Daily News (West Bend, Wis.)
Published: Nov. 18, 2017
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
ndettmann@conleynet.com 262-306-5043
It was just guys being guys. Hanging out in the kitchen and
talking.
What eventually happened led three men from the Salt Lake
City area to chart-topping songs and albums.
Casey Elliott, Bradley Quinn Lever and Brad Robins make up
GENTRI: The Gentleman Trio and they’ll perform two shows — at 2 p.m. and 7:30
p.m. — Dec. 1 at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center in Hartford.
It is the trio’s Wisconsin debut.
“The last time I was in Wisconsin, I was working with the
BYU football team when they played in Madison,” Robins said. “I was working as
a camera guy, the film crew, with the team.”
The trio’s music comes with the help of Stephen Nelson,
their music director and producer.
The trio formed in June 2014.
“The idea was Casey’s wife’s idea,” Robins said. “She had
just gotten home from an event where a men’s vocal group performed. She looked
at us and said ‘You should form a group.’” The three men, who are in the early-
to mid-30s, met in early 2014 for a production of “Les Miserables.” They each
have extensive theater and singing backgrounds, including Elliott performing
the role of Radames on the national tour of “Aida” after it debuted on Broadway
in 2000.
Lever was the lead vocalist on the 2012 U.S. tour of “The
Forgotten Cards,” and Robins has performed in productions including “Les
Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”
According to the trio’s website, GENTRI is “transfused with
lush, epic orchestrations and rich, dynamic three-part harmonies.”
Nelson, who composes the music, will play piano during the
show in Hartford. He is inspired by composer John Williams, and the boisterous
songs from movies such as Williams’ iconic score from “Star Wars.”
“He is the lifeblood of our sound,” Robins said.
He added, “It’s a combination of cinematic orchestra, with
threepart tenor harmony.”
It didn’t dawn on them to come together and form the group
GENTRI until Elliott’s wife suggested it. When they realized she wasn’t talking
about forming the so-called boy band like N’ Sync or Backstreet Boys from the
1990s, they thought it could work.
“As musicians, you’re always looking for the next project,
something to vest yourself in,” Robins said, adding, “We’re all very
entrepreneurial. The wheels started turning. One thing led to the next. We’ve
been going ever since.”
They enjoyed immediate success.
GENTRI’s self-titled EP was released March 31, 2015, and
spent 10 consecutive weeks in the top 10 on two Billboard charts, including
three weeks at No. 2 on both the Classical and Classical Crossover charts.
Soon after, they released their debut music video from their
first hit single, “Dare.” The video was featured on news outlets around the
world, including “ABC World News,” “NBC Nightly News” and “Inside Edition.”
The song, Robins said, was the perfect story with how GENTRI
came to be.
“That song has so much importance, it tells the GENTRI
story, about having a dream and going after it,” he said. “We had a dream and
we dared to go after it.”
Not long after the success of “Dare,” the trio released
their first full-length album, “RISE.” It had eight original songs and two
covers. The album debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Classical and Classical
Crossover charts, behind only Williams’ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and
Andrea Bocelli. They’ve been on the charts alongside Michael Buble and
Pentantonix.
“To be out there at the top of our genre’s charts with
international stars was pretty humbling,” Robins said. “Frankly it was pretty
eyeopening, like there’s something here.”
That’s when they decided to leave the Salt Lake
City valley and tour the world.
GENTRI has since performed with Idina Menzel, Journey and
international tenor star Alfie Boe. In addition, they’ve performed at the
Governor of Utah’s annual gala, as well as the national anthem at Utah Jazz,
San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies games.
“We’ve been very humble and grateful for the reception we’ve
received,” Robins said.
In addition to their sound, the gentlemen of GENTRI wanted
to bring something else to the stage.
“Wearing suits ... fashion/style is a huge element for our
brand,” Robins said, adding the suits are often “snazzy.”
“We have tailor who designs new suits that we’ll be wearing
in Wisconsin,” he said. “Every season we’re switching up the wardrobe.”
Despite their quick rise to stardom, they still have one
worry as they get ready for the Wisconsin debut.
“We hope people come,” Robins said.
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