About Coby Brown
COBY BROWN
Coby Brown’s musical education started early growing up in Boston, Mass. “My older brother had great taste in rock and roll. When I was around eight years old I heard his copy of the Police’s Outlandous D’ amour and it took hold of me like a fever. That Christmas my dad bought me my first electric guitar and I started trying to play along with those records.”
The Police, Stevie Wonder, Thom Yorke, Dave Mathews. These are some of the comparisons being drawn from Coby Brown’s first solo EP, Truth Shines, recorded with Gregg Wattenberg (Five for Fighting, Eve 6, Chantal Kreviazuk). “I’ve been waiting to make this record for awhile” says Brown. “Even though the band was doing well I felt like my music was at a plateau. I knew if I wanted to keep growing, and reach a wider audience, I’d have to take that step into the unknown.”
Having spent three years playing to packed houses in New York City clubs, Coby and his band, The Coby Brown Group, put out their debut album Homesick. The album received rave reviews in the New York press but Coby was already imagining where he might take new songs outside the democratic confines of the band. ‘Almost at once’ he met Gregg, left the band, and moved out to Los Angeles.
“I was sitting around, distraught at the prospect of telling my band I was leaving, and it reminded me of the feeling I had when I left Berklee (College of Music). I was surrounded by kids who were becoming virtuosos on the guitar but it seemed limited. At that point I was just starting to really write and sing my own songs. I was listening to Jeff Buckley’s Grace incessantly and I could see that record, see how it could be made, and that gave me the courage to really begin doing it. I left school just after that.”
Between Los Angeles and New York, Coby started working with Gregg in the studio creating a new sound. Their goal was to craft a bigger, bolder record that was also more ‘stripped down’ in terms of letting Coby’s strengths as a songwriter drive the process.
“Coby’s live shows, his voice, was already so unique and powerful. We had to try and do those intense songs justice in the studio and he just took it to another level,” says Wattenberg. “He showed up ready to do something courageous and emotional with the material and we ended up with this mature, powerful recording that went where his band just couldn’t. ”
Coby agrees, “I’m happy with how it’s all turning out. I’ve been playing down at the Hotel Café and meeting a lot of talented LA musicians. Leaving everything I knew, my whole fan base, was a bit daunting but I wanted to work with Gregg and I knew this was ‘opportunity knocking’ so to speak, so… here I am.”
Coby Brown’s musical education started early growing up in Boston, Mass. “My older brother had great taste in rock and roll. When I was around eight years old I heard his copy of the Police’s Outlandous D’ amour and it took hold of me like a fever. That Christmas my dad bought me my first electric guitar and I started trying to play along with those records.”
The Police, Stevie Wonder, Thom Yorke, Dave Mathews. These are some of the comparisons being drawn from Coby Brown’s first solo EP, Truth Shines, recorded with Gregg Wattenberg (Five for Fighting, Eve 6, Chantal Kreviazuk). “I’ve been waiting to make this record for awhile” says Brown. “Even though the band was doing well I felt like my music was at a plateau. I knew if I wanted to keep growing, and reach a wider audience, I’d have to take that step into the unknown.”
Having spent three years playing to packed houses in New York City clubs, Coby and his band, The Coby Brown Group, put out their debut album Homesick. The album received rave reviews in the New York press but Coby was already imagining where he might take new songs outside the democratic confines of the band. ‘Almost at once’ he met Gregg, left the band, and moved out to Los Angeles.
“I was sitting around, distraught at the prospect of telling my band I was leaving, and it reminded me of the feeling I had when I left Berklee (College of Music). I was surrounded by kids who were becoming virtuosos on the guitar but it seemed limited. At that point I was just starting to really write and sing my own songs. I was listening to Jeff Buckley’s Grace incessantly and I could see that record, see how it could be made, and that gave me the courage to really begin doing it. I left school just after that.”
Between Los Angeles and New York, Coby started working with Gregg in the studio creating a new sound. Their goal was to craft a bigger, bolder record that was also more ‘stripped down’ in terms of letting Coby’s strengths as a songwriter drive the process.
“Coby’s live shows, his voice, was already so unique and powerful. We had to try and do those intense songs justice in the studio and he just took it to another level,” says Wattenberg. “He showed up ready to do something courageous and emotional with the material and we ended up with this mature, powerful recording that went where his band just couldn’t. ”
Coby agrees, “I’m happy with how it’s all turning out. I’ve been playing down at the Hotel Café and meeting a lot of talented LA musicians. Leaving everything I knew, my whole fan base, was a bit daunting but I wanted to work with Gregg and I knew this was ‘opportunity knocking’ so to speak, so… here I am.”
Coby Brown's Blog
Shows in September
Posted by Coby on September 15, 2004
Hey all.. Thanks God it's September! Here's what's going on for us this month....
First of all, we are playing a fundraiser for MoveOn PAC on Thursday the 16th of September at the M-Bar in Hollywood. MoveOn PAC is the fundraising arm of MoveOn.org. The evening is co-sponsored by Leonora Gershman and Clothing of theAmerican Mind (www.clothingoftheamericanmind.com). This is going to nbe an awwesome night and we are psyched to be a part of it.
Performing that night are the best comics and bands in LA to celebrate the impending ousting of the Bush administration, and the impending inauguration of John Kerry.
Comics:
Andy Kindler
Laura Kightlinger
Natasha Leggero
Dennis Hemphill, Jr.
Comedy hosted by
Lou Santini
Bands:
Silver (www.silvermusic.us)
Coby Brown (www.cobybrown.com)
The Sympathetics (www.domusichouse.com)
Fingers Cut MegaMachine ( www.fingerscutmegamachine.com)
Doors open at 7:30pm
Comedy starts promptly at 8:00pm
We'll be going on at 9:30
$25 at the door, which includes goodie bags and FREE DRINKS and all the
proceeds will go toMoveOn PAC, who will use the funds for political ads
targetingGeorge W Bush, vote drives in battle-ground states, and regaining a progressive majority in the House and Senate.
M Bar (www.thembar.com) is located at 1253 Vine at Fountain in Hollywood,
and there'sparking a-plenty...
ALSO
Every Tuesday night in September at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood.
Tuesday the 21st at 10 Pm and Tuesday the 28th at 8.30. we would love to see you there.
www.hotelcafe.com for more info.
Hotel Cafe is located at 1623 and a half Cahuenga Blvd just south of Hollywood Blvd.
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