By Chris Moriates
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Whenever the members of Brad come together, it feels like
family.
Formed in 1992 by drummer Regan Hagar and Pearl Jam guitarist
Stone Gossard, the group has only released two albums over its
almost 10 year existence.
However, Brad is back ““ and is looking for a record deal.
The Seattle veterans are in the middle of their short five-date
West Coast stint and will perform tonight at the Troubadour in
Hollywood.
Brad will perform some new material, which was recently recorded
for the group’s third album, along with older songs spanning
its long career. The Hollywood stops are an opportunity for fans to
see Brad in an intimate setting, while it allows Brad to advertise
its music to the different record companies.
“One of the main things that we are trying to do ““
aside from the pleasure of touring and just having fun on the road
““ is look for a record deal right now,” Gossard said in
a phone interview. “So we are inviting people from the
industry to check Brad out and give them a listen to some of the
new material. We are trying to find a home.”
The last two Brad albums, 1993’s “Shame” and
1996’s “Interiors,” were released on Epic
Records, which happens to be the same label that employs Pearl Jam,
as well as Stone Gossard’s solo project,
“Bayleaf.” The group hopes to escape these ties in a
way by switching record labels and removing themselves from Pearl
Jam’s long-reaching shadow. The goal is to let Brad’s
music stand completely on its own.
“This is a band that has things to say and will be
creating music for a long time together,” Gossard said.
“We need to find a label that really understands the band and
wants to support it.”
Brad shows run the gamut. From hard-rocking to sad songs, from
gospel to blues, from downtrodden to upbeat, the group brings it
all to the stage. The Troubadour show will allow fans to witness
this all in a small intimate setting.
“I really like the Troubadour, because it has a lot of
history,” said Shawn Smith, lead vocalist for Brad and
ex-member of the bands Satchel and Pigeonhed.
Smith, the strong frontman of the group, seems to feel like a
fish-out-of-water when not singing. His music is emotionally
powerful, but when asked to speak and answer questions, he would
rather duck down below.
“I just kind of sing the songs,” Smith said.
“I sing with the music, and lyrics just start to come.
I’d say it’s easy for me. It’s way easier for me
to do that than to answer questions about stuff.”
Brad’s music is soulful and at times quite somber,
capturing elements of classic rock and blues. The songs are an
emotional and artistic release for both Smith and Gossard, who are
the main songwriters in the group.
“It’s powerful,” Gossard said. “I
don’t think men let their guard down enough and allow
themselves to be really sad in front of their friends and express
that emotion. Sometimes playing with Brad is like that, where you
can really just let your face just sag and not feel like you have
to put on some kind of mask. It’s a release in that way; it
feels cathartic.”
While Gossard will strongly attest that Smith is the frontman of
Brad, the power of Gossard as an attraction is inescapable, as many
Pearl Jam fans become excited about the opportunity to see a member
of the band in a small venue like the Troubadour. But according to
the members of Brad, it hasn’t proved to be too much of a
distraction.
“Only one time in Nebraska it was little weird,”
Smith said. “The whole show the crowd only looked at
(Gossard) and that was kind of weird. Other than that, there
haven’t been any problems.”
So, in Hollywood where there are headlining concerts every
night, what does Brad bring to the small Troubadour stage?
“Just some fucking rock-grandiosity,” Gossard says
with a laugh.
MUSIC: Brad performs tonight at the Troubadour
in Hollywood. All Ages. Tickets are $16 and are available at the
door.