About six months ago someone I follow on Twitter re-tweeted a link that Brendan James post of himself playing the Jamie Foxx song "Blame It". I will admit I never heard of the song before that day and that as of right now I still have never heard Foxx's version. I clicked the link and really enjoyed the song and watching Brendan play the keyboard. I quickly turned to my trusty search engine and looked Brendan up (after clicking to follow him directly on twitter of course) and found that he had one album out and another set to release shortly. Ran to iTunes and didn't even bother with previewing the songs just downloaded the album. That first album "The Day is Brave" has been on high rotation ever since. I can't get enough of it! Preorder new album ~ Check!
Fast forward a couple of months; I get an email from Brendan's website saying they have a deluxe package that includes several neat items; autographed cd's, handwritten lyric sheet and a phone call from Brendan. I hadn't managed to see him perform live yet but after watching several YouTube videos I felt confident is talking to him about being featured. I order the deluxe package and work on my spiel for when he calls. THE VERY NEXT DAY a show is announced in Cleveland; a short 4 hour drive from where I live. YAY; the opportunity to see him and judge for myself if he is Fanaddixx material. Obviously the answer was and still is a resounding YES!
Fast forward a couple of months; I get an email from Brendan's website saying they have a deluxe package that includes several neat items; autographed cd's, handwritten lyric sheet and a phone call from Brendan. I hadn't managed to see him perform live yet but after watching several YouTube videos I felt confident is talking to him about being featured. I order the deluxe package and work on my spiel for when he calls. THE VERY NEXT DAY a show is announced in Cleveland; a short 4 hour drive from where I live. YAY; the opportunity to see him and judge for myself if he is Fanaddixx material. Obviously the answer was and still is a resounding YES!
His show was at the House of Blues in Cleveland and after having broke my right foot that very morning I was disappointed to discover that it was standing room only. Lucky me, I was able to find one of the only seats available and shared a fan'tastic evening with two music enthusiasts who took pity on me and let me share their table. The show was probably the most intimate I have ever seen. I felt like a friend who had been invited into his home to enjoy a few tunes. So much so that when my camera glitched during "Get it Right" I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from asking him to start over so I could get it right.
After the show he took the time to come out and sign CD's and take pics. I have one, but the flash was wonky and neither of us look our best so I won't subject you to it. Perhaps I'll get a better one on Monday when I see him at the Rumba Cafe in Columbus. Anyways, I enjoyed watching him with his fans. He never seemed rushed, tired, or bored. He answered questions with a honesty I have found lacking lately instead of with canned answers you tend to hear from "stars".
If you have the opportunity, even if it takes a 4 hour drive on a broken foot, you have got to see this amazing, humble, talented man.
After the show he took the time to come out and sign CD's and take pics. I have one, but the flash was wonky and neither of us look our best so I won't subject you to it. Perhaps I'll get a better one on Monday when I see him at the Rumba Cafe in Columbus. Anyways, I enjoyed watching him with his fans. He never seemed rushed, tired, or bored. He answered questions with a honesty I have found lacking lately instead of with canned answers you tend to hear from "stars".
If you have the opportunity, even if it takes a 4 hour drive on a broken foot, you have got to see this amazing, humble, talented man.
Brendan James ~ Bits of Bio*
Brendan grew up in Derry, NY, and began writing songs during his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. While at home on Christmas break, Brendan was approached by a local music teacher, Kevin Kandel, who had heard him sing "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral for his best friend's mother. Kandel encouraged him to try his had at writing, which Brendan did, taking a year off from school to spend time in Los Angeles. "I was so passionate about songwriting, I wanted to get involved in the music scene and start performing," he says. In 2002, he returned to Chapel Hill, graduated and moved to New York City, where he toiled folding T-shirts at Urban Outfitters by day and performing at open mics around Manhattan's East Village by night. To gain access to a piano to practice, Brendan would sneak into hotel ballrooms around the city. (It's obviously paid off!)
His newest album, released September 2010, is self-titled and while some artist name an album after themselves because they're stumped for another title. Brendan grins at this suggestion. "As a fellow musician, I definitely get that," he says, "but I actually had a good reason to do it. The album is self-titled because I fell like it's my first recording that really showcases the different sides of me as a musician. It's got everything from the mellow to the upbeat, to the somber to the unashamedly positive. My friends know me as the guy who loves to jump in the middle of a pick-up basketball game, but the also know me as the guy who needs to be reminded to stop spiraling when I start thinking about something too deeply. I have a lot of different sides and I wanted to make sure my music reflect that."
What I really want to know is if he's half as intelligent as he sounds in the song "Stupid For Your Love". I've always had a thing for a fella with that smart/sexy thing going on and Brendan seems to have it in spades.
His newest album, released September 2010, is self-titled and while some artist name an album after themselves because they're stumped for another title. Brendan grins at this suggestion. "As a fellow musician, I definitely get that," he says, "but I actually had a good reason to do it. The album is self-titled because I fell like it's my first recording that really showcases the different sides of me as a musician. It's got everything from the mellow to the upbeat, to the somber to the unashamedly positive. My friends know me as the guy who loves to jump in the middle of a pick-up basketball game, but the also know me as the guy who needs to be reminded to stop spiraling when I start thinking about something too deeply. I have a lot of different sides and I wanted to make sure my music reflect that."
What I really want to know is if he's half as intelligent as he sounds in the song "Stupid For Your Love". I've always had a thing for a fella with that smart/sexy thing going on and Brendan seems to have it in spades.
*I admit to stealing 99% of the bio info directly from his site. Copy and paste is a fabulous thing! If you want to read more please check out his official website
Brendan James ~
A Different Kind of Love
Fun Facts about
Brendan James
Full Name:
Brendan James
Birth Date:
July 17
Lives In:
Los Angeles, California
Favorite Book:
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Favorite Color:
Green
Favorite Season:
Spring
1st Album Purchased:
Tribe Called Quest & Nirvana's Nevermind
(same day, couldn't be more different)
1st Concert:
Susie Burke at "First Night" in Concord, NH
Favorite Drink:
Jack and Coke
or
a Martini, up, one olive
Favorite Food:
Pasta Amatriciana
Favorite Song:
Don't Give Up ~ Peter Gabriel
Brendan James
Birth Date:
July 17
Lives In:
Los Angeles, California
Favorite Book:
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Favorite Color:
Green
Favorite Season:
Spring
1st Album Purchased:
Tribe Called Quest & Nirvana's Nevermind
(same day, couldn't be more different)
1st Concert:
Susie Burke at "First Night" in Concord, NH
Favorite Drink:
Jack and Coke
or
a Martini, up, one olive
Favorite Food:
Pasta Amatriciana
Favorite Song:
Don't Give Up ~ Peter Gabriel
Video Still from Brendan James' 'The Fall'
