He’s My Brother She’s My Sister , the acclaimed Los Angeles band, will be bringing their unique stage show back to Cleveland, and the Beachland Tavern on Tuesday May 29.
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister are led by a brother and sister duo, the dueling lead singers and songwriters Rob Kolar and Rachel Kolar, tap-dancer Lauren Brown, cellist Satya Bhabha, lap-slide player Aaron Robinson and Oliver Newell on upright bass. Their music has been called “flamboyant folk,” “psych-acoustic,” and “vaudeville-y,” with “earthy swagger.”No doubt this is due to their mix of musical styles, both modern and antique; their eccentric attire and sense of expression that is both sincere and theatrical; and, to their unique instrumentation, which includes a rhythm section bolstered by a tap dancer.
The band has played over 200 shows this past year as a club headliner, selling out shows from Santa Barbara to Brooklyn.
In May, in addition to headlining shows like this one, they are on the road as main support for Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros on numerous dates in May including in Atlanta, Chicago, Minnesota and The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Theyjustcame off of a much talked about showcase at SXSW, where they received high profile notices from (among others): NPR (one of Ann Powers SXSW picks), Morning Becomes Eclectic (Jason Bentley featured the band on a SXSW segment), and from IFC (a band performance on IFC.com).If you have yet to catch them live, come see why they have been called delightfully original (Indieshuffle) rising stars (Brooklyn Vegan) and forward thinking folkies forging new ground. (New Times)Or, in a recent favorite description:“He’s My Brother She’s My Sister sound like She & Him hooked up with the White Stripes…. making a Reese’s combo of folk and country honk. (DigBoston )“He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister is comprised of–you guessed it–siblings Rachel (vocals, percussion) and Rob Kolar (vocals, guitar), joined by a colorful group of rag-tag vaudevillian musicians and performers. Upright bassist Oliver Newell sported glitter eyeshadow, grandma glasses and a lone feather earring…..The petite Lauren Brown is a tap-dancing percussionist. A founding member of the band, she tap dances and drums at the same time (!) making audiences do double takes…[A] band that is youthful without naivety, filled with heart and free of pretentiousness.”
OC Weekly
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister is like a time warp to the golden present, wrapping nostalgia around the here and now with throwback flair and good taste. They make debauchery and estrangement so glamorous. The songs are as catchy as a radio pop jam, but throw off the trappings of plastic pop and wrap you in fur, folk, and the last drops of moonlight.
LA Record
It’s always a home run when a band is able to generate such bouncy hipster-folk, and this The Mamas and The Papas-meets-Timbuk 3-sounding set offers a fine selection. Rocking harmonicas, proto-punk wailing, hippie clothes, fun drums, easy riffs…it’s a redux of the personality that made the Woodstock era so much fun for Hollywood directors
to try and recapture on film during the late 1960‘s—but done through the modern eyes of some very culture-conscious LA (appropriately) cats and kittens, led by a cool bro-sis combo on vocals. Is it music or entertainment? Well it’s fun to listen to, and entertaining to see, so you’ll need to sort out the particulars on your own.
Metro Mix New YorkIn this day and age, when new bands seem to be more concerned with playing it safe, flamboyant-folk and circus-rock group He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister do exactly the opposite. Stepping outside the boundary of what audiences are familiar with to deliver a performance that is equally fun to hear as it is to watch is what they do best. From the foot-heavy percussion (not what you think it means) and the creative marketing techniques to songwriting siblings…you’d be hard pressed to find a more original and buzzing quintet on tour right now.
Indie Ambassador
Singer Rob Kolar managed to kick a bass drum behind him while helming the mic and guitar; percussionist Lauren Brown beat a pair of toms while tap-dancing in a pair of wooden clogs; and bassist Oliver Newell all but tangoed with his green-and-violet hand-painted upright. HMBSMS rounded out the set with the boozy, mischievous “Tales That I Tell.” Audience members chanted along, arm-in-arm, to an unaccompanied rendition of the chorus—an apt ending to an evening worthy of being retold.
Las Vegas Weekly
Pop but not plastic, folksy but not out of date, He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister are artisan bread from a new kind of grain, baked in the California sun and distributed to feed the masses hungry for a taste of something fresh and new, wholesome and satisfying. Eat up – you’ll burn off the calories dancing.
Brite Revolution
Leave a Comment