Five Years On The Guadalupe For Splice Record’s River Revival

By Andrew Blanton | Corridor News Exclusive

A wailing saxophone echoes through the air as the sun sets on towering cliffs above the Guadalupe River.

A quick stroll through art vendors and temporary-tent resorts greet you at the entrance to the fifth-annual River Revival, a one-of-a-kind experience that puts the focus on the festival attendee above all else.

Vast-stretching horns from a steer bob along with the subtle current followed by a cast of costume-clad campers as the sun starts to fade. The annual float parade contest showcases the love attendees have for this peaceful oasis just out of reach of the sounds of city life.

A train of masked luchadores throw their hat in the ring, though their floats won’t allow for any dazzling acrobatics. Possibly the largest pink flamingo float in existence grasps the overall vibe of relaxation that Houston based Splice Records has created, an all-inclusive getaway where cell phone coverage fades along with the stress of the metroplex.

“Not to go long into this story, but I’m proud of this story,” Splice Records CEO Shaun Brennan said as he held back a laugh.

The concept for the River Revival was organic in nature, an idea Brennan had to build camaraderie and relationships among artists and employees that formed the backbone of Spice Records. Brennan reserved ten sites at the KL Ranch Camp in New Braunfels and provided communal meals between lazy days on the river and campfire performances.

After the first night, other campers at the grounds inquired about the music they heard and asked if they could join in.

“Pretty much the whole campground came to our campsite,” Brennan said, “and all of the musicians just passed the guitar around.”

Brennan had an epiphany while watching the Splice Records family bond with other vacationers and inquired as to whether the entire campground was available for a private festival. The owners agreed to allow the site to be rented out for the first time, given that it came at the end of the vacation season. Owners also requested that the contract include three annual events.

The first knowledge of the River Revival was only available through subscribers of Splice Record’s email list, explaining that you would need an invitation to attend and to bring a donation for the admittance.

Word spread quickly and the reality of running a music festival started to set in. Brennan realized they would need to rent a stage for the musicians, and was able to get one just in time.

“It just turned out to be this magical weekend I couldn’t stop thinking about,” Brennan said.

With avid support from a loyal fan base, word spread quickly and the River Revival was able to enhance the experience each year, budgeting for hard-to-get acts to headline the event, partnering with Lone Star Beer for a steady flow of refreshments and top-quality meals for the campers from Little Kitch HTX.

Last year Splice Records added access to a second campsite on a nearby cliffside, but the event remains comfortable to all attending, allowing for much smaller crowd sizes while enjoying the lineup.

“When you do something so grand on such a small scale, it’s obvious to people that I’m not getting rich off of this,” Brennan said. “It’s a very valuable ticket.”

On the final night of this year’s River Revival, Brennan’s emotions were colliding with the invaluable memories the Guadalupe has provided. As he walked onto the stage to thank everyone involved in the festival, Brennan was unsure if there would be a future event.

“I wanted to go up there only with a list of people I wanted to thank, and just come from the heart,” Brennan said. “While also telling everyone how much of a burden this whole thing can be for my family.”

As tears started to pour from Brennan’s eyes, a “Wolf of Wall Street” moment of triumph overcame him, and all of the stress of building the event started to fade away.

“There’s a side that wants you historically to continue because it keeps you alive, and there’s a side that makes you never want to do it again because you think it’s going to kill you,” Brennan said. “It’s like that yin and yang thing where the balance of the difficulty in comparison to the reward is untouchable. I’ve never found any other business that’s like this.”

After J.D. McPherson scorched the main stage, campers settled in for the final round of late-night campfire sing-a-longs. A gospel brunch the following morning allowed time for Brennan to say goodbye to the children he’s watched age over the past five years and even a married couple that met at a past River Revival.

Brennan admits he has reoccurring dreams in the planning stages of things that could go wrong but promises the River Revival will be back next year stronger than ever. For information on next year’s event visit www.riverrevival.net.