The Driftless Revelers

String Band Freak Folk from the Fringes of The Driftless and the Reservoirs of Revelry. featured in Rolling Stone Magazine).

The Driftless Revelers formed in the second spring of the first global pandemic of the 21st century, with one ear turned toward the shellac platters and Victrola virtuosos of the early to mid 20th century, and the other ear glued to the soundscapes of the 1960's & 1970's American freak-folk scene. Since their debut tour in 2021, the band has billed with Grammy winning bluegrass legends like Tim O'

Brien, toured extensively throughout the Upper Midwest, and had breakout performances at several festivals and events (Mile of Music in Appleton, WI. These Eau Claire, Wisconsin based weirdos have earned a cult following of devoted fans from Minnesota to Michigan who appreciate their irreverent, highly original, and sometimes slightly psychedelic interpretation of American roots music with a Midwest twist. Their live show banter and thoroughly entertaining sets have earned them comparisons to Ween, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, Tenacious D, and the Holy Modal Rounders. Their debut record, American Fork Standards (2022), was well received by their family members, and a few other people who said nice things about it.

Featuring the original songwriting of Ben Nelson, Matthew R. Sayles, and Jerod Kaszynski, the Driftless Revelers will pleasure a crowd with plectral wah pedal banjo tones, the mournful wailing of resophonic steel guitars, and the up-right bass bellows of an era that can't quite be defined, but revels in the timeless ephemera of weird old-time American music.

With influences as varied and eccentric as a proper musty smelling thrift store record collection, the band grooves merrily through early roots blues and jazz music, to hillbilly and string band howlers, all the way into the not-quite folk but not-quite psychedelic realms of their own creation.

A Driftless Revelers show will lure you in with their joy--keep you dancing with their search for the cosmic groove in the confines of stringed instruments--and will send you on your way with flashbacks of the Driftless Revelry found only in the essence of the intangible reaches of notes once played-- that then fall silent.

12/19/2023

Christmas Vinyl has arrived! Only available at our Matinee show at the White Squirrel Bar on 12/23 1:00 pm St. Paul, MN and locally at The Driftless Revelers & Wyatt Thomson Holiday Vinyl Release @ the Fire House Eau Claire

Photos from The Driftless Revelers's post

12/16/2023

Thanks to the Popcorn Tavern, the sound engineer Dave, and Aaron Lee Kaplan for a great show in LaCrosse! We had a blast, and loved the vibe of the club. We shall return!

12/16/2023

Ushanka up and rally to the Popcorn Tavern, LaCrosse, tonight, 12/15 10:00 pm to catch the Driftless Revelers & — $10 cover, but we’ll knock off a few bucks if you rock a Ushanka. Nostrovia! (Before anyone gets their ass in a sling, we support 🇺🇦 and Putin can grab ankles—this is just me and my cat digging some Muscovite cold-weather gear).

12/13/2023

Hey Folks! We’re back at it this weekend with a double header—kicking it off this Friday, December 15th 10:00 pm at the Popcorn Tavern, LaCrosse, with our pal, Aaron Lee Kaplan. $10

Then we head north on December 16th to our favorite Irish Pub, Malarkey’s, in Wausau, 8:09 pm. Hope you can make one of these shows!

12/13/2023

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How Lovely is your Music List!!

Thursday - Mr. Hand, Christopher Hand with a solo show that covers a variety of hits from the 80's, 90's, and 00's. No Cover.

Friday - Aaron Lee Kaplan Music and The Driftless Revelers - String Band Freak Folk from the Fringes of The Driftless and the Reservoirs of Revelry. 10$ Cover. 10 PM.

Aaron Lee Kaplan - "Smiley's Blues"
https://youtu.be/EsH5nLf_qnc?si=_lZ_lEMtqCX-Hk3k

The Driftless Revelers - "Nine Pound Hammer"
https://youtu.be/RGt9Dbs4AOc?si=1PfyJW2hu-aC43M4

Saturday - STARE ACROSS, Dirt River and The Homeland Conspiracy

🎨: Eric Gerke

12/09/2023

Duluth Friends, tonight, 12/9 is our last gig in the Twin Ports for 2023. Hope to see you there! 7-9 pm (possible guest appearance from a Duluthian pal that you might know from the Tattoo Song Fame…)

12/07/2023

Trempealeau and Duluth this weekend! Dig us at the Trempealeau Hotel on 12/8 6-9 and get celestial with us at Ursa Minor Brewing on 12/9 7-9. Don’t be a !square!

12/06/2023

Watch your back Taylor Swift, we're hot on your heels...🤣

Seriously though, thanks to our diehard fans that buy our CD's, merch, and tip us generously at shows. You know who you are.

If you're curious, those 3.1K Spotify plays equal (wait for it)--$9 dollars and thirty cents!!! That's right, 3,100 spins are worth less to us than selling ONE CD at our shows! There's a reason we gig a lot, and a reason we sell Merch. Spotify isn't gonna change, and granted--we do get other revenue from Apple Music, etc., -- but for now, we'll share our $9 sandwich three ways, and continue to toil in the obscure trenches of original Midwestern string band freak folk.

12/02/2023

What a lineup! Honored to be playing our first Flatrock with all these talented folks. See ya there in 2024!

11/28/2023

11/21/2023

Bailer Twine by the Jug Band Legends of Western Wisconsin: The Sliced Bread Jug Band!

Sounds of the Valley Fall 2023 Ep 4: The Driftless Revelers (Part III)

11/17/2023

Part Deux of the “Sounds of The Valley” Show on TV10

Sounds of the Valley Fall 2023 Ep 4: The Driftless Revelers (Part III) Sounds of the Valley hosts Eau Claire band The Driftless Revelers on this episode! Check out their music at: https://www.philvillerecords.com/thedriftlessrev...

11/17/2023

Thanks to Evan and the team at TV 10 for the opportunity to perform and be interviewed on “Sounds of The Valley!”

We eventually get around to plugging our show this Saturday, 11/18 with The Sliced Bread Jug Band at the Plus in Eau Claire, but it’s at the end of the interview, and we (as usual) get a bit “out in the weeds” on this one…

Sounds of the Valley Fall 2023 Ep 4: The Driftless Revelers (Part II) Sounds of the Valley host Evan Klamar interviews Eau Claire string band The Driftless Revelers. Check out their music at: https://www.philvillerecords.com/th...

11/15/2023

Want to thank the Fox River House for giving us the great honor of having one of our posters framed up on the wall--we love this bar!

Misisipi Mike Wolf & The Driftless Revelers 7" Lathe Cut Single | Philville Records

11/07/2023

Get you some Tattoo Song on Vinyl or Jesus is gonna show up and shave you up good! C’mon now!!!

Misisipi Mike Wolf & The Driftless Revelers 7" Lathe Cut Single | Philville Records The song that so many fans of Misisipi Mike Wolf and the Driftless Revelers have been asking for--the Tattoo Song has finally arrived! (Special Jesus Shaves bonus B-side off the Driftless Revelers American Fork Standards) Featuring two tracks on a limited cutting of only 25 clear vinyl records (each...

11/05/2023

Holy s**t that was fun!

11/04/2023

Wausau! We’re coming your way tonight, 11/4 with our pals Davey & the Midnights! You don’t want to miss this show—these guys are a powerhouse of groove and soul. We’re splitting the bill, and Ben & Jerod are even gonna jump up for some horn work with the band. We’re gonna get Malarkey’s dancing tonight—show starts at 7!

11/02/2023

The last of the trio of new videos from The Driftless Revelers! Gonna Start Me a Cult.

This one explores new plans for making income and going mainstream.

Recorded and filmed live at El Sueño Royale' Studios in Eau Claire, produced, directed, and edited by Matthew R. Sayles & Philville Records.

Special thanks to the Bhagwan Shri for the inspiration and for Andy Simser's assistant camera work.

11/01/2023

Jerod Kaszynski's lamentation and celebration of Grills lost and Grills found again, sung in the western style of the Sons of the Pioneers and the original Riders of the Purple Sage.

Recorded and filmed live in the El Sueño Royale' Studios (10/26/23), and produced and directed by Philville Records. Special thanks to our cameraman, Andy Simser.

11/01/2023

[Going to try this again because apparently Facebook buries posts that link to Youtube--hopefully this one might show up for your enjoyment!]

It's been a while since we dropped some new material/videos for our fans--almost exactly two years! So if you're upset with that, please send us some...Hate Mail!

Recorded live with no overdubs in the El Sueño Royale' Studios, Eau Claire, WI. , October 26th 2023.

Special thanks to our management team/actors.

10/28/2023

Had a hell of a good time last night at the Trempealeau Hotel. Some legends have performed here over the years (Ritchie Havens, John Hartford, Ray Sawyer, Country Joe)—it’s our new favorite venue down on the river. Looks like we’ll be back one more time before the end of the year too—thanks to everyone that rallied last night!

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