Saturday At The Splice Records’ River Revival Music Fest

Hurricane Harvey may have put a pause on marketing efforts but the “show will go on.”

By Mary Elizabeth Shivers

On Saturday, Sept. 30, I took a 36-minute drive to see Splice Records’ River Revival Music Fest at the KLC Ranch Camp-On the River campgrounds in New Braunfels. A windy road through the trees led me to an area filled with RVs, cars parked on sloping hillsides, camping tents and vendors’ booths. Spanish music boomed across the campsite.

The festival was created by Splice Records, an indie label based in Houston. The purpose of the festival was to allow the public to share their love of good times, great tunes, and camaraderie while enjoying the beauty of Texas along the Guadalupe River.

Each year River Revival draws in more than 500 conscious campers, all gathered to partake in a variety of activities geared towards bringing people together for a good time. Activities such as intimate campfire concerts, hiking, river floating, canoeing, paddle boarding, kayaking, rope swings, fishing, various workshops on reptile handling, beekeeping and nature identification with a true  master naturalist, live transcendental meditative music mixed with morning yoga sessions with Christi Workman of Hi/Lo Kick Studios, kids music class and a performance by AndyRoo and the Andyrooniverse on Saturday. There will also be a One-Pot Cook-Off Competition on Friday, where six cooking teams will come up with one dish that is made in one pot using only one flame.

“Every year we like to sign at least one blues legend to our lineup, bands who are on the rise, or artists who have impressed us on any size stage in the year leading up to River Revival,” said Splice Records CEO Shaun Brennan. “This year we have added the best live band in country to the bill, Pimps of Joytime, from Brooklyn, New York. They are a multi-genre funky mash up that I saw live for the first time three years ago at JazzFest. Ever since that first show, I have followed them and seen them on every occasion that I could. The problem was that every time would require me to be in New Orleans. That triggered my will, and I was determined to change that. I made it a dream of mine to be the one to bring them to Texas to have them play live at River Revival. The energy from their live performance combined with their unique mixture of funky soul has me profoundly excited to announce that the Pimps of Joytime will be closing the main stage and headlining this year’s festival.”

The vendors’ booths were located at the center of the festival where the music was. One booth featured a display of a set of beautiful necklaces made from stones of different colors as well as wooden necklaces with the “River Revival” logo on them.

“We make a variety of energetic, hand-crafted art pieces,” said Jay Yaws, the maker of the necklaces. “We utilize a variety of crystals mainly quartz and calcite because quartz and calcite are known through science to be physio electric, meaning electricity from pressure.”

Yaws said after grinding up the quarts and/or calcite, the ground stone is wrapped in copper coils and submerged in a polyester resin. Metals are added; the pressure from the shrinking of the resin as it cures causes a chemical reaction and creates a vortex-like effect. The purpose of this effect is to protect against the energy-sucking effects of electronics.

Yaws gets the crystals from “Nature’s Treasures,” a crystal shop in Austin. His wife works with him as his business partner. About three years ago, Yaws and his wife came to the festival after receiving a glowing recommendation from one of their shop helpers. The experience inspired them to take part in the festival by bringing their business into it. By connecting with Brennan, they were able to realize their aspiration.

Yaws said he plans to keep coming to the festival. One possible art piece he might bring in the future is a seven-foot pyramid he has constructed, which people will be able to climb inside.

I explored the campgrounds further and found myself on the banks of the Guadalupe River; the river cascaded down small ledges and merry campers floated with it. Across the river, majestic cliffs stared back at me in the sunlight. Remembering Brennan recommending some trails across the river to some campers, I decided to cross the river using the ledge in front of me.

“Afro-Caribbean Hour with DJ Suga Kubz” was dancing across the air as I embarked on my epic journey. Holding my nice tennis shoes in one hand and my purse in the other, I crossed most of the ledge barefoot. Considering how strong the current of the river was, this was probably not the brightest idea I had all day. (The flowing water did feel nice on my feet, though.) There is a feeling of adventure when you have to battle the current for control of your balance. I eventually stopped after realizing I would have to cross a shallow pool with a muddy bottom, thus either ruining my nice tennis shoes or risk getting something sharp stuck in my foot. I turned back ruefully concluding, ‘I probably should have worn shorts and outdoor sandals for a day along the river.’

“Afro-Caribbean Hour” turned into “River Revival Radio with Mills McCoin and Ms. Rain.” Eighties tunes came on, making my feet tap.

I asked a fellow festival-goer, B-Love, how his experience with the festival had been so far.

B-Love said the festival was just a cool experience. He talked about how on Friday, the festival hosted some bands that he hadn’t heard before, and they played really good music.

B-Love’s said, “It’s all love out here. So, if you like a good time, and if you love people, this is the place to be.”

The bands scheduled to play live that day featured Andy Roo and and Andyrooniverse, a band that played for kids, during “Kids and Family Hour.” Following kids’ hour came performances from The Space Villains, Craig Kinsy, Pecos Hank, Say Girl Say, Ancient Cat Society, Henry + The Invisibles, and Pimps of Joytime.

This year’s festival full lineup included Pimps of Joytime, Alvin YoungBlood Hart, John Evans, Henry and the Invisibles, Tomar and the FCs, Emily Bell, Ancient Cat Society, Craig Kinsey, Pecos Hank, Say Girl Say, Vodi, Monoceja, The New Offenders, Maggie Belle Band, The Space Villains, The Tomes, Heath Ledet, The Anjali Project and AndyRoo and the AndyRooniverse.

The main stage live shows started on Friday evening and continued on Saturday morning, Saturday evening and during late night “unplugged” acoustic sets.

Tickets for the weekend were $175 per person, $295 for a two-person bundle, and children under 10 are free. Day tickets were available for Saturday only. The all-inclusive weekend ticket included two-night tent camping stay at riverside camping, three communal meals, live daytime and nighttime campfire concerts, free Saturday morning yoga session and complimentary beverages during the music and brunch. Food was curated by Chef Lindsey Fuquen.

“For the past few weeks, we at Splice have shifted our resources, our energy and our relationships to pushing the ‘Hang in There Houston’ campaign with our dear friend and colleague Chad Ehlinger, the man responsible for the artwork and the branding of the last two River Revival festivals,” Brennan said.

I was sorry I didn’t get to hear these bands, but this doesn’t take away from what I saw at that camp: laughing campers, friendly camp staff, and a beautiful river. I look forward to next year’s festival in the hopes that I’ll be able to share the experience of listening to live bands.

About Splice Records

Splice Records was founded in 2014 by a Texas businessman and film producer Shaun Brennan, along with Houston musician and philosopher Craig Kinsey, who fronted the wildly popular and award-winning band The Sideshow Tramps. The pair celebrated the partnership in July 2014 during a sold-out soft launch at Houston’s legendary Fitzgerald’s for the release of Kinsey’s “American Roots & Machines” album. Kinsey and Brennan continue to expand the label by signing Pecos Hank Schyma, John Evans, Ancient Cat Society and most recently, Arthur Yoria.