Bryn Rich

I was immediately surprised by his stage presence. Bryn does not shy away from attention, nor should he. His musical talent is clear to see in both guitar playing and song writing, which is arguably his best skill.

In my opinion, lyrics are an afterthought in music today. When an artist or band can keep me listening to a song simply because of the words, I take notice. Bryn is one of those artists. - Windy City Rock

What makes your live show great?

Storytelling. Anyone can play songs, but how many artists can tell stories about frequently aborted concept albums about the old West, terrible apartments and losing a girl to Girl Talk? Not many, thank God...

Describe your sound in five words or less.

Unstable guy with a guitar.

Tell us something random about the band, and why that's significant.

I always unintentionally write recurring themes in my lyrics. Right now I have a number of songs that reference dogs, for some reason.

Who would you want to work with, and who would you never work with? Why?

My dream collaborations are Peter Buck from R.E.M. (because he works well with EVERYONE) and any of my 'big three" songwriters: Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams and Neko Case. Who wouldn't I work with? I don't know... Chris Martin seems like a bit of a weenie. Also Girl Talk. For personal reasons (see above).

If the band was a cartoon character, who would it be and why?

I'm going to go with Foghorn Leghorn. We're both easily excited and I SAY, I SAY, I'm quite fond of rambling endlessly.

What's the best album you've heard recently?

I've been getting into the new My Morning Jacket a lot more than I expected. There's folk. There's funk. Everything for everyone! I'm still listening to the latest from R.E.M. and The Decemberists on a regular basis, too.

What song do you never want to hear again?

I don't think there are any songs I dislike that much. Sometimes painful repetition just makes a song hilarious. Once, on a three-hour road trip, we listened to nothing but R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)" and rapped our asses off.

What is Chicago's best music venue and why?

I haven't played it, but I absolutely love Metro. There's just something special about that room. Lincoln Hall is really nice, too. I always appreciate a venue with clean bathrooms. - MetroMix

Onstage he's raw and real. Perhaps that's part of what makes Bryn Rich so unique. What you see is what you get: pure, unaltered talent. - ADDICTED Chicago