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• Brighton, MA celebrates childhood nostalgia at the Cowboy Monkey

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Brighton, MA - Photo by Ron Gurule

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Cowboy Monkey »
Address: 6 Taylor St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 356-0006
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Don’t be fooled by Brighton, MA’s locale-based name, as the brilliant Chicago-based five-piece plans to take the whole United States by storm.

“I love going on tour,” said vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Matthew Kerstein. “It can be difficult, but I like traveling to all these places that I would never get the opportunity to see otherwise.” Even so, Kerstein will always feel a profound connection to Brighton, MA. “It’s the town I was born in ... and I think that in our music we try to capture that certain sense of nostalgia and comfort that you just can’t get back to.”

Since Brighton, MA banded together three years ago, they have yet to stop focusing solely on their music. The indie-rock group has released two albums, the self-titled Brighton, MA in 2007, and Amateur Lovers in 2008, and they are already working on a new album. Influenced by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Band, the Kinks and Neil Young among others, Kerstein writes songs that are not so much focused on defining his group’s particular style or sound, but on the beauty of the song itself. “We’re very song-oriented, and sometimes we sound like rock ‘n’ roll, and other times like country, but we always try to be lyrical and melodic,” Kerstein said. “It’s actually really simple. We’re just a singer/songwriter backed by guitars, bass and drums.”

But even as songwriting is the most difficult step in the process for Kerstein, Brighton, MA manages to create music overflowing with intricate guitar work, aching vocals, a sweet softness and that bit of something special that is just out of the ordinary. As Kerstein said, “I’m inspired by books, other music and...all that stuff that inspires other people.”

Through their current tour, Brighton, MA hopes to “spread the word” and promote their music as well as enjoy the opportunity to jam with Oh My God!, Company of Thieves and We Landed on the Moon. The tour brings Brighton, MA to the Cowboy Monkey on Friday, Oct. 16 with We Landed on the Moon. Darling Disarm and Black Whales. The show begins at 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $7.

“Before a show, we pretty much try to get there on time and do a sound check if we’re lucky. Other than that, [we have] no ritual. We keep going and we just have to keep working at it. That’s it,” he said.