The Pendulum
A&E
Thursday, September 11, 2003 •Page 19
A Lighthouse legend returns to Elon
Ashley Busch
Reporter
The Lighthouse’s long lost secret is
coming back to town, and he won’t be a
secret for long. Brian Wiltsey, a 1999 Elon
graduate , is making a comeback on Sept.
18 with his band, The Brian Wiltsey Band.
“The Lighthouse used to be the most
happening place on the weekends and
Photo courtesy of brianwiltsey.com
Wiltsey and band mates, including Clay Cook who co-wrote John
Mayer’s "Room for Squares,” will be returning to play at The
Lighthouse Thursday Sept 18 at 10 p.m.
weekdays alike. I want to bring that back,”
Wiltsey said, explaining his interest in
coming back to Elon.
In the late 90’s, Wiltsey played in a band
called Montgomery Bums Band (later
known as MBB) in local clubs. It wasn’t
long before they were opening up for acts
such as Blessed Union of Souls and Edwin
McCain and generating interest with local
audiences and big-time labels alike. MBB
was going places.
“We had a really
great thing going
on,” he said “It was
fun.”
But that was two
years and three
albums ago. “After
most of us graduat
ed, we moved to
Greensboro to try
the scene there, but
after awhile we
decided not to play
together anymore. I
wanted to move-
on,” Wiltsey said.
After the band
broke up in the
beginning months
of 2001, Wiltsey
said he decided to
stretch his creative
boundaries. He
Weekly Sneak Peak
Thursday, Sept. 11- Sullivan/Erdmann
Quintet
7:30 p.m. in Yeager Recital Hail
Friday, Sept. 12-
Hallie Coppedge & Victoria Fischer
7:30 p.m. in Whitley Recital Hall
Tuesday, Sept. 16 -
John McCutcheon
7:30 p.m. in McCrary Theater
tried for a new sound as a solo artist in
Atlanta, a city known for such acts as John
Mayer and Lenny Kravitz. Wiltsey started
performing in various open mic nights try
ing to perfect his blend of popular rock and
pop, mixed lightly with the more soulful
sounds of R&B.
“I’m trying for a new sound,” Wiltsey
said. “I’ve been listening to a lot of
Motown lately and I’m trying to blend that
into my music.” Playing up to four nights
a week paid off. Wiltsey was able to win
the city’s overall open mike competition,
and the doors of larger venues began open
ing for him throughout the city.
“I just played as often as I could. I was
never home anymore!” said Wiltsey, laugh
ing. Opportunity arose at the end of 2001
when he met his future band mate and gui
tarist, Bret Hartley. Hartley then introduced
Wiltsey to Shawn Malone, better known as
Bass, who began playing the drums with
them. The final piece of the puzzle came
six months ago, fresh from touring with the
Marshall Tucker Band and writing songs
for John Mayer. Clay Cook, playing bass,
made the band complete. “I wasn’t sure
how things were going to work but Clay
played with us and it just fit,” Wiltsey said.
“We all clicked, and now we’re a family. It
doesn’t feel right when the four of us are
not on stage together.”
The band has been hitting various
nightspots in Atlanta such as CJ’s Landing,
Smith’s and 10 High, trying to get as much
exposure as possible. That is what brings
Wiltsey and the guys back to the Carolinas.
The upcoming show at The Lighthouse
will be a sort of homecoming for Wiltsey
and help expand the following he’s created
in Atlanta. The aspect of leaving Atlanta to
tour leaves him with a sort of nervous
excitement, but he said he is also anxious to
get his new sound out to more people. “I’m
really excited about playing in Elon again,”
Wiltsey said. “It will be a show that you do
not want to miss!”
The doors will open at 9 p.m. and the
opening band Clay Cook Band will get
things started around 10 p.m. There will be
CDs sold at the show as well.
Contact Ashley Busch at
pendulum@elon.edu or 278-7247.
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