Monday, March 10, 2008

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The Reivers - Live at Liberty Lunch, Austin, TX (3/5/88)

A lot of Texas bands, Austin bands more specifically, used to cruise through the Midwest in the 80s on tour. I've probably forgotten some of the ones I saw, but I remember the True Believers, Glass Eye, Wild Seeds, Doctors Mob and of course, Zeitgeist/The Reivers. I saw the subject of this post twice that I can remember, under each name. (If you don't know the tale, there was a new-age group only remembered now as the band that threatened legal action against the true Zeitgeist, who made them change their name to The Reivers, itself stolen from a Faulkner novel and meaning, literally, "thieves").

Regardless of the name, the music was excellent. Heartfelt, pop-driven guitar-rock (as opposed to guitar-driven pop-rock!) full of chime and chunk and soaring vocal/instrumental leads. Beautiful music, simply beautiful. If you like this one, I've got one or two more to share.

There are some recent album reissues still available, so...buy shit! (And please visit this excellent fan-site for The Reivers, too).

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please send me the cd's.I was at one of those shows at O'Cayz.I remember one of the band telling some story about her brother....what was that?

gomonkeygo said...

Mr. Anonymous: I know who you are! Yeah, yeah, yeah - I'll send you CDs. Don't get all violent on me, now. The Internets is a peacable place of playful love and joy. It's not like your world.

KingSizeMong said...

Nice one! A great band.

Charles Swenson said...

Thanks so much for the Liberty Lunch show...it was just what the doctor ordered...

If you have more live shows please post, as this stuff is gold to us old timers in Austin who miss them so much...

By the way, they did recently rejoin for a short show in Austin earlier this year, and there is talk of their regrouping under another name....

Thanks...

gomonkeygo said...

I've got one more show by 'em I believe. Not as great sound, I think, a little boomy/bassy, but good. I'll look for it.

I have other Liberty Lunch shows by touring bands I could post. I think I have The Blasters, Long Ryders, Dream Syndicate and maybe others.

Weren't The Explosives from Austin? I've got one by them.