CHRIS BROKAW ROCK BAND - Opening acts: CHRISY McCULLAGH BAND, MELOMANE

CONCERT IS RAIN OR SHINE Please bring umbrellas for any passing showers. Tickets are needed for the concert and can be purchased on this page or at the concert. However, be sure to read notes on parking and access to concert and fireworks viewing area below.*

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

Chris Brokaw is the consummate underground rock musician who is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer and film composer. In a career spanning thirty-plus years he has been in countless bands (Come, Charnel Ground, Codeine, The Lemonheads, to name a few.) He has performed and recorded with to a wide range of musical artists, including Thurston Moore, Steve Wynn, Evan Dando, Christina Rosenvinge, Jennifer O'Connor, Rhys Chatham, Alan Licht, GG Allin, and Johnny Depp.

Since 2001, Chris has focused primarily on his work as a solo artist, making numerous albums of vocal and instrumental music. This has ranged from full on rock ("Red Cities", "Incredible Love", "Gambler's Ecstasy") to explorations of the 6-string and 12-string acoustic guitars ("Canaris", "VDSQ Solo Acoustic Volume 3") to the experimental and abstract ("Tundra", "Gracias, Ghost of the Future","The Periscope Twins"). His 2017 cd "The Hand That Wrote This Letter" presents instrumental classical guitar versions of David Bowie and Prince songs. Throughout, Chris has maintained an active solo touring schedule in the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and Russia.

Brokaw has provided music for productions of two dance companies: the Daghdha Dance Company (Limerick, Ireland), where Nicole Peisl commissioned him to create new pieces, and Kino Dance, where he collaborated with playwright Rinde Eckert and director Robert Woodruff on Highway Ulysses, which in 2003 The Boston Globe named "the best production of the year."

Chris has become active in film scoring, and has composed original music many films including:"Road" (Leslie McCleave, 2005, which received the award for Best Original Score at the Brooklyn International Film Festival); "Now, Forager" (Julia Halperin/Jason Cortlund); "Barracuda" (Julia Halperin/Jason Cortlund); and "Buck Run" (Nick Frangione). Both "Taken by Storm" and "Now, Forager" screenedat MOMA in New York City.

Danish guitar pedal manufacturer Reuss has been developing, with Brokaw's input, prototypes for a pedal named CB-01 Recidivist, after the Come song from their final album Gently, Down the Stream. 

Puritan is his tenth solo album.

"From the hypnotic repetition on the extended instrumental outro of title-track opener 'Puritan', the wounded grace of 'Depending', to the fragile beauty of the Velvets-esque duet with Claudia Groom, 'I'm the Only One for You', and the ghost of Alex Chilton echoing through 'The Bragging Rights', onto the GBV-like firestorm of 'Periscope Kids', and ending with the ‘On The Beach’ era Neil Young minimal strum of his cover of Karl Hendricks’ “The Night Has No Eyes”, Brokaw has crafted an understated masterpiece. ‘Puritan’ is an album that is all heartache and rebirth, resignation and joy, the kind of record that is so needed but all too rare these days. A classic from front to back."
- Mark Lanegan 2020
 

His extensive disography, amazing list of bands and people he has worked with along with other info can be found on his site.

http://www.chrisbrokaw.com/

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Chrisy McCullagh, having moved to the Carmel area to pursue his music career in NYC, brings to his music a unique eclectic mix of folk, rock and soul, threaded with rhythms from world music and brought to life on select combos of bass, percussion, brass, specially tuned guitars and the lyrical vocals that have drawn comparisons with the late Jeff Buckley. Before Covid, Chrisy and his band were playing constantly in numerous clubs in the Brooklyn music scene, so we are lucky to catch them before all the venues open up.

"Whether singing his self-written solo material as a singer/songwriter or playing his self-penned material with the musical collective, The Secret Animals, Chrisy McCullagh is a force to be reckoned with on the contemporary music scene. His high-register vocals are as unique as his almost dream-like lyrics and sound combinations. McCullagh's distinctive trance-like vocals, ranging from soulful to hypnotic, determine a degree of moodiness in songs like Empty Vase, while the atmospheric and psychedelic, Bright Lights, is retro with a modern edge; creating an almost dream-like soundscape within an unusual combination of instrumentation. Cry For His Name offers an avant-garde jazz sound, concealing a series of interesting instrumental moments, while the haunting feel of Empty Goodbyes hides an almost classically-tinged backing behind McCullagh's own wall of sound. If you are looking for something different, musically, Chrisy McCullagh is unique and you will not have heard anything like him before" - Damien Murry -The Daily Mirror, BBC, The Telegraph.
 

"If you are looking for something different musically, Chrisy McCullagh is unique and you will not have heard anything like him before." - Damien Murry - The Daily Mirror, BBC, The Telegraph in UK.
 

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Originally conceived in 1998 by singer/songwriter Pierre de Gaillande, New York's MELOMANE formed in 1998 and are back in action after a long hiatus. Their distinctive sound has been called cinematic art-rock, and has been compared to such disparate acts as Belle and Sebastian, Elvis Costello, Calexico, Wings, and Stereolab. Some have called Melomane "the most European band in America," and others call them pop-noir. "These tracks combine garage accessibility and boho poetry with an ingenuity that will win over intelligent listeners and show musicians just how far a band can travel." (All Music Guide).

Melomane's line-up include bassist/vocalist Daria Klotz, cellist/synth-player Frank Heer, keyboardist Quentin Jennings, drummer Kenny Savelson and trumpets Brad Stewart. Frequent additional performers included Eveline Feldmann (trombone), Jeremy Thal (trumpet, French horn) Jody Redhage (cello), Philippa Thompson (violin and saw), and Jesse Neuman (trumpet).

Over their career, Melomane have performed regularly in NYC at venues such as Joe's Pub, Tonic, Mercury Lounge, BAM Cafe, Northsix, and many others. The group toured Europe regularly and appeared at festivals and venues throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and France. They were sponsored by the US embassy in Moscow in September, 2006 for a four-concert series in Russia. Melomane has appeared nationally and internationally with artists such as Wilco, Keren Ann, Luna, Arab Strap, Eleni Mandell, Fastball, and many others. Songs by Melomane are regularly featured on TV shows such as HBO's Real Sex, Discovery Channel's Alain Bourdain No Reservations, and many others.

https://pierredegaillande.com/melomane
https://www.facebook.com/MelomaneBand

*SPECIAL NOTES CONCERNING ATTENDANCE

Tickets are needed to attend this concert and are available on this page or at the concert. This concert is followed by the Town of Kent fireworks display (unless it rains) over Lake Carmel. Many people come to the area to see the fireworks which means traffic mobility will be limited and restricted starting around 7:30 PM.

Parking is limited and priority will be given to those who have purchased tickets prior to concert. For ticket holder who wish to park, we suggest arriving to park at least 45 minutes before the concert.

Please arrive early and plan to stay for the entire evening as you will not be able to leave (via cars) once roads are closed until the fireworks are over.

Though some chairs are available, please bring your own lawn chairs. Limited refreshments will be available, you are welcome to bring your own food and drink.

These concerts are made possible, in part, because of our sponsors in the local business community. Please support those businesses that support bringing music to our community.