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B.D. Howes Band gets Silly this weekend

Brad Howes, guitarist and lead singer of the B.D. Howes Band, started his musical career on the clarinet.

"When I was younger, I was given the opportunity to play an instrument but at that time, I didn’t really know what I wanted to play," Howes said during an interview with The Park Record. "I dived into the clarinet, because there was a guy in my neighborhood who played one and that sounded like a good place to start."

At that time, Howes only knew the music his parents played on the family hi-fi and what was on the radio.

"I didn’t have a vast knowledge of music," he said. "I just knew that I liked it." the time Howes started eighth grade, it was apparent the clarinet wasn’t holding his interest.

"I kept grabbing my brother’s guitar and used to sneak it off to my bedroom when everyone was away," Howes said. "I got caught a couple of times and they bought me a guitar that year."

Howes was seduced by the guitar because he could play it and sing at the same time.

"You stick a clarinet into your mouth and so you can’t sing while playing," he said with a laugh. "I liked the whole gamut."

The musician also liked the fact that he had to figure out how to play the guitar on his own.

"I never took guitar lessons, and when I would sing and play, people would tell me how good the singing was, but didn’t talk too much about my playing," he said with another laugh. "So, that forced me to work harder on the guitar."

These days, Howes is a full-time musician and will play anywhere and anytime he’s asked.

He’s performed at the St. George Arts Festival, the Gallivan Utah Center, Lindzee O’Michaels, the Sundance Film Festival, the Murray Park Concert Series and at Jordan Landing in West Jordan.

Upcoming gigs include the Park Silly Sunday Market this weekend, the Park City Kimball Arts Festival, Snowbasin and the Antelope Island Stampede.

"I love to entertain and I love meeting different people," he said. "Sometimes when I play a gig, I know that I’m conducting some sort of music therapy. I know that I’m diverting someone’s attention from a bad situation and am helping them feel better about their day."

A few months ago, Howes released his third CD, "Eclectic Passage," which was recorded in his home studio.

"It was little more than two years in the making," Howes said about the disc. "First off, it was hard to decide whether or not I wanted to do a solo CD or to make one with the band, because I would have to make the final decisions when it came to the music the band played."

Howes was worried that the band members bassist Chris Schell, drummer Jay Thomas and lead guitarist Chris Hamilton would challenge Howes’ choices after hearing the mixes.

"In reality, they came back and told me they thought I did a good job," Howes said. "So, that was nice."

Another concern was finding time to get the band together for the recording sessions.

"I’m the only one who is a full-time musician and all the other guys have day jobs," Howes said. "On top of that, my lead guitar player is in another band as well, so instead of calling the guys in one at a time to put down their music, we decided to get together and record the CD live."

Howes said he enjoys playing solo and in a band, but the band is something he’s involved with more these days.

"They are all coming with me to play Park Silly," he said.

The B.D. Howes Band will play the Park Silly Sunday Market’s Main Stage at 11 a.m. The market features food, crafts, soaps and other locally-produced items each Sunday through Sept. 23. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.parksillysundaymarket.com/


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