Press!
"McDermott equates the past five years to a Grateful Dead tour. 'Deciding to leave everything and just go follow the Dead, because that’s kind of how it felt for my life,' she explains. 'Everything changed for me in the best possible way. I would say that the five years for me is a long, strange trip. And I’m not getting off any time soon.'"
Nikki Hedrick - Beachcomber Destin / March 27, 2014
“As the Blue Ribbon Healers kept at it, their crystal ball cart and wagon sound ringing in every inch of the emptying pint glasses around the room, it was impossible not to pay them more attention.”
Nathan Swartz - Wandrly Magazine / March 16, 2013
“Five songs full of whimsy and charm make up the Healers’ newest EP—part old-timey music, part jazz vocals and part gypsy music approached with a ton of heart and creativity. It’s a lovely release that brings into focus what makes this sometimeslocal band special.”
Nikki Hedrick - Destin Beachcomber / March 15, 2013
“The Gulf Coast doesn’t necessarily strike music fans as a bastion of Old Time string music, but Cindy Rose and Rob Pate of the Blue Ribbon Healers have managed to make it work. Between their hometown of Panama City, Fla., and New Orleans, they’ve carved out a niche for themselves as purveyors of “thrashed-out foot-stompin’ swanky tonk,” and this weekend they’ll set up shop for a week in East Tennessee. In the spring, they came through and enjoyed a rousing welcome at Preservation Pub in downtown Knoxville. Playing their chosen style of music in what’s essentially the cradle of Old Time and Appalachian traditions was an honor, the couple said, and they were received warmly.”
Steve Wildsmith - Maryville Daily Times / November 21, 2012
“They're gypsy troubadours who turn Big Easy jazz blues, Texas swing and mountain jams into sprightly irrepressible music with a speakeasy flair. And while the Blue Ribbon Healers' sound may be weathered and old-fashioned, their subject matter is infused with a modern sensibility. Reminiscent of acts like the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Asylum Street Spankers, they're distinguished by the interplay of Pate's gruff baritone and Rose's sultry fluttering croon, a sort of fire and ice like Tom Waits courting Bessie Smith. "She's the orchid and I'm the rusty beer can," Pate says. ”
Chris Parker - Colorado Springs Independent / January 5, 2012
“Looking like a trio of Appalachian hippies, The Blue Ribbon Healers provide an old-timey sound with a swanky infusion of honky-tonk. The Devil Makes Three with less devil and more saintly sentiment, this guitar, stand-up bass, and mandolin trio (with the occasional kazoo) has been wowing crowds across the country, inspiring the lame to dance and the weak to be strong. With a wide selection of songs lamenting and celebrating the finer things in life, the band loves to partake in ceremonious medicating—so be sure to pass it around!”
Good Times Santa Cruz / December 27, 2011
““We write our own material, but we work hard in our approach to the variety of styles that spark our interest. We explore folk forms where literacy wasn't exactly a strong suit.” That exploring took Rose and Pate from their home base of New Orleans to the campus of Warren Wilson College in January 2010 for a packed show during a snowstorm, as well as many other shows in small, intimate rooms where their music warmly fills in the spaces between audience members. “A lot of times, those places tend to be smaller, but the crowds heartily approve of the stimulating way they can listen to, drink to and dance to our music,” she continued.”
Jonathan Rich - Asheville Citizen-Times / March 31, 2011
“Rob “Ribplate” Pate and Cindy McDermott (a/k/a Cindy Rose) have been around the block a time or two when it comes to “newgrass.” The couple met in Panama City Beach when Cindy was performing with Hellalujah, and the chemistry was instantaneous—musical and otherwise. “We have a good symbiosis,” says Pate. That is quite evident in their live performances, as their harmonies and all-around stage presence are very tight and well rehearsed. Both have incredibly unique voices, producing a completely signature sound. With inspirations such as Ella Fitzgerald, Satchmo, Billie Holiday, Jethro Burns, Grateful Dead, and even the Marlboro Man—Pate lists the latter as his vocal inspiration—it’s no wonder this band took flight with a full-fledged fan base in New Orleans.”
Dannica Lowery - Destin Beachcomber / March 24, 2011
REVERB NATION PRESS KIT:
http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_press/artist_695552
Nikki Hedrick - Beachcomber Destin / March 27, 2014
“As the Blue Ribbon Healers kept at it, their crystal ball cart and wagon sound ringing in every inch of the emptying pint glasses around the room, it was impossible not to pay them more attention.”
Nathan Swartz - Wandrly Magazine / March 16, 2013
“Five songs full of whimsy and charm make up the Healers’ newest EP—part old-timey music, part jazz vocals and part gypsy music approached with a ton of heart and creativity. It’s a lovely release that brings into focus what makes this sometimeslocal band special.”
Nikki Hedrick - Destin Beachcomber / March 15, 2013
“The Gulf Coast doesn’t necessarily strike music fans as a bastion of Old Time string music, but Cindy Rose and Rob Pate of the Blue Ribbon Healers have managed to make it work. Between their hometown of Panama City, Fla., and New Orleans, they’ve carved out a niche for themselves as purveyors of “thrashed-out foot-stompin’ swanky tonk,” and this weekend they’ll set up shop for a week in East Tennessee. In the spring, they came through and enjoyed a rousing welcome at Preservation Pub in downtown Knoxville. Playing their chosen style of music in what’s essentially the cradle of Old Time and Appalachian traditions was an honor, the couple said, and they were received warmly.”
Steve Wildsmith - Maryville Daily Times / November 21, 2012
“They're gypsy troubadours who turn Big Easy jazz blues, Texas swing and mountain jams into sprightly irrepressible music with a speakeasy flair. And while the Blue Ribbon Healers' sound may be weathered and old-fashioned, their subject matter is infused with a modern sensibility. Reminiscent of acts like the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Asylum Street Spankers, they're distinguished by the interplay of Pate's gruff baritone and Rose's sultry fluttering croon, a sort of fire and ice like Tom Waits courting Bessie Smith. "She's the orchid and I'm the rusty beer can," Pate says. ”
Chris Parker - Colorado Springs Independent / January 5, 2012
“Looking like a trio of Appalachian hippies, The Blue Ribbon Healers provide an old-timey sound with a swanky infusion of honky-tonk. The Devil Makes Three with less devil and more saintly sentiment, this guitar, stand-up bass, and mandolin trio (with the occasional kazoo) has been wowing crowds across the country, inspiring the lame to dance and the weak to be strong. With a wide selection of songs lamenting and celebrating the finer things in life, the band loves to partake in ceremonious medicating—so be sure to pass it around!”
Good Times Santa Cruz / December 27, 2011
““We write our own material, but we work hard in our approach to the variety of styles that spark our interest. We explore folk forms where literacy wasn't exactly a strong suit.” That exploring took Rose and Pate from their home base of New Orleans to the campus of Warren Wilson College in January 2010 for a packed show during a snowstorm, as well as many other shows in small, intimate rooms where their music warmly fills in the spaces between audience members. “A lot of times, those places tend to be smaller, but the crowds heartily approve of the stimulating way they can listen to, drink to and dance to our music,” she continued.”
Jonathan Rich - Asheville Citizen-Times / March 31, 2011
“Rob “Ribplate” Pate and Cindy McDermott (a/k/a Cindy Rose) have been around the block a time or two when it comes to “newgrass.” The couple met in Panama City Beach when Cindy was performing with Hellalujah, and the chemistry was instantaneous—musical and otherwise. “We have a good symbiosis,” says Pate. That is quite evident in their live performances, as their harmonies and all-around stage presence are very tight and well rehearsed. Both have incredibly unique voices, producing a completely signature sound. With inspirations such as Ella Fitzgerald, Satchmo, Billie Holiday, Jethro Burns, Grateful Dead, and even the Marlboro Man—Pate lists the latter as his vocal inspiration—it’s no wonder this band took flight with a full-fledged fan base in New Orleans.”
Dannica Lowery - Destin Beachcomber / March 24, 2011
REVERB NATION PRESS KIT:
http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_press/artist_695552