Holmes Brothers put soul into their repertoire
Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" is a song brimming with desire and passion.
In the Holmes Brothers' version of the song, the passion remains, but the desire has been transformed into a soulful grace.
"We just made it our own," says Wendell Holmes, who performs tonight with the group at Club Cafe, South Side. "We made it a real love song; we slowed it down."
That ability to imprint songs -- their own and cover versions -- with gospel-influenced harmonies and melodies has stood the Holmes Brothers well. Born and raised in Christchurch, Va., Wendell Holmes and his brother Sherman, along with drummer Popsy Dixon, toured with a Top 40 bar band before forming the group in 1979. Their interest in music is catholic, ranging from country-western and bluegrass to rock 'n' roll and blues.
Thus, the new album, "State of Grace," and its eclectic mix, which includes versions of Lyle Lovett's "If I Had a Boat" and "God Will" and George Jones' "Ain't It Funny What a Fool Will Do."
"We try to pick songs that we feel we can bring something to the party with," Holmes says, "be it 'I Want You to Want Me' or Levon Helm's 'Rock of Ages' or one of our songs. ... Being from Virginia and being the age we are -- I'm 63 years old, and I'm the youngest one in the group -- we have a wide breadth of experience in music."
The bedrock of Holmes Brothers' sound, however, is gospel. Men of faith, they view music as an instrument.
"Of course, it's about the Creator," Holmes says. "It's God's message. Us calling ourselves servants of the living God, we need to do our part in the great commission, in letting the whole world know.
Using music as a means of transmitting that message, however, is useless unless it is of quality. And if that music is good, there will be an audience.
"I've always felt that if you make good music, people will hear you," Holmes says. "One of the bigger goals for us is not just to make money -- of course that is a goal -- but to touch audiences, to let them hear the real Holmes Brothers. Hopefully, they will like us, and remember us as well."
While the Holmes Brothers' music has a spiritual quality, they are not averse to social commentary. On "State of Grace," they cover two songs -- Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" and John Fogerty's "Bad Moon Rising" -- that take on new import given the current political climate.
"What could be more appropriate ...?" Holmes says. "We try to get that message out without being too political about it. We want people to know we are aware of what's going on in the world. It's important that our message for peace goes out, also."
The past few years have seen an increase in the band's popularity, and Holmes credits that partly to Alligator Records, which has released three of the Holmes Brothers' last four albums. But there's also been a willingness to go out and work and not take for granted any aspect of the music.
"I tell everybody I know that the best entertainers, the best singers I've known in my life, have never ever made a quarter," Holmes says. "So experience is a key, and to be responsible. A lot of entertainers, because of the nature of the business, they are irresponsible. They show up late, they don't pound the pavement, they don't search out deals, they'll be high on a gig, whatever. And that's no good. It's a business, and you have to treat it like a business." Additional Information:
The Holmes Brothers
When: 7 p.m. today
Admission: $20
Where: Club Cafe, South Side
Details: 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com
