Campus-Loved Band BREAkup

Greg Tomascheski, Staff Reporter

Gregory_Tomascheski@csumb.edu

March 24, 2008

In Aug. 2003, students at Live Oak High

School in Morgan Hill, California, started a

band called Brea. To the dismay of many of

its fans, after four and a half years the band

called it quits in February.

According to former band member and

current CSU Monterey Bay (CSUMB)

a fourth year Teledramatic Art and

Technologies Major, Josh White, the name

‘Brea’ was suggested by White’s high

school friends who had visited the town of

Brea in Orange County, California.

While Brea was still performing, the band

members were lead vocalist Leia Layus,

guitarists Josh White and Scott Schulze, and

drummer Hollis Browne.

“There were artistic differences and

people wanting to play different music,”

says White, “but we’re all cool with each

other.”

Dedicated fan and CSUMB student

Louie Okamoto says he was “one of the

unofficially designated ‘front-row’ers” at

local Brea shows. “Each member of the band

had his/her own flare,” says Okamoto,.“If I

were to make a soundtrack of my early

college years, Brea songs like ‘So Long to

Streetlights’, ‘65 Miles to Freedom’, ‘Bitter

Sweet’, ‘Hold On’, and ‘Quick Fix’ would

definitely be included.”

The band’s first tour began at CSUMB

in the Black Box Cabaret on Apr. 20, 2006.

Brea’s 5-day California tour took the band

to venues in Gilroy, Long Beach, Riverside

and San Diego.

On Dec. 7, 2006 Brea performed again

for CSUMB students in the University

Center Ballroom with their friends RX

Bandits and The Expendables. “Playing at

CSUMB, the shows were amazing,” said

drummer Hollis Brown, “We always had

people supporting us and there were always

people wanting to hang out.”

Brea gives thanks to platinum selling

bassist and recording artist Polo Jones (from

the Italian band Zuc’chero) for helping

them produce both of their EPs. Jones

also assisted in booking Brea shows at

larger venues, eventually leading to Brea’s

opening performance in Sept. 2006 for

bands Rob Zombie and Godsmack at Sleep

Train Amphitheatre in Marysville, CA.

All of the former members of Brea are

now taking the break as an opportunity to

experiment with new sounds and different

styles of music. “I learned the most about

myself while I was with Brea,” said lead

singer Layus, “as a musician and as a

person.”

“I’ve spent many nights up-front, squished

between the stage,” says Brea fan and

CSUMB student Sam Peterson, “I’ll miss

Brea, but would like to wish the members

the best of luck.”