The Sensational Barnes Brothers

Join Levitt Shell for FREE shows in the 2021 Orion Free Music Concert Series. Picnic baskets, beverages, blankets, and lawn chairs are always welcome. Food and beverages are for sale in the ShellEats community area. Dogs on a leash are welcome in designated areas. Levitt Shell is a nonsmoking facility. Click here to learn more about the visitor experience.

About the band:

The Sensational Barnes Brothers are a melting pot of the old and the new. As Pop Matters states, “The brothers run through a spectrum of moods and modes in their gospel soul, often bridging the gap between, say, the Soul Stirrers and Stax, all the while keeping a local flavor.” The brothers are able to dive deep into their roots, creating a sound that reflects the music of their history, all the while drawing in a modern-day audience.

For a time, Courtney played with a rock band chiefly influenced by Disturbed and Dream Theater. The brothers were then featured as background vocalists on Don Bryant’s Grammy nominated album Don’t Give Up on Love. Now he and Chris, on drums, percussion, and vocals, front Black Cream, which is the perfect blend of funk, soul, and r&b with Gospel tinges. Chris has also joined longtime singer and performer Larry Dodson, former lead of the Bar Kays, in the launch of his solo career.  More recently, The Sensational Barnes Brothers have worked with Latin Grammy nominated Making Movies as well as lead singer of The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach, on his newest solo album.

Now, as the Sensational Barnes Brothers, they are bringing it all back home to music they grew up with. The Sensational Barnes Brothers recorded their first album under the Bible and Tire Recording Co., a first for the label as well as the brothers. This first album, produced by Bruce Watson of Bible and Tire Recording Co./Big Legal Mess Records at Delta-Sonic Studios in Memphis. Songs from the album were chosen from the 1970 catalog of the Designer Records label, but the original recording reminded the brothers of their late father Calvin “Duke” Barnes, that it could have been written by the Barnes Family themselves. Inspired by their shared past, fueled by harmonies that resonate with both their blood and their kindred souls, The Sensational Barnes Brothers see themselves singing, playing, and dancing for a long time coming.