeast. The
band push each other to summon
forth every available reserve of
energy. They sweat and sing and
scream and stomp until the last
note has fallen to silence. As
such, a HGTR show is just as
much a physical manifestation
of the emotion behind the music
as it is about recreating the songs
themselves. At its best, the
band careens along picking up
momentum, pushing the limits
of pace and energy and the crowd
follows right with them, creating
a communal frenzy that blurs
the line between performer and
audience.
In September, the band will
release a new EP titled Family.
The songs were recorded live with
a minimal amount of takes, and the
spontaneity and energy created
in this environment imbues the
tracks with a ragged veracity.
Family is loose and comfortable
like an old frayed couch, which
perfectly complements a batch
of songs that at one point held
an uncertain future. These
were songs that the band had
been working on but had not
completely polished. They had
fallen out of rotation within
the band’s live sets, leaving the
band unsure of how to tap their
potential. The solution was to
turn to their extended family of
musicians for help. “The idea was
to get all our friends together
and see what happened. It was
all very playful,” says O’Malley.
With a relaxed approach and the
perspective gained by allowing
others to contribute, the songs
found freedom and a home.
The EP features the Lonely
Hot Starving Street Band, a
troupe of N.C. musicians that
includes members of groups
such as Lost in the Trees, the
Never and House of Fools.
These friends shared their time
and talent and broadened the
palate of a band with an already
expansive sound. The result is an
album with an undeniably joyous
feel. The song “Alcohol” is a
tribute to the glories and agonies
of intoxication that mirrors a
night on the town. It begins with
a mellow swagger, progresses
to a roiling ebullience and ends
with a staggering, hiccupping
goodnight. The track “Goodbye
or Goodnight” featuring vocals
from rapper Tab-One, shows
that the band is not afraid to
push its boundaries to include
even a seemingly disparate genre
like hip-hop. It works because
everyone is having such a good
time. And that is what the band
is all about. Whether it’s in the
studio with a dozen friends,
or in a club packed with fans,
Holy Ghost Tent Revival draws
strength from family.

—dylan Solise
- Athens Blur Magazine

What is it that makes a family?
Sure, it means sharing a bloodline,
but family is not just something
we are born into. It is equally
of our own making, of people
that we invite into our lives. It
includes those with whom we
share our experiences, our loves,
our fears, our triumphs and our
defeats- those with whom we
have drank and danced and sang
and laughed and cried. This spirit
of family is what connects the
members of Greensboro, NC’s
Holy Ghost Tent Revival to each
other and to their audience.
The six-piece band boasts
a lineup that includes guitar,
banjo, bass, drums, trombone
and keys. The instrumentation
and arrangements bring to
mind a varied confluence of
musical styles. One hears strains
of Dixieland jazz, ragtime,
country and bluegrass, but the
songwriting and presentation are
thoroughly modern. They sing
about steamboats one moment
and break into a spirited Beatles
cover the next. This embrace of
different styles combines with
a passionate stage presence
and leads to some captivating
performances of a unique brand
of shambling indie-Americana.
HGTR shows are not merely
attended but also experienced.
“Three of us were theater majors
so we understand the necessity
of performance,” says keyboard
player Mike O’Malley. “We’re
all of the mind that there has
to be a visual accompaniment
to the music.” This attention to
performance is what separates
the band from other like-minded
musicians in the Southeast. The
band push each other to summon
forth every available reserve of
energy. They sweat and sing and
scream and stomp until the last
note has fallen to silence. As
such, a HGTR show is just as
much a physical manifestation
of the emotion behind the music
as it is about recreating the songs
themselves. At its best, the
band careens along picking up
momentum, pushing the limits
of pace and energy and the crowd
follows right with them, creating
a communal frenzy that blurs
the line between performer and
audience.
In September, the band will
release a new EP titled Family.
The songs were recorded live with
a minimal amount of takes, and the
spontaneity and energy created
in this environment imbues the
tracks with a ragged veracity.
Family is loose and comfortable
like an old frayed couch, which
perfectly complements a batch
of songs that at one point held
an uncertain future. These
were songs that the band had
been working on but had not
completely polished. They had
fallen out of rotation within
the band’s live sets, leaving the
band unsure of how to tap their
potential. The solution was to
turn to their extended family of
musicians for help. “The idea was
to get all our friends together
and see what happened. It was
all very playful,” says O’Malley.
With a relaxed approach and the
perspective gained by allowing
others to contribute, the songs
found freedom and a home.
The EP features the Lonely
Hot Starving Street Band, a
troupe of N.C. musicians that
includes members of groups
such as Lost in the Trees, the
Never and House of Fools.
These friends shared their time
and talent and broadened the
palate of a band with an already
expansive sound. The result is an
album with an undeniably joyous
feel. The song “Alcohol” is a
tribute to the glories and agonies
of intoxication that mirrors a
night on the town. It begins with
a mellow swagger, progresses
to a roiling ebullience and ends
with a staggering, hiccupping
goodnight. The track “Goodbye
or Goodnight” featuring vocals
from rapper Tab-One, shows
that the band is not afraid to
push its boundaries to include
even a seemingly disparate genre
like hip-hop. It works because
everyone is having such a good
time. And that is what the band
is all about. Whether it’s in the
studio with a dozen friends,
or in a club packed with fans,
Holy Ghost Tent Revival draws
strength from family.

—dylan Solise
- Athens Blur Magazine