Brooks Binau Grooves Over To Lakeshore

When you first hear Brooks Binau, you’ll be surprised to find out that he is not a 50-year-old jam band leader. However, with a soulful deep voice and expert musicianship you wouldn’t be too far off. The 20-year-old singer-songwriter was raised in the historic country fields of Hagerstown, Maryland and picked up his first guitar at the age of 10. It wasn’t long before Binau realized his adeptness for guitar and began taking lessons with one of the towns most acclaimed Blues Guitarists Lew Palladino. With Palladino’s guidance, he began to explore the roots of Soul and Blues in America and to hone in on his own original sound. By his mid-teens he was writing his own songs, perfecting his guitar playing, and working with his vocal abilities. Booking gigs at local coffee houses, he enlisted the help of Doug Groove who helped to bring a creative rhythm to Binau’s soulful tunes. In 2006 Brooks moved to Ithaca College in New York, and began hitting the college town’s streets and diving into the music scene. Binau collaborated with Groove again in late 2007 to release his first EP entitled Latte Roasted EP, giving homage to those local coffee shops.

Thoughtful and intelligent, Binau’s songs discuss everything from personal freedom and politics to the current state of the world and the local on-goings around him. Influenced by greats like Neil Young and Johnny Cash and newcomers like Ben Harper and Michael Franti, he blends old-world soulful rhythm and blues with classic funk to form an original sound that makes a statement.

Going on tour this July and August, Binau will be performing at this year’s Evanston Lakeshore Arts Festival at 11:00 on the Main Stage.

Can’t wait until then? Check out Brooks Binau on iTunes or at this website brooksbinau.com!