Brian O'Connell Fellowship in the Shea's Lounge

Brian O’Connell is a unique musical trickster and daredevil who freely travels across a galaxy of infectious styles, sounds, and genres. Over three decades, his incendiary and kinetic bass-playing approach has melted faces and blown minds at festivals, theaters, and clubs across the Northeast and beyond.

Aside from his impressive skills on the bass guitar, he plays the unusual 12-string Touch Guitar: a guitar and bass combined into a single instrument, specifically designed for finger tapping techniques.

With a wildly charismatic and engaging performance style, Brian has won over many fans from his extensive performance experience with: Dead Man’s Waltz, Arukah, Uncle Sammy, Rev Tor Band, Gordon Stone, Gary Backstrom, and many others.

O’Connell’s intoxicating blend of sound features raucous jazz-fusion, jam-heavy psychedelia, catchy pop hooks, groove-based world music influences, and imaginative prog-rock throughout his original compositions. When his band hits the stage, you may be served up a quirky reggae tune that leads into an African inspired kaleidoscope of funky riffs, or a history inspired dark prog meditation followed by catchy alt-pop tune in an odd time signature. No matter the style, everything is played with virtuosity and infectious energy by the world-class players he brings into his band.

For several years O’Connell has been developing a multimedia rock opera about the Salem Witch Trials. This project is currently put out as a podcast called “Witch Hunt – history told in music, sound, and story” and is available on all podcasting platforms.

He has performed and/or recorded with members of the Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa Band, Todd Rundgren Band, moe., Umphrey's McGee, Soulive, Spin Doctors, JRAD, Steely Dan, and many more. Fans have compared his songs to Phish, Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren, King Crimson, Primus, Peter Gabriel, and Pat Metheny. His bass playing is especially inspired by Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, Tony Levin, Stanley Clarke, Flea, Steve Swallow, Mike Gordon, and Phil Lesh.