When the 20-something brothers Daniel, Luke and Jonathan Brindley bought Jammin Java in 2001, Daniel and Luke thought it would mean big things for their band (which didn’t include Jonathan). It was, in fact, the beginning of the end for the Brindley Brothers, a group whose career eventually got snuffed out by the demands of its members running first the Vienna, Virginia, coffee shop, then Union Stage in DC, then the numerous other venues they now manage or book.
Luke and Daniel rehearsed at Jammin Java, recorded in a studio they installed in the space, and even got their hair cut by one of the bartenders. “Jammin Java is the fourth Brindley brother,” Luke says. He had a young family at the time they entered the nightlife business, and “the club was growing and required so much of our time and energy.” The Brindley Brothers made two well-regarded Americana albums—the last released in 2006 before things petered out. Luke, who lives in New York, moved on to solo projects and mostly working with other musicians.
You can see what might have been when the band reunites at Jammin Java on Saturday. They’ll perform with a five-piece group that includes their producer (and brother-in-law) Jared Bartlett, a mainstay of the group Last Train Home. The concert is part of a monthlong celebration of 25 years of Union Stage Presents, the brothers’ company that presents shows at Pearl Street Warehouse, the Howard Theatre, the Theatre at Capital Turnaround, the Miracle Theatre, and even Nationals Park.
For fans whose ears may have gotten rusty, the brothers have put together a Spotify playlist. “We’re trying to get people back together, the family, the early supporters, and just celebrate,” Daniel says. Expect surprises and special guests—”we’re going to see how many generations of Brindleys we can get onstage,” Luke says.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
