The Rusty Seesaws

About the band

The Rusty Seesaws are a folk-punk band out of Washington, D.C. They were established in 2015 by 4 students at Virginia Tech. Danny DeVincentis and Kevin Reilly had been playing music together for several years but didn't perform much in public..... mostly because they didn't have the patience to memorize enough songs from start to finish. One day, Danny bought a $100 banjo. They started jamming and were delighted to find out that many bluegrass tunes are just 3-4 chords. Easy to remember! They recruited Erin Maines and Connor Mount on bass and drums and quickly learned dozens of songs. 

They developed deep obsessions with legendary artists like Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Woody Guthrie, which soon led to a strong affinity for modern Americana acts such as Billy Strings, Jamestown Revival and Old Crow Medicine Show. However, their sound really started to fall into place once they discovered that many of the themes present in the folky protest music from the 60s were similar to the angsty punk rock they were already in love with. Highlights of their music are fast clawhammer banjo and guitar riffs, big choruses with tight vocal harmonies, dramatic tempo changes and satirical lyrics often making a social or political statement. 

Since then, they have been gigging around the mid-Atlantic, playing everywhere from rowdy bars to wild frat parties to historic venues. The lineup has gone through many iterations as life changes have taken the band members in different directions, but Kevin and Erin remain playing together. Today, they have Luke Daniele on drums and Tom Smith playing guitar, banjo and harmonica. 

Famous quotes from fans:

"The Rusty Seesaws sound like Johnny Cash on meth."

"Their music makes you want to get up and dance like an old white guy."

Band Pics

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Merchandise

Upcoming gigs

The band is taking a short break from playing live while Kevin and his wife welcome their first child!  Check back soon for upcoming dates.

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