Guitarist Aidan O'Brien of Belchertown has a pretty impressive résumé. He is currently the reigning band champion at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance (something he has achieved twice); he has been invited on stage to play with Donna the Buffalo four times, as well as making appearances with several other roots music artists; he also has won...
Paint
Guitarist Aidan O'Brien of Belchertown has a pretty impressive résumé.
He is currently the reigning band champion at the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance (something he has achieved twice); he has been invited on stage to play with Donna the Buffalo four times, as well as making appearances with several other roots music artists; he also has won or come in second a few other guitar competitions over the past decade.
That sounds great, you say, but it's not that extraordinary. And you'd be right in thinking that—until I tell you Aidan is only 16 years old.
That first Grassroots band win? He did it at age 8. His first jam with Donna the Buffalo? He was 10. At the age of 12, he came in second in the guitar competition at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in North Carolina. He also won the Western Mass junior jazz guitar competition several years ago and won the high school version this year.
He came in second overall in this year's statewide jazz competition and is gunning for 1st next year as a senior, although jazz is certainly not his passion, roots music is.
The reason I'm telling you all this is because Aidan's band, Paint, will be playing Pearl Street Nightclub on Feb. 8, opening for, of course, Donna the Buffalo (who just happen to be Aidan's musical heroes. Paint is Aidan and three other Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School students: the gorgeous-voiced Odyssey Newport on vocals and guitar, Cody Edgerly on drums and Eli Heath on bass. The band members describe themselves an indie soul band, but the music has elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, funk and psychedelic rock in it.
If you want to check the band out before going to the show, go to http://www.paint-band.com/ where you can jear a four-song demo. Paint is also scheduled to appear on WWLP-TV, Channel 22's program "Mass Appeal" in April.
Paint is scheduled to go on at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Pearl Street is at 1 Pearl St. in Northampton.
Scouting Report
There will be a 50-50 raffle at Club Meadows on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 3) to benefit the Shriner's Children's Hospital. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. You can purchase tickets at the club's Lumpy's Grill or by calling (413) 271-1177. You do not need to be present to win. Also at the club on Super Bowl Sunday: A huge buffet for just $10. Club Meadows is at 621 North Main St. in East Longmeadow.
Brass Attack returns to the stage at Geraldine's in West Springfield on Feb. 2. Geraldine's is at 1501 Elm St.