Rising Stars: Meet Julie Brown The Iconix of Kalamazoo + Southwest Michigan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Brown The Iconix.

Hi Julie Brown, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I (Julie Brown), have been singing my whole life. As a little girl in the ’70s, I would set up my Fisher Price People on a stage, and have them sing to the radio or the country songs my stepdad would be playing from his record collection in the background.

As I got older, I went on to be in the top audition-only vocal ensemble at my high school, with my choir director urging me to study voice. In college, I went on to sing with a prestigious jazz vocal group at Western Michigan University, I have studied voice with several teachers.

Some buddies and I started our first band, In Not Of (named for the Christian belief that we are of this world but not in this world, that our real home is with Christ in heaven), We performed original Christian songs. We were a finalist in a competition for CCM Magazine (Christian Contemporary Music) in Colorado, and though we did not win, I did get some feedback from representatives from Word Records who were at the competition that I had ‘lead vocal’ talent, and that has always stuck with me. The band continued after that, but with a family and a day job and a band member moving away, the band fizzled out.

I focused primarily on leading worship at my church. local theatre performances, singing the National Anthem for political events, and sitting in with cover bands. Finally in 2019, at the age of 54, I decided to ‘go for it’ and put my own band together, so I approached Jim Evans, a guitarist from my church whom I didn’t really know very well but knew that he was always willing to play, so he said yes. At first I thought we would just be a duo, but i didn’t want to exclude my husband Tim Brown who is an incredible singer and drummer, so we became a trio. Then another musician friend of ours, Bob Withee, we loosely knew expressed interest in joining us. But he was a guitar player, and what we really needed was a bass player – so he actually learned the bass! Then to round out our instrumentation, I approached a pianist, guitarist and fabulous singer, Dave Stevens, to join us, and he said yes too. We had our band, yay!

The name ‘The Iconix’ came about when during one rehearsal (still a band with no name) someone was playing an iconic riff, and I said ‘that’s what we want to be known for, all things iconic’ or something like. And that hung out in the room, and I said ‘that’s it, The iconics,’ and Bob Withee said, ‘with an X.’ And there you have it.

We practiced during the winter of 2019, got some bookings for 2020, and then….Covid. Other than a backyard party – our very first event hosted by Jim’s sister (and where we play every year) our few bookings were canceled. We weathered the storm – the pandemic, you could say – and as Michigan was opening back up by summer of 2021, we picked up a few more bookings, first for charity events, but then as our reputation grew and I worked the phones, the clubs and private events began to come in.

For me personally, being asked to play at the 2026 Michigan Wine & Harvest Festival main tent says ‘you’ve arrived.’ We’re really looking forward to that.

The band today is made up of Julie Brown, lead singer; Tim Brown, drums and vocals; Tom Brown, bass and vocals; Adam Downey, keyboards; Jim Evans, lead guitar and vocals; Bob Withee, guitar, bass, drums and vocals

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest challenge has been choosing the right material. At first our choices were kind of all over the place – as long as it was an ‘iconic’ song, we would do it, or a band member happened to know a song and love it, then we would do it. But it’s hard to market a cover band when the audience doesn’t really know what to expect. You can’t be all things to all people. So I made a hard decision in 2024 to narrow our material to a specific era – ’70s, early ’80s – and within specific genres: Motown and Yacht Rock. We have some outliers – such as, You’ve Lost That Lovin Feeling – but it works because my husband and I turned it into a fun, hammy duet that people enjoy.

We also had to learn to always choose more dance tunes than not. Most of the time, we’re not presenting a ‘concert’ where we can explore all kinds of tempos and melodies while the audience sips their wine and observes from a blanket on the ground. We’re doing festivals and clubs, and most of the time, people want upbeat, danceable tunes that make them feel good.

Another obstacle with a live band is schlepping gear. While most bands haul and mix their own sound system, we’ve got a couple of guys with bad backs, so we’ve made the collective decision to devote most of our income to a sound company. We have become literally ‘plug and play’. My husband and I still have to lug his complete drum kit, but the roadies help us move it in and out of our car. It’s a bit of luxury – good thing we’ve all kept our day jobs!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The Iconix is a 6-piece band that specializes in Yacht Rock, Motown and classic hits of the ’70s and early ’80s. Our specialty is vocals – we try to faithfully reproduce the harmonies of the era, and for which these songs are known for. Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, Chicago, Christopher Cross, Linda Rondstadt, Pablo Cruz, Toto and more – these songs were heavy on multi-part vocals.

What also sets us apart is our song choices. We hear over and over that what draws people to us is that we perform songs no other band is doing. We know who our audience is because they are us – 50+ – and our music takes them back in time to a place when they were young. Surprisingly, we have fans in the 30s who seek us out, because they grew up to the soundtracks of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy — those songs are pretty much our setlists!

We are most proud of the performances that we have given for the Kalamazoo Psychiatric Hospital and the VA Medical Center. These people have had some very hard circumstances in their lives – brought on by their own choices or someone else’s – and while they are confined, we seek to bring an afternoon of joy that only music can. In one of the photos I’ve included, bass player Tom Brown (left) and keyboardist Adam Downey (right) is pictured with a paralyzed vet who now lives at the VA hospital. We are eternally grateful for his sacrifice, and all the men and women we get to meet at this facility. It is an honor to play for these warriors and to bring them a bit of joy for a couple of hours.

Another favorite memory is when we played for the Friendship Village Senior Center on a New Year’s Eve. Lead singer (me) Julie Brown formed a conga line while singing Jackson 5 “I Want You Back”. They ALL knew this song, remembered it from their own youth, and they were singing and dancing with me, with walkers and wheelchairs. It was a delightful moment our band will never forget. I included that in the photos too.

We are also known for our family-friendly songs. We won’t perform songs with ANY profanity or erotic content. Period. It is a reflection of our mutual Christian faith, and that a godly approach can even be taken when performing secular music. It is possible to have fun while keeping it clean!

Another memory

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Follow us on Facebook @theiconixband and Instagram @theiconixband and sign up for our newsletter – https://www.theiconix.com/email-sign-up/

And, hire us!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theiconix.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theiconixband/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheIconixBand/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheIconix