Bio

With Brandon Cunning at Graceland Jan

Brian moved from Wisconsin to Memphis on the day Stevie Ray Vaughan died - August 27, 1990. He grew up listening to his dad's Johnny Cash 8-tracks and his mom's Ricky Nelson 45s - you can guess that Luther Perkins, Joe Maphis, and James Burton were a big influence! The final "nail in the coffin" was hearing Brian Setzer's guitar with the Stray Cats in the early '80s. He played all over Wisconsin with Neon Rainbow and The Back Again Show Band while attending UW Oshkosh. 

Upon moving to Memphis he completed an internship at PowerHouse Recording Studio then moved on to Amro Music where he's been working the day job since 1991.  The rockabilly band finally came together in 1994 when he met Steve Clark on upright bass and Clay Wallace on drums forming Butch Wax & The Flat Tops. Different versions of that band played Overton Park Shell, Dan McGuiness Peabody Place and special events. After taking a few years off, in 2010 he joined Steve who was playing with Brandon Cunning & Rick McFarland in the Stunning Cunning Band. Through 2015 they played at Blues City on Beale, Huey's, Beatles On The Ridge, Depot Days, St Jude Marathon, Hard Rock Cafe, Levitt Shell and many festivals. We even had the original rock'n'roll drummer from Sun Studio, JM Van Eaton, join us for several shows! Brian, Steve, & Rick formed the TN Fireballs in late 2015, recorded a CD (see the music tab above), and played shows at Alfred's On Beale and in Newport, Ark. From 2017-18 he played with Gary Hardy as one of the Memphis 2 doing a Johnny Cash tribute show at Alfred's On Beale. Up until covid shut down everything, Brian played with Brandon Cunning every Sunday night at Blues City on Beale. He also reunited with Steve Clark (Stunning Cunning Band) and Rodney Polk (Jason D. Williams) as one of the Bluff City Troubadours. 

Between 2017-2020 Brian played behind piano man Jason D. Williams at venues & events across the US. 

Brian is part of The Rockin' 88s who made their debut at Blues City on Beale May 13, 2021! Gunnar Sansom, Rodney Polk, Steve Clark, and Brian bring you Memphis piano boogie, rockabilly, and more every Monday night 7-11 at Blues City On Beale! Beginning in 2023 we'll be at Ghost River Brewing On Beale the 4th Friday of every month! You can also catch us at Lafayette's Music Room on Overton Square, Huey's, the World Famous Hernando's Hideaway, and at events all  around the Mid-South!

At Lafayette's and with Sam Phillips' son, Jerry, at Hernando's Hideaway during Elvis Week August 2021 - January 2022

  

 

Along with his "real" job at Amro Music (since 1991) Brian runs Galaxie 500 Audio - with mobile 24 track recording and tracking with ProTools, mixdown, and mastering available to local musicians. 

 

AT&T Stadium - Dallas Cowboys Pre-Game 12/2019