Double Shot - Out of the Garage and Onto the Stage

Double Shot consists of: Curtis Baker (lead vocals/keyboards/guitar); Dave Bryan (drums/vocals); Kevin Bryan (guitar/vocals); and Stephanie’s friend, R.L. Brightwell (bass/guitar). The boys of Double Shot know exactly what to play to keep the bike crowd dancing and singing. A set list that is varied but predominately rock based makes sitting still in your seat a non-option. We have listened to the band indoors as well as at two outdoor events and they sound great in both surroundings.

When we sat down with Davey and R.L. for for Stephanie’s interview, the guys kept expressing one thing “we love to play for bikers.” Part of this is probably due to the fact that R.L. rides a Harley scooter, but the boys also expressed an appreciation for the energy a biker crowd reflects back at them. Another bright spot regarding Double Shot is how they expressed to us they are not in the music game to get rich. This should make them very popular for bikers needing event entertainment on a budget.

If you are looking for some kick-ass tunes for your next bike-related or other event, Double Shot can be contacted at 816-365-0055.

CC: Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
Dave: I’m Dave Bryan. I’m from Platte City, Missouri. I grew up there, messed around with some local bands down there, ran sound for some local bands.
I’m from Lincoln, Nebraska originally, and then I moved to Dearborn, Missouri.

CC: What is your musical background?
R.L.: I started playing when I was 10 years old. My mom and dad took me to guitar lessons, and I’ve played all my life.
Dave: My dad played in bands all his life, from late 50s and early 60s to the 90s. I’ve played in several different country bands off and on different places. I got hooked with a local band, some buddies of mine back in the early 90s. I ran sound for them, travelled on the road with them for three years. We travelled the four-state region, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, also in Illinois a little bit. I started actually playing live in the mid 80s playing the drums. It kind of went from there to playing with several different local rock bands, and a couple of country bands. Then I kind of laid off it for about 8 years. Then I got hooked up with some real tight buddies of mine that I grew up with and went to school with, and family, and it was a fun thing starting out, then the next thing you know it snow-balled and we’re having a good time.

CC: RL mentioned guitar lessons. Davey, did you take formal lessons?
Dave: Never had a lesson in my life.

CC: Do you play any other instruments other than drums?
Dave: Not really. I plunk around a little bit on the guitar, and a little bit of harp.
R.L.: I’m a bass player. It’s an art.

CC: Who would you say are your musical influences?
Dave: There is a very wide range. I’d say probably Neil Peart was probably one of my favorite people to watch and see live, just a phenomenal drummer for Rush. I grew up on a lot of Southern stuff, the Allman Brothers, Thin Lizzy, stuff like that from way back in the day that really tricked my trigger—Molly Hatchet, Skynard, Black Foot. I love that older stuff. I like a lot of the new stuff, like Alter Bridge. I really got into that. I never really got into the heavy thrash metal, probably because I’m from the old school and grew up on strictly country. But we all change our ways!
R.L.: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Jimmy Hendrix, all the old school bands. Made in Japan [Deep Purple] was the first album I ever bought.

CC: What are some of your favorite bands currently?
RL: Shine Down, Three Doors Down. There are a lot of really good bands out now.
Dave: I don’t have just one that I could call my favorite. I’m also into Three Doors Down stuff, the newer style of music that’s out. Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin, stuff like that. I kind of relate more to the old school ways, and I like the old 70s, the way the bands used to be. It seems like that’s slowly coming back now. There for a while back in the 90s that kind of fizzled out and everything was thrash, heavy metal. I just kind of stayed with the old school stuff. Then when a lot of the newer stuff started coming out, I started getting into it more.

CC: If you could meet any musical artist, past or present, who would it be and what would you ask him/her?
Dave: Shania Twain, “Do you want to sleep with me?”
R.L.: I’d have to think about that for awhile. I have no idea.
Dave: Probably Hank Jr. sitting around a campfire drinking whiskey and doing bad things. Or Kid Rock. He and Hank are on the same page.

CC: What is your most memorable moment on stage so far?
Dave: The first rock-n-roll gig I ever played was in Knobtown, Missouri and I was like 19 years old in a place called the Crossing and I feared for my life when I went in that place. After about 30 minutes it was all good, and there was no problem, but I was pretty intimidated at that point when I walked in there.

CC: The first time we saw you, your flyer said the band was “out of the garage and onto the stage.” How did you know it was time to take the band out of the garage and perform for the public?
R.L.: Somebody offered us money!
Dave: We’re just enjoying what we’re doing so much, and we just like to get out in the public and let other people hear it and enjoy it with us. We’re enjoying ourselves and having a great, awesome time, and figured it was time for us to get out of the garage and turn it up and let it rip and have other people enjoy what we’re enjoying.

CC: Tell us why you’re a good band for bikers and motorcycle events?
R.L.: Because I am a biker.

Loney and Stephanie Wilcoxson