Christopher Andrus

Christopher Andrus is a musician, producer, and entrepreneur from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was notably the front man of Bless You Boys and guitarist/vocalist of Middlefield before co-founding the Detroit Tigers themed bar, restaurant, and brewery The Mitten Brewing Company on Grand Rapids' Northwest Side. Andrus frequently plays benefit shows for autism awareness, and collaborates with ASK (Autism Support of Kent County), and references autism in his material.

## Band Career

Christopher Andrus has an extensive career in the Grand Rapids music scene as a producer, frontman, and guitarist.

#### **Middlefield (2002-2004)**

Christopher Andrus was vocalist and guitarist in the Grand Rapids pop-rock group Middlefield (formerly known as Slant), which he founded alongside his cousin Brenden Stark and co-vocalist Tim Alexander. He performed on two albums with the band -- *The Right Amount of Rock (2002),* and *Backyard All-Stars (2004),* and sang lead vocals on the tracks: Where You Belong, No Promises, Porchlight, Backyard All-Star.

Andrus also shared lead vocal duties with Tim Alexander on the tracks "World's Greatest" and "Hidden Track 1 (Pizza Pie)"

#### **Bless You Boys (2007-2010)**

Andrus also fronted the Grand Rapids based indie-rock band Bless You Boys, which released two albums -- *Armed to the Teeth (2007)* and *The Still Life (2008)* via Mackinaw Harvest Music Group. The band's success and failures were documented in the film *Is Everybody Happy?* directed by Tim Marklevitz.

## Singer-Songwriter Career

Andrus has also released several solo albums.

#### ***Cut to the Quick (2005)***

In 2005, following the dissolution of Middlefield, Andrus released his first solo album "Cut to the Quick" via Mackinaw Harvest Music Group (BMI). The album is now out of print

1. God of Arcadia [correct?]
2. How to Speak Hip
3. The Escapist
4. The Speeding Bullet [correct?]
5. Gravity [correct?]
6. The \_\_\_\_\_ & the Widow [correct?]
7. This Cigarette is Only a Prop
8. Starmaker
9. Holdup [correct?]
10. Everybody \_\_\_\_ Home [correct?]

#### ***The Glass Man* (2010)**

   In 2010, following the dissolution of Bless You Boys, Andrus released his sophomore solo album titled *The Glass Man*. It was self recorded at Mackinaw Harvest Studios. It included the tracks:

1. December Shivers
2. The Glass Man
3. Two Berlins
4. Pick Me Up
5. Hey Melissa
6. Middle of the Night
7. Mean Streak

Andrus also recorded two b-sides -- "Sick Stomach" and a new rendition of an unreleased Bless You Boys track titled "Tina Fey Glasses."

#### ***Rare Earth Elements* (2017)**

In 2017 Andrus released an EP titled *Rare Earth Elements*. It included the tracks:

1. Bear Down
2. On Mars

## Production and Sound Engineering (???? - ????)

Following the dissolution of Bless You Boys, Andrus began work as a producer with Michael Crittenden at Mackinaw Harvest Music Group, the same studio he'd previously recorded at with Bless You Boys and Middlefield. Albums recorded by Andrus include Chasing the Sky's *The Empty Chair - EP (2010)* and *King of the Losing Side (2017)*, and The Juno Blacklist's *World of Trouble - EP (2012)*.

**[NEEDS LIST OF FURTHER BANDS HE PRODUCED]**

## The Mitten Brewing Company (2012-Present)

After the dissolution of Bless You Boys while working with Mackinaw Harvest Studios, Andrus began to lay the ground work for a Detroit Tigers themed bar, The Mitten Brewing Company, alongside co-owner Max Trierweiller and chef/former bandmate J.R. Rennuson. The bar opened in November, 2012.

Andrus was nominated "Man of the Year" by the West Michigan Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in 2018, after running a campaign that contributed $32,000 to the fund raiser's overall $213,000 to combat cancer in West Michigan.

## Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6njsFaVgfNE