The Chris Robinson Brotherhood will deliver a smorgasbord of sounds to the Barrymore Nov. 19 with music that cannot be simply categorized into one genre.
Their music contains elements of R&B, folk, jazz, funk, psychedelically-influenced rock and even country.
“There’s a lot going on with us,” said band member Neal Casal after describing the band’s unconventional style.
In terms of creating such unique music, the band travels to a mythical place called the “Brotherhood Arts Laboratory,” where their creative process takes place. It is there, within their own minds, where ideas come together.
With five active band members — Chris Robinson, Neal Casal, Adam McDougall, Jeff Hill and Tony Leone — the brotherhood still manages to cooperate in terms of songwriting, yet it’s not always peaches and cream.
“Chris is the main engine for songwriting and I’m kind of second in command… The main ideas start with Chris and the rest of us all chip in until it turns into something,” Casal said. “There’s disagreement sometimes. I don’t think it would be worthwhile music if it was all just moving calm all the time. There’s disagreements and discussions and haggling it out until it all ends up in the right place.”
In the past, the band would focus their songs on the psychedelic sounds, but they have changed over the years. Today, the band is more focused on the songwriting aspect of making music, according to Casal. The band’s rhythm section has also changed.
These five musicians don’t love anything more than creating a new project. The group seems to always be putting out new music, which is a lot of work, but Casal claims it doesn’t feel overwhelming. He asserts making music is a fun thing to engage in.
Opportunities to travel the world, meet new people and play in different locations are the highlights of touring, according to Casal. Their current tour will feature songs from their most recent album, Barefoot in the Head, along with old tunes, as they like to stay true to their roots as well as introduce new material.
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This is not the group’s first time playing in Madison, and they are excited to be making their return.
“It’s a good crowd there and it’s a good vibe for us always,” Casal said. He is expecting every fan to get up on their feet and dance throughout the duration of two sets, which typically amount to a total of three hours.
Casal offered some encouraging words to aspiring musicians and singers. If you really want to do it, you have to stick with it. If making music is someone’s dream, they should put all of their energy into it. This means not having a backup plan.
This upcoming performance has been highly anticipated by fans, both new and old, who have been listening to the recently released album.
“I would say this is our best album. It’s all of our favorite,” Casal said. “It’s our best songwriting and it’s certainly Chris’s best singing and our best ensemble playing for sure. I think that there’s a lot of growth on this record that’s evident.”
