Video interview and performance: David and Stephanie Brehm do cool jazz right

The Brehms Band has a romantic Valentine's Day show lined up at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas.

Photo by John P. Meyer

David and Stephanie Brehm

It's appropriate that Dallas' The Brehms Band will be putting on a Valentine's Day show Monday evening, because the story of David and Stephanie Young Brehm is nothing if not a romantic one.

It's the kind of story that should appeal to guys who have a tendency towards nerdiness. I mean, look at the gorgeous and talented dame (Stephanie) that this soft-spoken computer animator/artist/musician (David) ended up getting hitched to!

As you'll learn from our interview, the Brehms are a bona fide renaissance duo. Stephanie grew up in a home full of song (her mother warbled with such groups as the Tommy Dorsey Band, while Stephanie sang in her small town church choir). She later discovered a talent for voice-over, and continues to work with local Anime outfit Funimation; you can hear her as the voice of the computer in the current release Summer Wars, which was named Best Animated Film by the Awards of the Japanese Academy.

Interview: David and Stephanie Brehm

David hails originally from San Antonio; he received a bachelor's degree from UNT and an associate's in animation and multimedia from the Art Institute of Dallas. From there he transitioned into computer animation with DNA Productions (the firm behind Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius and The Ant Bully). But it's his musical career that proven to be spectacularly rewarding from a personal standpoint, because that's how he met Stephanie, who auditioned as a replacement vocalist for his band a few years ago. David puts it this way:

"Stephanie walked in and, of course, she was amazing."

At first their relationship was all business — for rather an awfully long time, as a matter of fact. As Stephanie quips:

"He didn't talk to me for the first year."

Photo by John P. Meyer

The Brehms

David chalks this up to professionalism. Personally, I'm betting on shyness as a contributing factor. (But, what do I know?)

We considered having David remove his hat for the video, but it's so much a part of his signature style that we decided not to. And frankly, I think a man needs a good hat.

(Plus, without it, the reflection coming off his shaven pate might have blown out the camera's image sensor.)

A few more details about the Valentine's Day show at the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas: It'll be a casual, comfortable event, with chairs and cocktail tables around which people can circulate freely. There'll be a bar where you can order the evening's signature drink: the Brehmtini. Special guests will be on hand to perform, including a lady named Toby Castle — who happens to be Stephanie's talented mom.

NOTE that the performance video picks up a few bars into the Brehm's "Cool You Down," so consider this an excerpt — but it should serve as a good example of the kind of laid-back, romantic musical evening in store for folks attending the Valentine's Day show.