“Crabby Bill’s is a magical place.”
Not something you hear every day, but Charlie Ries is referencing the seafood shack where he and his brother’s band, The Ries Brothers, were noticed by someone who knew the band Chicago. “They found us during our dive bar days and introduced us to the band’s manager.”
Soon enough Charlie and his brother Kevin — who were just 19 and 15 years old at the time, respectively — were opening two legs of a tour for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band. Since touring with Chicago in 2014 and 2015, The Ries Brothers have continued to develop their craft and have worked alongside everyone from 311 to Pepper.
IF YOU GO
Iya Terra w/For Peace Band/The Ries Brothers
Sat. Oct. 19, 6 p.m. $18.
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg.
jannuslive.com
Charlie, now 24, and Kevin, now 20, are currently driving across the country together in support of Iya Terra and For Peace Band. Although the duo has played incredible venues all over the country — including the famous and immersive art installation, Meow Wolf, in Santa Fe — the band’s most anticipated tour stop is right back where the guys started — in St. Petersburg, Florida.
This weekend’s show will be the fourth time the blended blues, reggae and rock duo have graced the Jannus Live Stage, but it is definitely not the last.
“Jannus is our favorite place to play in the world,” says Charlie. Fans who supported The Ries Brothers from the beginning will get to see the two all grown up right before their eyes; the Ries’ have come a long way from their beach bar playing days. Case in point: a manager, tour photographer and publicist replace the grassroots version of the Ries Brothers team that initially consisted of the brothers and their parents.
“I’m pretty sure my mom booked us our first show ever,” says Kevin. She was also their merch manager.
The October 19 Jannus gig may be a precursor to something bigger for the band, but the boys know that some improvements need to be made before making another leap.
The Ries Brothers have made a name for themselves by being a two-man band, but growth is expected, and they want to expand the outfit late next year by hiring a drummer and a bassist. The move lets Charlie enhance his role as the frontman (he currently spends a lot of the set sitting behind a drum set), but the brothers agree that playing only as a duo will be something that is consistently incorporated into their performances.
The eye on the future should be no surprise to anyone who’s watched the Ries Brothers’ sharpen their skills over the years; the boys have always been assiduous about their craft. But now, with no distractions and their noses to the grindstone, Ries Brothers are on track to play over 200 shows before 2019 wraps.
“Our goal right now is to be on the road 365 days a year,” Charlie says, “but also with some hometown shows added every now and then.”
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This article appears in Oct 17-24, 2019.