Photo courtesy of The Neverly Brothers/Digging Records, Inc.
The Neverly Brothers
The Neverly Brothers
Guitarist Kevin Giragosian and his brother, drummer Kegham Giragosian, struggled from the late ‘80s through the early ‘00s in an indie rock band, the Wombats. Having little luck earning steady income or landing a deal, they turned from present to past tense. Regrouping in 2003 as the Neverly Brothers, they began to present an evolving history lesson in rock and roll. They return this month for a show in Waukesha.
The idea began with a flash of historical insight. “I always had a love for the British Invasion music of 1964-65—especially the music and vocal harmonies of The Beatles,” Kevin says. “Consequently, I was never a fan of 1950s rock and roll. One day a friend turned me on to a number of Everly Brothers songs and something in my mind clicked. I did some music research and discovered that The Beatles—particularly John and Paul—cited Phil and Don Everly as their biggest singing influence and were basically imitating those ‘Everly harmonies’ in Beatles songs.”
For the first few years, the Neverly’s club shows were comprised of Everly and Beatles songs, pointedly displaying the influence of the former on the latter. “In 2006 we expanded on the original concept to a broader concert of the evolution of rock from the 1950s American rock and roll pioneers to the 1964 British Invasion bands.” Kevin continues.
Their stage show became more elaborate and expansive, including a chronological song sequence starting in the mid-1950s, with stories about the songs and costume changes to reflect changing eras. Bassist Mike Bradburn rounds out the trio.
The success the Giragosian brothers sought for the Wombats arrived when they became the Neverly Brothers. By 2010 they became a national touring act, headlining theater shows. “In the process, the stage show concept evolved into a virtual bus tour of rock history,” Kevin explains. “We added a multi-media large screen slide show with images that correspond to the artists we celebrate and the cities they originated.”
What can we expect at the Neverly Brothers’ Waukesha show?
“This is a great opportunity to see our live show ‘up close and personal’ at a relatively small, intimate 250 seat theater,” Kevin says. “It will be our third time performing at his venue since our 2022 debut. We've developed such a great reputation in Waukesha that we expect this show to sell out. I recommend buying your tickets in advance asap.”
The Neverly Brothers perform 7:30 p.m., Sept. 24 at the Waukesha Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St., Waukesha. For tickets, visit waukeshacivictheatre.org
