
It’s probably the same anywhere in the world. Even though, your first exposure to popular music most likely came from the radio, you come to love local music, the bands and the clubs. Being born and raised in Massachusetts in the sixties meant the J. Geils Band. There was nothing pretentious about them – just good solid blues rock with old-school instrumentation and a cast of characters – Peter Wolf (singer), J. Geils (bluesy guitar) and Magic Dick (harp).
When Geils began inching towards more radio-friendly rock in the seventies, The Cars, led by Ric Ocasek (songwriter and co-lead vocals), Benjamin Orr (lead vocals) and Elliott Easton (guitar), took over the hearts and minds of Baystaters. Others came along to carry on the rich musical tradition: Aerosmith, The Pixies, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Lemonheads, Letters to Cleo (unaccountably overlooked nationally), Boston (just a little band from Boston), The Modern Lovers, Mission of Burma, Til Tuesday (hello, Aimee Mann), Dropkick Murphys, The Breeders, Beacon Street Union, Ultimate Spinach. The Remains and of course, The Standells (love that dirty water).
If you were hip in the sixties, the Boston Tea Party was the “in” club. In the seventies, you chose between the Rat (Rathskeller) or The Paradise Rock Club. For folkies, it was Club Passim. Other venues had their nights in the moonlight: Avalon, The Channel, The Underground, Nickelodeon, Psychedelic Supermarket, Crosstown Bus, Of course, the years go by and things change. As Daniel Nicklin of Other Brother Daryl points out: “It’s always hard to see great clubs like Radio or T.T. The Bear’s go away. Those were all great clubs, where many great Boston bands played or got their start. The scene around the city continues to persevere and expand with clubs like The Lizard Lounge, The Middle East, The Sinclair, Brighton Music Hall and The Cut.”
All this to say the needle on my anticipation meter was registering reaching new levels when news of Other Brother Daryl reached me via three singles reviewed in AUK, one with same title as a terrific song by the Cars, ‘Drive.’ . The other titles were ‘Until I Do,’ released following the unexpected death of OBD’s co-founder, Dave Mirabella, and ‘The Ballad of Joni and Graham,’ which harkens back to the Laurel Canyon scene in the seventies. In this exclusive AUK mini-gig, you’ll be able to see the band play the fourth single, ‘Sometimes,’ as well as a song that won’t be available until the album is released next month.
Other Brother Daryl are an indie band, a family of players made up of prominent local fixtures in the Boston music scene: Dan Nicklin (vocals, harmonica), Nate Leavitt (vocals, acoustic guitar), Dan Cederholm (drums), Chad Raleigh (electric guitar, lap steel), Derek Feeney (acoustic guitar), Dave Lieb (keyboard, vocals), Jim Collins (bass, vocals) and Dave Mirabella (spiritual guidance, candle). They are all from the US and live in and around Boston, Massachusetts and have been playing music professionally in the area for at least twenty years.
This video was recorded at Henley Row Studios, OBD’s home away from home, where they write, rehearse and record everything. The setting for the mini-gig may be relaxed, but this a “wysiwyg” performance. “OBD are an acoustic guitar forward band,” Nicklin explained. “This is not an “unplugged” type performance. The instruments we’re playing in this video are the same exact ones we use on a regular basis to create our sound. The Epiphone J200 being played by Derek belonged to our late friend and bandmate, Dave Mirabella.”
Big things are expected for Other Brother Daryl. The band won the Boston Music Award for Country Artist of the Year in December. It all adds up as far as I’m concerned, but what do I know, really? Some artists that were thought to be “can’t-miss,” in fact, did, whereas others that struck me as rather pedestrian saw their records pressed in platinum. Listen to this three-song sampling of OBD’s music and imagine what the rest of “Roll Shine Roll” will sound like. News on its release can be found on the band’s website.
I own horses and ride but don’t bet on them. I would wager a few bucks, however, on Other Brother Daryl having a successful debut album, especially if the Vegas books are willing to offer attractive odds.
The setlist with notes by the band.
1. ‘The Ballad of Joni and Graham’ – Inspired by the tales of love and heartbreak between Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell. This song was written from Graham’s perspective and is a quiet reflection on love, loss and the changing world.
2. ‘Sometimes’ – It’s a song to the universe and our loved ones, or maybe a self-help note just for ourselves. Maybe all three, that’s up to you. Amidst the sonic starscape, the heart of the song is in the lyrics. They speak to finding the balance between the expectation of being perfect and accepting one can’t always be.
3. ‘Watch the Trees’ – This song tells the tale of when big 70s cars, cigarettes and terrestrial radio ruled the world. Being a kid during this era probably generated our love of AM gold, soft rock and music as a whole. The song is a true account of a little boy staring out the window of a foul-smelling, 1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88, with only a view of the passing trees and the music to sing along with.