Ever wonder what the musicians you listened to growing up listened to growing up? If you were a fan of Hot Water Music or Avail, the Revival Tour will answer that question. The show features those bands' frontmen, Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry, along with Lucero's Ben Nichols, together on stage taking their solo work as well as the aggressive music of their past and stripping it down in an acoustic environment. We tracked Barry down in Nashville to learn more about the tour.
Westword: In the context of this tour, what does the term "revival" mean to you?
Tim Barry: We're taking the traditions of folk music from our parents' generation and giving it a little more balls and sharing that with a generation of people who aren't as familiar with it as we are. Another term for revival is maybe what you'd see in a church group, like it should be really spiritual, as in an awakening. I'm not religious in any way, but I feel there's a lot of spirit and a lot of emotions in music — and, in particular, in this tour — so I think [the term] works in two different ways.
In the earliest stages of your musical career, were you more influenced by "punk" music like you played in Avail, or the type of music you're playing now?
TB: I grew up with the stuff I'm playing now. I recall it like it was yesterday in the living room of my mom's house, listening to Dylan's "Tambourine Man" over and over again. That was my earliest memory of music. As I grew into my own person, heavy metal and punk was my music and my rebellion. Later on, I started getting tired of hearing loud shit, so I picked up the acoustic guitar again.
In addition to Chuck, Ben and yourself, this tour will feature several other performers on certain legs of the tour. If you could pick any performer past or present to be involved with this tour, who would it be and why?
TB: Well, I'm not gonna bring up the old shit, because I try not to live in the past in any way. I would be truly honored to share the stage with Steve Earle. If that motherfucker was on this tour, I'm pretty sure my mind would be blown.
Your new album, Manchester, seems to have a different approach from Rivanna Junction. Was that a conscience effort, or did it just come out?
TB: I never have a concept with anything. Actually, I've never even sat down to write a song in my life. They just show up.
