Years active 2005 (2005)-present Record label The Ries Brothers | Website riesbrothers.com Members Charlie Ries, Kevin Ries | |
Origin Clearwater, Florida, United States Albums Ries Brothers Live in Clearwater, Fl, The Ries Brothers, Run to the Sea Genres Rock music, Blues, Funk, Reggae, Pop rock, Alternative rock Similar Allon Sams, Vini Lopez, Butch Trucks, Damon Fowler, Selwyn Birchwood | ||
The Ries Brothers (pronounced "Rees") is a two-member rock, blues, funk, and reggae band consisting of two brothers from Clearwater, Florida who write and perform their own music.
Contents
The Ries brothers have toured with Chicago and MIGGS. They have opened for Daughtry, REO Speedwagon, Los Lonely Boys, Little River Band, Edgar Winter Group, Firefall, The Family Stone, and Rick Derringer and performed at the 2014 Van's Warped Tour. The Ries Brothers were an opening act for the 2013 Clearwater Jazz Holiday, opening for Chicago, the youngest in the 34-year history of the event. They were joined on drums by Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez, who was Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band's drummer on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. Springsteen also opened for Chicago early on in his career. The Ries Brothers have also played the House of Blues & Viper Room in Los Angeles, CA. In 2014 they were played at Van’s Warped Tour in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Charlie Ries performs the lead vocals and plays the drums and keyboard bass. Kevin Ries, who bears a striking resemblance to a young Paul McCartney, provides background vocals and plays guitar. The brothers co-write many of their songs. They enjoy deconstructing cover songs. In 2013, the Ries brothers were 2 of 25 performers ages 14–21 selected from Florida to participate in the exclusive Los Angeles Grammy Museum’s Music Revolution Project. The purpose of this program is to enhance musical and creative skills, improve relationships, increase confidence and develop business skills needed for the music industry. The Ries Brothers were named favorites artists by The Tampa Bay Times in 2014. As of 2015 they were playing original music and creatively modified covers throughout the United States.
Early career
The Beatles were a major influence in the development of Charlie Ries' interest in music. Charlie had been dreaming of becoming a professional ballplayer, and his family had moved from Chicago, IL to Tampa, Fl for that reason. When he was nine, his father bought him a CD of the Beatle's Love album, after Charlie expressed interest in a poster connected with the show. The CD sparked his interest in music and led him to take up piano, drums, and singing, which he can now play simultaneously. This self-taught technique was inspired by The Doors' Ray Manzarek. Charlie's other influences include Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and The Black Keys. Kevin was also influenced by the Beatles. During a family trip to Orlando, FL when he was 9 years old, they visited the Hard Rock Café and took a memorabilia tour. In the John Lennon Room he saw a video of Jimi Hendrix and one of his guitars. He decided that he wanted to play the guitar that way too. Kevin prefers reggae-rock groups like Sublime and Rebulation. On display in their homes is a guitar signed by the Rolling Stones, a drum head autographed by Aerosmith, a guitar autographed by Paul McCartney, and concert tags from their tours with Chicago and Daughtry. Their music is a blend of pop, jazz, blues, classic and alternative rock.
Their parents are not musicians. Kevin Ries is a day trader, and their mother Jenifer Ries is a photographer. Kevin's father, however was a vocalist and Jenifer's father played the Jackson 5 and Sonny & Cher. Despite the previous generation's musical connections, their immediate family had none, so they accumulated contacts through a heavy touring schedule, playing over 300 shows in their first four years. The Ries Brothers attend an online high school online to accommodate the demands of their musical careers. Their early gigs consisted of playing covers of their parent's favorite classic rock bands' songs at "Crabby Bill’s on the Beach" in Clearwater, FL. An employee of the band Chicago heard them at one of those shows, establishing their connections to the band. The family coordinates almost all of their own booking and publicity. While interviewing potential management companies, they were taken aback when they heard their original songs altered and abbreviated by one company.
Personnel
Discography
They are currently working on a full album of original music produced in Tampa, Florida by Don Miggs with an expected release in Summer 2015. The new album is influenced by the sounds of The Black Keys, Sublime, and Rebulation.
Songs
Street Lights2016
It's Never MeRies Brothers Live in Clearwater - Fl · 2015
Neon SignsRies Brothers Live in Clearwater - Fl · 2015