A nine-piece band whose sound is deeply rooted in 1960s soul will make a nod toward the modern Friday at Heartwood Soundstage.
On Sept. 29 at 8 p.m., fans will experience a Savants of Soul live performance. For those who cannot attend in person, the same performance will be accessible for the price of a ticket on a livestream portal, broadcasted around the world for fans far and wide.
Heartwood Soundstage is a recording studio and performance venue that has hosted several livestreams with a unique entry point of access. Payment credentials will take fans directly to the show without leaving the comfort of their homes.
“It’s like paying at the door to get in,” Savants of Soul drummer Alexander Klausner said.
Klausner was excited about the idea of performing for people that the band does not reach on the weekend tour circuit. The convenience of a livestream may be ideal for homebodies, but Klausner urges local fans to come to the show, as there isn’t much that beats the energy and experience of seeing a band perform live.
“If you have the opportunity as an out-of-town fan to see your favorite band play, that’s what I’m into. But I don’t want anyone in Gainesville trying to tune in from their couch,” Klausner said. “I want them to be there loud and proud.”
Though Savants of Soul is no stranger to reaching fans far beyond the Gainesville city limits, Friday’s performance will see several people tuned in as far as East Asia.
“I have family in Taiwan,” Klausner said. “So for me personally, this is such an amazing thing because right around the time we’re going to be getting on stage, they’re going to be waking up and having their daily coffee and watching us from across the world.”
“It’s pretty exciting,” added Justin McKenzie, Savants of Soul’s lead vocalist. “We’ve been practicing pretty hard since this performance will be immortalized unlike our other shows. I’m a little nervous because I have family and friends out-of-state who haven’t seen us play yet.”
Opening for Savants of Soul this Friday is Violet Reverb, a rock ‘n’ roll band with blues and psychedelic influences. The band consists of Will Campbell, David Rodriguez and Chris Shaw, though Friday’s performance will be a two-piece act featuring Campbell, who will play drums and perform backing vocals, and Rodriguez, who will play guitar and sing lead.
Campbell, who is good friends with Klausner, became friends with the Savants of Soul when he was a guitar substitute for their South by Southwest tour earlier this year in Austin, Texas.
“When Alex mentioned that they needed an opener for this event at Heartwood, we were honored to accept,” Campbell said. “Forming relationships with other bands is awesome; it’s all about making honest connections. My band that I drum for is going to open for a band that I play guitar for occasionally. It’s really cool.”
Campbell hopes that the livestream gives fans and family outside of Gainesville the opportunity to watch them perform.
“We have never done anything like this before, so we are completely stoked to be a part of it,” Campbell said. “It’s awesome that technology has gotten us to this point where we can make things like this happen.”
After Friday’s show, Violet Reverb plans to take the next month to record a small six-to-seven track album.
Savants of Soul recently recorded their newest single, “Dead Man Running,” with producer Vince Chiarito of Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires in his Brooklyn recording studio. The single, to be released in 2018 with B-side “Missed Connections,” will be accompanied by a music video.
Live audience tickets can be purchased for $10 in advance at Eventbrite.com and $15 at the door. Audience members choosing to livestream the performance can pay $10 upon entrance to the stream, and the link will be posted to the band’s Facebook page closer to the event.
