Throwback Sunday: Michael Lyn Bryant Birthday at Dunedin Brewery
I so wanted to title this: TBS: MLB BD @ DB, but I realized that wasn’t going to be very search-engine friendly. Michael Lyn Bryant, who turned 35, is VP and music wrangler for Dunedin Brewery. For his birthday, he invited two dozen musicians representing at least two dozen groups to join him in some improvisational fun (Sunday, August 26th). It exceeded all expectations.
Bryant began solo on synths with a piece titled “Introduction to Space.” Understand that all song titles were made up, suggested by listeners ahead of the show. Bryant also referred to it as “Trout in Paris,” full of hypnotic synth loops.
At that point, the initial core band took the stage: Christian Ryan, woodwinds; Taylor Gilchrist, bass; Yral ‘datdudeondrums’ Morris; and Dave Gerulat, percussion. Bryant grabbed his guitar for “Sashimi Sudoku,” a deep funk jam propelled by Gilchrist and Morris. Ryan played flute. Bryant also called up Alex Sears on keyboards in the middle of the tune.
For “Big Red Button,” Juajamon and his tenor sax squeezed on stage, Ryan switching to baritone. Juanjamon and Gilchrist led the way. Next, Rob Fortini and Jordan Garno entered with guitars, Bryant grabbing the mike to croon “Syndrome Blues.” Matt Weis replaced those two guitarists for “Creep Pockets,” with Weis often vamping as Gilchrist and Morris ripped it up.
“Bass Off” was a romp with Trevor McDannel, Gilchrist, and Cabe, backed by Morris on the kit. For “Trip Bop (AKA Walk the Dog),” Eric Layana sat at drums, McDannel on bass, and Matt Giancola on keyboards. Gilchrist played bass as well as the rappers took a spin: Jon Ditty, Nook, and Foundation-FNDTN.
To close out the first set, Tucker Sody took the kit, Gerulat returned, as did Ryan and Juanjamon. Matt Weis came back as well. This was just so much fun. Improvisational, yes, but it had form and function, and it rocked!
The second set began with Bryant’s most recent project, Follow the Monarchs, with bandmates Sears, Joe Knobel, and Cabe. Bryant played drums! “Empty Effect” was a rocker. Gerulat was back, and Tyler and Adam joined for “Veird Looking Sunrise,” with some hair-raising death-metal screaming — definitely Veird (another Bryant project).
“Dance Negative” switched gears, with BA Jones playing drums, Dan Jones on trombone, Bryant guitar. Sears, Knobel, McDonnell, and Ryan were there as they dove deep into some funk. Juanjamon played, and then Joe Cosas was invited up with his trombone. WOW!.
All of a sudden, a shape draped in hooded sweatshirt walked from the back room to the stage. Roosevelt Collier — with his brand new guitar with eight pedal steel strings! (I probably don’t have that exactly correct, but it’s close — we got to hear the debut!) Whether this was “Burnt Chrystler” or “Train of Liquid Twos” is immaterial. With Collier you knew it was going stratospheric immediately.
Morris was back on drums with Gilchrist, Gerulat, McDannel, Ryan and Weis. Ryan had grabbed his newest toy (well, one of them), his soprano sax. Morris and Gilchrist just took off. Then Collier and Ryan on soprano wove some magic, Cosas now on keyboards. Collier steered it into “Give Up the Funk.” Juanjamon joined the fun, and Nook and another rapper spit some rhymes.
We arrived, finally, at “Going Out.” Cosas teased “Giant Steps” before the jam began. Kyle Sareyani played flute, Dave Rakower tickled the keyboards, and Bryant and Sears twisted the synth knobs with abandon as the evening came to a glorious close.
Wonder what he’ll do for number 36?
All photographs by kind permission of Hunter Nicole Davis
[ONE: Introduction to Space, Sashimi Sudoku, The Big Red Button, Syndrome Blues, Creep Pockets, Bass Off, Trip Bop (aka Walk the Dog), Mars is Around the Corner; TWO: Empty Effect, Veird Looking Sunrise, Dance Negative, Burnt Chrystler, Train of Liquid Twos/Going Out]
