Guitarist Carl Bradychok to join Elvis tribute band
Twenty-year-old guitar ace Carl Bradychok — whose guitar icons include Carl Perkins and Danny Gatton — has landed a gig with the Original Elvis Tribute and will head to Sweden in April to begin touring with the band.
“I’m really excited,” says Bradychok, who lives in Harrison Township. “It’s something new. I’ve never been out of the country before playing.”
Even more exciting for Bradychok: The band features former members and studio musicians from Elvis’ band, including bassist Duke Bardwell, drummer Jerome (Stump) Monroe and more.
“It was unexpected” when he got a cold call to join the tour, Bradychok says. “I thought it was just going to be like a rockabilly tour or something and then to find out it’s people that worked with Elvis, wow!”
The tribute boasts that it’s the only touring Elvis tribute show featuring musicians who worked with the King. Its repertoire covers the span of Elvis’ career.
Bradychok is a natural at playing that style of music. He was a standout player at local jam sessions when he was just 13 and landed a job with local rockabilly greats the Twistin’ Tarantulas at age 15.
He currently plays guitar for Detroit/Windsor rockabilly legend Jack Scott, performs with local rockabilly group Billy Mack & the Juke Joint Johnnies and has his own rockabilly/Americana band, North of Memphis.
You can catch Bradychok with the Juke Joint Johnnies on Friday at the Inverness Inn in Chelsea and on Dec. 10 with North of Memphis at the Jefferson Street Pub in Harrison Township. For more: www.facebook.com/carlbradychok
A music bargain
Two CD-release parties, one admission price. Electro-pop rockers Otto Vector will celebrate the release of “EP604,” the new EP that is the sixth recorded effort for the group, while Half Light Music will celebrate its second disc, “Partial Illumination.” It all goes down Friday at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.
“We’ve been working and writing and playing a lot of shows,” says Otto Vector keyboardist Mike (Sonic) Glaser. “We try our best to make and write good songs and try to branch out as much as possible.”
That’s a formula that has worked well for the group, which has been together for over seven years with all original members and has landed song placements on MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat.”
Along with Glaser the group includes vocalist Renee’, drummer Willy D, guitarist Ginseng and bassist Classy Lee. “We’re all really good friends,” says Glaser. “We see each other more than our families.”
For this trip to the studio, the band chose to work with producer Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios in Canton. “He kind of honed our sound and he helped us really put focus to what we do.” It was the second trip to Pearl Sound for the group who first worked with Alkazian on its previous album, "14 North Cedgwick.”
That album garnered the group multiple song placements on MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat.”
The group will debut a new video — shot at the Packard Plant and the Grand Trunk Bar in Detroit — for the single “Bright Side” at Friday’s CD-release show. “It’s a song about being down and looking on the bright side,” says Glaser. “It’s an homage to the city.”
Half Light Music’s “Partial Illumination,” was also recorded with Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios.
“As far as the overall sound of the disc, it’s probably somewhere between OneRepublic and Rob Thomas, with kind of a Southern rock vibe,” says singer Cheyenne Goff. “I’m not a big Southern rock fan but it tends to come out somewhere in there. It’s all the Eagles my mom made me listen to.”
Half Light Music has also enjoyed some song placement, with its music landing in ads for the Buckle, an upscale clothing retailer.
Doors at 8 p.m. Friday, Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward, Ferndale. 248-544-3030. $8. Bloodline Riot opens.
For more: www.facebook.com/ottovector or www.facebook.com/halflightmusic
CJAM Benefit
A batch of killer local bands — with styles ranging from rock to pop to roots — is set to play Saturday at the Cadieux Café in Detroit to support Canada’s CJAM-FM (99.1), a nonprofit campus-based radio station in the basement of the CAW Student Centre at the University of Windsor.
Music, spoken word and cultural programming are featured on the station’s nearly 100 shows, which draw listeners in Windsor and Detroit. Among the most notable on this side of the river are “The Motor City is Burning” (7-8 p.m. Tuesdays), which offers a mix of new, classic, obscure Detroit sounds, and “Friday at the Hideout” (8-10 p.m. Fridays) a blend of vintage psychedelic, garage and freakbeat classics.
Both programs are hosted by Willy Wilson, a Detroit radio veteran, music publicist, record collector and Detroit-scene historian.
At the benefit, look for music from Detroit acts the Muggs, Jarrod Wolny (Grayling), Don (Doop) Duprie and Class Three Overbite.
Doors open at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m., Cadieux Café, 4300 Cadieux, Detroit. 313-882-8560. The $10 admission will go to CJAM’s annual pledge drive.
For more: www.cjam.ca.
“I’m really excited,” says Bradychok, who lives in Harrison Township. “It’s something new. I’ve never been out of the country before playing.”
Even more exciting for Bradychok: The band features former members and studio musicians from Elvis’ band, including bassist Duke Bardwell, drummer Jerome (Stump) Monroe and more.
“It was unexpected” when he got a cold call to join the tour, Bradychok says. “I thought it was just going to be like a rockabilly tour or something and then to find out it’s people that worked with Elvis, wow!”
The tribute boasts that it’s the only touring Elvis tribute show featuring musicians who worked with the King. Its repertoire covers the span of Elvis’ career.
Bradychok is a natural at playing that style of music. He was a standout player at local jam sessions when he was just 13 and landed a job with local rockabilly greats the Twistin’ Tarantulas at age 15.
He currently plays guitar for Detroit/Windsor rockabilly legend Jack Scott, performs with local rockabilly group Billy Mack & the Juke Joint Johnnies and has his own rockabilly/Americana band, North of Memphis.
You can catch Bradychok with the Juke Joint Johnnies on Friday at the Inverness Inn in Chelsea and on Dec. 10 with North of Memphis at the Jefferson Street Pub in Harrison Township. For more: www.facebook.com/carlbradychok
A music bargain
Two CD-release parties, one admission price. Electro-pop rockers Otto Vector will celebrate the release of “EP604,” the new EP that is the sixth recorded effort for the group, while Half Light Music will celebrate its second disc, “Partial Illumination.” It all goes down Friday at the Magic Bag in Ferndale.
“We’ve been working and writing and playing a lot of shows,” says Otto Vector keyboardist Mike (Sonic) Glaser. “We try our best to make and write good songs and try to branch out as much as possible.”
That’s a formula that has worked well for the group, which has been together for over seven years with all original members and has landed song placements on MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat.”
Along with Glaser the group includes vocalist Renee’, drummer Willy D, guitarist Ginseng and bassist Classy Lee. “We’re all really good friends,” says Glaser. “We see each other more than our families.”
For this trip to the studio, the band chose to work with producer Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios in Canton. “He kind of honed our sound and he helped us really put focus to what we do.” It was the second trip to Pearl Sound for the group who first worked with Alkazian on its previous album, "14 North Cedgwick.”
That album garnered the group multiple song placements on MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat.”
The group will debut a new video — shot at the Packard Plant and the Grand Trunk Bar in Detroit — for the single “Bright Side” at Friday’s CD-release show. “It’s a song about being down and looking on the bright side,” says Glaser. “It’s an homage to the city.”
Half Light Music’s “Partial Illumination,” was also recorded with Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios.
“As far as the overall sound of the disc, it’s probably somewhere between OneRepublic and Rob Thomas, with kind of a Southern rock vibe,” says singer Cheyenne Goff. “I’m not a big Southern rock fan but it tends to come out somewhere in there. It’s all the Eagles my mom made me listen to.”
Half Light Music has also enjoyed some song placement, with its music landing in ads for the Buckle, an upscale clothing retailer.
Doors at 8 p.m. Friday, Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward, Ferndale. 248-544-3030. $8. Bloodline Riot opens.
For more: www.facebook.com/ottovector or www.facebook.com/halflightmusic
CJAM Benefit
A batch of killer local bands — with styles ranging from rock to pop to roots — is set to play Saturday at the Cadieux Café in Detroit to support Canada’s CJAM-FM (99.1), a nonprofit campus-based radio station in the basement of the CAW Student Centre at the University of Windsor.
Music, spoken word and cultural programming are featured on the station’s nearly 100 shows, which draw listeners in Windsor and Detroit. Among the most notable on this side of the river are “The Motor City is Burning” (7-8 p.m. Tuesdays), which offers a mix of new, classic, obscure Detroit sounds, and “Friday at the Hideout” (8-10 p.m. Fridays) a blend of vintage psychedelic, garage and freakbeat classics.
Both programs are hosted by Willy Wilson, a Detroit radio veteran, music publicist, record collector and Detroit-scene historian.
At the benefit, look for music from Detroit acts the Muggs, Jarrod Wolny (Grayling), Don (Doop) Duprie and Class Three Overbite.
Doors open at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m., Cadieux Café, 4300 Cadieux, Detroit. 313-882-8560. The $10 admission will go to CJAM’s annual pledge drive.
For more: www.cjam.ca.
Rachel May, Metromix editor, is also a member of local bands the Difficulties and Broadzilla. Send local music news to her at rmay@metromix.com
