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The Obelisk Questionnaire: Bram the Bard of Wizard Tattoo

wizard tattoo

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Bram the Bard of Wizard Tattoo

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I guess I’d say I’m a music maker. I take songs that are banging around in my head, organize them a bit, record them, and then share them. I’ve found it to be an addictive but cathartic experience.

I got into playing music at an early age. My mother put me in piano lessons when I was eight, and when I was older, I played percussion in my high school marching band. I got my first guitar when I was 16 and played drums in a garage band with some friends covering songs by Nirvana and Metallica. When I was in my mid-20s and 30s, I played guitar, bass, drums, and/or keyboards in a few different classic rock cover bands around Southern Indiana. We mainly played songs by ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, The Doors, etc.

Listening to and playing music has always been a big part of my life. Recording and releasing music was just the next logical step.

Describe your first musical memory.

Embarrassingly enough, my first musical memory is of listening to Kenny Rogers when I was around six or seven. I’m pretty sure I got into him because of watching the Gambler movies, but I had several of his tapes on cassette and would listen to them on long road trips with my family. It was the first music that I remember listening to outside of whatever my parents would put on, and I still think “The Gambler” is a cool song. I don’t care what anyone says!

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have a lot of fond memories of playing in classic rock cover bands in dive bars around Southern Indiana, but I’d have to say my best musical memory is going to see an Indianapolis punk band called Sloppy Seconds when I was in junior high. I had some older friends that got me into heavier music and they took me with them. It was my first real show without an adult and it’s still one of the greatest experiences of my life. No other concert has topped it since.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

The recent event with our Supreme Court overturning abortion rights is very concerning, and it’s really tested my belief in this country and what it stands for. I never thought that we’d take such a giant step backward like this and it’s scary to see it happening.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I honestly don’t know. I started recording music because I wanted to get the songs that were stuck in my head out. Hopefully, my music will keep progressing and improving, and I’ll get better at expressing myself with more complex arrangements and better performances. I don’t know what the end looks like, but I bet it will be pretty cool.

How do you define success?

If just a few people listen to and like my music, I’ll consider it a success. That’s all I need.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I absolutely loved the first three movies growing up and that last one soured how I view them now. They’re making another sequel too which I think is criminal. Hollywood is creatively bankrupt.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’ve got three new songs that I’ve written for Wizard Tattoo that I’m excited about recording and releasing as part of a full-length album next year. My wife and I are also working on an ’80s synth-rock project that’s different than anything I’ve ever done before.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

To connect people with one another. I think art is the purest form of communication that we have. Words are a clunky way to express ourselves, but you can listen to a song or look at a painting, and really connect with how someone felt when they created it and what they truly were trying to say.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Going to shows with friends, spending time with my family, and just chilling in a hammock with a beer in my backyard

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Wizard Tattoo, Wizard Tattoo (2022)

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