The Brownville Concert Series is thrilled to present, The Brits. This rock and roll cover band will reprise the “British Invasion” that transformed our music scene in the middle 1960’s from The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, and The Who. They will perform in cabaret Friday and Saturday, June 26th & 27th at 7:30 p.m. and in concert on Sunday, June 28th at 2 p.m. We give special thanks to Annie Thomas, Dr. Shannon Stemm & Dr. Jeffrey Meade, and Renee’ & Mac McGuire for helping to sponsor these concerts.

JOE BUDA (Guitar & Vocals) is a unique and talented musician who has played and toured with some of the area’s top bands including: The Rumbles, Blue House, Mulberry Lane, and Soul Cousins. He has also worked with national acts such as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Coasters and The Gentrys. Joe and his brother Jay led the popular local band Allspice for many years. With a longtime desire to play the music he heard as a kid, he got together with some former youths his own age to form The Brits.

DAN GILLPATRICK (Drums & Vocals) started playing drums in 5th grade. In college, he formed his first rock band Furnace and later, joined Trojan Horse. Trojan Horse opened for Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders at the Royal Grove in Lincoln. Later, Dan took time off from music for marriage and family. Johnny Ray Gomez asked Dan to play at Johnny’s 50th Reunion show and that rekindled the fire to resume playing music. Soon after, he got a call from Joe Buda to be part of a British Invasion band, which became The Brits.

RICH BERG (Bass & Vocals) was first inspired to pick up the guitar after seeing The Beatles on the “Ed Sullivan Show”. The British Invasion was in full swing and Rich immersed himself in the music and his instrument. During college, Rich advanced through local bands like The Wonders, Thee Misfits and Mecca. He replaced the original bassist for The Rumbles and toured with them for five years. After leaving The Rumbles, Rich got a “real job” and played music part-time in local bands, including Murphy’s Law, Copperhead, Big Bang and Soul Cousins. When Joe Buda approached him about forming a British Invasion band, he jumped at the opportunity to return to his musical roots.

BOB FORD (Keyboard, Guitar, Harmonica, & Sax) the newest member of The Brits, began performing in the Seattle area when he was 14. He moved to Omaha and played with several local bands including The Wonders before joining The Rumbles. He has opened for groups like The Four Seasons, The Coasters, The Drifters, Looking Glass, Three Dog Night, Pure Prairie League, and many others. He currently performs with The Brits and The Grease Band. Bob says it was the music of The Beatles that originally awakened his instrumental and vocal talent. The Brits are a perfect fit for his skills and musical interests.

Cabaret tickets are $25, concert tickets are $19 ($15 for students). To purchase tickets online go to www.brownvilleconcertseries.com or call 402-825-3331. Stay overnight at the River Inn Resort and get a 10% discount on tickets. Eat dinner at the Lyceum before the show. This Series is a program of the Brownville Fine Arts Association. The Nebraska Arts Council (www.nebraskaartscouncil.org), a state agency, supports this program through a matching grant funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.