A popular longtime music writer for the Shepherd Express and Maximum Ink, Brian passed away suddenlyof a heart attack last week at age 49. Just the day before his death, he wasdoing what he loved most, recording music surrounded by his friends in the punkband he fronted, The Buggs. He also drummed in the band Guido’s Racecar, and earlierthat week he’d had a long, jovial chat about that group with his friend andband mate Mike Hoffmann.
“We had a long talk about our band’sfuture, and made in-depth plans for how we could go about achieving itrealistically,” Hoffmann recalls. “It was the last conversation we ever had,and it was an awesome one, as they always were.”
The only thing that excited Brian morethan music was family, and in that area, too, life had been good to him.
“His grandson just turned 2,” Hoffmannsays. “Though he was born prematurely and was in an incubator where it was verytouch and go for a while, Brian never once flinched. He said he was going topull through, and he did. His grandson is awesome, and Brian was very proud ofthat. He was a rock ’n’ roll grandpa, though you never would have known he wasa grandpa to look at him.”
In the days after Brian’s passing, the Shepherd Express’ Web site lit up withcomments from some of the many grateful friends and peers Brian left behind.
“He was a simple man who was kind,” recalledMichele Le Claire. “He loved his daughters and grandson deeply. He lovedcooking, animals and telling jokes. He showed me unconditional love,friendship, and gave me so much positive energy over the years. The first timeI saw him play the drums, I was blown away by his gift. He was a giftedsongwriter and vocalist as well. He taught me a lot about music and was alwaysthere for me as a friend over the years as our lives changed.”
Other friends mirrored those sentiments,remembering Brian as a happy man grateful for life’s simple pleasures. Hisfrequent band mate Dan Reed recalled their countless hours together “just doingthe things great friends do: fishing, singing, plotting, writing songs, playingvideo games, going to see our favorite band (Oh My God), throwing a football(even though it hurt his shoulder), walking the dog, setting off fireworks,cutting out fliers at Kinko's and cooking good food.”
“He is one of my few best friends,”reflected Jim Jahnke, who played with Brian in an early incarnation of TheBuggs. “He always said he learned so much from me, but the truth is the otherway around … We played Summerfest four years in a row and felt like rock starseach time.”
That may be what set Brian apart themost. He didn’t just carry himself like a rock star; he made everyone aroundhim feel like one, too.
Linneman’sRiverwest Inn will host a benefit concert for Brian Barney on Saturday, Dec. 5,featuring friends and peers from Brian’s bands, including The Buggs and Guido’sRacecar.
