Dennis Witcher is well known to Boulevard Music regulars thanks to his appearances with bluegrass band the Witcher Brothers. Now he’s back with a new project, the Brew, but you can expect the same musical excellence. Witcher told the News about what Culver can expect at Boulevard this week…
When did you start playing and performing?
I started playing music and performing in college in the late ‘60s. I was playing in rock bands then.
Describe your sound/style?
I started playing bluegrass in the mid ‘80s and formed a band with my son Gabe called the Witcher Brothers. What I’ll be doing with the Brew this Saturday is still bluegrass with a lot of original songs, great picking and great harmonies.
What are your career highlights so far?
There have been many highlights over the years. I was once flown to the stage in a helicopter while playing a rock festival in the early ‘70s but that seems like another lifetime ago. Forming and playing in the Witcher Brothers with my son Gabe playing fiddle and later my son Mike on dobro is pretty high on the list of highlights. Mike is now a nationally acclaimed dobro player and Gabe has 11 Grammy nominations and a win in 2019. Every major festival we’ve played has been a highlight.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
I recorded four albums with the Witcher Brothers: Yesterday’s News, Finding The Way, Like a Picture, and Family Ties. All except Family Ties are available on most of the streaming services – Spotify etc.
Have you performed at Boulevard Music before?
I’ve played Boulevard Music many times over the years with the Witcher Brothers and on occasion with other bands. This is the first time with the Brew. We’re pretty excited about it.
What can the audience expect from the set this time?
You can expect a high energy performance from some of the best young pickers on the scene today, tight harmonies, original songs and some of your favorites. My son Gabe will make a guest appearance for a portion of the show where we do a few Witcher Brothers favorites. This will be the first time we’ve been together on stage in over 15 years. He’s been playing with Punch Brothers for the last 18 years.
What else do you have coming up?
This is a very new band and we’re pretty much launching things here at Boulevard Music on Saturday so we’ll have to see what comes next.
Dennis Witcher and the Brew performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 23 at Boulevard Music. Go to boulevardmusic.com for more information.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
There’s a full program of music at the Cinema Bar this week, as usual. The Hot Club of Los Angeles plays every Monday, and Wednesdays are singer/songwriter and open mic night. Other artists performing this week include Tall Guy Blues Band, Ginger Merkin, Tom Gramlich & Edward Romero, Matthew Fields, and the Everglades. Go to thecinemabar.com for more info.
