Everyone at hissing lawns is getting excited for the upcoming Revival Fest, and we thought we’d give our readers a preview by asking several bands a series of questions and letting them answer as they saw fit.
Waits & Co. has the privilege of opening up the festivities by performing on the DoSavannah stage at one o’clock p.m., and is adding to their trio the talents of Stu Harmening (electric dobro) and Jeremy Hammons (drums & percussion) from The Trainwrecks. Stu and Jeremy occasionally sit in, and would be considered part-timers of the Waits & Co. family.
The following are five questions with the band, and photos by LeeAnn Ritch, Adriana Iris Boatwright, and Petee Worrell.
hl: What has Waits & Co. been up to lately?
Markus Kuhlmann: Playing a bunch of shows, and spreading the love one sweaty gig at a time. We’ve been lucky to perform with quite a few touring acts lately, as well as having a few out-of-town gigs ourselves. The crowds, venues, and response we’ve been getting have all gotten bigger & better. It’s a pretty exciting time for us!
hl: How does your band feel about being included as one of just a few local acts?
Markus Kuhlmann: Honored! There are so many great bands in Savannah these days, and to be one of the few locals asked to participate in such a cool event with this kind of an amazing lineup is pretty special.
hl: What can the audience look forward to in your performance?
Coy Campbell: We’re going to move the ball a lot. As a trio we often work the smaller rooms, allowing us ample format to pass musical ideas around as we perform. Over time we’ve developed that fabled subtle dialogue that really keeps us engaging on a cathartic, seat of your pants level that is both organic & authentic. We shoot to have fun from note one!
hl: What does Waits & Co. think about how they ‘fit in’ to Revival Fest?
Coy Campbell: Being on the home team, we take our role as hosts as seriously as the boogie-woogie part of our job. Savannah is fortunate enough to be blessed with a stellar, all Southern Revival Fest lineup this year, so we just want to knock it out of the park onstage, but also do our part to ensure a thoroughly party positive atmosphere for our fellow artists, local fans, and folks coming in from out of town. We are the Hostess City y’all! Jon Waits is talking about whipping up a batch of Pimento Spread…true story.
hl: What other festivals, performances, and opportunities to see & hear Waits & Co. are in the near future?
Jon Waits: We’re booked up through the remainder of this month with local gigs, and are working on Fall dates currently. We’d like to do a bit of traveling, and are also going into the studio soon to record our current lineup’s ‘best of’ tunes for an EP. The easiest way to keep up with us is by ‘liking’ our Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/Waitsco), and following us at www.reverbnation.com/waitsandco.