Photo by David Laflamme

By Samantha Newman-

On the 27th of January Menlo College was lucky enough to have the band My Brothers and I come perform for a special Wednesday Tavern Night. My Brothers and I originally hails from Oregon and is made up of brothers David (lead vocals), Erik (bass/vocals), and Scott Wurgler (drums) as well as their childhood friends Jordan Roach (guitar) and Johnny Iliyn (keys/vocals).

I would describe the band’s music and performance as a mix of several genres, but I would place it in indie-pop. Admittedly, I knew nothing about My Brothers and I before they performed, and I whispered to my friend Raven Harvey, “They all look like they’re from Oregon.” She laughed and informed me that, yes, that is where they were from. Their stage performance was definitely captivating and it was entertaining to see how each individual personality of the 5 meshed together on stage to make a cohesive band with a good presence. My friend Natalie Washington told me that their stage presence has definitely improved since their performance at Menlo last year.

After the show I had a chance to speak to David and ask him a few questions. I asked him what he liked about Menlo College and he explained that he loved the close-knit community and intimate size of our campus. I also asked him if he would be interested in playing at Menlo again, and he said, “If the chance arose we would take it.” David said that he has been involved with music for as long as he can remember and loves it. I shook his hand and thanked him as many other students behind me were vying for his attention to take photos and get their newly purchased albums signed.

My Brothers and I is a great band and their growth is apparent with many upcoming shows throughout March in the Pacific Northwest. However, they are going to be back in the area on March 4th performing at Hotel Utah in San Francisco. I greatly enjoyed seeing such an up and coming band at Tavern Night and I hope they come back again.