Brad Wolfe
Brad Wolfe
Genres: lesser known yet streamable artists
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About Brad Wolfe
Brad Wolfe has recently shared the stage with other prominent songwriters such as Howie Day, Anna Nalick, Missy Higgins, LUCE, and Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root. He has played to packed houses at such legendary San Francisco venues the Fillmore and Slims, and he just recently released his debut self-titled album to a sold out audience at the Great American Music Hall. Brad Wolfe and his band were recently named “Hot Band of 2005” by Tribe.net, which also deemed Brad “one of the 25 most interesting people in the San Francisco Bay Area you’ve never heard of.” Brad has been featured on Alice radio 97.3 FM for 11 weeks as the local artist spotlight and recently had a featured story on Bay Area KGO 810am radio for his music and his non-profit, Sunbeam Foundation. Brad Wolfe is a young but timeless singer-songwriter. His unique and comforting voice, lyrical message, life-affirming attitude and musical purpose separate him from other performers of the day. In fact, mega-siteTribe.net not only recently named Brad “Hot Band of 2005” but also deemed him “one of the 25 most interesting people in the San Francisco Bay Area you’ve never heard of.” While young music fans might identify Brad with present day troubadours Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Dave Matthews, astute music observers, like the San Jose Mercury news, declare that Brad should be “compared with Paul Simon and Cat Stevens for his intelligent lyrics and distinctive songs.” “It’s an honor,” says Brad, “when someone says I sound like a Cat Stevens or a Paul Simon, because I can relate to the 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 president of his junior class at Stanford University and planning to head to Washington D.C. for the summer to intern for a U.S. Senator. Though Brad had been writing and singing songs since he was 15, he viewed music as a passion and a hobby rather than a possible career ambition. But in May of that year, Brad’s life path was forever altered by unexpected tragedy. His best girl friend, Sara, confided to him 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 parent’s 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 21, 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 began actively performing 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. Soon thereafter, Brad put together a band of talented Bay Area musicians, 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 Iglesias). Collectively known as Brad Wolfe and the Moon, it was a matter of months before the band’s emotional live performances and Brad’s undeniably positive energy took them to the forefront of the San Francisco music scene, headlining shows all over the Bay Area, sharing the stage with national acts such as Howie Day, Rusted Root and Luce, 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 2005, Brad Wolfe and the Moon 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. The band’s self- titled debut album was released in June to great acclaim, including features in the San Jose Mercury and Gentry Magazine, airplay on KFOG radio’s most celebrated show “Acoustic Sunrise,” and a sold out CD release performance at the historic 650-seat Great American Music Hall. 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 June CD release also marked the launch of the Sunbeam Foundation, an organization recently founded by Brad in Sara’s memory. With help from Sara’s friends and family and researchers from Stanford University, Brad’s organization aims to promote awareness and raise funds for research and treatment of sarcomas, such as Ewing’s sarcoma, which affect children and young adults. The Chief of Pediatric Oncology at Stanford, Dr. Mike Link, has stated that “the Sunbeam Foundation will be instrumental in efforts to advance research, improve treatment and, eventually, to find a cure for all patients with malignant bone tumors." At the CD release alone, Brad was able to raise over $10,000 for the Sunbeam Foundation. Brad will be donating a portion of all merchandise and CD sales to the Sunbeam Foundation. Brad’s humanity, his music, and his career have intertwined themselves into a powerful package that differentiates Brad from most musicians and allows Brad’s music to reach listeners at their core. “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.
Taken from Last.fm
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