|
Event
Billy Brandt and Sarana Verlin w/ Audra Kubat
On paper, Brandt & VerLin shouldnt work at all. Sarana VerLin grew up on playing classical violin, then went on to 80s rock bands. Billy Brandt grew up with American folk music, then went on to country. Together, however, the singer-guitarist duo has such an uncanny chemistry that they have been mistaken for a couple. Their musical chemistry is based around their entwining voices and instrumental arrangements.
These are two of Detroits most talented and decorated musicians, having won numerous Detroit Music Awards over the years in acoustic, folk, country, and rock categories. Taking music across the ocean and back, they blend elements of Celtic and Americana roots in what they like to call Celticana. Their style explores the boundaries of Folk, Rock, Alt-Country, Celtic and Americana. And where these lines blur is where they thrive!
Brandt has shared the stage with such icons as Pat Benetar and Jethro Tull, and worked on tour with 38 Special. Hes the winner of multiple Detroit Music Awards including Acoustic Vocalist, Acoustic/Folk Artist, Instrumentalist, Country Songwriter, and Recording, as well as almost two dozen additional DMA nominations with other bands. Influenced by the likes of Gram Parsons to the Grateful Dead, Billy Brandt has molded his sound by creating his own unique guitar picking that creates a haunting melody which stays with the listener long after the song is over. Playing over 300 gigs a year has earned him the title of one of Detroits hardest working artists.
VerLin started writing and playing at the age of 10 and was performing internationally at the age of 12 on violin. Shes honed her skills with over a decade of gigs in the UK, USA and Canada. With seven studio albums and appearing on twice as many more recordings, shes worked with Grammy award winners Don Was (everyone from Elton John to Rolling Stones) & Steven King (Eminem), and producer Ben Grosse (Debbie Harry). Winner for Best New Artist, Recording, Instrumentalist, and Acoustic/Folk artist, shes in the Detroit Metro Times Music Hall of Fame alongside prestigious artists such as Aretha Franklin and Patti Smith.
Audra Kubat is a Detroit born singer-songwriter. Self-taught, Kubat began composing music on the piano at the age of eight. In her teens she started putting words to the music. Teaching herself to play the guitar, she began performing in local coffeehouses. In 1999 she created the band, Stunning Amazon, and in November of that year released a self-titled album. The band became locally successful and the CD paved the way towards bigger shows and media appearances.
In 2000 Kubat was nominated for five Detroit Music Awards, winning one for Best Folk Artist and another win in 2015 for Best American Instrumentalist. Since then, she has received nominations every year up to today (currently up for Best American Singer for 2016). Kubat continued to perform solo and wrote new material, releasing her first solo effort, Elixir. This record proved to be a pivotal force in Kubats career, and was followed by Untitled for Now in 2003 on my own label, Remedy Records.
This led to signing a record deal with Times Beach Records, with whom she recorded two national records Million Year Old Sand in 2004, and Since I Fell in Love with the Music in 2006. Both records earned positive reviews, appearing in Time-Out NY, NME, Harp Magazine, Hour Detroit, Metro-Times, Real Detroit Weekly, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press.
Local radio appearances include in-studio performances on WDET (National Public Radio), 89x Homeboy Show, the Mitch Albom Show on WJR, and the River. Television performances include an appearance on Backstage Pass/PBS, Crystals Motown Cafe, and Detroit Counsel of the Arts Presents: An evening with Singer-songwriter Audra Kubat.
As a dedicated and involved member of her community, Kubat has been a member of the local Non-profit group, United Peace Relief, where she helped feed the homeless living in the city by distributing food and clothing. She also teaching music to children from the area, donating lessons and time to help create inspiration within young people. In addition, she taught at the nationally recognized School of Rock. There she helped young musicians develop their skills in writing, performing, and technical proficiency. Further, Kubat taught music to 5 and 6 year olds at Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.
Currently, Kubat is teaching songwriting as a part of InsideOut Literary Arts Project, a local arts organization that helps place artists in classrooms to share, teach, and help inspire. She also works with Living Arts Detroit where she teaches Science through Music and Movement and works with pre-k students in collaboration with the national organization Wolf Trap. In addition, Kubat is a songwriting tutor at DIME, Detroit Institute for Music Education, a music college where she instructs young songwriters to hone their craft and develop storytelling strategies.
|
|
 |
LocationTrinity House Theatre (View)
38840 West Six Mile
Livonia, MI 48152
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
|
Contact
|
