User talk:Drod777

The Elephants are now free to roam about the country

Nederland, Colorado is high up in Rocky Mountain country, a place where people live and play in a picturesque time and space. And in this remote mountain town, there’s a unique ensemble of enormous, egoless Earth dwellers that are known around these parts as Elephant Revival.

This soulful, seductive quiver of 20-something songwriters and multi-instrumentalists reign from points across the United States, and they’re no strangers to roaming like their kin - the elephant.

Since Oct. 2006, Dan Rodriguez, Bonnie Paine, Dango Rose, Sage T. Cook and Bridget Law have herded in a much needed neo-acoustic revival at festivals, clubs, house concerts and theaters from the Rockies to the Ozarks and all points in between. That revival is totally original by the way, but like most things in life, can lend a hand to some influences – ThaMuseMeant, The Band, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon, traditional Celtic and Scottish song-craft and Natalie Merchant.

Each Elephant possesses remarkable and uncanny vocal abilities which can be heard during each performance. The individual members also carry a vast amount of instrumental talent – Rodriguez plays acoustic guitar while Law arms herself with the fiddle. Cook plays a variety of instruments including electric banjo, electric guitar, mandolin and upright bass while Rose performs on upright bass and mandolin. Ms. Paine keeps busy slapping and tapping the washboard and djembe, and occasionally will bow an eerie yet angelic line out of the musical saw. Bonnie’s vocal prowess has been compared to the likes of Natalie Merchant and Grace Slick but her uniqueness cannot be pinned down by comparison.

Individually and collectively the band members have collaborated and co-billed with some of the most prolific performers of our time like Michael Franti, Bela Fleck, John Paul Jones, Yonder Mountain String Band, Little Feat, New Monsoon, Railroad Earth, Vince Herman, Drew Emmitt, Benny Galloway, Randy Crouch, John Cowan and countless others in personal and public scenarios.

Their experiences together and apart are capable of making this band larger than life, but like Rodriguez comments, “This band is definitely an avenue of healing for us.” As Rose elaborates, "We are neo-acoustic traditionalists with bohemian minds." As Paine continues, "Always evolving and expanding throught the breath of time."

Just like the elephant that leaves little or no trace behind, Elephant Revival is in the process of converting their diesel powered school bus to run on vegetable oil in 2008. Also on tap this year is their debut album produced by longtime collaborator and friend David Tiller (ThaMuseMeant, Taarka), and a healthy run through the festival circuit with My-Tea Kind, which too features the lovely and talented Bonnie Paine.

So whether you need to get on the dance floor to shake off those “Jet Lag Blues” or the “Ring Around the Moon” has got you wired for sound, one Elephant Revival show will save your soul from stagnation. Or at the very least, you’ll be roaming the Rockies looking for Elephants.

-Joe Mack (Dec. 2007)

Booking: myspace.com/onlythebestbooking: Contact: PJ (707)616-3903 onlythebestbooking@yahoo.com

For Management/Promotion/Press: Contact Dango Rose (303) 619-1895 - ringleader81@gmail.com