by Described as “indie soul” on the flyer, Portland-based band My Brothers and I is a group that would easily fit into many genres. Their debut album Don’t Dream Alone has tracks that go from an upbeat and poppy sound, alongside songs with a heavy soul influence that make you want to just close your eyes and enjoy the music.
Playing the Hard Rock Cafe, the crowd was very diverse. There were the teenage girls who ran to the barricade and shouted every lyric as they recorded the whole experience on their phones, and there was also a much older audience both in the crowd and sitting at the tables along the perimeter of the venue, calmly enjoying the performance.
Entering the stage amongst the applause and shouting, My Brothers and I opened with their track “Waiting For,” which instantly had the whole crowd swaying and singing along. They began talking about how they had the opportunity to open for Allen Stone on a previous tour, and launched into a cover of Stone’s “Bed I Made,” which matched the sound of their set perfectly.
Later into the night, bassist Erik Wurgler began to introduce their next track, “Scars.” Easily the most intense and meaningful song on the album, it’s evident that the song has a deep meaning for the band. Erik explains how, though it wasn’t meant to be, many of their fans think that it’s a sad song. He chokes up as he tells the crowd it was meant to represent all the tough times we go through, and that those should be looked at as a sign of what we are able to get through.
Encouraging the crowd to sing along, My Brothers and I start to play their song “Na Na Na,” one of the more contemporary-sounding tracks from the album. At the tail-end of the song, the lights turn to a deep blue and the sound thins out and slows down as David, the lead singer, comes to the front and leads everyone in clapping along and singing the refrain. They end with their most popular and upbeat song, “Dream.” This was definitely the loudest song, as everyone in the audience sings the lyrics back and cheers wildly as they set their instruments down and leave the stage. After a few seconds, though, they run back on stage for two more encore songs, including “Granted,” which had everyone swaying around and clapping along with the song.
As a whole, My Brothers and I had a genuinely fantastic set. They were so comfortable with their music and looked like they enjoyed just being there and performing as much as everyone enjoyed watching them.
