By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
As of Nov. 2, 2024, The Chrome Wheels Band is celebrating 20 years. They decided South Padre Island, specifically the well-loved venue Laguna BOB, was the perfect place to ring in the anniversary.
The acoustic duo consists of Brandon and Julie Jolley. The two have been married for the last 17 years.
Brandon, percussionist, harmonica player and vocalist, was born on a military base in Germany and was raised in the United States, traveling from Indiana to Colorado as a young boy, and ultimately settling in
Texas when he started high school. On the other hand, vocalist/guitarist Julie was born and raised in Delaware.
They met on Halloween in 2004 at their local watering hole, The Lone Star Bar in Jonestown, Texas. In the Halloween spirit, Brandon was dressed as media personality Howard Stern when Julie rolled up on her
customized 1991 Heritage Softail.
“I thought she looked pretty cute in her leather biking gear,” said Brandon.
Julie chimed in on a conversation Brandon was having about music. Brandon told her they should jam in a couple days if she wanted to. Little did they know at the time that this conversation would be the beginning
of decades of cross-country touring.
She agreed to his proposition, and a day or two later they held a casual jam sesh. Brandon was already scheming to put together a band, and he was not blind to Julie’s talent. She wasn’t under any musical obligation at the time, and with that in consideration, as well as their shared passion, it just seemed like the perfect fit.
“The possibilities of forming something really sparked right then,” said Brandon. “We were both really inspired by the music.”
The Chrome Wheels came into fruition two days after their initial conversation. They played their first live gig at the very same spot they met. They both agree that playing live together for the first time was
something amazing.
After that, they played as hobbyist musicians for the next few years. At the time, Julie was a secretary and Brandon was an electrician. When they weren’t working, they would strap their instruments to their bikes
and set off for their gigs. Their mutual love for riding was the inspiration behind the band’s name.
“We would be rolling in two guitars and a drum on the back of our motorcycle, so The Chrome Wheels Band felt like the perfect fit,” said Brandon.
Brandon describes this beginning era of The Chrome Wheels, working hard, riding the road and making music, as surreal.
“It was really an exciting time,” said Julie.
In 2010, three years into their marriage, Julie was laid off from her job and was struggling to find something else. But, everything happens for a reason. She and Brandon made the best of this seemingly unfortunate
circumstance, and decided this was the time to become full-time professional musicians.
They began planning an east coast tour, inspired by the desire to visit Julie’s home state and her family there. The plan was to purchase a bus/RV and do 12 shows in five states: Nashville, Delaware, Virginia,
Maryland and Florida. Brandon began booking the gigs and before they knew it, their departure was right around the corner.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking. I had seven shows booked in several states before we had our motor home purchased,” said Brandon.
Despite any anxious nerves, they pulled it together and found the perfect RV two weeks before their tour.
They kicked off the tour in Nashville, Tennessee, meeting up with some “heavy hitter songwriters” they had
met previously in Austin, Texas. Brandon says his favorite stop on this tour was Cape Charles, Virginia.
“Cape Charles is just a long peninsula sticking out into the Chesapeake Bay and our family had a campsite there. The campsite had a big venue for bands so we immediately started working on building our following
out there in Virginia,” said Brandon.
A few years after the tour, the two first visited South Padre Island a couple of days after Thanksgiving in 2012. According to Brandon, they found the place absolutely “fantastic.”
“We knew immediately this would be a permanent stop on our tours,” said Brandon.
For the last 25 years, Julie and Brandon’s home base has been in Austin, Texas. They spend two months there in the spring and another two in the fall. They have recently purchased a property in Wisconsin and visit
there every summer to share their music.
“Because of the amount of touring that we’ve done there, and the shows that we’ve developed in the Midwest, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Kansas, we’ve purchased a home up there. Now we have a central location for our mid-west travels also,” said Brandon.
“The folks down here – the Winter Texans- are the ones who brought us up to the Midwest,” added Julie. “We have made some really tight connections with these folks.”
Out of all the spots they have played at, throughout the many states they’ve toured, their favorite venue is on the Island at Laguna BOB.
“There’s something special about Laguna BOB’s, because with the sunsets there, that are incredible, and just the intimate vibe. Everybody comes in, and because its so small, they share tables…Everybody just
mingles easily…We have just absolutely loved playing there,” said Julie.
Connection and interaction with their audience holds great value to The Chrome Wheels. The bayside patio venue of Laguna BOB provides the perfect space for it.
“Matter of fact, we love being on the ground level on the patio with our patrons. When we are on a big tall stage, we feel so disconnected with people. We’d rather be with everybody, hanging out, having a good
time,” said Brandon.
They will start their 13th annual three-month winter residency on SPI Dec. 1, playing regularly at BOB’s, Clayton’s and The Cigar Bar.
Julie and Brandon say it’s the people of South Padre Island that keep them coming back every year.
“The winter Texans are awesome,” said Julie.
“And the locals,” added Brandon.
At its core, The Chrome Wheels is a cover band. They regularly play songs by artists including Johnny Cash, Janice Joplin, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams Jr, Waylon Jennings,Patsy
Kline, Heart and Jimmy Buffet.
“People tell us all the time, ‘You play all of our favorite songs and that’s why we love you,’” said Brandon.
The last twenty years have gone by in a blink of an eye, according to Brandon. They say it’s been an unbelievable whirlwind and a blurred blast.
“Thank you for 13 winters. Thank you for accepting us and welcoming us,” said Brandon.
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