By Elijah Mckenzie

It all started at a Bearno’s Pizza restaurant in 2009. Mason Bryant, a senior mechanical engineering major at the University of Louisville, was performing during an open mic night at the pizzeria when he encountered fellow musician Jeff Sharp.

“We had seen each other play before at other venues,” said Bryant. “It wasn’t until that night at Bearno’s that we talked and discussed the possibility of creating a band together.”

A few gigs and several practices later, the duo became known as The Friendly Giants.

Bryant, who had already established a name for himself around Louisville through various solo concerts, said he had never collaborated with other musicians before he met Sharp.

“I’ve always been a solo guitarist, but I wanted to expand my horizons and see what would happen,” said Bryant. “After we really started practicing together, we branched out and started picking up other instruments. Working with him has definitely made me a better guitarist in general.”

Sharp, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band, has had previous experience playing with a musical ensemble in his other band, Divided We Fall. However, he said that his partnership with Bryant gave him the chance to better explore his guitar-playing talents.

“I used to only sing, but now I’ve been working on the guitar a lot more, especially with Mason,” said Sharp. “I feel like he and I complement each other well with our different strengths and backgrounds.”

It wasn’t long after Bryant and Sharp met in 2009 that a drumstick-wielding third member came onto the scene. Chris Mitchell, a 2006 political science graduate of U of L, joined as a drummer for The Friendly Giants.

“I used to play in an oldies rock and roll band, but I really wanted to try something new and play something a little more contemporary,” said Mitchell. “I first heard of the band through Jeff’s wife, who is currently my boss at work. I joined soon after I heard about the band.”

Bass player Jason Logsdon became the most recent addition to The Friendly Giants when he joined in September of 2010. Within the month, the group played their first show as a quartet at the SkyBar at Saints in St. Matthews.

“You’re never sure what to expect when playing with a new band,” said Logsdon regarding his first performance as a member of The Friendly Giants. “Sometimes people get nervous and don’t end up being as good as they are in practice, but the show was great. I felt very comfortable with them very early on.”

The Friendly Giants will play at the Hard Rock Cafe at 9 p.m. on April 7. Sarah Smith, a junior secondary education major at U of L and the winner of best solo at the Fryberger

Greek Sing, will be the opening act for The Friendly Giants. Bryant will also be the accompanying guitarist for Smith.