Blues Traveler’s journey is a ride that keeps on going

Much has changed since Blues Traveler broke a quarter-century ago with its playful blues-rock. The record industry has crumbled, the Internet and cell phones have altered life, and downloads are the most common way fans receive music.

“But one thing isn’t different,” Blues Traveler guitarist Chan Kinchla says. “Live music is the same. ... There’s nothing like getting up on a stage and under those lights.”

“That’s so not just for the band but for fans as well. There’s nothing like watching a great rock band. Playing live is our bread and butter. It’s tough making a living selling recordings. Touring is what we have to do and we have no problem with that.”

Blues Traveler, who will perform Oct. 27, at the Ritz, formed a generation ago while the band was in high school in Princeton. When Kinchla was a senior, he spent virtually every weekend with his bandmates playing clubs in Lower Manhattan.

“It was a great scene,” Kinchla says while calling from his Los Angeles home. “It was us, the Spin Doctors, Joan Osborne and Chris Whitley, to just name a few recording artists. We learned so much on that bar scene on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village. It all started 30 years ago. I learned so much in 1988 in New York. We wouldn’t have had the success we had if it weren’t for those early years in which we learned so much about being a band.”

Blues Traveler hit the charts during the early ‘90s with such tunes as “Run-Around,” “Hook” and “But Anyway.” The band’s fourth studio album, “Four,” went platinum and the group headlined amphitheaters.

“The ‘90s were a blast,” Kinchla says. “It just wasn’t because we did well. It was a great era. There was a little more mystery. Today everybody knows everything about everybody. Everything is on Twitter. During the ‘90s, you had to make more of an effort.”

And the highlight was their touring music festival H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere), which was inspired by Perry Farrell’s Lollapalooza. H.O.R.D.E. ran from 1992 to 1998 and featured such emerging artists as Beck, The Dave Matthews Band, Sheryl Crow, Wilco and Ben Folds Five. The Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young and Crazy Horse and The Black Crowes were the established recording artists who headlined the event.

“I had an incredible amount of fun at H.O.R.D.E.,” former Black Crowes vocalist Chris Robinson said in a recent interview to promote his current act, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. “It was all done for the right reasons.”

Would Blues Traveler consider reviving H.O.R.D.E. ?

“We keep threatening to do it,” Kinchla says. “It would be complicated because we don’t own all of H.O.R.D.E. Our old manager has part of the ownership. But it’s definitely possible, and it comes up in conversation. Who knows? We have other things to think about.”

That includes “Hurry Up & Hang Around,” the band’s 13th album, which was released Oct. 12.

The new album is a return to form. Blues Traveler, with the help of producer Matt Rollings (Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett) goes back to its roots with an album of songs that are both celebratory and poignant.

“We made this in old school fashion,” Kinchla says. “We got together in a house in Nashville and worked together. Everybody had ideas. It was like the old days.”

Most of the band’s original members remain from their early days, including Kinchla, vocalist Jon Popper and drummer Brendan Hill. Bassist Bobby Sheehan died of an accidental drug overdose in 1999 and was replaced by Kinchla’s brother, Tad Kinchla. Keyboardist Ben Wilson joined the group in 2000.

“It’s hard to believe that my brother has been in the band longer than Bobby,” Kinchla says. “Time really does fly. But I love the band now. I’m so thankful for Ben and all of the chordal support that I didn’t have before he joined the band.

“The cool thing is that it’s been a great ride for the most part. Losing Bobby was horrible and Jon has had his share of health issues. But for the most part, it’s been an amazing journey and the best part is that it’s still going on.”

Details

Who: Blues Traveler

When: 7 p.m. Oct. 27

Where: The Ritz, 2820 Industrial Drive, Raleigh

Tickets: $27

Info: 919-424-1400 or ritzraleigh.com