For as long as I can remember, I have known Tom Savage since living in Westport. Tom was always a character who walked his own path. I’ve always put him on a pedestal for that reason. His music draws upon the blues, great songwriters and funky experimental soulful rock 'n roll. In the early days, he taught me my first bass licks. He is still playing his trusty rusty Gibson Nighthawk, which to me shows his character in dedication to his tools and his craft.

One of Tom's newest musical incarnations is this great band, Dead Root Revival, which puts it all into focus for him. As Kim Mitchell would’ve have said, “he’s just doing his rock ‘n roll roll duty”. Enjoy their atmospheric rock 'n roll session on Friday, September 19 from 6 to 9 PM on The Cove patio stage where we'll kick off the Westporch Festival in the open air under the stars. Details, tickets and reservations here: web link

Seamus Cowan: Ever since I have known you, you have definitely been into guitarist central rock and roll music! When you have the ability to play as well as you do, it must be so fun to be at the helm of everything. That said, finding a band of players that is all on the same trip as you is perhaps just as important. Do you agree?

Yes. I totally agree. Dead Root Revival grew out of the Tony Silvestri Band (which was a high calibre cover band), so this group of musicians have been performing together for over a decade. There's a familiarity and cohesiveness that comes from that. But yes, ultimately it is important, particularly with original music, for each member to have a similar vision of where they want the music to go. A musical mission statement.

Dead Root Revival is without a doubt the best band I have had the pleasure of working with over my thirty year career. Every member of this band brings everything they have, every single time we play. The energy is palpable. And we have so much fun!

Q: Similar to me, you have many influences that make up your musical palette. I know that you love, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, blues, jazz… Is there a band out there right now that really says it all for you? A band that you would probably love to open for someday?

I'm always down for some Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio or Khruangbin. I listen to quite a bit of instrumental music. As for a band that I would love to open for? Daniel Romano's Outfit. I bought their "Fully Plugged In" live album off of Bandcamp, and I dig the energy. I think that band along with Dead Root Revival on the bill would make for an incredible show.

Q: I am amazed at how strong a belief system you have in what you do. You’re an incredibly inspiring musician that continues to do what you want to do and see it through. There is a common thread through everything, but you have taken many turns along the way. Do you feel like there are some other new roads around the corner?

Thank you Seamus. I appreciate those kind words. Music is my calling. Creating art is a way of life for me. I will always wear my capital "A" artist badge proudly!

Musically, I do like to mix it up a bit. It keeps things interesting. Coming up this October, I will be releasing a Savage Family Band album (my son Benji plays bass, Bonz on drums, Tony on keys), and while it is not new material (recorded a couple of years ago), it is very much a different side to my songwriting: jazz, soul, and mostly instrumental. I'm also collaborating with Kingston band, The Mill-Rights, on some new material that is looking like it will probably become an album… at some point. I also have a solo acoustic record that has been simmering.

And of course there is Dead Root Revival. We have introduced some new songs into the set list that look to be the beginnings of a second album. But we will exercise patience with this, as I feel we would want any new release to measure up to "The Controller's Exam". We may have set a tall order for ourselves there.

Q: Having the ability to take your band on tour to record somewhere is an extremely special thing. What was it like recording in Georgia with famed producer/actor David Barbe? What made you seek him out to produce the first major Dead Root Revival record?

It was an amazing experience working with David. He's a great engineer and producer, and an incredible human being. He was on the same page with the band from the get go… even when I was discussing the project with him on the phone before traveling down there, I could tell he was the right person for the job.
I sought David out because I was a fan of his work with Drive-By Truckers. I really enjoyed the raw and gritty sound of those records. That's what I wanted a Dead Root Revival record to sound like… even though we are much more of a jammy kind of band. Turns out that working with the same producer, in the same studio, with the same gear, helped to achieve that result!

Q: We are very happy to have you coming back to The Cove Sep.19 to kick off the 5th annual Westporch festival! In a lot of ways, grassroots is what you are all about in particularly what this festival is all about. Having a platform to be able to perform is crucial to the longevity of this art of music. Do you feel like there is enough support for the arts to help but urge the next generation?

There is a slow burning crisis in terms of music venues. We're losing them in mid-sized and larger cities, mostly to real estate developers. It makes it difficult to tour if there is nowhere to perform. It makes it difficult to develop performance skills if unable to play a show locally.

Music doesn't really fit into this hyper-capitalist society we find ourselves in, even though it can offer significant economic impact on a local level, and generally benefit society as a whole. Real estate development can make bigger dollars for a small percentage of society, and unfortunately this balance is askew.

I've long believed that municipalities need to devote funds from their tourism (and even healthcare) budgets towards ensuring a living wage for working musicians. This could be achieved through subsidizing venues so they could raise musician wages to reflect cost of living increases without compromising their business's financial well-being; more (or any at all) geared-to-income artist housing co-ops; a significant increase in public performance funding, etc.
I feel if we continue with the status quo then there will not be enough support for musicians in the future. In this digital age, it is imperative we strengthen the in-person connectivity of our local communities, and music is an essential tool for bringing people together.

And, for goodness sake, people need to stop scoffing at a $20 cover charge at the local bar, when they'll gladly lay down $700 to see Springsteen while sitting in the nosebleeds of the Scotiabank Arena! The impact we make when we support independent artists is far more significant. Your ticket or merchandise purchase is helping to pay rent, buy groceries, or gassing up the tour van. Posted: Aug 26, 2025 Originally Published: Aug 23, 2025