Real music, no pretense. Soul, smoke, and second verses.
Somewhere between the last jukebox ballad and your uncle’s vinyl collection lives the Steve Melcher Trio — a Nampa-born outfit that plays like they’ve been quietly ghostwriting your emotional landscape for years.
Steve Melcher (vocals, acoustic, Telecaster) sings like he’s got a one-way ticket to closure — his tone warm, weathered, and just dangerous enough to make you stay for one more round. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t strut. He just tells it — in covers you forgot you loved and originals you swear you’ve heard in a dream.
Lee Rice (trumpet, cajón) is part jazz, part desert mystic. He’ll split the silence with a muted horn line so clean it feels like a secret. When he’s not lighting the air on fire with brass, he’s back on the box, keeping time like a heartbeat in a dim-lit room.
And Kevin Butler (bass) doesn’t say much. But the low end speaks for him — steady, soulful, always moving the story forward. He’s the kind of bassist who could hold the groove with one finger and still hit you in the chest.
Their setlist? “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Spooky,” “Baby Hold On,” “Goodtime Charlie’s Got the Blues” — that kind of late-night nostalgia that slips into your bloodstream before the second verse hits.
They’re not trying to be famous. They’re trying to make the room feel better. And most nights, they do.
You don’t clap at the end of their set — you exhale.
Brooke Nicole and the Jake Leg Band played the Freedom Brewfest at Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell back on Saturday, September 27. They enjoy playing contemporary songs as well as a handful of their originals. This is one about being in a relationship you can’t get out of, which might have involved an ex-wife. :-)
Jukebox, a combination band and DJ from Boise, played the final session of Tuesdays on the Creek for 2025 a week ago at the Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell. We heard tunes from Earth Wind & Fire, Walk The Moon, The Proclaimers, King Harvest, Rick Springfield, Aretha Franklin, KC & The Sunshine Band, Gloria Gaynor, Tommy James, AC/DC, and this from The Commodores.
Mikey Borup, Brother Fantastic, is lighting the way for a genre-bending sound that is purely his. His original songs evoke a strong emotional reaction while also leaving you wondering just what the hell is going on. Listeners often describe the sound as folk rap, which paints a conflicting contradiction to anyone who hasn’t experienced it. Brother Fantastic manages to weave storytelling in a catchy beat melody combo that feels like entering a forest of unknowns. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Mikey on a few projects and caught up with him to go over his story and how Brother Fantastic came to be.
Mikey has been a musician since he was a kid. His mom forced him to learn piano first, which he wasn’t thrilled with. Fate stepped in when he found a guitar in the family garage. He spent his days finding online tabs off of OLGA, the online guitar archive used in the 90s for chord reference. He learned how to play songs he loved from sheets of misaligned chords on the OLGA index. While OLGA was all user-based contributions, he frequently came across one submitter named Geoffrey that coincidentally became his future college roommate.
In college, he played in a jazz band and joined a traveling show choir, playing guitar. They did a month-long tour through the U.S. with 24 shows and a little improvisation on Mikey’s part. He recalled pulling a solo together during “I Will Survive” against the script. They ended up keeping the solo throughout the tour. Cue the Brother Fantastic moment to shine.
After college, he married and had kids, limiting play to a few family get-togethers. He slowly let the guitar take up space in the corner, both physically and mentally. It ate at him over the years, prioritizing other life tasks above music. “Being creative and suppressing the thing that inspires you will always show its face in some way down the road.”
Photo by Rick Walters
In 2020, he lost his faith, marriage, and his mother, all within 6 months of each other. It was a very trying year for Mikey, where foundations were rocked and perspective refocused. About a year later, he realized how much emotion had built up. He decided to seek out music once again to soothe and translate these emotions the best way he knew how. He joined open mics and started playing with various musicians. During this time, he tried his hand at rewriting unused lyrics from a friend. The result became his first complete song, “Fire Season.” This process inspired him to continue writing. From then on, he has averaged writing about 1 song a month.
When I asked about his process for songwriting, he expressed what many songwriters share: bits, lines, and unfinished melodies within the notes app, or “the graveyard.” For inspiration, he pulls thoughts from these bits or finds it while on a walk with his incredible other half, Amber. The practice of pulling this all together often comes late at night, when messing around with melodies. For Mikey, songs evolve with time and thought. His song “Cold as Hell” is on its fourth iteration with a different chord progression. He struggles sometimes with the deeply personal meanings behind songs and actually putting them into words without being too direct. Songs are very much healing and therapy for him. It’s been rewarding for Mikey to hear feedback on how unique his sound is. He’s noticed that his lyrics and offbeat style seem to capture men’s interest in particular, allowing an outlet for men to hear and feel some heavy emotional processing in action. His approach to songwriting mirrors the process of film. After working within that industry professionally for many years, this naturally emerges within the arc of his stories in songs. Epic battle climax and resolution that sometimes mirror the beginning. A learning curve. Evolution of ego death.
Mikey has been busy establishing the Brother Fantastic Trio, adding further layers of entertainment to the already compelling solo act. He’s joined by Landonious Monk, a longtime friend and collaborator, and a percussionist. They have their debut show coming up at the Reef on October 10th, 9:30 to 11:30. It’s sure to be a fantastic display of that genre-blending, catchy, urban-folk sound that’s been creating buzz in the valley.
Mikey is a rising contributor to the growing Boise music scene with a fresh perspective on being selective on shows and venues. He aims to make each performance special to the audience and pours a heap of heart and pride into those performances.
Photo by Spencer Klein
Brother Fantastic Advice:
Go to open mics. Support your musical friends. Enjoy the community you are a part of. Promote shows, make friends!
Be sure to follow Brother Fantastic on Instagram or his website to stay up-to-date on performance schedules! The Reef will be hosting the debut of the Brother Fantastic Trio on October 10th at 9:30 pm.
Soul Patch, a Country/Rock cover band from Boise, played the Freedom Brewfest Saturday afternoon at Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell. They delivered an eclectic mix of Rock & Country hits, covering favorites like the Eagles, Doobie Bros, Chris Stapleton, Steve Miller Band, Allison Kraus and more.
Brook Faulk and her son Oswald played some acoustic folk/pop music Friday evening at Talon Tap & Spirits inside Alberson’s Marketplace in Meridian. They broke out a lot of crowd favorites including tunes from Bob Dylan, Ben E. King, The Lumineers, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Damien Rice, Bill Withers, and this from Dolly.
The Wayne Byerly Band is made up of three members: Wayne, Bob, and Nick. The group is an unlikely mix of personalities, all hailing from vastly different backgrounds to form their special trio. Their strength is in their bond, their dedication to perfecting Wayne’s original sound, and their respect for each other’s work/life balance. They welcomed me to their practice space at Bob’s home studio to share their stories while also allowing me to share a bit of mine.
Wayne Byerly- The Vocals and Guitar
Wayne picked up a guitar for the very first time while serving a sentence in prison. He always dreamed of becoming a musician as an adolescent but never got the chance to pursue it. After a long stint of high-profile bank robberies, he found himself serving time and utilizing music as a way to pass the time. His cellmate was an experienced picker that taught him a few chords to start out with. Wayne was hooked on guitar from then on. During his last 3 years of sentencing, he practiced several hours every day. As he progressed, he began singing over chords and putting words to the melodies he was creating. He joined a band in prison named Mixed Nuts. They would play shows for the prisoners on holidays and special occasions, allowing him to get a feel for live audiences. He served his time, got out, committed more crimes, and served another sentence before marrying and having children. He didn’t touch the guitar for about 15 years as life and other priorities took precedence. He rebuilt a life with his family outside prison walls and became a fulfilled husband and father. After his mother passed, the family was cleaning out her home when he came across a lost tape recording of a Mixed Nuts performance. Hearing it reignited his passion. He started putting a studio together and playing again. After a couple of years, he built up the courage to attend local open mics. He met his bassist, Bob, during one of these performances, and they formed the duo that eventually became the trio. Wayne continues to write songs and practice his vocal lessons every day while he’s driving on his day job. Music gave him a voice, a second chance at life, and a way to cope with years of a high-stress life of crime. He has plenty to sing about and experiences to draw from, giving his lyrics the authentic grit of an outlaw turning his life around.
Bob—The Bassist
Bob is a retired automotive service manager with a love for all things music. He spent his career managing shops and service writing, limiting music to be a side hobby. Now that he has left the daily grind, he spends as much time in his home studio as possible. During high school, he attended many hard rock concerts. He loved music but didn’t quite have the drive to learn until a friend gave him a crash course on the bass. After borrowing it and practicing, he decided to keep at it after realizing he had an undeniable knack for it. Bob joined a cover band that eventually transitioned into creating and performing originals. He would write lyrics and bass lines for the band, and they would come together with their own parts to make it whole. He fell in love with the process of songwriting and recording, eventually building his own home studio to delve even further. He taught himself guitar and keys and brought in drummers to help him record his own tracks. About five years ago, Bob received a message from Wayne about putting a band together. Once they met and practiced together, they realized the fit was mutually perfect, and they formed the band. Bob is generous in assisting artists who want to record but don’t have enough funds to afford a big studio. He continues to record his own music alongside the band’s originals. He also manages the band’s communication, social media, booking, and recording performances for YouTube.
Nick- The Drummer
Nick was only 7 years old when he began playing drums. His dad was a professional trombonist, so he naturally took to that instrument as well. He focused on trombone primarily but later decided the drums had his heart. His Aunt Francis gave him different pieces of a drum set for each birthday, and he took lessons from a man named John Wacker from UNR. He was part of a couple bands in high school, Rottweiler and Freestyle, that played gigs at Elks lodges. He became a firefighter in Alaska before moving to Philly to attend Temple University for dental school. While attending university, he lived downtown and found the perfect ska/punk band to join. They toured and played parties, bars, and local gigs. After finishing dental school, he decided to become an oral surgeon and moved to Denver for schooling. There, he played in a band called Trashcan Fetus for a few years. He moved back to Idaho and opened his own practice in Caldwell. He played in Boise-based bands, Blind Fury and Tower 9, before joining The Wayne Byerly Band.
The band strives to play a live show every few months, planning and balancing performance with their lives outside of music. They have fun together and focus on delivery of Wayne’s originals over covers but aren’t opposed to throwing a couple fun ones into shows.
Be sure to follow The Wayne Byerly Band on their website, YouTube channel, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on their performance schedules! They’re also looking to add a lead guitarist to the mix, so if you’re out there reading this, reach out to Bob!
Dave Nudo, a country-music singer/songwriter from Boise, played last night at Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge in downtown Nampa. While doing mostly original music, he highlighted some some old and new Chris Stapleton music in one of his sets. I captured a song he co-wrote with some friends called “Fresh Ground” about being a duck out of water in the city.
dB101 is Southern Idaho’s rockin’ multi-genre party band who’s mission to keep you on your feet. We were on our feet for sure a week ago Saturday at Whiskey River in downtown Nampa. We danced to great tunes from Bill Withers, Three Dog Night, Stevie Wonder, Spencer Davis Group, The Clash, David Bowie, and this from Van Morrison.
The Ashley Rose Band (Ashley Rose on guitar & vocals, Louis McFarland on drums, Cody Hazelle on bass, Jennifer Kelso & Sandy Santa Cruz on backing vocals, Dominic Furiani on lead guitar) was the opening band for Tuesdays on the Creek at Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell. The set was mostly originals, including their future single, Sugarbabe.
