Honestly Abe, what an incredible selection of live music goings on are going on
around Springfield this weekend. From shows around the lake and neighboring
town fireworks shindigs, the downtown Capital City Bicentennial Celebration and
American Music Stage to all the regular bar business bands, it’s a regular once in a 200-year gala event. Plenty of information is available
elsewhere in IT on the whos, whats, whens and wheres of the big stuff so I’ll give you a little bit on a-not-so-big gig in the middle of it all.
I recently had a good talk with Brad of The Handcuffs, a band playing on the AMS
stage Saturday at 7 p.m., as a part of the Taste of Downtown happening. He goes
by the last name of Elvis, a holdover from former family ties as a member of
the Elvis Brothers, a favorite central Illinois pop-rockabilly band from the
mid-’80s. With Rob and Graham, fellow siblings in the Elvis family unit, Brad
succeeded in capturing legions of fans across the Midwest and scored a major
label deal that produced three albums of fine EB material. Before that he was
known as the drummer in Screams, another popular central Illinois group that
also made a flash of a splash onto the national stage. On his last Springfield
visit the get-around guy was holding down the beat for the Romantics when they
graced the AMS stage in 2007.
“All I’ve done in my life is play music,” Brad says, “and I’ve always been lucky to be in good bands that had success.”
You won’t get any arguments out of me or anyone else following Brad-backed bands through
the years that they weren’t all good, highly entertaining, and successful to a point. This time he’s got another good thing going with his wife Chloe and the new band they formed
about five years ago.
“I feel really good about The Handcuffs. It’s been some of the best success I’ve had, but it’s still doing the same style that was always in me,” he says. “Good pop bands produced well still work. I’ve always tried to do good catchy songs with hooks people remember.”
Considering the longevity Brad (I just can’t call him Mr. Elvis) conjured up in the very volatile world of the pop music
business, he may be on to something. Part of achieving commercial success in
the music business today relies on getting airplay on TV as well as radio. The
Chicago-based Handcuffs recently scored nicely with the cut “Baby Boombox” landing on the popular television shows “Gossip Girl” of the CW network and “The Hills” on MTV.
“I’ve had enough of playing clubs. Though it’s fun and we still do it, I’ve done that and we now go out for a reason,” he says. “We’re more self-contained than before, doing everything ourselves with the goal of
getting songs out to the media. I’m still doing what I like doing, but it fits in with the new sounding stuff.”
Anyone who has seen Brad in action through the years will recognize the snappy
pocket beats and trademark drumstick tricks as pure showmanship paired with
exquisite musicianship, a wonderful combination that makes him the dynamic
performer who has captivated audiences for (gulp!) more than 30 years. He grew
up in Lincoln, Ill., (how appropriate for this weekend) and played his first
gig in Decatur, way back somewhere in the misty mountains of the1970s.
Throughout the years of traveling the country playing music and recording
albums, the soft-spoken, yet vibrant performer remained true to his first love
of playing good music and having a good time. In his latest incarnation the
same deal applies.
“Chloe and I are basically The Handcuffs, but a two-person acoustic act we’re not,” he explains. “We’re a loud rock and roll band live out having a fun time.”
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2009.
