Relentless7
Encyclopedia
Relentless7 is an American rock band
formed in 2008 by singer/guitarist Ben Harper
. The current members are Harper (guitar, lead vocals), Jason Mozersky (lead guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass), and Jordan Richardson (drums).
When Harper recruited Mozersky for his album Both Sides of the Gun
, Mozersky suggested his friends Jesse Ingalls and Jordan Richardson, then members of the Austin-cum-L.A. band Oliver Future. The resulting sessions yielded the track "Serve Your Soul", and were the genesis of Relentless7.
on May 5, 2009.
" benefit show on October 29, 2008 in Youngstown, Ohio
along with the Beastie Boys
, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, and Tenacious D
. On March 23, 2009, they appeared on NBC
's Last Call with Carson Daly
to announce the album release and their upcoming tour, performing the single "Shimmer and Shine".
On April 4, 2009, Relentless7 played alone and together with Ringo Starr
, Donovan
, and Eddie Vedder
at Change Begins Within, a benefit concert organized by David Lynch
.
In April 2009, the band began a worldwide tour to promote their new album, quickly selling out (as the headline band) such notable venues as Variety Playhouse
in Atlanta on 5/2; 9:30 club
in Washington, DC (where the show sold out before it was announced); Phoenix Concert Theatre
in Toronto (5/13); the Fillmore
in S.F. (5/27); Webster Hall
in N.Y.C.; the Vic Theatre in Chicago (5/16), and Sydney Metro theatre in Australia, headlined Blusfest, Byron Bay Australia. They have also been scheduled to appear at the London Forum
; a birthday tribute to Pete Seeger
at Madison Square Garden
; the South by Southwest
Festival; Le Printemps de Bourges in France; New Orleans Jazz Festival; the Beale Street Music Festival, and several other venues in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. They also performed on Earth Day 2009 (4/22) in Rome at Piazza del Popolo
. They play Virgin Fest in Toronto as the headliner. They also headlined the All Good Music Festival on July 11, though their performance was met with boos and shouts demanding "no encore." Relentless7 was also featured in Halloweenabaloo, on October 31, 2009 at Union Station. Harper started out solo, was next accompanied by two violinists and a cellists, and lastly, to end the show, played with Relentless7. Linda Perry
played beforehand. They also played alongside Ringo Starr on the January 12th, 2010 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
and the January 13th, 2010 episode of The Daily Show
.
They released a CD/DVD set of their Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2010 in which they kick ass and take names.
s "Spring Music Preview: Inside 45 of the Year's Biggest Albums" and The Austin Chronicle. It was released on May 5, 2009, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
formed in 2008 by singer/guitarist Ben Harper
Ben Harper
Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances and activism. Harper's fan base spans several continents...
. The current members are Harper (guitar, lead vocals), Jason Mozersky (lead guitar), Jesse Ingalls (bass), and Jordan Richardson (drums).
History
Harper met Jason Mozersky in the late 1990s when Mozersky was working for an Austin music promotor. Mozersky was chauffering Harper to a gig, and asked if he could play a demo for his band, Wan Santo Condo. Harper resisted initially, fearing the music would interfere with his mental preparation for the show, but then felt remorseful and agreed to hear the demo. He was "blown away," and the association led first to a record contract for Wan Santo Condo, and then to a collaboration between the two.When Harper recruited Mozersky for his album Both Sides of the Gun
Both Sides of the Gun
Both Sides of the Gun, is a Ben Harper album released in 2006. Split into two discs, the title suggests at the two sides of Harper's musical nature. The first disc is made of mostly acoustic and string-driven songs hinted at on the last track of Harper's previous album Diamonds on the Inside...
, Mozersky suggested his friends Jesse Ingalls and Jordan Richardson, then members of the Austin-cum-L.A. band Oliver Future. The resulting sessions yielded the track "Serve Your Soul", and were the genesis of Relentless7.
Discography
Relentless7 released their debut album, White Lies for Dark TimesWhite Lies for Dark Times
-Deluxe Edition DVD:-Charts:-Personnel:*Ben Harper - vocals/slide guitar*Jason Mozersky - guitar*Jesse Ingalls - bass*Jordan Richardson - drums...
on May 5, 2009.
Tour & Live Performances
The group made its public debut at a "Get Out The VoteGet out the vote
"Get out the vote" are terms used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections.- Non-partisan contexts :...
" benefit show on October 29, 2008 in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
along with the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, and Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
. On March 23, 2009, they appeared on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
to announce the album release and their upcoming tour, performing the single "Shimmer and Shine".
On April 4, 2009, Relentless7 played alone and together with Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, and Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
at Change Begins Within, a benefit concert organized by David Lynch
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch is an American filmmaker, television director, visual artist, musician and occasional actor. Known for his surrealist films, he has developed his own unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", and which is characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound...
.
In April 2009, the band began a worldwide tour to promote their new album, quickly selling out (as the headline band) such notable venues as Variety Playhouse
Variety Playhouse
Variety Playhouse is a music venue in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is located on Euclid Avenue and features a variety of music acts including rock, country, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues and world music as well as other live shows.-Details:The building...
in Atlanta on 5/2; 9:30 club
9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
in Washington, DC (where the show sold out before it was announced); Phoenix Concert Theatre
Phoenix Concert Theatre
The Phoenix Concert Theatre, is located at 410 Sherbourne St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It replaced The Diamond - an earlier club that operated on the same premises in the 1980's.It is of eclectic grandeur, encompassing three distinct environments...
in Toronto (5/13); the Fillmore
The Fillmore
The Fillmore Auditorium is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California, made famous by Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it lies on the boundary of the Western Addition and the Pacific Heights neighborhoods.In 1968,...
in S.F. (5/27); Webster Hall
Webster Hall
Webster Hall is a nightclub located at 125 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, near Astor Place, in Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1886, its current incarnation was opened by the Ballinger Brothers in 1992...
in N.Y.C.; the Vic Theatre in Chicago (5/16), and Sydney Metro theatre in Australia, headlined Blusfest, Byron Bay Australia. They have also been scheduled to appear at the London Forum
London Forum
The London Forum, or sometimes Kentish Town Forum is a well-known venue for concerts in Kentish Town, London, United Kingdom owned by the MAMA Group. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the closure of the cinema, The Town & Country Club was established...
; a birthday tribute to Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
; the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Festival; Le Printemps de Bourges in France; New Orleans Jazz Festival; the Beale Street Music Festival, and several other venues in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia. They also performed on Earth Day 2009 (4/22) in Rome at Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo is a large urban square in Rome. The name in modern Italian literally means "People's Square", but historically it derives from the poplars after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.The piazza lies inside the northern...
. They play Virgin Fest in Toronto as the headliner. They also headlined the All Good Music Festival on July 11, though their performance was met with boos and shouts demanding "no encore." Relentless7 was also featured in Halloweenabaloo, on October 31, 2009 at Union Station. Harper started out solo, was next accompanied by two violinists and a cellists, and lastly, to end the show, played with Relentless7. Linda Perry
Linda Perry
Linda Perry is an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer. Once best known as the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, Perry has founded two record labels and has become a major songwriter and producer...
played beforehand. They also played alongside Ringo Starr on the January 12th, 2010 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
and the January 13th, 2010 episode of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
.
They released a CD/DVD set of their Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2010 in which they kick ass and take names.
Reviews and Reception
Their White Lies for Dark Times album was favorably previewed in Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s "Spring Music Preview: Inside 45 of the Year's Biggest Albums" and The Austin Chronicle. It was released on May 5, 2009, debuting at #9 on the Billboard 200.