10 August 1-7, 2024 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | moved back to Miami Beach. “I was disap- pointed and angry. I came back and worked as a dishwasher at an old-age home.” Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop On January 1, 1975, Raven began his daily eight-mile runs. At first, he planned to exercise to improve his mental health, but one year ended, then a decade, then the 20th Century. New Year’s Day 2025 will mark Raven’s 50th anniversary of his daily routine. And throughout that time, he has been writing songs. “When I started running, I only had a hun- dred songs. I’ve written at least one song ev- ery year since 1965,” he shares. A lot of writers find inspiration when they run. It seemed like it would be hard to come up with lyrics during Raven Runs, which are more like social events, but Raven pointed out, “Sometimes I run alone or part of the run alone. I’ll get four lines or a verse. I’ll have to sing it to myself the whole way home until I can write it down.” He’ll also find inspiration in the conversa- tion he has on his runs, like one with a runner he dubbed Taxman. “He told me a story about one time he got so mad at his wife on a trip that he came home alone. That became ‘I Left Her in Detroit.’” Around this point, his bandmate shows up. He gets a hearty introduction from Ra- ven, “Here’s Backpack Beaver,” a bearded, newlywed, soon-to-be dad. During the pan- demic, Backpack Beaver started fooling around with some friends and playing the guitar. He knew of Raven’s musical ambi- tions and invited him to provide some lyrics and vocals. Their first collaboration was “Digging Her Grave.” “Raven heard it and in ten minutes wrote the lyrics,” Backpack Beaver shares. “There’s no set way. Sometimes he brings the lyrics first, sometimes he’ll sing us how the tune should go, sometimes I’ll have a riff first.” “But it goes better when I bring the lyrics first,” Raven insists. The Dark Ravens are deep into sessions on a second album they hope to release later this year. “Apartment 14” will be the first single. Raven describes it as “dark noir. It’s haunting, like a movie. It’s about a place where a mur- der happened, and I got a black cat in there since I’m a cat lover.” Controversially, the band enlisted a horn player for “Apartment 14.” Raven thinks horns don’t belong in outlaw country, his genre of choice. “But the rest of us aren’t out- law country,” Backpack Beaver reminds him. Raven had recorded music before. He put out a couple of solo albums, 2013’s Unstoppa- ble and 2021’s The Road Is Long. He also re- corded a single on vinyl in 1972 that one of his runners was able to track down. But joining forces with the Dark Shadows is the first time he was a part of a band where decisions are made democratically. Creative differences are a staple of any band, but Raven admits it can be difficult to compromise. Playing another concert is one point of contention. The band has only really played two shows. They busked on Lincoln Road on Halloween, where they got $150 in donations from passersby, and then there was that sold-out November show at the Wolfso- nian. “It was stressful. The drums were loud because of the echo. I tried not to look into the crowd, but a lot of people already knew the words and sang along,” Raven says. Surprisingly, for a man who can, off the top of his head, tell you Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan’s birthdays, he says he has trouble memorizing the lyrics. “I have to have them written out in front of me and look at them every few lines.” As eager as the rest of the Dark Shadows are to play more shows, scheduling another gig in Raven’s comfort zone is hard. Mornings, he says, his voice is terrible; evenings revolve around his daily run. Plus, he’s never too keen to cross the bridge to the mainland. As one mile bleeds into another, it be- comes apparent why Raven doesn’t feel the need for adulation and connection that in- spires so many musicians to take the stage. On his run, he is a rock star. Countless run- ners, walkers, and other assorted beachgoers shout out Raven’s name and give him a wave, a smile, or a cheer. He gets the love every day at 5:30 in the afternoon — something most musicians can only dream of. [email protected] Can’t Stop Won’t Stop from p9 For a man who can tell you Muhammad Ali and Bob Dylan’s birthdays, Kraft has trouble memorizing the lyrics. Photo by Scott McIntyre
