THREE-PART HARMONY
All-out fun
BW & The Danger is a Northern Virginia acoustic trio that has been bringing favorite songs to life since 2016. With a repertoire spanning the last 75 years, the band puts its own spin on familiar music—making classics sound modern and giving modern songs a classic feel.
The trio features Brad “B.W.” Emmett on guitar, Karen Chae on keyboards, and Bobby Banks on bass, with all three contributing vocals and tight three-part harmonies that have become a defining part of the band's sound.
From bars and restaurants to wineries, breweries, corporate and charity events, and backyard parties, BW & The Danger brings more than 125 years of combined professional performance experience to every show. The band's energetic, audience-friendly performances can span decades and genres or focus on the music that best fits the occasion.
DEMO
MEET THE BAND
Brad "B.W." EMMETT
Guitar and Vocals
Born in Miami, Brad began playing trombone at 11 and picked up guitar, singing, and songwriting as a teenager. He studied Commercial Music Composition/Production and Music Business at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and has been performing professionally for more than 25 years.
A multi-instrumentalist with a love for music across genres and generations, Brad performs on guitar, bass, keyboards, trombone, and euphonium. Outside of BW & The Danger, he performs solo, works with other bands and artists, plays in musical theater pit orchestras, and writes and records his own music.
karen chae
Keyboard and Vocals
Karen began taking piano lessons at age eight while growing up in North Florida. After hearing her teacher play “Your Cheatin’ Heart” in class, she went home and figured it out on the piano herself—discovering that, in addition to reading music, she could play by ear. She later minored in music at Trinity University.
A professional vocalist and keyboardist for more than 40 years, Karen spent the 1980s and ’90s performing solo at piano bars throughout Northern Virginia and Maryland. Since 2000, she has provided lead and background vocals and keyboards for several Northern Virginia bands. Her musical tastes span genres, but she has a particular affinity for country music.
bobby banks
Bass and Vocals
Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Bobby began piano lessons at seven before adding trombone, guitar, and eventually electric bass. He was a founding member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra and performed in numerous ensembles at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before moving to the Washington, D.C. area.
With more than 50 years of live performance experience, Bobby has toured nationally and internationally, performed with Doc Scantlin’s Imperial Palms Orchestra, and shared stages with artists including Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Gloria Gaynor, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Natalie Cole. Comfortable in just about any genre, Bobby brings decades of experience—and a genuine love of musical variety—to BW & The Danger.
"PHIL"
Drums and Percussion
Every band needs a drummer. Ours just happens to be digital. Affectionately known as “Phil,” the band’s digital drummer provides the drums and percussion, giving BW & The Danger the full sound and energy of a four-piece band while keeping the setup compact and allowing complete control over volume.
But Phil isn’t a backing track. B.W. controls him live with his foot while performing, triggering the drums and moving Phil through each song’s sections at the right moments. That means the band is still controlling the performance in real time—not simply playing along with a prerecorded track.
Phil never misses rehearsal, never asks for a solo, and is always willing to turn it down.
set the jukebox to shuffle
You never quite know what might come next at a BW & The Danger show. A set can jump from rock to country, Motown to pop, oldies to today's hits—moving between decades and genres while keeping the music familiar, fun, and accessible.
It's like setting the jukebox to shuffle and getting to hear all your favorites played live!
want the jukebox to stay in one decade
Sometimes the occasion calls for something a little more focused. BW & The Danger can tailor the music around a particular era or style while still bringing the same harmonies, energy, and personality to the performance.
Here’s what happens when the jukebox stays in the 1950s.
OR MAYBE THE JUKEBOX HAS A THEME...
BW & The Danger can also build shows around the occasion, from Christmas favorites to an Oktoberfest-inspired mix of traditional tunes, polkas, and familiar songs adapted to fit the theme—Lederhosen included!
here us live
Studio recordings can show you what a band sounds like at its most polished. These clips offer something different—a chance to hear BW & The Danger performing live, with the three-part vocals, instrumentation, and full-band sound that are at the heart of what we do.
Every clip was captured on a cellphone during an actual performance.
No studio recording, no polished audio, just the band playing live.
Sample set list
Wondering what “jukebox on shuffle” actually sounds like?
Here’s a sample three-set night with BW & The Danger.
SET 1
All Shook Up
Elvis Presley • 1957
Feel It Still
Portugal. The Man • 2017
All the Small Things
Blink-182 • 2000
Don’t You (Forget About Me)
Simple Minds • 1985
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
CCR • 1971
Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley & His Comets • 1954
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The Rolling Stones • 1965
Got You (Where I Want You)
The Flys • 1998
Who Says You Can’t Go Home
Bon Jovi / Jennifer Nettles • 2006
Mama’s Broken Heart
Miranda Lambert • 2013
Brown Eyed Girl
Van Morrison • 1967
The Joker
Steve Miller Band • 1973
Angel
Shaggy • 2001
Free Fallin’
Tom Petty • 1989
Royals
Lorde • 2013
Shaboozey • 2024
SET 2
Old Town Road
Lil Nas X • 2021
Blurred Lines
Robin Thicke • 2013
Mony Mony
Billy Idol • 1981
Sold
John Michael Montgomery • 1995
Bye Bye Love
The Everly Brothers • 1957
Break Your Heart
Taio Cruz and Ludacris • 2009
Dancing in the Dark
Bruce Springsteen • 1984
Flagpole Sitta
Harvey Danger • 1997
Drift Away
Dobie Gray • 1973
Be My Baby
The Ronettes • 1963
Take Me Home Tonight
Eddie Money • 1986
La Bamba
Ritchie Valens • 1958
For What It’s Worth
Buffalo Springfield • 1966
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Deep Blue Something • 1995
Choosin' Texas
Ella Langley • 2025
I Gotta Feeling
The Black Eyed Peas • 2009
SET 3
Bad Guy
Billie Eilish • 2019
Come Go with Me
The Del-Vikings • 1956
Yellow
Coldplay • 2000
You and Tequila
Kenny Chesney • 2011
DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love
Usher • 2010
Kryptonite
3 Doors Down • 2000
Hang On Sloopy
The McCoys • 1964
Eye of the Tiger
Survivor • 1982
Hot N Cold
Katy Perry • 2008
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
CCR • 1970
Sucker
Jonas Brothers • 2019
Help Me, Rhonda
The Beach Boys • 1965
Rockin’ in the Free World
Neil Young • 1989
What I Like About You
The Romantics • 1979
Folsom Prison Blues
Johnny Cash • 1955
Purple Rain
Prince • 1984
what's on your jukebox
Planning an event, party, or night of live music?
Whether you want a mix of favorites from across the decades or something built around a particular era, style, or theme, let’s talk about the show you have in mind.