19brs89 + Musician in Oakland, CA

SEEKING

ABOUT

Hello! I'm Brian. I have been playing guitar and writing music for my entire life and my world basically revolves around. Literally everything I do, I do to become a better musician. I even spent four years in the Navy so that I could afford to study music in college, which is what I am doing now. I study Audio Engineering at SAE Institute in Emeryville, CA. I will be graduating in September, and moving to Nashville as soon as I do. When I'm not in class, I am in the studio or at home playing guitar and writing. I was pretty much raised on Blues, Classic Rock (Lots of Southern Rock bands), and folk/bluegrass music. While I consider myself to be a very well versed guitar player and songwriter, I am not necessarily seeking the most technically skilled musicians. I have been in several bands, and have ALWAYS had the most fun, and made the best music with average musicians, who simply want to make great music, not show off. While I do have some big dreams, and a lot of determination to accomplish them, I see great value in doing so "honestly". Meaning, I don't feel the need to show off. I understand the importance of simplicity when it comes to songwriting. I do what's best for the song as a whole, not what I think will bring all the attention to me. The end product is the most important, not the individuals. I've been around many of the arrogant "rock star" types, and that's just not me, or what I want to be a part of. I want to find some musicians who have enough soul and feeling to not feel the need to show off. People who simply love to build a mutually creative group, where everybody respects each other, and doesn't let ego get in the way of creativity. I would love to find a group of talented, yet humble musicians that just want to create some wonderful sh*t!

Screen name:

19brs89

Member since:

Feb 18 2015

Active over 1 month ago

Level of commitment:

Very Committed

Years playing music:

14

Tend to practice:

More than 3 times per week

Available to gig:

6-7 nights a week

Influences

Again, I have so many influences that I could not begin to name them all. While I love all music, I am most influenced by anything that makes me feel something. I will never go to a show simply because the artist is "good". I only go see artists that actually make me feel something. A few of my bigggest influences are:

- ALL blues music
- The Doors
- The Allman Brothers
- The Eagles
- Pink Floyd
- Sigur Ros
- Queen
- The Band
- Johnny Cash
- This Will Destroy You
- Nirvana (Mainly the "Bleach" album)
- Explosions in the Sky
- Bruce Springsteen
- Fleetwood Mac
- The Pixies
- Florence & The Machine
- Andrea Bocelli
- U2
- Derek Trucks
- Melvins
- Hammock
- The Album Leaf
- The Sex Pistols
- Hozier
- Black Flag
- Johnny Cash
- Trent Reznor
- The Ramones

And pretty much everybody else.........

Instrument experience:

Acoustic Guitar:

Advanced

Lead Guitar:

Advanced

Rhythm Guitar:

Advanced

Steel guitar:

Advanced

Bass Guitar:

Moderate

Keyboard:

Moderate

Mandolin:

Moderate

Other Percussion:

Moderate

Piano:

Moderate

Vocalist - Baritone:

Moderate

EQUIPMENT

I have a pretty straightforward set up. I don't really get into buying a bunch of fancy shit (nor can I afford to). I don't really care about my equipment looking pretty on stage. I buy what is practical and what sounds good. I have a lot more respect for the musicians who can make cheap, inexpensive instruments sound good, than relying on their gear to MAKE them sound good. My rig is as follows:
- Danelectro 63 (swapped pickups for higher output duncan lipstick tubes)
- Vox AC30
- BBE Boosta Grande
- Fulltone Fat Boost (FB-3)
- T-Rex Tonebug Reverb
(Trust me, it may not seem like much of a rig, but it doesn't need to be. I don't get my tone from the setup, I get it from how I play. It's the fingerpicking and .012 gauge strings that give me my tone. This set up is cheap, yet more than sufficient to get my point across. I promise.)