So Tribe.net has knighted me "interesting." Never trust the Internet. . .judge for yourself. . .I'll be updating this occasionally with insights and thoughts and feelings and prayers for the world. Peace. Brad.
PS. COME OUT THIS FRIDAY TO OUR SHOW AT THE TONGUE AND GROOVE in SF...(www.tongueandgroovesf.com). Should be intimate and epic.
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Brad Wolfe is a young but timeless singer/songwriter. His unique and comforting voice, intelligent lyrics, distinctive songs, and life-affirming attitude separate him from other performers of the day. While young music fans might try to compare Brad to present day troubadours Howie Day, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and Dave Mathews, more astute music observers identify Brad with Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and Tracy Chapman. “I’m honored when someone says I sound like a Cat Stevens or a Paul Simon, because you can feel true passion and integrity in their songs. The singer-songwriters from my parent’s generation had a certain honesty that I think is lacking from much of today’s music. For me, being an artist is all about tapping in to what’s real.”
In 2000, Brad was a junior in college about to head to Washington D.C. for the summer as a U.S. Senate intern. But in May of that year, Brad’s life path was forever altered by unexpected tragedy. His best girl friend, Sara, confided to Brad that she had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare and often deadly form of pediatric bone cancer. Upon hearing this news, Brad committed himself to helping Sara in her difficult fight. He turned to his music and penned a song of hope for her. One night, Brad gathered a group of Sara's friends together at his house and surprised Sara with his new composition, "Sara's Got a Sunbeam." The song became an anthem of sorts during Sara’s illness and, for that evening, feelings of love and friendship overshadowed the heartache of Sara’s disease.
As Sara's condition worsened and she became bedridden, Brad visited Sara in the hospital nearly every day. On one occasion, Brad brought his guitar with him and, at Sara’s request, performed a bedside concert of his original songs. As Brad played, Sara’s spirits suddenly improved. For those few moments, her pain actually seemed to diminish. Brad was grateful and was struck that his music had the power to make a difference in Sara’s life. Thereafter, bedside concerts became a frequent scene at the hospital.
Sara's fight against Ewing’s sarcoma was difficult, yet it was also inspiring. Her unwavering optimism and love of life moved not only Brad, but all those who knew Sara. Though Sara passed away at the age of 22, her impact on the world, on her friends, and on Brad was permanent. In her memory, Brad decided to pursue a new life path: he made a commitment to share his music with the world and to use his talent to make a difference in the lives of young people like Sara who are engaged in a fight against cancer.
With newfound inspiration, Brad enrolled in the summer songwriting program at the premier institution for the study of contemporary music, Berklee College of Music, where Brad worked to hone his song writing abilities. In 2003, he was also accepted to a master’s program in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University, which allowed Brad to formally study the structure of the music industry. While pursuing his MA, Brad began actively performing his music for the college community. As luck would have it, a fellow Stanford alumnus and musician heard Brad’s music and offered him an opening slot at the prestigious San Francisco club, the Tongue and Groove. After just one performance, Brad was immediately offered a monthly show at the venue.
Word of Brad’s successful shows and musical talents reached Michael Coleman, who was working at the time as both the assistant to legendary Producer Jack Douglass (Aerosmith, John Lennon) and music videographer for Aerosmith, Green Day, and Ozomatli. Michael contacted Brad and offered his assistance and expertise. With Michael’s support, they quickly worked to assemble a talented cast of Bay Area musicians now known as Brad Wolfe and the Moon, featuring mandola, electric guitar, piano, percussion, drums and bass, along with Brad’s unique pick-less guitar playing and passionate vocals. Soon, Brad Wolfe and the Moon was headlining shows all over the Bay Area, sharing the stage with national acts such as Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root, playing live radio broadcasts for San Francisco’s largest radio station KGO, and spreading Brad’s six-song demo to over 5,000 fans.
In late 2004, Brad entered the studio with the hope of recording a new demo. As the project got underway and excitement mounted, it became clear that a demo just wasn’t enough—the full LP, “Brad Wolfe and the Moon” was underway. A bevy of Bay Area heavy hitters joined in on the recordings as part of the Moon, including guitarist Gawain Mathews (Ben Lee), drummers Steve Bowman (Counting Crows) and Andy Korn (Joey Ramone), pianist Joey Muller (Savage Garden), percussionist Adam Rossi (Luce), and bassist Dan Feiszly (Julio Iglesisas). The band’s debut 13-song album was released on June 10th to a sold out audience at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
On his journey, Brad has remained true to his initial inspiration. Multiple songs on the new album, including fan-favorites “Tall Grass,” “By Your Side,” and “Sara’s Got a Sunbeam” were inspired by Sara. The upcoming CD release will also mark the launch of the Sunbeam Foundation, an organization recently founded by Brad in Sara’s memory. With help from Sara’s friends, the Sunbeam Foundation aims to promote awareness and raise funds for research and treatment of sarcomas, such as Ewing’s sarcoma, which affect children and young adults. Brad will be donating a portion of all merchandise and CD sales to the Sunbeam Foundation.
“I have so much wrapped up in this album and in what it represents,” says Brad. “It’s not just about me—it’s about life, the goodness of the human spirit, and about giving back to the world.” So take a listen for yourself, and discover Brad Wolfe, one of the next great songwriters of his generation.
