Born and bred on an island as densely populated as Montreal just without any of the culture, Brendan B Brown did what Andrew Carnegie did, he beat the odds. Taking the unprecedented decision of forming a band in New York City at the age of 22, Brendan took his father’s nickname of “wedus” and his mother’s penchant for rare fabrics and formed Wheatus. Wheatus became known in some circles as the greatest band to play the Mercury Lounge and eventually signed to Columbia Records who released the first two Wheatus records, kinda. After the major label life and the success of Wheatus’s debut single “Teenage Dirtbag,” Brown continued Wheatus and released five more records before the band’s renaissance would take place after “Teenage Dirtbag” was covered by One Direction. Since then, Wheatus, still led by Brown, has enjoyed a renewed interest with their songs covered by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Sza, Jax, Ruston Kelly and touring with such acts as Dashboard Confessional, Living Colour, Everclear, and many more. Brendan B Brown has taken the success in stride and wants you to join the ride. Get in. Join the Dirtbag
Gabrielle Sterbenz
Bronx-based Singer-Songwriter, Gabrielle Sterbenz, has toured extensively as a backing vocalist in the band Wheatus (Teenage Dirtbag), with stints for Robbie Dupree (Steal Away) and Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) before that. But, it is Wheatus she has been a part of since 2011, most recently having penned and performed a song on the band’s Sony-released Christmas EP, and penning the lyrics to a cheeky Christmas version of Teenage Dirtbag. She has also opened for the band on several international tours.
Gabrielle knew she wanted to sing professionally by the time she was 3. She spent her teenage years singing in her Long Island high school’s Gospel Choir. The “songwriting” part didn’t emerge until much later. Both an early and a late bloomer, Gabrielle’s genre-bending songs are at once classic-sounding and modern, floating between Americana, Folk, and sometimes referencing the American Songbook and Gospel music she loved growing up. Her voice might evoke that of Linda Ronstadt: clear, rich, dynamic. The driving force.
The first single from Gabrielle’s upcoming full-length album, recorded with platinum-selling producer, Philip Jimenez, comes out March 1, 2024. She will also be opening for Wheatus’ Brendan B Brown on a solo acoustic tour of the US in support of her record.
Talon Smartt
Talon Smartt — the Boise-based alt-rock group that describes itself as a having a “fuzzy, trashy and flashy sound” with Bennett Huhn, Gabe Perez, Nick Learned, & Talon S.