The reality of a musician’s life is that of struggle, hard work, disappointment and often only more struggle as a reward. For University alumnus David Brooks, this life is not an option, but rather a commitment to his craft and passion. 
Originally from Baton Rouge, Brooks is a Nashville-based songwriter and frontman for rock band The David Motel. 
The band is scheduled to perform at Chelsea’s Cafe on May 1 to support its debut album “People, Places, Things,” but the show has particular significance for Brooks, personally and professionally. 
The David Motel will perform alongside Brooks’ former bandmates in a one-night reunion show featuring Last Chance Dave, the musician’s previous musical project. The idea was conceived when a few of Brooks’ friends suggested they revisit their past because they were all going to be in the same place again. 
“It just kind of morphed into this reunion thing and a promotion of the new
material,” Brooks said. 
The members of Last Chance Dave actually moved to Nashville together in an attempt to gain a more notable traction in the industry with the vibrant musical hub as their base of operations. 
However, Brooks said “life happened,” and the group eventually dissolved when some members acquired more time-consuming jobs than working at the coffee or bagel shop, and others started their own families.
“We got kind of eaten up and spit out a little bit when we moved to town,” Brooks said. 
Unlike many cliched Hollywood depictions of a band breakup, he said the dissipation of Last Chance Dave was nothing more than a natural progression of life to no fault of one particular person. 
“During all that time, I continued to write and tried to keep active,” Brooks said. 
After the band broke up, Brooks continued to hone his craft, voice and style as a musician, and The David Motel was born. 
With the help of fellow songwriter and producer David Coleman, Brooks was able to compile the thoughts and experiences of his life, both highs and lows, in the new album. 
According to a news release, “People, Places, Things” offers themes of heartbreak, “the inevitable passage of time” and the struggle a musician faces in their daily life.
“As we started to pick and choose what we were going to use as the focal point of the record, it kind of had this chronological timeline,” Brooks said. “You can kind of feel the time slipping by.”
Most of the album features artists who were just kind of around at the time of its creation, and Brooks said he is often performing with Nashville artists he has never played with before. In fact, the show on May 1 will feature a drummer that he has never performed with, so they will meet up, run through the songs a few times and be ready for the show. 
Brooks said he is somewhat anxious but excited to see how a Baton Rouge crowd will respond to an album so influenced by the Nashville music scene, but like the show advertises, it will be a reunion of sorts. 
“I still have so many friends and family down here that I hope to see a lot of familiar faces,” Brooks said. “It will feel like coming home a little bit.” 
You can reach Michael Tarver on Twitter @michael_T16.
 

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Javier Fernández

University alumnus David Brooks will perform with his band, The David Motel, on Friday May 1st, 2015 at Chealsea’s Cafe.