Globe-trotting rock and roll artist had first P.E.I. performance

Bryan Bielanski made a stop at Baba’s Lounge in downtown Charlottetown to promote his new album.

By: Ryan McKellop – Oct. 18, 2024

Bryan Bielanski is on tour, and he lives in his car, a red Toyota Corolla.

He is an acoustic rock and roll musician and has an address in Charlotte, North Carolina, but he is only there for a few weeks of the year.

Bielanski stopped in Charlottetown this week his nearly year long tour spanning the globe to places like Finland, Sweeden, and Thailand to promote his new album, Bryan’s Super Happy Fun Time 4.

“Typically, I don’t get rich being a travelling musician, so a lot of the time, I do just sleep in my vehicle because it’s easier, honestly it’s more convenient, it’s more economic,” said Bielanski.

Bielanski said he got into making music after hearing the Beatles White Album at the age of 14, some of his family taught him the basics, but soon after, he started to teach himself.

“I bought a book called ‘How to Play Guitar’ and I bought a Beatles, it was every Beatles song, and it showed the chord diagram, so between those two books I just sat there as a teenager, and I’d play up to six hours a day just trying to get better.”

He plays the acoustic guitar, harmonica and kazoo live and said he plays all the instruments on his albums, such as the drums, bass guitar, tambourine and shaker.

“I like having that full band sound on my recorded studio albums and I really like to strip down things when I play live.” He added. “I like the minimalist approach, I think it forces me to be a better performer and a better songwriter.”

In 2012, Bielanski was a member of a band, though he left them to become a solo artist.

“My bandmates were not interested in making the big step forward, but I was, so I became a solo artist. So, I've just been making music, touring and recording albums.”

Bielanski has a song from his most recent album called ‘Still living in my car’ detailing how he spends his spare time on the road.

“I hang out in the library all day, email the media about the shows that I play, then I stick around at the coffee shops, cold calling venues for new places to rock, rocking out, rocking out still living in my car.”

“I spend quite a lot of time in libraries around the world,” he added.

Ryan Abdallah is the owner of Baba’s Lounge. He said they don’t get too many artists from the US usually once a month.

“We’re kind of open to everybody and anybody.” “Off Island and on Island, all over Canada,” he added.

As for the future, Bielanski said he already has half of his next album conceptualized, and there will be a few vinyl singles that will be released before the album.

I had a great time performing, you know;

“I had fun. I’m glad there were a few people here. It's my first time in the city, and I would love to come back, the audience was very friendly, and I would love to come back to Charlottetown,” said Bielanski.