By Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
The Wyoming Concerts in the Park series will showcase West Michigan’s premier party band, Brena, on June 25 at Lamar Park at 6 p.m.
Brena’s lead duo, Craig Avery and Steffan Copenhaver, met in 2005 at Grand Valley State University. Copenhaver, a music education major, was studying trumpet, while Avery was a piano major focusing on music performance.
In 2007, Avery and Copenhaver – along with Copenhaver’s brother Sean – formed the band Brena.
“Both Steffan and Sean had other bands at the time,” said Avery, vocalist and keyboard player for Brena.
“Steffan’s band was called Broken Sunday, and Sean’s was called Smoothie, and both of those bands called it quits – and out of that, we formed Brena.”
“We literally drew it out of a hat”
When signing up for the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts in 2007, Avery and the Copenhaver brothers needed to come up with a name for their new band.
“I wish I had a cool story, but we literally drew it out of a hat,” chuckled Avery. “When we became a cover band we thought about changing the name, but we already had a decent following so we thought we should just roll with it.”
Struggles in the early years
In the band’s early years, Brena created original music and released three albums before transitioning to a cover band due to financial reasons.
“There was a time where it didn’t seem like it would work out,” Avery said. “We were about to release our final original album, and our drummer got hurt and couldn’t play. We had plans to tour around and promote the album.
“That incident really took the wind out of our sails with promoting the original material; we also accumulated a substantial amount of debt recording original material, and that’s why we transitioned into doing covers.”
Growth as a cover band
Brena’s transition to a cover band proved to be successful, as they went from performing at 10 cover gigs to an impressive 157 shows per year.
“We are going to ride this train as long as we can,” said Avery.
Brena currently boasts a 400+ song library, from Motown Funk to Modern Rock and Roll, and everything in between. The band provides a fresh experience with each show.
“We try to mix it up every show,” said Avery.
Brena takes the stage with a wide range of talent. Avery plays the keyboard and provides vocals alongside Michele Moretti. Copenhaver plays multiple instruments, including violin, trumpet and guitar, while also providing vocals. Sam Parks plays lead guitar, Sam Briggs plays drums, and Matt Kok is on bass. KM Denton is the band’s sound tech and mixer.
Return to Concerts in the Park
Brena will be returning to Concerts in the Park for the third time, the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s a fun atmosphere. It’s cool to see people from the community come together and enjoy music. A lot of perfect strangers,” said Avery. “Bring your dancing shoes, have fun and enjoy the music!”
Brena’s original material can be found on Spotify. Learn more about the band Brena here.
NOTE: There are two artists under the name Brena on Spotify, be sure to use this link to find the correct band.
Event details to know
Each concert will feature a food truck with food and beverages available for purchase. Concertgoers are welcome to bring their own food, however alcohol is not permitted in the park.
“We are excited to continue this tradition for our community,” said Krashawn Martin, Wyoming Parks and Recreation Director, in supplied material.
“Concerts in the Park are a highlight of summertime in Wyoming. We hope you will grab your blankets, chairs and friends and join us for some fun in the parks!”
All concerts are free of charge and open to the public.
