Brothers celebrate legacy of Everlys with Sligo show
KNOWN for their close harmony singing and steel-string acoustic guitar playing, American rock and roll duo the Everly Brothers influenced everyone form The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.
Leaving an indelible mark on the music world, they were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Inspired by this lasting legacy, brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed got together with drummer Burleigh Drummond in 2016 to launch The Everly Brothers Experience show. Since then they have celebrated the pivotal sounds of The Everlys’ music, taking it to enthusiastic crowds all across the U.S., as well as playing extensively in Europe.
Back on the road in late 2018, on this run, the brothers will be paying a visit to the Hawk’s Well theatre, for a night of rock n roll, rockabilly, and bluegrass country.
This will be their first
Irish tour, and they are looking forward to visiting.
Dylan
Zmed told
The
Sligo Champion: “We have not been to Ireland before but we are so looking forward to it. It’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world and we can’t wait to see it for real instead of just looking at pictures.
“Getting to play in Ireland is sort of a right of passage in our eyes. Not only do some of my brother and my family bloodlines trace back to Ireland, The Everly Brothers family roots are of Irish and British descent too.. along with a great deal of the old Appalachian folk and country music of early America. Irish, French, and British ballads and melodies travelled west with the settlers that came to America singing them, and therefore are woven into the tapestry that is Appalachian and Cajun music. We’re really looking forward to marinating in the culture and we are looking forward to bringing some of these songs and melodies back to where they originated from.”
The project started in early 2016 and after over two years of successful shows, the group have established themselves well in the US, playing in every state. Now they want to expand their project.
“It’s a history show really. Our goal is not to be impersonators for the Everly Brothers, we feel that’s not t the right way to go about it, but we want to celebrate their brotherhood and this is a vessel to celebrate what’s unique to us. There’s so much history there behind the Everly Brothers,” added Dylan.
As brothers, you might think that Zach and Dylan may find it difficult from time to time, but Dylan says the pair try their best to get along.
“Working together is an absolute blessing. We make our best efforts to see that everyday. It would be easy to make it tough but really it is wonderful. We are learning so much about being better.”
Their fascination with the Everly Brothers isn’t random. The brothers were brought up on their music. Their father, Adrian, is an actor, singer and dancer.
“Dad was on Broadway and he was in Grease. The soundtrack was all music of the 1950s. That was the first music we heard and that really lit the fire for us.
“We would always play shows as a duo and would throw in Everly Brothers’ music and people would be like ‘wow what was that song’. It was crazy to us that people had no idea who the Everly Brothers were.
“So we started research
ing
them and the people they inspired like The Beatles, Bob Dylan and more. They should be just as well known as some of those guys,” added Dylan. They won’t stop at just the Everly Brothers, though.
The Zmed brothers are hoping that they can continue to delve into the lives of various musical brothers to tell their stories in a way that celebrates their contribution to the world of music.
“The Everlys are just the tip of the iceberg for us. There are so many brother duos that were just brilliant so we’re looking into doing a show that celebrates that.”
Backed by a full five-piece band, and featuring all the hits including the wistful ‘All I Have To Do is Dream’, the toe-tapping ‘Wake Up Little Suzie’, and the evergreen ‘Bye Bye Love’, the Everly Brothers Experience celebrates the intimate origins of American’s greatest and most iconic duos.
A night not to be missed at the Hawk’s Well theatre, book now, or find yourself Cryin’ In The Rain!
The Everly Brothers Experience comes to the Hawk’s Well on Saturday 17 th November at 8pm. Tickets €20/18 conc/10u18s (+ €1 renovation fee). To book, visit www.hawkswell.com or call 0719161518.