Gerald Brann as Elton John of the Yellow Brick Road tribute band. Photo courtesy of Yellow Brick Road

There are some artists that I really enjoy chatting with on a regular basis, such is the case with Gerald Brann of the Elton John tribute act called Yellow Brick Road.

I had the pleasure of reviewing his debut performance as Elton John and I knew then that he was definitely someone to watch in the future and he hasn’t proven me wrong yet! He plans to return to Somerset Abbey in Madison at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, with his tight band made up of Kevin Ostrowski on drums; Rich Daigle on guitar and backup vocals; Mike Tobias on guitar, mandolin and backup vocals; and Mark Kavanaugh on bass.

We talked as he traveled back to his Bath home.

Q: I began by asking him to catch me up on what’s been happening with him lately.

A: Well, the band has been very busy — this has been one of the busier years, for sure, and we’re going into new places all the time, too, which is pretty interesting. We’re getting exposure to new crowds, new locations, and it’s always fascinating to see — whether it is in Florida or New Hampshire — the audiences are exactly the same.

Q: How so?

A: They love Elton John music and they’re singing along. The way that we like to approach the show is to make it very accessible to the crowd. So they’re yelling stuff up at us and they’re interacting quite a bit, which we encourage right at the beginning of the show. That’s a lot of fun for me, I love the interaction.

Q: And I’m sure the audiences love it, too — they can become more invested in the show.

A: Yeah, definitely and that’s what we want. I mean, it’s a show but it should be an experience, you know? So we want them to not only be there where they can see the visual side of it, but we want them to be a part of the event that they’re attending and the more engaged they are, I think, the more excited they become, the more they remember it, the more it touches them.

Q: Can you talk a little bit about the performance itself?

A: There’s a pacing to the show in that we start out with “Funeral For a Friend,” which is just wind blowing and a bell gonging in the distance. It’s instrumental — there’s no singing happening and no movement onstage. We’re just creeping them into the experience and then — by the time the end of the show goes, by the time we get to that point — everyone’s on their feet. They’re pushed up against the stage, they’re yelling, they’re dancing, they’re singing and screaming at the stage. So we try to slowly ramp up their experience until they’re just going crazy, and that’s what they remember when they leave … and I want them to have that experience, and I think it’s been pretty integral for the band’s success — to be able to involve the audience so fully in the design of our show.

Q: And I would think that that just makes you guys put out even more energy, right?

A: Oh, it definitely does. I never realized the power of adrenaline until I started performing like this on a regular basis. You know, it started out with the very first shows we did where I’m just sitting at a piano thinking that, if I’m wearing some funny glasses and a hat—boom, it’s an Elton John show. But there’s a lot more to it — I’ve learned that over the years — and now I’m really connecting with the music and really connecting with the energy of the audience and the energy of the band.

Q: Speaking of the band, could you talk a little bit about them?

A: Over the last year, I’ve noticed that the band has seemed to level-up to another plateau — I guess you could say — where, onstage they’re just enjoying themselves to the fullest extent possible. They’re smiling and interacting and having fun, and goofing around with each other and with the crowd — the band as a whole has really taken a step forward in that aspect and it’s really made the shows a lot of fun, and I think the crowd recognizes that the band is having a good time.

Q: And that, in itself, is contagious. Now you’ve used the phrase ‘over the years’ so I have to ask, how long have you been doing this?

A: This year is our 23rd year.

Q: What? That is amazing!

A: Kevin Ostrowsky, our drummer, is the only member that has been there since show number one!

Q: How many shows did you do this year?

A: I believe it’ll end up being about 35 shows — but when everybody in the band is working full-time jobs, and when you have an hour to an hour and three/quarters commute one way to work it makes your schedule a bit busy … there’s not enough hours in the day (chuckle).

Q: Is there anything that you’d like to pass on to the folks reading this article about the Somerset Abbey gig?

A: Well, a little bit. in regards to the show. We’ve been there several times, the sound is amazing, the people who run the place do a fantastic job there, and it is definitely a treasure in central Maine that I don’t know that everybody knows about. So definitely get out to Somerset Abbey and come see our show on the 23rd. We’ll give you the full experience, the same thing that we play in an arena. So come be a part of the show … we’re pretty excited about going back there. And lastly, what I wanted to say — kind of going off on that same vein — is that we thank you for your support of us and continue supporting music in your local community, as well.

Lucky Clark, a 2018 “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award winner, has spent more than 50 years writing about good music and the people who make it. He can be reached at luckyc@myfairpoint.net if you have any questions, comments or suggestions.