“I ain’t got time for a revolution,” Brian K. Pagels sings at the beginning of the song “American Pharoah” like a man on a mission to make up for lost time.
After more than a decade as a working musician in the DC area, Pagels officially launched the Rock & Roll band Brian K & The Parkway with fellow longtime drummer and producer Stephen Russ in 2024 – marking the first time he would front and tour his own full band project. Following the release of their debut album Killing The Bear, which features “Wind the Clock” – streamed over 10,000 times on Spotify – they recruited Washington Area Music Association award-winning lead guitarist Mike Shade and immediately hit the road, clocking nearly 80 shows across 16 states + DC at venues including Jammin' Java (VA), Rumba Café (OH), The Pinhook (NC), The Flat Iron (NC), Spruce Peak Arts Center (VT), Club Cafe (PA), Pearl Street Warehouse (DC), and at festivals including Fall for Greenville (SC) and a Hopscotch Day Party (NC).
The band has shared stages with Wheatus, Steve Poltz, Nicki Bluhm, Joe Grushecky, and Cat Popper (who also sings a duet on their song “Straight Through”), appeared on three major market TV shows including a live performance on "Today in Nashville," and gotten radio play on more than 30 radio stations across the US and Canada including WBJB (NJ), WGDR (VT), and WSCA (NH).
Brian K & The Parkway play earnest and expressive Rock & Roll that’s drawn comparisons to Tom Petty, ‘70s Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Warren Zevon, and The Replacements. Their sound blends ragged Americana grit with memorable hooks – think storytelling and swagger of Drive-By Truckers and singalong choruses of Dawes. Their debut album is a musical and lyrical journey from the Gulf Shores of the American South to the Green Mountains of Vermont; from a crowded bazaar in the Middle East to drought-stricken California; from the Rock & Soul of the Jersey Shore to heartbreak in the American heartland.
In April 2025, Brian K & The Parkway released the acoustic EP Kill It Again!, which features the new single “Lifeboat,” a song about what it feels like to be tossed overboard in a storm of political retribution. They have continued to tour and release singles into 2026.
PRESS
“This is a rock band you’re gonna want to know about.”
-WSMV-TV Today In Nashville
“With twinkling keys and guitar riffs that melt over a heartfelt vocal performance, “Scarecrow” is a stunning look into the band’s powerful, nuanced fusion work. “
Glide Magazine
“To play rock ‘n’ roll live is a gift granted to those who can channel the spirit that hovered over their own adolescence and provide it form with words and phrases, chords and rhythms, flanging and tremolo, chorus and delay. <Brian K & The Parkway> possess this gift.”
Americana Highways
“From upbeat anthems that had the crowd dancing to more introspective pieces that highlighted their lyrical prowess, Brian K and the Parkway proved why they are a force to be reckoned with in the music scene.”
Eat, Sleep, Breathe Music
“In its entirety, ‘Killing The Bear‘ serves as a testament to Brian K & The Parkway’s adeptness at seamlessly melding vintage influences with contemporary sensibilities. The result is a compelling and cohesive debut album that resonates with both nostalgia and relevance.”
Last Day Deaf
PHOTOS
Top: Josh Hardy. Lower left: Mike Stone. Upper right: Renee Katz. Lower right: Roxplosion
PAST VENUES
Jammin’ Java - Vienna, VA
The Pinhook - Durham, NC
Pearl Street - Washington, DC
Fete Lounge - Providence, RI
Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA
Hopscotch Day Party - Raleigh, NC
Fall for Greenville - Greenville, SC
Takoma Park Folk Fest - Takoma, MD
The 5 Spot - Nashville, TN
Awendaw Green - Awendaw, SC
Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH
MOTR Pub - Cincinatti, OH
Purple Fiddle - Thomas, WV
The Underdog - Nashville, TN
Spruce Peak - Stowe, VT
Foam - Burlington, VT
Sleepwalk - Brooklyn, NY
Fringe Bar - Philadelphia, PA
Fallen Log - Chicago, IL
Burger Bar - Asheville, NC
The Camel - Richmond, VA
Faces Brewing - Boston, MA
Galactic Panther - Alexandria, VA
Warehouse 3 - Swarthmore, PA
Durty Nelly’s - Charlottesville, VA
Art Bar - Columbia, SC
Ope! Brewing - Milwaukee, WI
Tin Roof - Charleston, SC
Poe Mill - Greenville, SC
Petra’s - Charlotte, NC
Asbury Park Brewing - Asbury Park, NJ
Earp’s Ordinary - Fairfax, VA
Hoots - Winston-Salem, NC
Monument City - Baltimore, MD
Vermont Cider Lab - Essex, VT
New Brookland Tavern - Columbia, SC
Gallery5 - Richmond, VA
Melody Inn - Indianapolis, IN
Pie Shop - Washington, DC
Flat Iron - Greensboro, NC
Superfly Brewing - Charlottesville, VA
Curiosity - Columbia, SC
West Salem - Winston-Salem, NC
The Catamount Lounge - Front Royal, VA
The Heist - Bowling Green, VA
Berkeley Oceanfront - Asbury Park, NJ
Quarry House - Silver Spring, MD
Poetry Lounge - Pittsburgh, PA
Awendaw Green - Awendaw, SC
Neptune’s - Raleigh, NC
Otto’s Shrunken Head - New York NY
RADIO
WBJB Asbury Park, NJ
KWUR St. Louis, MO
WCOM Raleigh, NC
WMUL Huntington, WV
WXRY Columbia, SC
WTOB Winston-Salem, NC
WIUP Indiana, PA
WWSU Dayton, OH
WWUH West Harford, CT
KMSC Moorhead, MN
WBJB Lincroft, NJ
CFMU Hamilton, ON
CJUM Winnipeg, MB
WRRG River Grove, IL
WSOE Elon, NC
WSPN Saratoga Springs, NY
WLFR Galloway, NJ
WCCH Holyoke, MA
WGSU Geneseo, NY
WYEP Pittsburgh, PA
WGDR Plainfield, VT
WOHM Charleston, SC
WODU Norfolk, VA
WDCE Richmond, VA
WONY Oneonta, NY
CFRU Guelph, ON
CHMR St. John’s, NF
WAUG Rock Island, IL
WCCH Holyoke, MA
WCFM Williamstown, MA
WCVF Fredonia, NY
WDWN Auburn, NY
WGDR Plainfield, VT
WSCA Portsmouth, NH
WAHS Auburn Hills, MI
WONY Oneonta, NY
WLJS Jacksonville, AL