"These guys rock with tremendous balls." -- Bart Thurber, producer, House of Faith
Oakland-based BRNR is comprised of Steve W Lee on vocals and bass guitar, Mat Dahms on guitar, and Priest on drums. They all grew up together as childhood friends in nearby Castro Valley, but didn't form the band until late November 2000. Up to that point, Mat had spent time jamming in a punk outfit, while Steve and Priest had formed a garage band that had played a couple of house parties.
Steve grew up classically trained from the age of 4. His mother was a concert pianist and taught him how to play piano as soon as he could reach the keys. He also had brief stints with cello and clarinet, but didn't learn guitar or bass until the mid-90's during his college years, after encouragement from a friend. The full extent of his vocal training are sessions in the shower and car. Priest had grown up idolizing drummers from bands such as Led Zeppelin, the Who, Black Sabbath, and the Stones. Mat has played guitar since his early youth and practiced many hours after school, imitating his music heroes.
The idea of forming BRNR came into quick reality when the 3 childhood friends got together for an impromptu jam. The chemistry was already there, and the musical ideas offered were embraced by all. They quickly rented a room at the now-defunct Spectrum Studios in Oakland.
The band's sound features heavy guitar riffs and wah solos, a heart-stopping bottom end, complemented by thundering Bonham-esque drums and strong edgy melodic vocals. Musical influences include Black Sabbath, Soundgarden, Led Zeppelin, Jane's Addiction, Clutch, and Kyuss.
BRNR booked its first gig at Oakland's Stork Club on April 4, 2001. Based on that performance, 3 subsequent shows were booked. BRNR has performed in clubs all over the Bay Area, playing over 50 shows over the last few years. Come see what the buzz is all about.
For an up-close-and-personal view of BRNR the band, check out our 7 minute documentary shot by our good friend & filmmaker Ben Sarno. Copy and paste the link below to enjoy....
In the Pantheon of Things That Are Badass, your Thing is so Badass that it's not even a Thing anymore and therefore does not belong in any Pantheon...Badass or Otherwise.
