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The Story of Brendan O'Hara and The Humble Ones
Bottom line, Brendan just got into town. Where he’s arriving from is about as irrelevant as where he’s headed next. But we’ll indulge… we believe he was born in Jersey, but sometimes he references Massachusetts in accounts of first memories. Apparently he grew up in a suburb outside of Manhattan and spent many a long hour riding the public transit system between the two.
 Exposed to the art and culture of the big city, Brendan auditioned for anything he could, determined to break into showbiz. Always singing, dancing, acting, juggling, and joking regardless of success or rejection, he’d ride the train uttering the mantra of his mentors, “by any means necessary.” (though he knew full well what would make his family proud or what would rear it’s ugly head years from then and destroy a career in full swing.) Brendan landed a few gigs in regional theatre and the occasional after-school special on drug accessibility, or other poignant goings on for the youth of America. “It was very informative, here I was on set with Peter Jennings, big lights, a mock high school hallway, and this prop table of paraphernalia: Rainbow rolling paper, coke-cans with hidden compartments, it was all quite surreal, and I was getting paid. Needless to say, I brought the papers home for a friend.” Brendan eventually performed for thousands at the US Open tennis tournament and later for then President Clinton and his esteemed colleagues including, Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Rob Reiner, Brooke Sheilds and, “some guy from the 90210 spin-off Melrose Place,” who Brendan vividly remembers telling him, “I had real energy out there,” he said that, “I really sold what I was singing.” He then ruminates, “I think I was singing something to the effect of We are the world, We are the children…real peaceful and positive stuff for a boy who wanted to change the world, of course I sold what I was singing.” Each experience proved a boost to his artistic confidence… Brendan knew he was well on his way to being the next Johnny Depp. “I wanted to be on 21 Jump Street bad, that was the catalyst for my career.”
But just when things were truly blossoming, Brendan’s father lost his job due to downsizing by “those inconsiderate corporate slugs.” But in little to no time the highly desirable Harvard Graduate and dedicated father of three landed a job in the cloudy paradise, Seattle. When the news hit home Brendan was devastated, here he was in the middle of high school exploring all public education had hidden beneath its scholastic veil. But Brendan, dealing with the reality of traveling across the country, responded as any young and considerate son would, declaring, “fuck that!” and running away. His mother being of the mother Teresa sort was sad to hear such disruption, but was out of town, and at the time of this printing, was unable to comment, for she’s often in Africa doing far nobler work than pursuing a career in entertainment. Suffice to say, after a year of stealing his girlfriends parent’s cars, manipulating sweet but seducible baby sitters, and buying booze through the older, yet easily swayed, influential characters in his life, Brendan found himself right in the heart of the devils lair: The Newark airport headed for private education in Seattle. “But they let you leave for lunch, and everybody had a new car and could drive legally, and there were women, well girls, good girls, but what seemed like women at the time, and they were quite enamored by my now defunct but amazingly novel Jersey accent.” Though Brendan contends the tough guy façade was what wooed the women of his world, our take is… that his again blossoming and far more focused talent on stage stunned the sleepy city. (and yes things can blossom twice, just ask Travolta) Brendan landed much desired roles as Curly in the high school production of Oklahoma!, and in regional theater as the Italian kid who gets the girl in the acclaimed Fame The Musical. But, although satiated by the adequate attention, Brendan knew all along if he kept this theater thing up he wouldn’t truly “live forever” and so…he formed the rock and roll band, Stoneway North, which would tour the college party circuit for an entire summer and win awards such as Seattle University’s Battle of the Bands champ. But again fate struck! His friends and band-mates all headed off across the land to pursue careers in…in… well this isn’t their bio so we’ll move on.
Now is a good time to mention Brendan has been playing the piano since he was 12, developing a repertoire as eclectic as a sack of gourmet jelly beans and stunning old and young alike, from far and wide, with his rendition of Hungarian Rhapsody #3. So our fine protagonist did what any self-respecting aspiring artist would do and began to compose his own material. Doing this while picking up a few odd jobs to pay the rent, the resilient singer/songwriter hammered in signs for a local moderate politician, bussed tables at a liberal restaurant, and even high-dusted for a merry crew of house cleaners. “There’s a lot be said about mundane jobs, but most importantly a lot of motivation to not do them forever. So I’d head home each day with a six-pack and some tin-foil. I’d sculpt parachutes and little aviators out of the tin-foil, drink a few beers and then hop on the turn tables. “I had traded my TV and VCR to the kid downstairs for a mixer and two techniques, then I had my shitty little keyboard, and a four track, I was sampling or making beats then laying a little piano, then singing about the sexiest woman I could imagine.” It was clear Brendan needed a band and it wasn’t long until a few other musically inclined boys needed another so they got together and recorded some experimental rock and roll under the guise of Maverick and the Howling Dogs. Their musical tastes were eclectic and original but the boys soon discovered living with each other, and their respective others, wasn’t the best idea. Which led Brendan to his big film break, “Down and Out with the Dolls,” a move to LA, and the subsequent fall from artistic grace. “I was in a movie with Lemme Kilmister of Motor Head! I mean I didn’t know who he was but everybody else was real excited…I lived in a little motor lodge in Portland and the moved to La-La land, where I got a job as Ashton Kutcher’s stand in, but then I got my own break in a hamburger chain commercial, but then I couldn’t go through with it, knowing all along I needed to preserve my “artistic integrity”, which I now call self righteousness and debt.” But Brendan picked up the guitar while so far from his piano, and worked briefly with the band Gaia but all in all, LA didn’t work out. Which now leads us to how Brendan spent a year in New York City playing every subway station between Lexington and Delancy, West 4th and 112th , playing every open-mic from Hoboken to Brooklyn, and surviving on the kindness of others. At this point Brendan sends, “Many thanks to my cousin, Ryan, and his roommates who were ultimately welcoming and very generous with their shampoo, hot-pockets, and brewskis.” Brendan recorded his solo LP “One Take Times,” primarily in a small studio in Brooklyn on some remaining studio time a fellow musician had reserved. Literally recorded in one take, the songs are, “all meat and potatoes. I feel like I got right to the point.” With some produced tracks as the cherry on top Brendan went on to sell three thousand copies out of his guitar sack.
 After a spring trip to Alabama to shoot a documentary on Brendan’s 98-year old great Aunt Angelica, which is yet to be released and looking for distribution, Brendan punctuated his stay in New York with a raucous show at the legendary Bitter End on Bleeker Street. With a great turn out Brendan learned how to make enough money to afford a back up band, and that in showbiz can be a valuable lesson. Seeing… well hearing, what a full band could add to his songs, the lightening of his wallet was little concern. But alas, as has become customary in Brendan’s early years, he only stayed long enough to start something, and again was off, but this time to Alaska, where he wrote some his most inspirational (if not most lengthy) tunes while climbing glaciers and chasing caribou. “I learned a lot about what people enjoy listening to, how to make my music more entertaining. I was riding around Alaska ferry to ferry and you wouldn’t believe my delight when each and every one of the four ferries I boarded had a bar with a piano. Some more luxurious than others but all came replete with bar flies who made me not only feel welcome but somewhat of a celebrity, I’d play everyone of my slow ballads at breakneck speed. I would sing for beer and sell my CD, “One Take Times” and low and behold I ‘m searching around some cannery town for blank cds and a computer to burn more copies, I wrote “It’s Nice to Be Here,” on an old up right at about 2am sitting with my cousin, my sister, and a few Alaskan fella’s who worked the day shift in Petersburg. I ended up booking a gig there on a Friday night, my whole ferry trip was damn near covered by cd sales and tips.” Returning to Seattle after Alaska, Brendan rejoined with an old song-writing partner and recorded a demo under the guise of Red Light Daydream who did a short lived east coast tour that ended in Florida. For several months the song-writing duo played S. Florida, at Tobacco Road, and the Hollywood bar circuit, only to discover again, living with ones band isn’t the best idea. “Friends can be roommates, and friends can be band-mates, but roommates just can’t be in a band.” Alas again a departure, but this time Brendan uncharacteristically choose to remain in his sunny paradise, but his partner in crime returned to the town of mist and bumbershoots (Seattle for umbrella). Brendan, remaining the positive passionate person who will definitely have a hit record or two, kept plugging away. Flying back to NYC to make sure it wasn’t all just a dream, Brendan found encouragement and inspiration in the big city. It wasn’t a dream after all. Satisfied, he returned with a new outlook on this here music making magic. He also began work at the Art Academy of Hollywood, teaching piano and voice to children under 12. Though the Arts Academy he soon met a passionate and rhythmic drummer, Corell, who, though singing would remain always his passion, bought a drum kit and began to lay beat after beat of bust your gut goodness. In tandem a native of the south Florida scene and fellow patron of the Arts, Billy B. Bowin, bassist extraordinaire and all around good guy, joined the crew. Brendan amuses “ We were starting to really get a feel for how the sound should vibrate…we know all sound is vibrations, but there’s a place just on top of the obvious pulsing, that’s what we were seeking.” And for several months they had obtained a regular presence on the music scene. Brendan would remain Brendan O’Hara, but without the pretension of capitol letters, and his cohorts would be dubbed, The Humble Ones. Thus brendan o’hara and the Humble Ones were born. Playing each of the most reputable venues in the area, rocking the rollers, moving the moshers, sitting the stunned, and singing the soul all the way, brendan o’hara and the Humble Ones, have generated a following similar to the swells of the south east coast, ebbing and flowing but always, always rolling. But ahhh, the sounds of the sea may not be all it takes to keep a band basking. Due to alternate aspirations Corell departed from the project to pursue his own blossoming career. And like a jolly Don Quixote riding in on a blueberry drum kit Jon Weiner, producer, promoter, and all around proliferator of pulse, sat at the skins and quelled the chaos. Marking the most prolific of periods for all those involved, the boys set out to record the best record they could, play the best live shows they should, and enjoy the spoils of hard work and dedication through the magic of music. “The sound is dubbed the original blend of jazzy-blue-hip-hop-folk-rock.” Since this pact… the priory of Humbledom has toured New York City with sincere success, selling a whole slew of records, seeing the sights and sounds, and in turn creating their own sights and sounds, for friends, family and fans. The month was April, the nightblooming Jasmine doing what it does best, the year 2005, and the music was brand new. brendan o’hara and the Humble Ones with there debut, “Perceptive Inception” aimed to do exactly what the record implies, be apart of a new beginning they feel has been along time coming. Now back home for just a bit, the future holds a whole lot of possibilities but one thing is certain, Brendan just got back in town, and where he’s headed very, very relevant.
Highlights
- 2003, appeared in Kurt Voss' rock and roll film "Down and Out With the Dolls". The Los Angeles Times calls him “A Standout.”
- The well-received debut LP, One Take Times, is featured on KCRW Los Angeles’ “A Brave New World.” DJ Tricia Halloran considered it one of the best unsigned LPs heard in a long time.
- 2004 was nominated for "Best Singer/Songwriter" by the Miami and Broward New Times.
- Won The Entertainment Industry Incubator’s Music Video Challenge with the politically charged song “Forever Glades”.
- One Take Times featured at the 2004 Gentleman’s Expo Award Ceremony in Las Vegas
- Currently has his tribute to lost love "Enamored" is in rotation on 42 college radio stations in the US and Canada.
- Sponsored by Globe Shoes&Clothing a world wide skateboarding distributor
- Spring 2005, Releases “Perceptive Inception” now available at brendanohara.org and cdbaby.com
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