The Sundown Band

The Sundown Band – Lebanon, Indiana: 1998-2000 Brian Brauchla, Roy Flanary, Kelly Murphy

After completing graduate school at Indiana University, Murphy moved to Lebanon, Indiana to become Director of Technology for Lebanon Public Schools.

While there he made friends with the Middle School Choir Director, Brian Brauchla.

Brauchla played in a local band that played the “Critter Clubs” (Eagles, Elks, Moose Lodge, The Lion’s club) and other Indianapolis area American Legions and such. The band also featured the Middle School PE teacher Roy Flanary, on drums.

Murphy started out with this band as a permanent substitute. If the bass player needed a night off, Murphy would play bass. If the guitar player needed a night off, Murphy would play guitar. He even filled in for the keyboard player on his nights off.

This was a band that never practiced. All the songs that Murphy played with them were learned on the job. They had a group of songs that they relied on but they also would do songs from sheet music. The keyboard player had a stack of music fake books that he rifle through between songs. He would pick out a song and the band would go for it.

Because of Murphy being a sub, he would have to stand behind the keyboard player and sight read many of the tunes.

Unfortunately, while Murphy was frequently filling in for various band members, the band’s lead guitar player passed away. Murphy was offered the job and he became the full time guitar player.

During this time of subbing and eventually playing full time with Sundown, Murphy also did many jobs as a DJ. He worked various school dances, many wedding dances and festivals around central Indiana. He was hired by the Superintendent of Lebanon Schools to be the DJ for his daughter’s wedding dance.

Murphy eventually relocated to Northwest Indiana and became the Director of Technology for Merrillville Community Schools.

Murphy Band History Home Page | Individual Bands Below
Baggins Blues Band | Country Patriots | Blue Horizon | Butch Gage Band | Hip Pocket | Tennyson | Step On It | Trevor Gage Band | B.J. Baxter Band | Fatcat | Mainstreet | Sundown | Midi Murphy