BLOG: Support Bramble!

Joshua Ligairi » 5.15.11 »

Not Curt Bramble. Screw that guy.

Remember that awesome band Bramble I posted about awhile back? They are amazing street musicians from Salt Lake City who I first experienced playing on Park City Main Street during Sundance (see video below). I immediately bought the band's CD, had them on my iPod throughout the festival, and, by the end of the week, had asked them to be in my first fictional film, Rain City, assaying the roles of street musicians.

Now, (and for the next 18 days) Bramble has a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the recording their first full-length album. I know times are tough-- I'm completely strapped as I put all of my money into my upcoming film--but every dollar helps and if you like what you see in the video below, I'm confident you'll enjoy the fruits of an honest-to-goodness studio session with these guys. Their infectious honesty and enthusiasm permeates their music and soaks into you the more time you spend with it.



If you love this even a quarter as much as I do, you should consider sending a dollar or 2 or 25 their way via their Kickstarter campaign--which features a really nice video plea from the band as well.

BLOG: Park City busking

Joshua Ligairi » 1.30.11 »

My personal favorite discovery of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival was not a movie, but a band. Bramble, a group of street musicians that performed everyday of the festival, brought a lot of cheer as I slogged up and down Park City Main Street in the slush and snow.

They have an interesting line-up that features banjo, ukulele, accordion, and street drums and makes for a really unique sound--especially when combined with singer James Miska's rich vocals and fun, sin-along lyrics. The music is happy and upbeat and the group's youthful enthusiasm for what they do is totally addictive--even to a jaded asshole like me. This is the kind of stuff that really gets me excited.

I bought their CD on my first time walking by the band because, although I had a screening to make at Slamdance, I wanted to keep listening to their awesome music. On my iPod by day two, I had all of their songs memorized by day three, and still occasionally stopped for a listen. Not long afterward, I was trying to think of a way to work street musicians into my next film (which I did!).

I was able to find a great performance video of the band at Sundance 2010. The video captures their live performance, but fails to capture their sound because the audio mixer was pointing the only microphone directly at the singer so he dominates the mix. But it is still great. Check it out below:

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You can buy their CD here and hear Bramble's side of their Sundance story here. Catch Bramble next at the True/False Film Festival in Colombia, MO--no kidding. And don't be surprised when you see them in my movie(s).