Tofino Musician Brendan Russell
by Ronnie Weeks, Tofino
For years I have known Brendan Russell as the positive guy who works at the sushi bar and takes care of Ron and Hanna's kids but a few months ago i was pleasantly surprised to hear his sublimesque rhythm guitar and vocals at a fundraising event held at the Tofino Community Hall. He is a singer songwriter who moved to Tofino from Calgary about five years ago when he was nineteen and has been broadening his musical horizons ever since.When he arrived on the coast Brendan began exploring a lot of different instruments as well as genres and really started to have fun with his music. "I bought an acoustic bass and began jamming with Rob MacInnes, who was playing the banjo at the time, at gatherings and campfires and since then I've been enjoying my time here playing as much as i can with whoever wants to play. It keeps it interesting."
In the last year Brendan has been busy hosting the open mic at the Maq, playing bass with Two Guys and Two Girls, drumming for Nye Sullivan as well as volunteering his time for Pacific Rim Art Society fundraisers.
He has also teamed up with Natacha Radojevic and began recording a collaborative musical project called Love of Peace and the Humble Beast. It is a combination of Brendan and Natacha's music as well as other nature driven sounds like the pounding of west coast rain, or roosters crowing in the early mexican sunrise.
Sometime later this year Brendan will be heading back to Calgary to spend some time with family and finish recording with Sam the Jet as they prepare to tour through BC and Alberta promoting their full length self titled album. Sam the Jet is a combo of Brendan and his brother as well as a few other musicians in Calgary and should be finished as early as August 2009. After that Brendan plans to return to Tofino for the winter of 09/10.
Always stoked and always smiling the Tofino music community will miss Brendan and the good vibes he brings to the local venues. Good luck out there in the real world and we'll be waiting with open ears for when you get back.
Samples of Brendans music can be heard at myspace.com/samthejet and myspace.com/ellysiummagic
Ron Weeks has been strumming, singing and surfing around Tofino for quite some time now. He just recently started his own facebook group for fans of fish sticks & puddin' pops.
Tofino Time Magazine May 2009
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- Tofino musician Brendan Russell
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Tofino musician Brendan Russell is profiled by Ronnie Weeks in Tofino Time Magazine in May 2009.
