Rowdy roots band The Brothers Comatose to perform Feb. 28 in Prosser

Ben Morrison’s mother was in a band.

As kids, he and his brother, Alex, would sit in on rehearsals, soaking up the sounds.

“It was a folk quartet. Acoustic guitar and four-part harmonies,” Ben recalled. “It worked its way into our consciousness.”

And eventually into their own music.

Ben and Alex are part of The Brothers Comatose, a rollicking, rootsy string band — with touches of folk, bluegrass, blues and rock — that’s making waves in its home state of California and beyond.

The band stops in downtown Prosser on Feb. 28 to perform at Brewminatti.

Marty Taylor, who owns the coffee house and music venue with his wife, Lenee, said The Brothers Comatose is full of first-rate musicians sure to give an energetic performance.

While the band “definitely fits the string band category, their appeal is much broader reaching,” he said. “It’s going to be a great time.”

Ben, who plays guitar, is 18 months older than brother Alex, who plays banjo. They share lead vocalist duties.

The Bay Area-based band is rounded out by Gio Benedetti on upright bass, Philip Brezina on fiddle and Ryan Avellone on mandolin.

The guys’ music is raw, rowdy, skillful — and a whole lot of fun.

Take The Van Song, a rocking ode to their touring vehicle.

Or Pie for Breakfast, a fan favorite, on which Ben sings about longing for his “sweet Stella Jean” while having breakfast on the road.

The band is set to release its new album, City Painted Gold, on March 4.

The first video recently premiered for the song Brothers.

Ben sings of facing off with Alex like “two boxers in a ring,” building to a melodic, catchy chorus in which the brothers harmonize about how “singing and playing these songs” brought them together.

The Brothers Comatose will be joined in Prosser by The Easy Leaves, a Sonoma County, Calif., duo that plays old school country in the vein of Merle Haggard.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.

Ben Morrison said his band will keep showgoers on their toes.

The Brothers Comatose is known to pull people up to the stage, especially on Morning Time, recorded as a duet with acclaimed folk rocker Nicki Bluhm.

“There’s no girl in the band to sing it, so we need some help from the audience from time to time,” Ben said, adding with a laugh that the spontaneous duet “can go terribly or it can be great.”

That’s part of the fun.

For the Brothers, it’s about connection with the audience.

I’s a huge part of it for me, and all of us really. That’s why we play live music,” Ben told the Herald. “It’s amazing to go to a town you’ve never been to and see people singing the words to your song and reacting to the music.”

The show is for all ages. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show. Advance tickets are available at www.therootscellar.com and at Brewminatti, 713 Sixth St., Prosser.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 10:15 PM with the headline "Rowdy roots band The Brothers Comatose to perform Feb. 28 in Prosser."