Who is Brian Dewan?

'Or what?' indeed.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, USA, Brian Dewan is at once zitherist extraordinaire, visual artist, and master carpenter; any of these titles could be attributed to him, and each of them is put to use on the stage.

Visual Artist

In addition to creating his own intricately-designed album covers and flyers for live performances, Brian has also done non-musical work for some other bands (who might themselves be considered 'non-musical'!). His work includes:

• Cover art for David Byrne's Uh-Oh
• Cover art for the band Neutral Milk Hotel
• The cover of Lincoln for They Might Be Giants
• An accordion photo which appears on Severe Tire Damage by They Might Be Giants
• The cover lettering for Yazbek's The Laughing Man

Craftsman

Musicians do so much more than just write, record and perform music; in fact it's a bit crazy to think that's all their life is. Some fill up time by going to court, others by ill-advisedly trying to get on board the big drug craze. Dewan, however, travels down the road less-travelled: he makes furniture. Perhaps the most accessible example of his work is featured be on the cover of They Might Be Giants album Lincoln. While not exactly furniture, the large monolithic item on the cover was built by Brian - as was the eggshell-blue keyboard stand that John Linnell of the band uses in live concerts.

Musician

Here's how his record label 'Bar-None' describes him:

In a world grown weary of turgid rock and tired Euro-dance rhythms, the classically-trained Dewan weighs in mightily with this awe-inspiring compendium of original, electrically-charged folk tunes and cranky Yankee tales. Already a favourite of BBC tastemaker John Peel, Dewan is an American original and truly a Renaissance man.

Multi-instrumentalist Brian is proficient at playing such instruments as the Accordion, the Autoharp, the Moog Synth, Mamola Banjo, the Organ (church and electric), the Theremin, and most famously, the electric zither.

The Electric Zither

When one thinks of instruments that should be amplified by electricity, the zither does not often spring to mind. Moreover, Brian Dewan's zither, an amazing contraption built by the fellow himself in his basement in 1989, and cannibalised from bits of an electric guitar and a harpsichord is as would be expected a cut above the rest. Where one would normally expect to find 30-40 strings, Dewan's zither has 88, with eight Humbucker pick-ups that allow him to give the instrument a sound entirely its own. Citing his record label's words once again, it sounds like 'Jimi Hendrix on smart drugs'.

Albums

At the time of writing, Brian Dewan has released two albums:

• The Operating Theater
• Brian Dewan Tells the Story

Additionally, he is co-founder of an off-Broadway team by the name of The Blue Man Group, for whom he both composes and performs. Both the show and the self-titled album have received magnificent reviews from critics.

You Belong In A Bin, A Bin...

So, that is who (or what) Brian Dewan is: a multi-talented modern-day Renaissance man. With a veritable cornucopia of wit, wisdom, talent, and general likability, it is baffling to those that have heard of him that this man isn't busier; record companies should be kicking his door in asking him to sign.