Photo Credit: Brendan Demet
Brendan Demet has chased the sound of music his entire life.
It can be traced back to when he was seven years old when he first began playing music. At just 12, he landed a gig at a Summerfest side stage. By 16, he was performing regularly at Milwaukee bars, where he familiarized himself with Riverwest staples such as Bremen Cafe. Even while attending the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music during his college years, Demet spent most of his down-time embarking on short Midwest tours with his band. It only makes sense that after graduating from the conservatory and buying a house in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood in 2016, that his new home would eventually become a creative hub for local musicians.
Demet’s musical home-base has since been dubbed Riverwest Records, officially donning the name in early 2020. Like most musicians, time slowed down for Demet that year when the pandemic put a stop to live shows. But rather than sit around waiting for in-person shows to resume their regular scheduling, he set out to fix up the house he has been living in for almost five years now, transforming the first floor into a recording studio. The building was previously home to a bar called Smokey’s that operated in 1931, giving Demet plenty of options for remodeling.
“I took the bar out and have been working on (the studio) for the past few years,” Demet says. “I’ve got kind of a main live room that’s over 300 square feet. I converted one of the bathrooms into a vocal booth.”
Rock, Jazz, Pop
Riverwest Records’ only official release at the moment is Demet’s solo album “B-25,” released on May 1 last year. That album takes elements of jazz and fuses them with rock and pop sentiments spread over seven tracks, with Demet performing every instrument as well as vocals. It’s an album that at times sounds like it would pair perfectly with a cocktail at The Jazz Estate, but at others it exceeds that atmosphere with rambunctious outbursts.
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Demet’s solo debut lays the groundwork for what he hopes to do with his record label—give himself a platform for distributing his music. But he also hopes to be able to highlight the music of friends and neighbors. He refers to the label as more of a microlabel.
“(Riverwest Records is) partially to release my music but what I really want to do is release other people’s music and showcase how many other great groups there are in the area,” Demet says.
Livestreaming
While the details of upcoming releases are being finalized, Riverwest Records has been keeping busy with livestreamed events in lieu of in-person performances. Bands are given the platform of Riverwest Records’ Facebook, Youtube and Twitch pages where viewers can watch and donate tips directly to the band. It’s an endeavor that stemmed from Demet livestreaming his own music via his cellphone, which eventually led to him investing in professional-quality cameras and mixing equipment as he saw a rising interest in other artists looking to livestream.
“I think it’s important as a performer to evolve and change the way we reach audiences,” Demet says. “For a lot of musicians, myself included, I think we were kind of stuck in the rut of just playing in bars and appealing to people who are out drinking when really there’s all kind of ways to entertain people at home.”
On May 1, Riverwest Records will celebrate its inception with a show at Linneman’s Riverwest Inn. Featured on the bill is the Brendan Demet Quartet, Conscious Congress (another project of Demet’s) and The Breadmen (a band that has been featured on Riverwest Records’ livestreams). The show will have a limited capacity with a $15 cover but will also have the option for people to livestream from home and donate virtual tips. The show will be a brief return to form for Demet, who has spent many an hour on a stage, but also an opening into the next chapter of his musical career.
“What I’ve learned from being in small music communities my whole life is that if you help each other out, you can really grow the whole scene and it benefits everyone,” Demet says. “My goal is to showcase all of the talent in Riverwest.”
To stay up to date with Riverwest Records’ livestreams and upcoming releases, follow their Facebook page or sign up for the mailing list on the label’s website.
