Cimarron Parker | Lariat Contributor
By Emilly Martinez
Copy Editor
The band Dream Brother might just be what the Waco music scene needs. On Sunday night, the band rocked Common Grounds.
Dream Brother played its first official show as a group, opening for Trannie Stevens and Buxton at Common Grounds. Before then, the band had played at a few sorority events.
While the group may be new, Sunday’s performance was energetic, showing the trio’s passion for music and demonstrating their obvious talent.
The group formed in July and originally consisted of three members: Fort Worth junior Benaiah Brown on vocals and guitar, and brothers Paul and Ben Mitchell. Ben Mitchell is featured on drums.
Brown previously played solo shows, but said he wanted to experience the dynamics of a band. Originally Brown asked Paul, his sister’s boyfriend, to play with him, but Paul was not available. He suggested Brown speak to Ben.
The then-duo played around 10 shows before Ben’s brother Paul joined up on bass.
Brown said the name Dream Brother, came from the name of one of his favorite songs by Jeff Buckley.
“Plus, we’re all more or less brothers,” Paul added.
Paul, 25, is the most experienced band member, having played guitar in the bands James Callihan, Goodfellow, Judas Feet, Hijo del Rio and currently a band called Dormer. He took three years off in college to pursue music.
Paul first experienced playing with his brother when recording an EP for Goodfellow – Ben was 13 years old at the time.
This is the second band the brothers are in together – Ben plays for Dormer – and Paul said he is enjoying the experience.
“After six, seven years of playing, playing gets routine but the Bens [Beniah Brown and Ben Mitchell] are still young and energetic. I guess you can say they’re hungry,” Paul said.
Despite his youth, both Brown and Paul said Ben’s skills are not to be doubted.
“The kid is a genius,” Brown said.
“He’s like a machine,” Paul said of his brother’s ability to write music. Paul said Ben has only been playing for a couple of years but picked writing up quickly and was good even when he started.
Even with varying experience levels, the group has found chemistry together in songwriting.
“Some people you can’t write with,” Paul said.
Paul said the songwriting process usually involves Brown, who first writes the lyrics and melody, and him and then Ben, who write music and help transform the song.
Three different perspectives and influences have given the group a richer sound, Paul said.
Paul and Brown described their sound as rock, also noting that each member is influenced by different music.
“I turned them in to a rock band,” Paul said after Brown described the band’s original sound as “poppy.”
Brown said his influences includes Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Joy Division, the National, the Black Keys and many more.
Paul said he and Ben have similar influences, as they’re brothers, but that Ben has his own tastes as well.
Their mutual influences include Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Interpol, the National and Colour Revolt. Paul is a huge fan of David Bazan and Ben “gets a kick out of Ringo Starr,” Paul said.
Dream Brother recently finished recording a three-song EP and is hoping to release it in digital format in early spring before starting work on a full-length CD.
While the group does not have any upcoming public shows scheduled they are booked to play at a benefit event Nov. 18 in Arlington.
“It was a lot of fun,” Brown said of Sunday’s show. “We’re glad we had people here to listen. We appreciate it.”
More information on Dream Brother can be found at facebook.com/dreambrotherband and twitter.com/dbrotherband.