brothers gow

When considering Flag’s varied music scene, you have the plethora of reggae, jazz, neo-funk and record-scratching DJs. Then you have Brothers Gow, who mixes all these styles and more, and rides the live circuit harder than anyone else, making them one of the most recognizable acts in Northern Arizona. Since 2007, Gow has called Flagstaff home, but this spring will be their last in this mountain town—soon the band will be relocating to San Francisco.

What awaits them? A bigger city. Opportunity. “We’re just looking for somewhere we don’t have to drive two hours to find a new place to play,” Kyle Merrill, the band’s lead guitarist, explains. “Basically, a new market. But that’s not to say that we won’t be coming back.”

In the Bay Area, you can play a week and never hit the same scene twice, the band says.

“It’s gonna hurt a little at first, ‘cause we’re gonna be nobody,” says Carson Church, Gow’s bassist and vocalist. “But every show you’re going to be seeing a new face.”

“It’s gonna make us step it up,” Merrill adds.

“We’re going to have to learn to sell tickets, too,” says Rene Rivas, the man in charge of drums and turntables, with a laugh.

Formation of a Brotherhood

Lots of bands are friendships that grow into music, but Gow goes back further than most, starting for some members in as ancient as elementary school. By high school, the five Brothers were all close friends, starting different bands around Phoenix and Tucson. In mid-2007, the group migrated together, jammed with each other out of fun and decided to take things seriously. The move to Flag began with a trip to Fossil Creek.

“We came up, saw Flagstaff and saw it’s the perfect place,” guitarist Ethan Wade remembers. “We work in an awesome, artistic, liberal market and do what we love to do. We were stuck in Tucson and Flagstaff seemed like the perfect place to make things happen.”

The name came about when keyboardist Alex Gow Bastine, who was 21 at the time, gave an underage Merrill his old driver’s license in order to sneak into a Ziggy Marley show. The two got in back-to-back with the identical IDs but when given trouble by the bouncer, they claimed to be brothers. The Brothers Gow. When it came time to decide on a band name, they chose the moniker as a temporary placeholder, but it ended up sticking.

Each member brought a different musical background, contributing to their unique style, influences ranging from reggae, progressive rock, funk to hip-hop and most easy to notice by the band’s tendency to break into rhythmic grooves, jam bands. In a way, their eclectic flair reflects the scene in Flag.

“That’s what’s great about Flagstaff—you can walk around and be in whatever mood you’re into and find what you need to,” Rivas explains. “Flagstaff’s got it all. It’s like a mini-Austin. It’s sad to leave here, but we want to accomplish bigger things. We want to work to make this work, but we’re really gonna miss the music scene in Flagstaff.”

Moving On Up

Before moving on, the band reflected on their past four years here and the highs and lows of their career. “It’s been a high point since the start,” Bastine says. “We didn’t take it seriously [at first] and we’ve just been building and building. We had our third tour, plus last year we did a little tour out to South By Southwest. But it’s just been bigger, better shows, bigger, better tours every year. We’ve been climbing the ladder.”

When they were first starting out, they often played at the now-defunct Applesauce Teahouse. One night, the band was told they could only play acoustic and the venue threatened to cancel the show.

“Then they let us play and we just got wasted and it was the biggest joke of a show,” Church recalls. “There were like three people there. And we all kinda realized, if just if we put on a show people aren’t gonna come. You gotta go out there and promote. Handbill. You can’t just go and get wasted ‘cause people would walk in the door and go, ‘What is this?’ We dressed all goofy and got so wasted some of us couldn’t even stand up.”

Once Gow went to a battle of the bands in Sedona, got called on stage and realized with horror they’d forgotten all their power cords. Bastine had no keyboards so he played bongos the whole time, Rivas didn’t have his sampler, no one had any of their pedals, but they still placed in second, losing only to Prescott’s Chemical Clownz.

When they started playing Applesauce, they dreamed of playing the Orpheum. Then, when they got to nervously open for Badfish, they aspired to get their own Orpheum show. When they got that, they aimed for their own Rialto Theatre show in Tucson, which they also pulled off. Their next shot is the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, which the band says is considering them now that they finally have a press kit.

Gow recently played for a much older crowd at Howard Dean’s energy speech, which Church says was a little awkward at first.

“We’re not used to playing for sit-down crowds,” Church says. “Even before the show, when they were playing the really low volume house music, I saw people covering their ears saying, ‘Oh my God, it’s so loud.’ It was cool, we still did our thing and played our set and that’s what we like to do, no matter how awkward or what the crowd is. If there’s two people sitting there, we still wanna play the same show.”

Touring hasn’t always been easy and the band agrees that Southern California has been rough. During one tour through San Diego, right on Santa Monica Boulevard, in broad daylight, their van was broken into. Nothing was stolen, despite the laptops, iPods and CDs just sitting out, but as Church describes it, “it put a bad taste in our mouth.” In keeping with the band’s carefree optimism, they found some cardboard next to a Dumpster, fixed the window and they were good to go.

Going around the country on tour can really strain anyone, but ultimately the band’s lifelong friendship keeps them together. Last summer, Gow hit seven states in two months driving a 15-passenger van, either camping or staying with friends and strangers, not once parking at a hotel.

“[One night], we had a show canceled so we were all kind of pissed because when we’re on tour, that’s our food money,” Wade explains. “We were sitting around with a handle of whiskey and before you know it, emotions were flaring.”

Rivas and Wade got into a fight about where the band should move, but by morning they made up.

“That’s part of getting through it, talking it out when you’re sober,” Wade says. “The music and our friendship is what’s important here and not stupid disagreements and bulls**t that happens on an everyday basis.”

“I think a lot of bands, that’s their make-or-break point,” Church adds. “Even if we get into a scuffle or disagreement we can come to terms, hug it out.”

Leaving Flagstaff Behind

The Brothers Gow show a genuine love for Northern Arizona, and realize in San Fran, they’re starting at square one again. What they’ll miss most is Sedona, Fossil Creek and the small town feel and the exuberance of their Flag audiences.

“We don’t want to forget our roots, ‘cause Flagstaff’s been really great,” Merrill says. “I used to play in Tucson and I felt like the crowds were never as receptive as they have been up here. When we first started, we weren’t really that good, but everyone was still there and everyone was encouraging what we were doing so that really helped. We’ll never forget where we came from and we’ll always be coming back.”

To the bands they’re leaving behind, Brothers Gow has this advice:

“Go with it. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Play as many shows as you can get. It’s a small town and sometimes we’ll play twice in one weekend. You could say you’re washing the market, but you’re listening to all those regulars that go to all the different bars plus the randoms that go to each different bar. As long as you’re having fun. That’s all it is.”

Merrill also suggests investing the money you make from shows into gear instead of into beer or “whatever.”

“That’s how we’ve gotten to where we are,” Bastine elaborates. “We’re not like most bands who just pay the bar tab with what we made that night.”

Gow Fest

Brothers Gow have one last kick off, suitably named Gow Fest and according to the band, fans can expect a lot of craziness. The alley behind the Green Room will be closed off, the garage doors opened, so people can smoke and drink, play carnival games, get snapshots in the photo booth as well as raffles and prizes. Plus, the band ordered a whole new line of merch and the show will be featured on the Brothers’ sixth DVD.

The band will play six hours of music—three each night—without repeating a single song. There will be a lot of older songs, which if you’ve been a fan for long enough, you probably haven’t heard in a while. There’ll be a lot of collaborations with other bands, such as Deepa, Lowcash and Isrobel. The Infidelics, who have been broken up for a year since their bass player moved, will be coming back for a one-night reunion show.

“We as a band have some surprises we can’t really say,” Wade smiles. “But we’re gonna do some crazy stuff we haven’t really done before. Just go for it.”

Send off the Brothers Gow Flagstaff style with Gow Fest Fri, April 29 and Sat, April 30 at the Green Room, 15 N. Agassiz. Presale weekend tickets are $8 and the shows are $5 each night at the door. Performances will also include Sambátuque and DJ Soe. For more info, see www.brothersgow.com or call 226-8669. - Troy Farah - Flaglive 4-28-2011

Kicking off with a CD release party at the Orpheum at 9 PM this Friday, Jan 29 , Brothers Gow is back with “Ponds.” If you haven’t heard them before, prepare to be blown away. Gow’s sound is so unique; it’s a seamless blend of reggae, funk, hip-hop, and rock that will have anyone and everyone dancing all night (Seriously. I don’t care if you think you don’t dance—you will). No matter what your music tastes are, I guarantee you will LOVE Brothers Gow. Don’t judge them solely on their recorded tracks; the band is best heard live when Carson, Rene, Alex, Ethan, and Kyle are on stage in their element. - Plaid 2.0, 2010

Brothers Gow has become quite the familiar face when it comes to playing venues around Flagstaff. Though still fairly new to the music scene, Brothers Gow has kept up a notable reputation, performing a different place in Flagstaff every weekend.

“Flagstaff is awesome,” said Carson Church, the bassist for Brothers Gow. “People that come out to shows really come out to have a good time, let loose and dance. It may not be the biggest city or the biggest city to become known, but as a start up, it’s a great place.”

Experimenting and having fun with music is the name of the game for these boys. The band eases smooth sounds of blues into funky grooves of hip-hop-influenced beats, topped off with some island-inspired resonances of reggae. Their symphonic vibes bellowing from each direction is their signature for getting the crowd moving.

“If you take rock, reggae, jam band and funk, toss it in a blender — that’s our sound,” said Rene Rivas, the band’s drummer.

These five student musicians, including keyboardist Alex Gow Bastine, lead vocalist and guitarist Ethan Johnson, lead guitarist Kyle Merrill, Church and Rivas, all grew up together in Tucson. Each member had a deep passion for music and wanted to transfer this feeling into performing. The magic ignited when the boys all found themselves attending college in Flagstaff, itching to start a band. They finally made it official in August 2007 and became Brothers Gow.

Since the birth of Brothers Gow, they have made their mark in almost every music venue in town. One can usually catch them rocking out at The Green Room, Mia’s Lounge, Flagstaff Brewing Company and the new all-ages venue, The Murdoch Community Center.

For the second time in two years, the Orpheum hosted Brothers Gow as one of the opening bands for the popular Sublime cover band, Badfish, on Jan. 28.

“It went a lot better than last time,” Church said. “The last time we were so nervous because we were still pretty new and inexperienced and it was just so big. But now, we were so ready for it. It felt like home.”

The release of their first album in 2008, Key to Lee, became step one of setting foot in the direction of success. Just a day after the release of the album, the number of plays on their MySpace Web site skyrocketed, with the song “Headlock” soon becoming a crowd favorite. This helped increase the number of local fans and universal fans combined.

“We owe our fans the biggest debt of gratitude,” Johnson said. “We wouldn’t be where we are without people coming out night after night supporting our music.”

In light of their local success, Brothers Gow is in the process of planning a summer tour, making stops in California, Colorado and Oregon. They plan to spread their sound around the west coast, sending out their “brotherly love.”

The band will be playing at The Monte Vista on Feb. 20, and again on Feb. 21 at The Murdoch Community Center and on Feb. 28 at The Green Room. For more information, visit www.brothersgow.com or www.myspace.com/brothersgow - Brenna Ruppert, Jackcentral 2009

Arizona-based experimental rock group Brothers Gow can often be found frequenting various venues in downtown Flagstaff. The group has played multiple summer tours, including several gigs in Texas, which included a show in the South by Southwest Music Festival. Brothers Gow will be playing tomorrow at the Orpheum Theater to celebrate their three-year anniversary as a band.

The Lumberjack was able sit down with band members Alex Bastine (keyboards and vocals), Kyle Merrill (guitar, vocals and trumpet), Rene Rivas (drums, turntables and ambiance), Carson Church (bass guitar and vocals) and Ethan Wade (guitar and vocals) and ask a few questions regarding their upcoming visual-light music experience.

The Lumberjack: How did you come up with the name Brothers Gow?

Brothers Gow: That’s a question one of us will have to answer for you in person.

LJ: When did Brothers Gow form? Is there any specific reason behind the band formation?

BG: Brothers Gow officially formed in August 2007. We have all been friends since high school, some of us even elementary school, that have always had a strong passion for music. It wasn’t until everyone moved to Flagstaff in 2007 that we officially became a band. We started playing shows only one week after forming the band, so live performance is something that we’re used to and are constantly trying to evolve.

LJ: Are you guys native to the Flagstaff area?

BG: No. Most of us are from Tucson. Carson grew up in Oregon and moved to Tucson in high school; Rene grew up in Nogales and moved to Tucson in middle school.

LJ: At what age did you guys start getting involved in music?

BG: A few of us started at pretty young ages. Alex started playing guitar in sixth grade, which got Kyle interested in playing as well. Alex and Kyle started a band in middle school. They played at their eighth-grade graduation, but shortly after, the band split. Kyle formed a band in high school with himself and Alex on guitar. They needed a bass player, so Kyle let Ethan borrow his bass and taught him the basics. The band was never really very serious and stopped playing together towards the end of high school. Rene became involved in the hip-hop scene making beats, break dancing, and scratching when he was 14. He started playing drums in early 2005. Carson was always into music but never played until high school. His first instrument was ukulele, which Kyle gave him lessons on.

LJ: What has Brothers Gow been up to lately?

BG: We just got finished with our third summer tour, which had us playing 27 shows in seven weeks through seven states. We are currently working on songwriting and booking festivals.

LJ: For all our readers who’ve never heard your music, how would you best describe it?

BG: It is difficult to sum up the whole of our music because we all have different influences. We like to switch up genres freely as much as possible, and sometimes in the same song. These genres include rock, funk, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, with a healthy dose of improvisation … Ethan often says, “Well, it’s not country, and it’s not metal.” We like to think we play everything in between.

LJ: What do you guys have in mind for Friday’s show? Why should NAU students go to your concert at the Orpheum Friday night?

BG: The plan for Friday is to screen our movie, Brothers Gow Video 5, which was directed, produced and edited by our drummer, Rene. After the movie, we will play two sets of great music. NAU students should come out because it will be the thing to do on Friday. It will be all ages and only cost $5. We take great pride in our light show, as well. Anyone who comes out will be in for a treat, not only musically, but visually as well. - Trevor Gould, The Lumberjack 2010