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Music: The Brady bunch
It's the story about a band named Brady...
by Matt Kramer
As stated in last week's column, I recommend you trek out to Rancho Nicasio
this Saturday night to check out local soul legend and Grammy Award-winner Booker
T. Jones. And, as promised to a music fan this week, I would like to remind
us all to set our clocks ahead one hour that night. I'll have to adjust mine
before I go out, as out-of-town music nights usually sing me to sleep within
a few minutes of returning to the house.
For that reason, most of the shows I've been attending during the workweek are
close to home. Fortunately for me, when I moved back to Marin last year—I
had relocated to the East Bay for a short stint; as it turned out, it was just
long enough to have my home busted into and burglarized—I wound up hanging
my hat within easy walking distance of several bars and restaurants that feature
live music. A great deal of that music, Sunday through Thursday, is offered
free of charge, and this week's Wednesday night feature falls into that easy-on-the-wallet
category.
The Jeb Brady Band turns the dining room at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery into
a roadhouse Wednesday night. You can routinely find this blues- and R&B-oriented
quintet kicking out quality jams all over Marin, but there's little that's routine
about the sounds they throw down. One thing I greatly appreciate about this
band is that, from Jeb upfront on harmonica to Tony in back with percussion,
they treat all of their material with reverence. The Telecaster growls and wails
during Chicago blues tunes; the keyboard canters while vocals croon, whoop and
holler for a Ray Charles number; the rhythm section is metronome-tight whether
playing boogie-woogie or ballads.
One of my Fairfax buddies shared his enthusiasm for this Marin band with me
many moons ago, and I've been enjoying their range of material ever since. I've
also been impressed with the way the band infuses soul into every song it performs.
I've seen and heard countless bands playing blues in bars since my college years
in Austin, and wish I had a dollar for every set where each song blended indiscernibly
into the next. Maybe the Jeb Brady Band's mix of native Californians and East
Coast transplants (with Brady among the latter) helps distinguish this band.
Perhaps it's the decades of on-stage experience that some of the band members
possess. I can't tell you what it is. All I know for sure is that whenever and
wherever I see them perform, the audience is enjoying the show.
If you treat yourself to this midweek musical pleasure (it's a stress-relieving
way to chop up the workweek, and also can serve as your warm-up for St. Patrick's
Day), please contribute to the tip jar to help support local live music.
Another reason to visit Iron Springs this week is that proprietors Anne and
Michael Altman are expecting their first-born to arrive any day now. A specially
brewed "honey blonde" is on tap for the occasion. Come on out and
help them celebrate. They've breathed life into their business, creating a community-oriented
pub that features some great live music—even Peter Rowan's played this
place! It's gonna be a pleasure to see what sort of beauty they bring to the
world as parents.