Joe Bee & Christina, a Treasure Valley acoustic duo, played Friday evening at Beers Sports Pub in Garden City. We heard lots of great covers from artists like John Mellencamp, Snow Patrol, Fleetwood Mac, Garth Brooks, Little Big Town, 4 Non Blondes, Cranberries, and this from Carrie Underwood and Cody Johnson.
Epic Union, a high-energy cover band, played some very-danceable rock music at the Riverside Hotel’s Sandbar last month. If you missed Sarah Simpson’s Deep Dive into this popular band, be sure to pick it up. Here’s is their version of “Summer of 69”.
Mitch Sevy, a Marsing singer/songwriter, played 2 hours of music last night at Swirl Wine Shop & Lounge. Mitch played mostly covers from folks like Counting Crows, Pure Prairie League, John Prine, Travis Tritt, Van Morrison, Train, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Loggins, Turnpike Troubadours, and Alabama, and he slipped in this original, “The Last Morning”.
The Main Event played a night full of classic rock hits and groovy dance favorites Friday night at Whiskey River in Downtown Nampa. Along the musical way, we heard tunes from Bryan Adams, Tom Pretty, Chris Stapleton, Rolling Stones, Hollies, Delbert McClinton, and this from Van Morrison.
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.”
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.
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.
Subscribe to Treasure Valley Notes to stay up-to-date on our local musicians’ schedules!
Interested in being featured in a “Deep Dive”? Contact us HERE!
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.
