Rio & The Rockabilly Revival play their last show in the States before heading overseas with Ryan Dillaha and The Miracle Men and Flight of Fire.
Getting the night started was Ryan Dillaha and The Miracle Men. This working class rock and roll band from Detroit consists of Ryan Dillaha (acoustic guitar/vocals, Jason T. Portier (electric guitar), Jeremy Mackinder (bass), Jesse Soriano (drums), and Jarrod Champion (keyboard). Right from the beginning, this band had the crowd’s attention. With rockabilly mixed with a bluegrass swing, they even got a few people moving on the dance floor. Shelling out tunes like “Miracle Man,†“Hometown Hangovers,†“Whiskey Blind,†and more, this downriver band packs a soulful punch.
Ryan Dillaha and The Miracle Men is the kind of band that makes sure everyone in the crowd is entertained. It is obvious that these skilled musicians love the music they make together. Their music is catchy, enthusiastic, and full of heart, and began a great night of music. Their debut album, Miracles in Mono, is set for release this year.
Next up, with the famous recording of Reverend Snow condemning the evils of rock and roll as an intro, Rio & The Rockabilly Revival hit the stage with “Runaway Train.” They started at 100% and never backed down. This Detroit based blast from the past consists of Rio Scafone (vocals), Junebug Harris (bass) Renee Turner (backing vocals), Yana Levovna (backing vocals), Kelly Bevez (backing vocals), Charlie Bongo (drums), Jimmy Alter (guitar), and Eric Schabo (saxophone). Rio’s show is full of energy and action and they bring back the old days of rockabilly, but this is rockabilly like we haven’t heard before.
Scafone is a vixen on the stage.  She’s a passionate performer who really knows how to bring the audience in. While she is a powerhouse, what makes this band fantastic is that each member holds their own on the stage. Harris was a maniac on the bass, even climbing it while playing for a song. Bongo played with a frenzied masterfulness behind the drums.  Alter grooving on the guitar and Schabo’s vibrant and rich tones on the saxophone gave the band the jazzy feel. Levovna and Turner were stunners as backing vocals in both their dancing and voices, harmonizing together with Rio beautifully and completing the rockabilly feel.
Scafone took command on the stage, gyrating and dancing all over. With her velvety, sultry voice and powerful cries, you couldn’t keep up with her. Clad in her red polka-dot dress, she brings a hard rock edge to her rockabilly revival. Shelling out originals like “Thank You,” “Once Upon A Time,” and “Hop Skip Jump,” mixed with covers like “”I’m Shakin’,” “Hound Dog” and even “Rebel Yell,” they had the crowd dancing and cheering.
By the time they hit their finale with “Save My Soul,†everyone was up on their feet. It was an honor to see this band for the first time as they were leaving for a tour overseas. If you haven’t seen them yet, jump at the chance when they return. You will not regret it, they are like nothing you’ve seen before. Their latest album, Testify, is out now and available on their website.
Last up for the night was Flight of Fire, who wasted no time getting the crowd’s undivided attention. This vivacious foursome, coming out of Detroit and Boston, consists of Maverick (vocals and guitar), Tanya Dmuchowski (guitar), Tia Dmuchowski (bass), and Victoria Seagriff (drums). They became the Hard Rock Rising 2015 Boston City-Wide Champions this year.
The Flight of Fire performance this night was mind-blowing. Maverick flaunted her impressive vocal skill, belting beautiful and sultry melodies. Seagriff is a whirlwind of unapologetic energy behind the drum kit. The Dmuchowski Twins are a force to be reckoned with, Tanya’s vicious electrifying guitar leads and Tia’s blaring riffs on bass cementing the foursome’s sound. Their songs are finely crafted to be crowd pleasers, getting people who may not even know them up to the stage.
Rio & The Rockabilly Revival
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Ryan Dillaha and The Miracle Men
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Flight of Fire
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The Token Lounge
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