I just booked a gig at The Elbo Room in Chicago. I have been asked why I don't play more around Antioch where I live. The answer is that I would love to but the bars that have live music, and there are a ton of them in our little party town, mostly want cover bands. Nothing wrong with a good cover band. They can be lots of fun. I enjoy hearing "Living on a Prayer" as much as the next guy. It's just not what I do.
   The covers I do, either as a solo or with my kickass band "The Crimebusters", are songs that float my boat. More than likely they are written by guys who are the kind of songwriter I like to think that I am. Songs by Townes and Jon Dee Graham and James McMurtry may not be acceptable to the boater crowd at Blarney's Island but they seem to be just fine at The Horseshoe up on Lincoln Ave.
   Up in Antioch, and the surronding area, it's not unusual to find people who have never been to the city. If you say "Come to my show at Sylvies." you get "Where's that?" and when you tell'em it's near Irving & Wolcott in Chicago you get the scared rabbit stare. I don't get it and it's really not my problem that people are too timid to venture out of their little suburban comfort zone,
   So, if you are waiting for me to come to Shooter's in Fox Lake (made up name). It's probably not going to happen. Don't be scared. Come to a gig in Chicago. It'll be worth it I promise.
   

Going to see Jon Dee Graham at a house show in Madison, Wisconsin this Fridaynight. That ought to be a blast. I don't think I've seen a band play in a basement since High School. Saturday I am taking the Crimebusters out to dinner and we'll catch Jon Dee's show at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn. Fitzgerald's is probably my favorite place to see live music.
  I got asked to play a gig at the last minute for Saturday and it broke my heart to turn them down. But the plans are afoot and I really want Phil and Chris to see JDG.

It rained buckets last Thursday but the faithful showed up anyway. Very grateful for that. This was The Crimebusters first gig at The Horseshoe. We had a good time and we definitely would go back. I had done an acoustic thing there earlier in the year as part of the Folk You series they have there once a month. It's a bit more fun to plug in and play loud.

What could have frightened a flock of strapping Canadian Border Guards so much? Why would they deny our good neighbors to the north the crunchy sounds of Subversive Country Music? Find out for yourself at a nice early show on Thursday October 29th at 8:00PM. The Crimebusters will throw new recruit Chris Riter into the fray on bass as well as deputizing Dave "12 Fingers" Stinton on accordion for a few tunes. Besides some stellar music you can also get some pretty good Bar-B-Que at the Horseshoe and tasty Shiner Bock.

The Horseshoe
4115 N Lincoln
Chicago Il

This Friday the Bride of Ravin and I fly out to Seattle where we will then make our way into Canada and then on up to Kelowna, British Columbia. That's where I am going to play
my first gig out of the US. It is the Rockanagan Music Festival sponsored by Molsen. I'm really looking forward to it and I'm petty stoked I was chosen to play and close the evening out on Saturday the 26th of September.
   I had originally planned on going by myself but after looking at all the natural beauty of the region I thought it would be a shame to waste it on my eyeballs alone so I asked the BoR if she might join me on this trip. It's going to be a good one.
   Meanwhile, because of my back problems I rehearsed last week with the band using just an acoustic guitar and my Fender Acoustasonic Amp. My, my what a powerful combination that turned out to be and we all decided it might be fun to play some gigs with that rig. Just a stripped down version of the Crimebusters in what MTV would call "Unplugged" (even though we are totally plugged in and actually quite loud). So we are going to look around and see if maybe can find some small type bars or clubs to set up in play.
That's all for now. I hope to have the Official Ravin' Dave Website up and running soon.
Cheers all,
                  Dave

The Crimebusters are going through a transitional phase breaking in new recruit Chris "Critter" Riter on bass. For now I have a couple of acoustic shows coming up. One is at Sylvie's on September 4th. I'll play for about a 1/2 hour and I'll be doing some new stuff as well as a couple of covers that Rebecca Zellar (spouse of the aforementioned Critter) is going to join me on. She is the Emmylou to my Gram. Or maybe it's the other way 'round. I go on around 10:30PM. Sylvie's is at 1902 W. Irving Park Rd right near the Brown Line stop.
   Later in September is the Rockanagan Festival in Kelowna, British Columbia. I will be performing at Sturgeon Hall on September 26th. I'll also be running a songwriting workshop earlier that day. This is a music festival sponsered by Molson Ale and is going to be waaaay cool. Lots of music in a bunch of kickass pubs within walking/crawling distance from each other (and my hotel!) Looking through the roster, out of 30 bands playing that weekend, I may be the only fellow from the States. I promise to do my best to represent.
   British Columbia may be a long haul for most of you but please come out to Sylvie's and say hello.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqmnRJEb2G0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhNOIJF_2MQ

From Andrew Thornton's Video Camera. This was YakZies July 17th 2009.

The show at Yak-Zies was great. We had a nice crowd there that was very loud and supportive. The sound guy was a little taken aback at the finish of "Houston". "Wow!" He said as the whoopin' and hollerin' died down. "They seem to like you guys!" Several people took video that I'll try and post here at some point.
   Rebecca Zellar did a great job with the limited rehearsal we had. I'm looking forward to doing some more with her in the future. Anyway, Joe (Yak-Zies owner), couldn't have been nicer and was very generous with the band and I. Ben Rapini put together a nice venue for us to play in and asked us to come back so look for us there in September or October.
   The Sunday before we played at the Red Line Tap. We put on a good show. That's about all I have to say about that place.

Friends,
            I have a few shows in July coming up, a couple of them in Chicago. Both of the Chicago gigs feature my stellar band "The Crimebusters".
First chance:
Red Line Tap
7006 N Glenwood
Chicago, IL 60626
Sunday, July 12 9:00PM $5:00 Cover
More Details: This is our first time playing here so we are the first to go on and it's going to be a short 35 minute set. If you walk in at 9:30PM you will miss our set. What's cool is, if you if you just want to hang out for a beer or two and hear just how good this band is. It's real good. Plus it's just up the street from the Morse stop on the Red Line.

Second Chance:
YakZies
3710 N Clark St
Chicago, Il
Friday, July 17th 8:00PM No Cover
More Details: It's Friday Night. It's on The Patio. Doesn't that just sound like
a good time? Of course it does. Me and the Crimebusters will be tearing it up big
time as this will be the final show for our Bass Player Tom Benjamin before he
heads out for Charlotte NC.
Thanks all,
                Dave