Brightest Young Things

By Brandon Wetherbee

Brandon Wetherbee hosts the talk show/podcast You, Me, Them, Everybody most Monday nights at the Looking Glass Lounge and in Brooklyn and Chicago once a month. Listen to it online at youmethemeverybody.com. He’ll be at vitaminwater uncapped on May 26 performing, “Brandon Wetherbee Reads the Classics Vol. 2: “Pump Up the Volume.” (followed by LIVE BAND KARAOKE!!!!)

Since the world is going to end on Saturday, I don’t want to spend too much time setting up bands.

Each episode of my talk show features a musical act closing the show. It’s usually a stripped down performance from an act that likes to play loud, or at least with more people. When Laughing Man played the show, only one Laughing Man played and it was pretty great. Brandon Moses played songs I’ve only heard in a full band arrangement. It was a nice change of pace. Michael Lux and the Bad Sons showed up with acoustic guitars and tried to play their garage rock for the first time without distortion, drums or anything that makes garage rock super fun. It was a success. Seeing bands stripped down is great but sometimes I feel old asking folks to turn it down. It’s really not personal. There’s a good reason I don’t book any metal on my talk show:I can only record so much sound with a four track recorder.

I would hate the quiet music on my show if I was still in high school. Unless it was super loud, not in key and made by people that at least looked angry, I was not interested. No, indie/folk/beards necessary music wasn’t my thing. I didn’t give Bob Dylan a shot until my junior year of college. Keep in mind I was already a college radio station program director, consistently pissing off kids that never smelled quite right. I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong in my dogheadedness about all things quiet, but Jesus Christ, a lot of folk fans smell like shit.

Since I started producing the live talk show, I’ve listened to music in a different way. If you’re in a  quiet act, you have a leg up. You probably don’t have a crazy setup that includes a pedal board with 8 pedals that you need for four songs. You probably aren’t angry at the world. You probably have fans and friends of both sexes. All of these things will put you in my good graces.

Here are the top 5 things I look for when booking the musical act for YMTE.

1. Have a quick set up

Lawrence and Leigh is a Brooklyn based two-piece. They were ready to play in under a minute. They sounded great. They were amazing.

2. Don’t apologize for your lack of band

I’ve seen Aaron Thompson perform solo, with a bassist and drummer and with just a drummer. You know when he’s the best? All of the time. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t apologize when he does or doesn’t have others with him.

3. Feel free to get quiet

Pearl and the Beard is of the most fun bands I’ve seen in the last year. They also performed a heart wrenching song that stole the show on my show in January. It’s OK to make people smile one minute and want to die the next.

4. Less is more

It took a while but The Sweater Set finally played my show this week. It was worth the wait. The two-piece played at least four instruments and the time between songs was no greater than 30 seconds. They also switched instruments. Feel free to bring the high school band closet, just use everything sparingly. Also, be as good as The Sweater Set.

5. Be my favorite living songwriter

Daniel Knox is the songwriter that taught me that if it’s good stripped down, it’ll be good dressed up. Whether he’s alone or with five guys backing him up, I’m always happy when I see him.

So if you want to play my show, try to do a bunch of those things. Maybe most importantly, if you send me a message trying to get booked on the show, please, spell each worth correctly.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful night.