Rio and the Rockabilly Revival

Front woman Rio Scafone is famous for going on stage bundled up like a pinup queen, and leaving it like a pinup queen drenched in sweat, often with bruised or bleeding knees. When you go to a Rio and the Rockabilly Revival show, you are getting a world-class, a-ticket concert experience, the likes of which you rarely or never get from a live show anymore, regardless of genre. And the audiences at Revival shows understand that at an instinctual level, and respond to it immediately. It is not at all uncommon for audience members to get so caught up in the shows that they fall to their knees, and cry!

Thematically, every aspect of Rio and the Rockabilly Revival's performance is purposeful. The music we play, the whole aesthetic we play off of and so much more is to refernce on the feel and energy you may witness at a southern revival tent church service, with spontaneous miracles, and people so caught up in the spirit that they may rise from a wheel chair or collapse to their knees. In fact, the band name "Rockabilly Revival" does not mean "to revive Rockabilly." Rockabilly didn't go anywhere and never needed to be revived. Rockabilly is a stylistic reference, and Revival is all about that Pentecostal-like experience, sweat and all.

Even Rio's stage wear is part of the show. Yes, she stands before you, feminine and oozing sex appeal, but at the same time, her body language, singing style, even pairing a polka dotted swing dress with combat boots, is all about refusing to be tied down by someone else's expectations. The themes of sin and redemption in the songs are the same way always pushing and pulling, bring the audience on a trip for an entire experience -- not just performing a bunch of songs on stage so they sound as close to an album cut as possible.

“It’s just you, the microphone and the truth”
-Rio Scafone

Like a whiskey-soaked southern revival tent, Rio and the Rockabilly Revival serves up spitfire

Rockabilly where angels fall and sinners are welcome. Make no mistake, this is not your daddy’s Doo-
Wop. It’s pure Rock & Roll with all the sin, sweat and swagger that entails.

The Revival draws heavily from the genres that came together in the early 50’s to form what would be
first known as Rockabilly, and later as Rock and Roll: Jump Blues, Gospel, Hillbilly Swing and Rhythm
and Blues. Then blending these old school sounds with a fresh aesthetic has proven to be a winning
combination for Rio and the Rockabilly Revival, appealing to traditional purists and modern music
lovers alike.

They’re currently nominated for Entertainers of the Year by the coveted Josie Music Awards held in
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Other recent awards include Best Original Band in Hour Detroit
Magazine’s annual readers’ poll three years in a row; 2018 Americana Entertainer of the Year and 2019
Multi-genre Entertainer of the Year at the international Josie Music Awards; and multiple Detroit Music
Awards. They were also recent headlining performers at MetroTimes Magazine’s Best of Detroit
celebration. They’re frequent headliners at music festivals and concert halls in the United States, Canada
and Europe. Other notable performances include being the only “house band” for the ABC’s Woodward
Dream Cruise Televised Broadcast two years in a row; a position created in order to include Rio and
the Rockabilly Revival by the Detroit-area ABC syndicate, Channel 7.

“Then Scafone’s on stage, twisting, gyrating and owning every inch like some sort of
possessed, evangelical-satanic dervish. It’s at once nostalgic performance art, killer show
band and rock ‘n’ roll wonder.”
– Brett Callwood, MetroTimes

Niece of original Rockabilly pioneer, Jack Scott, Rio Scafone is well-deserved Rock and Roll royalty. The
Revival’s bombastic stage show whips audiences into a frenzy with her full-tilt Bettie-Page-on-a-rampage
persona, trademark pinup dress and scrappy boots. Back it up with tight harmonies, top notch
musicianship and high-energy choreography and you’ve got yourself a Revival show. Their concerts
have been dubbed the ‘Church of Rock & Roll’ for playing off themes of sin and redemption, driving fans
to their knees, chanting, "Save My Soul!"

We can provide full sound for any gig, although our preference is for FOH/venue to run sound for the room and we will maintain our monitors with our rig.

We do not travel with lighting typically, but can provide for an extra fee.

Virtually any other aspect is negotiable and can be discussed.