At bottom, click play to listen to “This is Me.”
By Peter Vankevich
If you spent time on Ocracoke checking out the music scene last summer, you should have come across singer-songwriter, Bryan Mayer.
Hailing from New Bern, he performed at SMacNally’s, Gaffer’s and the Topless Oyster.
Bryan is a presence on stage. Tall (he’s 6 feet 7 inches) and with a powerful voice, he plays guitar and writes much of his own music.
He has been performing professionally since 2005, when he was asked to play with a tip jar on the Oak Island, NC, Yaupon Pier. That first gig netted him about $30 and got him an invite to play the weekend at the restaurant.
His serious interest in music began in the seventh grade when, the music teacher needed someone tall to play the upright bass.
Being in the band taught him how to read sheet music and exposed him to classical music. His love, however, went to country music which he strongly identifies with.
“I love the positive themes and the topics like bonfires, days on the river, and the simple life,” he said. Like most country singers these days, his influences are broad, including Southern Rock in general, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Cash to name just a few.
A CMT artist, last year he embarked on a radio tour that included Indiana, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, and, of course, Ocracoke Community Radio, WOVV.
Bryan loves performing on Ocracoke and looks forward to returning this summer, noting “this business can be really stressful being on the road and dealing with venues, radio stations, and keeping up with social media, etc.
“I love nothing more, with my love for the water, to come out to Ocracoke and perform in flip-flops and grab a beach cruiser after a show and cruise the island with sun glasses and a cold drink. God bless the OBX. That’s my downtime”
You can learn more about Bryan and contact him at:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bryanmayermusic
Website: http://www.bryanmayermusic.com/
Here is his autobiographical hit song “This is Me”:
