SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE: DUNWELLS WITH BRONZE RADIO RETURN

20 Mar SHERIDAN OPERA HOUSE: DUNWELLS WITH BRONZE RADIO RETURN

The Dunwells

The Sheridan Arts Foundation presents British folk rock band The Dunwells, with opening support from Bronze Radio Return. The performance takes place on Sunday, March 24, 2013. Doors are at 7:30 p.m.; show time is 8 p.m. Seats are out for dancing.

The Dunwells are renowned for striking an exhilarating blend of English rock and American roots music. Emerging in 2009 from the pubs and clubs of Leeds, England, their hometown, The Dunwells are brothers Joseph Dunwell (vocals, guitar) and David Dunwell (guitar, piano, banjo), along with cousins Jonny Lamb (vocals, drums) and Roby Clayton (bass) and longtime best mate Dave Hanson (guitar, pedal steel).

“We are genuinely best mates,” explains Joseph Dunwell, “We sometimes bicker and fight and then we hug and make up and go out for a drink.”

The brother grew up in a home filled with music thanks to their father’s extensive record collection. Weaned on such artists as Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, as well as countless other musical acts from the 1960s onward, they began playing guitar at an early age, inspired (again) by their father, a talented classical acoustic player. David, then Joseph started writing songs and individually made their initial marks at open mike nights in and around Leeds. When a booking agent suggested that they unite as an act, the idea made perfect sense.

Bassist Roby Clayton and David Dunwell are longtime friends who spent many hours in their youth listening to music together. Drummer Jonny Lamb is Clayton’s cousin. Guitarist Dave Hanson heard Joseph Dunwell singing at an open mike night in a pub and, duly impressed, befriended and began playing with him.

 “We all made music for a living before we became a group,” notes Hanson. “It’s not just a band that formed. It’s organic and it comes from sharing the same roots, and everybody growing up, listening to and learning music together.”

Once they united as The Dunwells, they all knew something special was brewing. Beyond their classic rock and folk roots, they count among their inspirations artists such as Damien Rice, Radiohead, Ryan Adams, Oasis and influential legends like Ray Charles.

The group’s stellar musicianship, classic roots songwriting, and soaring harmony vocals made an instant but lasting impressions on growing numbers of fans. In fact, The Dunwells have drawn comparison to such high-profile groups as Mumford & Sons and Matthew & the Atlas.

Bronze Radio Return

Bronze Radio Return opens for the Dunwells.

Formed in 2008, Bronze Radio Return’s is an American indie/roots revival rock sextet from Hartford, Conn. The band formed at the Hartt School, one of the country’s best schools of music. Since its debut album Old Time Speaker to its current album Shake! Shake! Shake!, Bronze Radio Revival tours relentlessly and even played for President Obama at an event to represent the Connecticut music scene.

Fan favorites “Digital Love” and “Lo-Fi” have been picked up for advertising and television licensing and the album landed on CMJ’s Top 200 Album Chart. The band also received nearly 50 tv/film syncs, including on HBO, ESPN, MTV, American Idol, and a worldwide Nissan Leaf commercial to name a few.

Ticket, $25 plus a $3 handling fee, are on sale at sheridanoperahouse.com or by calling 970-728-6363 ext, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday

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