Caleb Travers & Big City Lights profile picture

Caleb Travers & Big City Lights

Now Available on iTunes.

About Me



Praise for Blue Weathered Dreams -

"With a slow, lonesome strum and slight baritone rasp reminiscent of Beck’s work on the breakup masterpiece Sea Change, Caleb Travers brings perspective to heartbreak and paints spot-on images of a relationship’s forlorn demise. But the stories told on 2007’s Blue Weathered Dreams aren’t the foggy, beer-soaked laments of an idealized, wayward wanderer. Instead Travers’ songs capture the emotion of everyday life without melodrama or pretense -- whether it be through vivid descriptions of family dealings, romantic entanglements or personal struggles."

–Shae Moseley; River Front Times

"These songs ache with the seriousness of a singer who sees darkness on every horizon, from the unbreakable bonds of family to the search for redemption... they are worth a listen if only to hear Travers beautiful tenor voice; it's a standout among local singers in any genre."

-Christian Schaeffer; River Front Times

"...a well-produced, genuine alt-country effort that evokes rural travels, family hardships and perseverance."

-Matt Fernandes; Rock Candy

"The music Caleb makes is richly woven and carefully considered—timeless, really... At first listen, you're likely to stop whatever it is that you're doing and listen—you know, really listen. This is a guy who's got something to say; Caleb & Co. are well worth your four or seven or 52 minutes. But be warned: Once you've given your time, you'll want to give it again, and again."

-Laura Hamlet; STL Sound

Praise for Big City Lights -

"...one of the genre’s rising stars..."
-Columbia Tribune

Best Country Band (Alertnative)(2007)

"His Ryan Adams jones shows, but so do his good nature, ambition and talent. Travers is pushing all of 25 and his band, including veteran pedal-steel whiz Scott Swartz of the Linemen, is pushing this son of south city toward more than just Telecaster strumming and dirt-road divining. His band can play it Stonesy, Byrdsy and Whiskeytowny without ever sounding dated or in denial over how much room they have for growth. Travers sings with wiry strength, with an inviting slur and unfaked Midwestern drawl, and his songs get their hooks in, indirectly echoing pure country-rock, whether from the Eagles or Buffalo Springfield. Travers and band are currently finishing up their first EP. It promises to be the twang fix a flagging alt-country scene needs."

-River Front Times " Best Of 2007" Best Country Band (Alternative)

"...straight-shooting, tear-stained rock & roll [that] rests on the lachrymose depths of Travers' flickering tenor voice."
-Christian Schaeffer; River Front Times

Bio -

The leaky windows and age-old power lines of Travers’ South St. Louis apartment had failed inevitably. An ice-storm had brought the whole city to a grinding halt. But It wasn’t the storm, or the week-long power-outage that was on Travers’ mind. All he could think about was getting that sound, that really timeless sound that he kept hearing out of his head and into live shows.
It was cold, but the fire had been smoldering since summer of 2005, when a friend took him to Memphis to see a band he’d had never heard of before. Like most visitors to Memphis, they went to Sun Studios before the show. He didn’t know what it was, but there was something altogether alluring about the “historic” rock ‘n roll he heard about on the Sun Studio tour. Later that night, as Nels Cline, Pat Sansone, and the rest of Wilco delivered a blitzkrieg of noise behind the beautiful melody of Via Chicago, he was changed. But this was the dead of winter, nearly a year-and-a-half later and Travers had no discernible course of action to live out what he so clearly wanted to do. He did have songs, though. And so, like the ice-storm that beset his city, he would have to wait it out.
Spring of 2007 would reveal the fruits of Travers’ labor. With a 5-piece band in place including veteran pedal-steel player, Scott Swartz, Caleb Travers and Big City Lights had been rehearsing steadily and were making plans for a demo EP. The band’s first gig was accidentally secured when he evoked an encore at a popular open mic. After he stepped off stage, Travers was offered an opening spot for Austin-based indie-pop quartet What Made Milwaukee Famous. Big City Lights continued to gain momentum opening for Alt. Country heavy, Bobby Bare Jr. and by the end of 2007 they would be named Best Alt. Country band by the River Front Times.
One year after it all started, Caleb Travers and Big City Lights are coming back to Off Broadway, back to the heart ‘n’ soul of St. Louis’ songwriter community, to celebrate their debut self-release, Blue Weathered Dreams.
Blue Weathered Dreams brings Travers full circle, with songs that go back to the singer’s origins. The tune “Annie”, which grounds the album, is based on his parents’ travels across the Southwest & Midwest as Pentacostal musicians. By the time he was born, however, his mother & father were becoming disillusioned with ministry life and ultimately settled down. Irked by the contradictions of his religious upbringing and the incompletion of his parents' uncharted travels, the album explores the meaning of Travers’ own restlessness and the ties to the story that shaped his own.
Sonically, the album walks a tight-rope between pristine, layered guitar work, genteel steel guitar played by Scott Swartz, Travers’ rising and falling vocal theatrics and pure rock 'n' roll revelry. With imaginative song-craft, Travers writes himself into the prayers, stories and dying wishes of lovers, killers and strangers, sometimes as a walk-on cameo or a sympathetic observer, and other times as the protagonist, singing with a grave and penitent delivery.
Blue Weathered Dreams will be released on February 9, 2008, at Off Broadway in St. Louis, and available for download at online stores.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/20/2005
Band Website: sonicbids.com/calebtravers
Band Members:

Album contributions -

[album art by Brian Clever - [email protected]]

Live -

Caleb Travers - writes songs, sings, guitars, harmonica, fires people

Scott Swartz - pedal steel, background vocals, guitars


Influences:

Lucinda Williams, Josh Rouse, Gram Parsons, Neko Case, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, My Morning Jacket, Fleetwood Mac, Nick Lowe, CSN&Y, bands you've never heard of that are dead


Sounds Like:

More videos on -

Youtube

Myspace

More new music -

Caleb Travers Demos Page

Caleb's Blog -

Writing Songs with Dirty Dishes in the Sink

Record Label: Unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Twung Out

Twung-OutSo it's finally over. No more frantic calling, scheduling, preparing, pouring over out-dated demos, last-minute changes, etc. Nope, we're done. I survived Twangfest 12. It's now time to freak...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:44:00 PST

Caleb on the Justin Wayne Show

Hey people, I'm featured on The Justin Wayne Show a music blog/podcast, along with my friends in Via Dove--a double shot of STL music on this nationally listened to show! Sweet!Enjoy....
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:12:00 PST

Interview with Christian Schaeffer/RFT

Christian Schaeffer of the RFT called me up last night for an interview regarding my playing Twangfest in June. It was a real honor to have someone request an interview simply because they seem to see...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Mon, 26 May 2008 09:32:00 PST

Videos from the Bowery Poetry Club, NYC

The Other Side of the Tracks - (New Song) Have You Changed - ...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Thu, 22 May 2008 09:49:00 PST

Home From NYC Update

Hey people!I'm back from NYC and I've got some new vids of the show posted on my wordpress blog, Writing Songs With Dirty Dishes in the SinkIf you just want the videos, head to my youtube channelEnjoy...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Wed, 21 May 2008 12:46:00 PST

Sign the Bill of Rights for Songwriters & Composers

I received my monthly newsletter from ASCAP and read about The Bill of Rights for Songwriters & Composers. Although it probably bring about a sea change, it is still a good statement that will be shar...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:45:00 PST

New York, New York Show Announced!

It's official. I'm headed to New York on May 17th to play The Bowery Poetry Club in the East Village. Wow. Springtime in New York. Maybe I won't come back. I'm sure I won't want to...Check it out the ...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:30:00 PST

New Songs, Blogs, Shows, Travels, Vids

So there's not a tremendous amount coming from the Myspace profile attributed to "Caleb Travers & Big City Lights" these days, but that's only because there's too much going on to keep up with. I star...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:04:00 PST

New Video of New Song - The Car is Runnin Live at the Cherry Street Artisan Columbia, MO 4.12

Check out this video: The Car is Runnin Live at the Cherry Street Artisan Columbia, MO ..Add to My Profile | More Videos...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:50:00 PST

New! Caleb Travers Demo Page, Wordpress Blog, and Live Videos!

Even though I’m not "in the studio" it’s more important than ever for me to keep writing new songs everyday. That’s why I’m really excited to share my new myspace page with you...
Posted by Caleb Travers & Big City Lights on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:27:00 PST