New Orleans retro rockers The Revivalists awaken Dallas with a 'sweltering Sunday morning church service'

It's easy to pick up the gritty Southern twang and retro sentiments baked into most of The Revivalists' songs. They're resurrecting a side of rock we've heard and seen before, so how are they living up to their name and bringing something fresh and noteworthy to the stage?

On Wednesday night, the 8-piece group from New Orleans rolled up their sleeves and got to work at the South Side Ballroom in Dallas. They played almost two hours and delivered a barn-burner of a show filled with sweaty rock n' roll and sizzling charisma. If their sound wasn't unique, at least their unyielding energy and pure passion were going to do the trick.

The crowd played out every word that front man David Shaw was serving in the early number, "You And I": "So all I wanna do is dance. I just wanna raise my hands. Raise 'em up to the sky." A blanket of bouncing hands and ear-to-ear grins popped up across the venue throughout the mirthful, stop-and-go sing-along. They're polished but still rough enough around the edges to be believed.

With each new roaring track complete with hard-knocking drums and fiery strings, The Revivalists flipped the industrial space into a communal gathering. The flaring brass, screaming guitars and Shaw's unrelenting vitality in "All In The Family" were as compelling as a sweltering Sunday morning church service. The song fired on all cylinders and reached an epic decibel, and somehow, through all the frenetic fervor, stayed within the boundaries.

The group didn't seem to veer off course or even entertain a fleeting instrumental tangent during the track. Instead, like the well-oiled machine they are, they hit the notes and jammed through the bridges only to move on to the next. For better or worse, it was clear The Revivalists had been at this game for years (over 10 to be exact).

Considering their decade-long career, the band's stamina is something to be admired. Most of their set featured up-tempo tracks like "Change" and "All My Friends." It wasn't until the latter half of the evening that they finally eased off the gas with "Need You." This was the golden hour of the entire show. The tragic wail of the trumpet and soft, pitter-pattering percussion made for a beautiful and powerful performance. Shaw's vulnerable vocals drove it home and revealed the versatility the set had been lacking.

After a slight twist with less emphasis on the sassy horns in the single that changed it all, "Wish I Knew You," the guys eased into their softer side for the encore. Even the building momentum of "Catching Fireflies" felt like a refreshing breather and brought some calming clarity to the red-blooded set. The robust track began with a pillowed acoustic-and-saxophone pairing and ended in a sprint with spiraling string benders and Shaw's white-knuckled chords. And the crowd was there for it all, singing along and swaying to the soothing ivory introduction in "Soulfight," a favorite deep cut from their debut 2008 EP.

It wasn't until they showed a more sedated disposition that The Revivalists truly lived up to their name on Wednesday night. They've done more than just attempt to resuscitate an era of Southern rock. These Nola boys are embracing the long and winding road they've maintained to get to stages like South Side Ballroom. A stage they dominated with an adoring audience and a set list that left us reeling.

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