IN the media
Written by Billy Rosenbeck - 8/17/17 - Late Tuesday night, my e-mail pinged with a final cut of the Whiskey Treaty's, "Close to the Edge," which Billy Keane first penned in the wake of Freddie Gray's murder and Ferguson, Missouri. Sadly, two years later, those words are still soberingly true - likely more true now than then - as they bring into focus the foundational cracks in modern day America...READ MORE.
The Whiskey Treaty says "Hello" - No Depression - Written by Billy Rosenbeck - 3/1/16
While this is the first official release under the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow banner, the band’s members—Tory Hanna, Billy Keane, Chris Merenda, Greg Smith, and Dave Tanklefsky—have totaled 18 albums while working as solo artists, frontmen, sidemen, and founding members of now-defunct bands. The Heart of the Run is a combination of that veteran savvy, but with a newcomers’ kinetic energy, which results in the album’s cathartic feeling, like this is what the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow was put together to do.
The choice to lead with a live album was two-fold: first, due to the economics of independent artistry, and second, as a quintessential representation of the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, which was founded under the principles of “Brotherhood, Music, and Fine Spirits.”
That essence is captured on The Heart of the Run, where they lead with Fine Spirits: Greg Smith’s chugging memoir “Whiskey Breath and Cigarettes,” opens the album with bended notes and penetrating lyrics, tapping into the romance and celebration of hard living. As his guitar rings out with the song’s final chord, Greg confidentially shouts, “Welcome to the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow!"--suggesting this is a place to be, rather than something to listen to...READ MORE.
The debut album, "The Heart of the Run"
The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow performs at The Bowery Hotel, NYC. Photo: Leo Mascaro
Cover of the February edition of The Berkshire View. Photo: Leo Mascaro
Whiskey Treaty Roadshow: Whiskey Rocks - The Berkshire View - Written by Kameron Spaulding - 2/4/16
If you are going to sit down with a band with the word whiskey in their name, you can be sure it will be done over a few drinks. I mean when describing why people relate to the band, one member, when describing the themes that have drawn fans in so quickly, will even say with a straight face, “People seem to really like the idea of whiskey.” It didn’t take long to get drawn in the style and sentiment you get from all the guys. Before I could even finish the first beer, nestled in the corner of Moe’s Tavern, you could feel it. There is something here, I thought. I mean if these guys can control a stage like they can a few barstools they are on their way. Some bands form and plug away for years begging for some attention and reaction from fans. The guys of the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow sure know about those tales, but from the moment the five guys took the stage the connection with the audience came instantly.
“The feeling from the crowd and the way they have reacted has been incredible,” said Billy Keane...READ MORE.
The Sum of the Parts: In Transit With The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow - Elmore Magazine - Written by Billy Rosenbeck - 11/16/15
It’s the wee hours of Sunday morning, and Tory Hanna is pushing his wife’s floral shop’s mini-van west on I-90, past the fading neon lights of Worcester’s Auburn Mall. The van is full with the Whiskey Treaty Roadshow, who Tory chauffeurs back from Boston to their cars and homes, stationed intermittently through the Western edge of the state.
In the passenger seat, Billy Keane fiddles with an iPod, eventually settling the speakers on Tom Waits’s Bad As Me. This wakes up Greg Smith, who has been near silent amongst stacks of equipment at the rear of the van, but Greg is now lively and excited, a departure from his cerebral, discerning off-stage affect. Greg is willing to talk the finer points of Waits, regardless of the hour. Between them, Chris Merenda chimes in and sings along, as he divides the earnings from a humbling Saturday night gig.
At the Foundation Room, the band played to the sparsest of crowds, comprised primarily of Dave Tanklefsky’s parents and an Indian couple that spilled over from an adjacent birthday party to request “La Bamba.” Now split up, the money...READ MORE.
The Whiskey Treaty to perform, screen documentary - The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA - Written by Jenn Smith - 4/29/15
The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow will be dusting the trails from New York City to Albuquerque this spring, but this Friday, this music and film collaborative will be making a pit stop in their beloved Berkshires.
The short film has already garnered awards and acceptance into six film festivals, and will be screened at 7 p.m., followed by a live performance at Dottie's Coffee Lounge on North Street.
Resonating the universal appeal of Americana, rock and roots-folk music....READ MORE.
Sounds Local: Whiskey Treaty Roadshow - The Recorder, Greenfield, MA - Written by Sheryl Hunter - 1/15/15
Remember the Whiskey Treaty festivals at the Arts Block in Greenfield a couple of years ago? All that fine music and fine whiskey? Well the good news is that the Whiskey Treaty lives!
The Whiskey Treaty Festival, which was organized by event planner Susie Hanna and launched in 2012, ran for two consecutive years at The Arts Block. The festival was a celebration of music that originates from the hilltowns of western Massachusetts and all of the musicians originally hail from the area. This includes Abe Loomis from Conway, Greg Smith From Charlemont, Tory Hanna from Buckland and Billy Keane from Pittsfield. They sing songs about the beauty of western Massachusetts, the joys of small town life and, of course, about whiskey. Some of these musicians play rock music while others lean more toward the sounds of Americana and roots music...READ MORE.
Short of the Week Review of The Whiskey Treaty Roadshow - Written by Jeannette Bonds
We thoroughly loved the concept of your film and the story being told. The music is fantastic and it's great to see these musicians get together and create such powerful music. Their energy and connectivity is truly inspiring. It's also great how much mutual respect and admiration these artists have for one another and to see how excited they are to play with one another.
It's great to see the different styles of each artist and how they collaborate together and each contribute their own identities to other's work, but still maintain the overall artistic integrity of the song's author. We also loved the cinematography. Western Massachusetts is truly stunning and I, personally, hope to travel there one day because of this film. You have a great and calming cinematic presence and we greatly look forward to seeing more of your work in the future.