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Dustbowl Revival

Live Music

What’s Happening?

How do you describe genre-defying roots music adventurers Dustbowl Revival? Even  tireless founder and lead songwriter Z. Lupetin would agree you have to come to a  show to find out. Going strong into their second decade after starting from a humble  Craigslist ad posted in bohemian Venice Beach, some woulr say Dustbowl’s energetic  collective (there have been nearly thirty members!) plays a spicy cocktail of folky-funk  or booty-shaking jangly rock n’ soul: expertly mixing their New Orleans-tinted brass  section with their signature Laurel Canyon harmonies and fearless lyrics.  

While most bands stay in one lane or fade away quickly, Dustbowl Revival is a  testament to building a fanbase and their own sound the old-fashioned way, with hard  work and moving songs that stick to your bones when you leave the concert. There’s a  reason they continue to get written up in Rolling Stone and Billboard and get played on  AAA radio 18+ years after they set sail. 

After releasing seven acclaimed albums starting in 2008, including their beloved live  record With A Lampshade On (2015) recorded mostly at their LA homebase the famed  Troubadour, and their charting self-titled record (2017) produced by Grammy-winner  Ted Hutt (Flogging Molly, Old Crow Medicine Show), perhaps their magnum opus is  2020’s deeply personal Is It You, Is It Me - produced by Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive,  Josh Ritter). It showcases their penchant for orchestral brass and intricate string work  with politically-charged story-songs that unfold like mini-movies.  

It’s not surprising that Z. Lupetin was an award-winning playwright and moved to LA  from Chicago with everything he owned in the back of his Saab hatchback to be a  script writer before music took the reins.  

While the group has a reputation for leading joyful horn-blasted mini parades off the  stage and sometimes rig out of the venue, it’s the storytelling that keeps folks coming  back. “Get Rid Of You”, an ode to the courageous kids in Parkland, FL who stood up to  demand common-sense control laws be passed is a heart-wrenching staple of each  show and “Get Right” - a new stomp blues that will be a part of their upcoming 2026  record, confronts the vigilante justice that exists throughout our country head on. 

While staying proudly independent, the band has garnered over twenty million streams  and counting - with romantic jams like “Honey, I Love You” (featuring bluesmaster Keb’  Mo’) and fan favorites like the intense love song “Sonic Boom” and universal  healthcare ode “Debtors Prison” leading the charge.  

Many first learned about the band after the now 100-year old legend (and fan of the  group) Dick Van Dyke let the gang shoot a music video with him dancing in his  signature straw hat at his house; the quirky jam to “Never Had To Go” went viral, being 

seen over five million times, while being featured on an HBO documentary about aging  with joy. A new Hollywood collab is on the way too: funnyman Ed Helms (who once  hired the band to play his wedding) will join the band on his banjo in the song “Tall  Tales” which will be on the new record as well. A special cameo from Vulfpeck’s Theo  Katzman on the spooky “Change Your Mind” will also come out soon. 

It hasn’t always been easy - being a 7-8 piece band during the upheaval caused by the  pandemic did make some in the band move on - but it also brought in a new  supercharged group of amazing players. Powerhouse Lashon Halley and more recently  Alex Nester on vocals reshaped the sound as did Chad Richard on electric guitar and  Nick Phakpiseth on bass, and the group still features longtime brass players like Ulf  Bjorlin, Vikram Devasthali and new trumpet masters Mike Jones, Austin Drake, Max  O’leary and more. The original drummer Josh Heffernan has kept the heartbeat going  for nearly 15 years as well as special guest Michael Villiers to round out the band. Even  their original lady singer Caitlin Doyle, who joined after one of the original Craigslist ads  went live all those years ago - is back in the fold behind the mic. 

After throwing five of own Sway At Home Festivals during the pandemic to keep the joy  going, and creating their own in person gathering Sonic Boom Fest in the hills above  Malibu, 2022 and 2023 brought fresh music with their Set Me Free EP and highly playlisted folk singles “Beside You” and “The Exception” which features Grammy nominated The Secret Sisters from Muscle Shoals. Life has continued to spill into the  music along the way: Lupetin became a dad and nearly lost his wife to a harrowing  medical incident - and the track “Be (For July)” and its emotional music video brought  in new listeners from around the globe - with the new album cut “Mr. Steady” taking  the emotions with strings from original member Connor Vance to the next level. 

A summer staple on the festival circuit, notable appearances include Hardly Strictly  Bluegrass in San Francisco, Bottle Rock in Napa, Rhythm N Roots in Rhode Island,  Waterfront Blues in Portland, The Cambridge Folk Fest in England and Tonder Festival  in Denmark to highlight a few of their favorite stops with a new tour in England on the  way this summer. An eye-opening state-department tour of China was also undertaken,  prompting a funny mini documentary on Youtube. 

Dustbowl does like to pay homage to their heroes with special concept shows now and  again: the group first completed a successful run of performing art centers paying the  music of The Band (Robbie Robertson even sent a signed vinyl as a thank you) and in  2024-2025 Dustbowl is embarked on a run of theaters and festivals showcasing the  music of LA’s Laurel Canyon. A brassy Beatles cover of “Oh! Darling” was shared  featuring Ivan Neville on organ and the band released the politically charged “The  Truth” confronting the overturning of Roe V Wade. Recorded in cabin studio in  Wisconsin with noted engineer Brian Joseph (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens) - it is a preview  of their upcoming record CHANGE YOUR MIND.

However you sip their sound, Dustbowl Revival has become a beloved fixture of the  Americana community - from playing tiny speakeasies and pubs around their southern  California base, to headlining thousands of shows in ten countries and counting.  Indeed, founder Z. Lupetin’s quixotic Craigslist ad hoping to find like-minded music makers to play songs inspired equally by Wilco, Bob Dylan and Springsteen as Nina  Simone, Fleetwood Mac and Bill Withers may seem confusing, but somehow it’s  worked.  

“Maybe we don’t know where this journey will take us or how long it will last,”  acknowledges Lupetin, “That’s my take on the importance of what we try to do. Music  elevates us, lifts us up, makes us change our minds, takes us out of our comfort zones.  If just one person can be moved by just one song, that’s enough.”

How do you describe genre-defying roots music adventurers Dustbowl Revival? Even  tireless founder and lead songwriter Z. Lupetin would agree you have to come to a  show to find out. Going strong into their second decade after starting from a humble  Craigslist ad posted in bohemian Venice Beach, some woulr say Dustbowl’s energetic  collective (there have been nearly thirty members!) plays a spicy cocktail of folky-funk  or booty-shaking jangly rock n’ soul: expertly mixing their New Orleans-tinted brass  section with their signature Laurel Canyon harmonies and fearless lyrics.  

While most bands stay in one lane or fade away quickly, Dustbowl Revival is a  testament to building a fanbase and their own sound the old-fashioned way, with hard  work and moving songs that stick to your bones when you leave the concert. There’s a  reason they continue to get written up in Rolling Stone and Billboard and get played on  AAA radio 18+ years after they set sail. 

After releasing seven acclaimed albums starting in 2008, including their beloved live  record With A Lampshade On (2015) recorded mostly at their LA homebase the famed  Troubadour, and their charting self-titled record (2017) produced by Grammy-winner  Ted Hutt (Flogging Molly, Old Crow Medicine Show), perhaps their magnum opus is  2020’s deeply personal Is It You, Is It Me - produced by Sam Kassirer (Lake Street Dive,  Josh Ritter). It showcases their penchant for orchestral brass and intricate string work  with politically-charged story-songs that unfold like mini-movies.  

It’s not surprising that Z. Lupetin was an award-winning playwright and moved to LA  from Chicago with everything he owned in the back of his Saab hatchback to be a  script writer before music took the reins.  

While the group has a reputation for leading joyful horn-blasted mini parades off the  stage and sometimes rig out of the venue, it’s the storytelling that keeps folks coming  back. “Get Rid Of You”, an ode to the courageous kids in Parkland, FL who stood up to  demand common-sense control laws be passed is a heart-wrenching staple of each  show and “Get Right” - a new stomp blues that will be a part of their upcoming 2026  record, confronts the vigilante justice that exists throughout our country head on. 

While staying proudly independent, the band has garnered over twenty million streams  and counting - with romantic jams like “Honey, I Love You” (featuring bluesmaster Keb’  Mo’) and fan favorites like the intense love song “Sonic Boom” and universal  healthcare ode “Debtors Prison” leading the charge.  

Many first learned about the band after the now 100-year old legend (and fan of the  group) Dick Van Dyke let the gang shoot a music video with him dancing in his  signature straw hat at his house; the quirky jam to “Never Had To Go” went viral, being 

seen over five million times, while being featured on an HBO documentary about aging  with joy. A new Hollywood collab is on the way too: funnyman Ed Helms (who once  hired the band to play his wedding) will join the band on his banjo in the song “Tall  Tales” which will be on the new record as well. A special cameo from Vulfpeck’s Theo  Katzman on the spooky “Change Your Mind” will also come out soon. 

It hasn’t always been easy - being a 7-8 piece band during the upheaval caused by the  pandemic did make some in the band move on - but it also brought in a new  supercharged group of amazing players. Powerhouse Lashon Halley and more recently  Alex Nester on vocals reshaped the sound as did Chad Richard on electric guitar and  Nick Phakpiseth on bass, and the group still features longtime brass players like Ulf  Bjorlin, Vikram Devasthali and new trumpet masters Mike Jones, Austin Drake, Max  O’leary and more. The original drummer Josh Heffernan has kept the heartbeat going  for nearly 15 years as well as special guest Michael Villiers to round out the band. Even  their original lady singer Caitlin Doyle, who joined after one of the original Craigslist ads  went live all those years ago - is back in the fold behind the mic. 

After throwing five of own Sway At Home Festivals during the pandemic to keep the joy  going, and creating their own in person gathering Sonic Boom Fest in the hills above  Malibu, 2022 and 2023 brought fresh music with their Set Me Free EP and highly playlisted folk singles “Beside You” and “The Exception” which features Grammy nominated The Secret Sisters from Muscle Shoals. Life has continued to spill into the  music along the way: Lupetin became a dad and nearly lost his wife to a harrowing  medical incident - and the track “Be (For July)” and its emotional music video brought  in new listeners from around the globe - with the new album cut “Mr. Steady” taking  the emotions with strings from original member Connor Vance to the next level. 

A summer staple on the festival circuit, notable appearances include Hardly Strictly  Bluegrass in San Francisco, Bottle Rock in Napa, Rhythm N Roots in Rhode Island,  Waterfront Blues in Portland, The Cambridge Folk Fest in England and Tonder Festival  in Denmark to highlight a few of their favorite stops with a new tour in England on the  way this summer. An eye-opening state-department tour of China was also undertaken,  prompting a funny mini documentary on Youtube. 

Dustbowl does like to pay homage to their heroes with special concept shows now and  again: the group first completed a successful run of performing art centers paying the  music of The Band (Robbie Robertson even sent a signed vinyl as a thank you) and in  2024-2025 Dustbowl is embarked on a run of theaters and festivals showcasing the  music of LA’s Laurel Canyon. A brassy Beatles cover of “Oh! Darling” was shared  featuring Ivan Neville on organ and the band released the politically charged “The  Truth” confronting the overturning of Roe V Wade. Recorded in cabin studio in  Wisconsin with noted engineer Brian Joseph (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens) - it is a preview  of their upcoming record CHANGE YOUR MIND.

However you sip their sound, Dustbowl Revival has become a beloved fixture of the  Americana community - from playing tiny speakeasies and pubs around their southern  California base, to headlining thousands of shows in ten countries and counting.  Indeed, founder Z. Lupetin’s quixotic Craigslist ad hoping to find like-minded music makers to play songs inspired equally by Wilco, Bob Dylan and Springsteen as Nina  Simone, Fleetwood Mac and Bill Withers may seem confusing, but somehow it’s  worked.  

“Maybe we don’t know where this journey will take us or how long it will last,”  acknowledges Lupetin, “That’s my take on the importance of what we try to do. Music  elevates us, lifts us up, makes us change our minds, takes us out of our comfort zones.  If just one person can be moved by just one song, that’s enough.”

More about Eddie Owen Presents: Red Clay Music Foundry
Duluth, Georgia – Eddie Owen Presents is the songwriter’s best friend. It is a music venue, music school, and a home away from home for a performing songwriter and their fans. We are based in Duluth, Georgia at Red Clay Music Foundry – a 260-seat listening room that hosts the most talented musicians on the planet.
When & Where
Oct 2, 2026, 8:00pm to 10:30pm Timezone: EDT
$25.00


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