“MTV Unplugged” was arguably at its height in 1993. That year, the series of intimate acoustic performances featured stars like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots and Neil Young, building on era-defining 1992 “Unplugged”s by Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam and Mariah Carey.
1993 was also the year Brother Cane released their self-titled major-label debut album. The Birmingham-founded band’s bow is anchored by hard-rocking signature hit “Got No Shame.”
But acoustic guitar figured prominently on several songs on the album, including soulful ballad “Hard Act To Follow,” anti-racism sidewinder “How Long,” the spell-binding “Woman,” and homeward-bound gem “The Road.”
This Friday, Brother Cane will play an unplugged set in the bassist Glenn Maxey‘s hometown of Huntsville. Like many baby bands, they did early morning, one-song acoustic performances at radio stations for promotional purposes.
The rock band Brother Cane is shown performing live circa 1993. (Courtesy Glenn Maxey)Courtesy Glenn Maxey
Maxey thinks this will be their first-ever full acoustic show, though. Brother Cane singer/guitarist Damon Johnson, now also a member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, via text says, “Someone said we did one way back in ’93, but I have zero recollection of that.”
Whether it’s a first or merely super-rare, the Huntsville show, taking place at new downtown venue Rocket City Honky Tonk, will be special for fans.
As Maxey puts it, “A lot of times the Brother Cane show is grab on and hang on, here we go, you know? It’s a rock and roll show. But the acoustic thing, you can really appreciate it and get in middle of it. It sounds amazing, and I can’t wait to do it.”
Original Brother Cane bassist Glenn Maxey is shown performing live in the early ’90s. (Courtesy Glenn Maxey)
Sitting outside a Huntsville coffee shop on a sunny March afternoon, Maxey remains rock star lean at age 60. Even though he’s totally unassuming and dressed in an everyman cap, T-shirt and pants. Multi-colored socks, which call to mind a pack of Fruit Stripe chewing gum, are his only deviation from sartorial invisibility.
Asked for his all-time favorite “MTV Unplugged,” Maxey says, “Alice In Chains. If I watched it a million times, I’ll still watch it again. It’s so sick.” As far as other acoustic live albums by rock bands go, he’s partial to Foo Fighters’ “Skin and Bones.”
After three albums for Virgin Records, also home then to acts like Smashing Pumpkins and Lenny Kravitz, Brother Cane broke up after the touring cycle for 1998 album “Wishpool.” Maxey left after touring the debut, which found the band opening for legends like Aerosmith and Robert Plant. Maxey was burnt out. He stepped away to focus on family and worked a straight job in industrial electronics.
The marquee at New York’s Madison Square Garden when Brother Cane opened for legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant. (Courtesy of Glenn Maxey)
In 2021, after his wife and both parents died in the same year, Maxey decided to return to what made him happiest: Being a full-time musician. He played around Huntsville with an Ozzy Osbourne cover band. Then he joined the solo band of Travis McCready, formerly of Bishop Gunn, a young Southern rock band that opened for The Rolling Stones and Guns N' Roses.
The rock band Brother Cane. From left, Glenn Maxey, Tony Higbee, Damon Johnson, Jared Pope and Buck Johnson. (Courtesy Adam Jones)Adam Jones
In 2022, Johnson and Maxey reconnected and rebooted Brother Cane. The current lineup also boasts Aerosmith keyboardist/backing vocalist Buck Johnson, plus guitarist Tony Higbee and drummer Jarred Pope, both from Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer’s solo band.
Brother Cane’s classic era lineup also featured drummer Scott Collier and rhythm guitarist Roman Glick.
After Maxey departed, Glick switched back to bass, his natural instrument. Huntsville’s Dave Anderson was brought in on guitar and backing vocals. This era of the band scored hits including “And Fools Shine On” and toured with Van Halen.
Anderson, a latter-day member of Southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, has occasionally filled-in and sat-in with Brother Cane since the band’s reboot. For the Huntsville acoustic show, Bryan Blumer, of Nashville band Lost Circus, will fill in for Higbee.
Alabama musician David Anderson, known for his playing with acts like Atlanta Rhythm Section, Brother Cane and BeBe and CeCe Winans. (File/Courtesy Courtni Meadows)bn
Anderson is with Atlanta Rhythm Section on an ‘70s rock themed cruise setting sail this weekend, also featuring the likes of Night Ranger. Otherwise, Maxey says, Anderson would be part of the Huntsville show.
Brother Cane rehearsed for the acoustic show in Nashville, where Johnson resides. In addition to material from the band’s three classic albums, the set will feature new songs they released in 2023: Tom Petty-esque “Are You In There Anymore” and conga-laced rocker “Blind By The Sun.”
There will also be songs from the band’s two albums not featuring Maxey: 1995 sophomore disc “Seeds” and ‘98’s “Wishpool.” Maxey says, “I think some people are shocked when they ask me what my favorite [Brother Cane] album is, but it’s ‘Wishpool,’ man. ‘Wishpool’ is killer.”
The acoustic set gives lots of room for Johnson, now also Beatles drummer Ringo Starr’s touring keyboardist, to shine. “The keyboards on this show are crazy great,” Maxey says.
Brother Cane’s vintage material and 2023 songs were produced with songsmith Marti Fredericksen. The early Brother Cane hits helped make Fredericksen a go-to collaborator for artists ranging from Aerosmith to Carrie Underwood to Buckcherry. Fredericksen also sang vocals for the “Almost Famous” movie by fictional band Stillwater.
In April, Brother Cane will record their first full studio album in 27 years, with Fredericksen again in the mix. Asked to describe the new material, Maxey says, “I’ve heard pieces and parts of stuff. It’s Brother Cane, no doubt about. Damon and Marti, they rock it out.”
During his career, Johnson has also played guitar with Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy and cowritten songs recorded by artists including Stevie Nicks, Sammy Hagar and Santana. His “day job,” as Maxey puts it, with Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Southern rock legends still filling arenas, understandably occupies much of Johnson’s bandwidth now.
But Johnson still makes time for Brother Cane. They recently played a run of shows with blue-collar ‘80s rockers Tesla. They also have upcoming shows with Brent Fitz, of Guns N’ Roses guitar legend Slash’s solo band, filling in on drums.
“The Skynyrd thing, that’s just phenomenal,” Maxey says. “And Damon does a great job in it. But to play your own stuff that he’s written, as an artist he’s got to dig that. He is Brother Cane. He’s Mr. Cane.”
There’s been another big reunion for Maxey. He married his high school sweetheart, Shannan. He’s stoked for her and other family to see the Huntsville acoustic show.
That venue, Rocket City Honky Tonk, is booked by Shane Bickel, the talent buyer behind SideTracks Music Hall, which hosted acts like Greta Van Fleet, Jason Isbell and ex-Mötley Crüe frontman John Corabi, during its 2017 to 2022 run.
The next night, Saturday, Brother Cane will be back to electric for the band’s homecoming show in Birmingham, at venue Iron City. “That will be another loud rock and roll show,” Maxey says. “Grab on, hold on, here we go.”
Tickets for Brother Cane’s acoustic show Friday at Huntsville’s Rocket City Honky Tonk, address 617 Meridian St., start at $25 (plus fees) via bestofhuntsville.com. Local acoustic act Duos Lucos is the opening act. Tickets for Brother Cane’s electric show Saturday at Birmingham’s Iron City, address 513 22nd St. S., are $27 and up (plus fees) via ticketmaster.com. Myles Morgan and Cage Willis are the Birmingham openers. More info at brothercane.com.
