CAESAR BROWN

BIOGRAPHY
Stop. Take a deep breath. Now think back to the days of family reunions and church revivals, of dinner on the ground and dusty old cars, kissing a pretty girl behind the barn and running barefoot through the woods. Stir in some late nights, hard work, smoke, and loud music. Now you have Caesar Brown.
Caesar Brown isn’t just a band; they’re a family. Formed in 2005 the relationships in the band go back much further then the short three years that has seen them tear apart the South. The two founding members, lead singer Tyson Lee and guitarist John Smith have known each other for years. They originally met in a previous group, feeling constrained however they ventured to start their own rock ‘n’ roll band that didn’t feel the need to sound or try to be like anyone else. Enter Mark Sloan. Brought in as a second guitar player he has taken on multiple duties including keyboards and lap steel guitar. Daniel Lewis was drafted to keep the rhythm steady on drums and “Moose-knuckle” Jones, the bands newest member, joined to lend his bass expertise. With this lineup intact Caesar Brown has become a sonic juggernaut that refuses to be denied.
Matt Spraker, longtime friend and confidant said of Caesar Brown, “if Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles, and The Black Crowes had a child; Caesar Brown would be the guy that sneaks her out of the window late at night.” True they have their influences, but Caesar Brown has never been one to copy. They pull from everything that is good about rock ‘n’ roll, put their own spin on it, and work their fingers to the bone to make it better. Guitarist John Smith commented on the music of Caesar Brown by saying; “we endorse no political party or religion. We are just here to love and to play the music we love.” In a day where the word “rock” means nothing, Caesar Brown is playing their own version of good old Rock ‘N’ Roll.
Although not a family by blood you could never tell it by watching Caesar Brown perform. One show, at Nashville’s famed Exit/In was described by Southern Performer Magazine as, “smoky, smooth rock,” Caesar Brown, “played a mix of tightly performed songs for their many supporters, originals like ‘2nd Ave Blues’ and ‘Queen of the South’ proved their songwriting mettle.” Caesar Brown is known to bring in a Hammond B3 and backup singers but shocked the city of Nashville with the most audacious performance of a band in there position. In April of 2008 Caesar Brown performed many of their original songs while being backed by a full symphony orchestra and choir. More impressive still is that the performance came together with no help from outside the band. The music was written and composed for the orchestra by the band itself. “Our musicianship has never been in question, but we proved it to Nashville that night and we will prove it to anyone else who cares to listen,” said Tyson Lee.
These disciples have been spreading the gospel of rock ‘n’ roll for three years with many more to come. They hearken back to the heyday of rock ‘n’ roll while still throwing in their own ingredients. As Matt Spraker said, “they’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, why fix it if it aint broken.”
Big Poppa (DJ 91.1 Positive Spin show) with the boys at Mercy Lounge "8 off 8th"