A Perfect Night with Brass Skulls
A night of excellent rock music under the stars at Bud Daniel Park
Brass Skulls is a rock band with their roots in the Seymour, Texas area, and after getting rained out a week prior, the weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy their enthusiastic brand of party rock at a live show in Bud Daniel Park. It was quite literally a perfect night of live music under the stars.
Singer Landon Green left everything on the stage during this performance and I was very impressed with his stage presence. Landon does not care that he’s playing a free show in a park for 200 people — he might as well be onstage in an arena in front of 20,000 people, because that’s the show you’re getting. Landon’s not afraid to feel the music and allow his body to take over, and his vocals are measured and nuanced, giving him a versatility to perform everything from 90s rock like 7 Mary Three, Stone Temple Pilots and Local H to classic Pink Floyd.
Clayton Miller plays guitar for Brass Skulls and despite being the only guitarist, he handles the job with skill and taste on both the electric and acoustic. In addition to covers, Brass Skulls performed a couple original tunes, and I felt like I heard a little bit of a country influence from Clayton on those selections.
Bassist Sam Navarro is a sneaky-good musician in her role with Brass Skulls. She didn’t sing backing vocals that I saw, and she’s not super flashy with stage moves, she just holds down the bottom end, and when it’s time for her to step forward, she just does. One prime example was Brass Skulls performance of Alice In Chains “No Excuses” which features a repetitive, meandering bass line that really leads the song — the kind of part that can be exhausting to a musician if they’re not up to snuff on rehearsal time. Sam Navarro absolutely nailed it and set the foundation for Landon’s vocals, backed up by Sam’s husband Dave behind the drum kit.
Drums for Brass Skulls are handled by Dave Navarro, who just so happens to share the same first and last name with a famous musician. Which one is “the” Dave Navarro and which is “the other” Dave Navarro depends on who you’re asking. Nevertheless, not only is Dave a great drummer, but he absolutely stands out on backing vocals.
I ran into Chris Hunt, drummer for Hellen Bach and longtime Wichita Falls drum instructor, and he told me Dave Navarro is one of his former students. Chris stood up front with his camera like a proud papa and got some footage of Dave.
In the end, Brass Skulls was one of the best concerts in the park I’ve seen this year. Tons of local musicians came out for this show and it was truly a festive atmosphere. The weather couldn’t have been better, the entertainment was fantastic, and the tacos I got from the food truck on the way out hit the spot.
Brass Skulls live at Bud Daniel Park, Wichita Falls, September 26, 2023
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