Describe your band, telling a little about it.
We are a cover band of popular favorites from the 80's, 90's and 2000's. We play songs from artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Journey, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Pat Benatar, Pink, Katy Perry, Foreigner, and Aerosmith to name a few. We love interacting with our audiences.
What are your member names? / Who plays what?
Charlie Elias - drums
Kevin Smith - bass
Matt Elias - guitar & vocals
Sharon Murphy - vocals & keyboard
Have members played with any other bands?
Yes. Charlie & Kevin have been playing in bands for over 30 years. Prior to BCB they were with Two Thumbs Up. Matt also played with Two Thumbs up and is part of an acoustic band currently called Whiskey Business.
Do you write your own music or perform covers? Has it always been this way? Both Sharon and Matt write their own music, but Brick City Band strictly does covers.
What year did the band form? The current members have been together for 2 years. Prior to that Char, Matt and Kevin played together.
Where is bands home? All of the band members are from the Pittsburgh area.
What's your style or genre? We aim to entertain, so we like high energy recognizable favorites that will get the crowd singing along and dancing.
What inspires your music? A range of artists. We all have different taste in music.
How often do you rehearse? Once a week when we're learning new songs.
Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? No we do not. We have discussed it, but not gone down that road yet.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? We've not discussed this.
Have you done any covers live? We perform all covers.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? 20 - 200
What ages are most of your concert attendants? Our crowd varies on the venue. However, typically the range is from 30's - 40's.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We try to add new and different music every gig.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? Currently we have played at Bubba's in Southpointe and 31 in Bridgeville frequently.
What was your first gig like? Our first gig together was a private event, so it was pretty laid back.
What was your latest gig? Our last few gigs have been really great. We've had lively audiences and a lot of fun.
Have you had to cancel a gig? Yes, once due to illness.
Where have you played live this year? Pittsburgh, Morgantown, Fredericktowne
Where do you plan to gig the coming year? Anywhere we can. Lol
Do you have any role models or idols? As we stated earlier, we range in style and taste in music, so our influences range across all types of music, age ranges, and artists.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? Artists are always inspired by other artists. We learn different things from different eras.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Have fun and be respectful of your audience and venue. But mostly have fun!
How do you get psyched for a gig? Once we're all together and setting up, the energy just starts to flow.
How can people reach you? We are on Facebook. So people can reach out to us there or via email at brickcitypgh@gmail.com
What are your plans for the future? To keep rockin' out the Burgh.
How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond? I think anytime our name is out there it's helpful in spreading the word about our live music.
What is one thing even your biggest fans don't know about the band? Mmmmm, there are probably a lot of things they don't know.
Do you have anything to add? Thanks for giving us this chance to reach more fans.
