Rival Sons Announce 'A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island' Streaming Video & Audio Release

 

In June 2021, Rival Sons delivered two live performances from Catalina Island, just off the shore of Southern California. The result, A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island, originally streamed via VEEPS to fans at home across the world, many of whom were still in lockdown because of the pandemic. 

The band members and their crew set out from their homes in L.A. and Long Beach, and on a friend’s yacht they sailed over to Catalina Island with all their equipment and their crew, to perform in the Catalina Casino for global audiences. 

Singer Jay Buchanan comments: “Pair Of Aces was recorded over two days in May of 2021 at the Casino in Avalon Bay on Santa Catalina Island, California. Part one (‘Before The Fire’) was recorded in the ballroom on May 19th and part two (‘Rival Sons’ EP) was recorded in the historic theater on May 20th.”

At the time, the band stated: “We’ve all been through so much this past year and a half. We have longed to be on the road playing for you. As you know, we launched our label Sacred Tongue Recordings and have been re-releasing our early material. We felt that revisiting these first two records in a live, prestigious setting was the best way to give them the first-class treatment that our humble beginnings couldn’t provide.”

Now, for the first time, these performances will be available to watch on YouTube and to stream on audio platforms. Both performances premier via YouTube and will be released in their entirety digitally. 

• RSVP YouTube premiere
• Pre-save A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 1), out 11/22 
• Pre-save A Pair Of Aces: Live From Santa Catalina Island (Part 2),  out 12./13

Buchanan states: “To finally release both audio and video of these performances feels good. When we recorded these performances, the band was neck deep in what was to become the Darkfighter / Lightbringer collection so breaking away from all of that heavy lifting to go blow some dust off of our origin story felt amazing. It’s a raw, unfiltered glimpse at a band raging against the isolation of the times.”

Watch a clips of Rival Sons performing “I Want More” below.

Buchanan elaborates, “It had been a dream of mine to play the Casino since I’d gone there as a child. Through the pandemic years we’d had the intention to record a live stream, but we’d been turned off by how terribly we’d seen it go for so many bands. We wanted to record a performance where we were just playing for each other without an audience. Generate the energy together for the sake of doing it. Along with everyone else, we hadn’t been able to tour or play shows at all in over fifteen months and it was killing us.”

Guitarist Scott Holiday comments: “You can see Catalina Island from the beach town I live in. I’ve been visiting it for years. Every time I’ve gone, I’ve made sure to visit the old historic casino that sits proudly at one end of the harbor in Avalon. And every time I’ve taken the tour I’ve thought the same thing…wouldn’t it be so great to play in these rooms and make a live film? And so…Rival Sons did just that.”

At the time the band stated: “It is beautiful, and perfectly exudes how we wanted to portray these recordings”. Scott elaborates: “In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of our first 2 albums, we played each album in its entirety over 2 different nights. One night in the ballroom (in the round!) performing Before The Fire, and the next night we played the self-titled record in the old movie theatre. It was every bit as cool and interesting as I’d hoped. A real honor and pleasure to fill this beautiful place with sound. The director did a great job capturing it for everyone to share in the experience with us and now it will be available to listen and watch anytime you’d like.”