O’Brother! The Brill Boys
remember their parents with music

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

To many folks, St. Patrick’s Day means party time.
But the Americanized tribute to the patron saint of Ireland and all things Irish means infinitely more than green T-shirts, green beer and a parade to four brothers from Wissinoming.
For the Brill boys, the holiday annually presents a rare opportunity to bond with one another and remember their late parents through music. Each year, the brothers come together to perform a special St. Paddy’s Day show in their old neighborhood.
The Brills will share their unique interpretations of Irish-influenced songs from a variety of genres with family, friends and the community at large when they perform at Stevenson’s Place, 4300 Comly St., on Friday.
Tim, Joe, Bob and Mike Brill call themselves Sons of Dot in honor of their mother, who died in November 1996 from pancreatic cancer. The collaboration also memorializes their father, Joe, who died from cancer of the lymph nodes in July 1997.
Though all four North Catholic graduates are experienced musicians, the brothers never played as a group until a couple of years ago.
"We all had our separate paths," said Mike Brill, the youngest of the brothers at 37. "There was a time when we were all playing in four bands separately."
They credit Bob, a Moravian College professor, with spawning the idea of a Brill "super group."
"He asked us if we could all get together and play at Moravian College because they were doing an Irish cultural night," Mike Brill said.
"It came at a perfect time in our lives. It came at a time when we needed to be with each other and it was the perfect way."
Mike, who performs solo acoustic shows around the region throughout the year, plays rhythm guitar and sings in the brothers combo.
Tim, the oldest at 47, plays electric guitar and bass on some songs. He also sings. Joe is the primary bass player and adds percussion and vocals.
Bob sings and plays percussion.
Their distinctive four-part vocal harmonies are rarely heard in the local live music scene.
"I would call it a vocal band more than anything," said Tim Brill, who also plays in the rock band United State of Mind. "With the four-part harmony, there are times we sound like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, if you can believe it."
Their set lists cover the gamut from traditional Irish music and "rebel" songs, to acoustic rock and other contemporary styles. They cover artists including the Soul Doctors, the Pogues and Luka Bloom.
In addition, Mike Brill plays an original folk tune that he wrote about his parents and his life growing up on Cottage Street. It’s called Home Again?
Music played a big part in that upbringing, as their parents routinely hosted gatherings of aunts and uncles, other extended family and close friends. The events invariably ended up as a sing-along known as a céili, with countless renditions of When Irish Eyes are Smiling, Wild Irish Rose and the like.
"Mom and dad would have company at least two or three weekends a month," Tim Brill said. "It was music that kept us close to our Irish traditions and all of our aunts and uncles."
They always had a piano in the house, as well as lots of records.
"The record collection was everything from the Ink Spots to Broadway plays to rock ’n’ roll to The Monkees," Mike Brill said.
As the oldest, Tim was first to play guitar. He taught himself the bass, then helped Joe to learn it.
Mike waited later to start playing — he was about 21. But he’s a natural on the acoustic guitar.
"I think the instruments came easy to us because we can all sing and if we can sing it, we can learn to play it," Tim Brill said.
Tim and Mike have stayed close to home. Tim, in fact, still lives on Cottage Street. But Joe has moved out to the Doylestown area, while Bob is up in Bethlehem.
Often, they rehearse in Doylestown because it’s centrally located. It’s no piece of cake getting back together each year after months apart.
"We’re thinking about charging for people to see rehearsals. There’s a lot of fighting going on, a lot of blood," Tim Brill joked.
"It takes a lot of patience for us to come back together again," Mike Brill said.
The joy of those precious moments performing together on stage is well worth the hard work for the brothers. It’s something they plan on doing for many years to come.
"Other than (being professional) and having fun, there are no expectations on it, except maybe to do it forever," Mike Brill said. ••
For information about Sons of Dot, including performance dates, visit www.mikebrill.com. For information about Stevenson’s Place, call 215-743-5561 or visit www.stevensonsplace.com
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com