By Lillian Reiner
Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Contributor
greer@wktv.org
West Michigan’s premier cover band, Brena, is bringing its feel good covers to the Wyoming Concerts in the Park stage once again on Tuesday, July 14, at 6 p.m. at Lamar Park.
The Wyoming Concerts provide the chance for community members to come together for free music and food from local food trucks.
“Performing for an audience and seeing the joy that we bring into people’s lives is so rewarding and keeps us doing what we do,” said Craig Avery, vocalist and keyboard player. “I like to think that people come to see us to have fun and listen to good music, but also as an escape from whatever struggles they might be facing.”
Switching gears
The band met as music students at Grand Valley State University, but only two original members, Avery and multi-instrumentalist Steffan Copenhaver, remain.
The current lineup, consisting of vocalist Michele Moretti, guitarists Sam Parks and Matt Kok, vocalist, guitarist, and trombone player Sean Copenhaver, and drummer Sam Briggs, has been together since 2013. They also are joined by award-winning vocalist, Kelly Carey, on occasion. KM Denton is the band’s sound tech.
When the band was first formed in 2006, they played original music and performed at college campuses around the country. After releasing three albums and encountering financial troubles, they decided to make a change.
“In 2011, we decided to hang up the original band touring lifestyle and switched gears and became a cover band,” Avery said.
They began playing at bars, private parties and weddings, at first only playing 30 events per year, and now play an average of 130 events each year.
“We discovered we could actually make a living playing music,” Avery said.
Brena boasts an extensive and versatile song list for every occasion, from classic and modern rock to modern pop, R&B, rap, country and “Oldies.”
Brena origin
While Brena has undergone many changes since their inception, the name has stuck around, although the naming of the band was left completely to chance.
“We were rehearsing in our friend’s basement getting ready to perform at the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts in 2007 and we needed a band name in order to submit for a potential spot in the lineup,” Avery said. “So we threw a bunch of names in a hat and drew Brena.”
The band often jokes about the origin of their name, saying that Brena is a girl they all dated at one time, or an acronym for something, but the truth is that no one knows who threw the name in the hat or its significance.
Memorable performances
Brena has played thousands of shows during their nearly two decades as a band, but there are a couple of performances that stand out. They played during the Detroit Tigers Opening Day Block Party, in the freezing cold for the NHL Winter Classic at the University of Michigan stadium on New Year’s Day, as well as for thousands of college students in Panama City Beach, Florida, for Spring break.
“Grand Haven Coast Guard Festival Street Dance is always a favorite of ours,” Avery added.
Brena treats every performance as an opportunity for people to let loose, leave their baggage at home, and just have a good time.
Looking to the future
While the band doesn’t have any immediate plans to start writing original music, they have tossed around the idea of writing children’s music in a pop rock style. Many members have started families of their own and naturally have felt drawn towards creating music for and about their kids.
But for the time being, Brena will continue being West Michigan’s premier cover band for as long as they can.
“We love what we do,” Avery said.
