Be Brave Bold Robot (often abbreviated BBBR) is a Sacramento-area indie/folk-rock project led by frontman and songwriter Dean Haakenson, known for an open, ever-rotating cast of musicians and one of the most recognizable band names in the local scene.[1][2] By 2012 it was described as "a staple in the folk scene" with roughly eight years of history, placing its origins around 2004.[1] The band's self-titled debut was released April 20, 2007,[3] and new material as recently as December 2025 confirms the project remains active.[4]
At a glance
- Led by frontman/songwriter Dean Haakenson; based out of West Sacramento.[1]
- "Sacramento mainstay indie folk-rock act"; a "local indie/folk/rock outfit."[5][2]
- Famous for ~23 rotating "Forever Members"; the rule to become one was to play four shows.[1]
- Reckoned to be ~8 years old in 2012 and ~13 ("coming up on their teen years") in 2017.[1][5]
- The Fox and Goose pub is the band's signature CD-release venue.[2][6][5]
Origin and local status
Be Brave Bold Robot is unambiguously a local (Greater Sacramento) act. Submerge repeatedly calls it a "local" band and a "Sacramento mainstay," and frontman Dean Haakenson lives in and practices in West Sacramento; the band recorded with local engineers and released through local venues.[1][2][5] Their album Press E to Continue opens with "Sacramento," described as "a folk-y ode to their hometown."[2] (Confidence: high.)
The name predates the band itself. By Haakenson's account, before it was a band it was his 'zine, and before that a graffiti tag by a girl in Arcata, California, who claimed she saw it done by a San Francisco artist; some speculate it derives from Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. Haakenson says the true source eludes him and once offered $100 for a documented origin.[1]
Lineup and "Forever Members"
The band is built around a deliberately loose, rotating membership. Submerge reported roughly 23 former players whom Haakenson fondly dubs "Forever Members," with a simple criterion for joining: play four shows — which "may take four consecutive shows, or it could take eight years."[1] Haakenson's hands-off, low-pressure approach is by design, letting friends with their own careers come and go.[1]
Members and contributors documented in the sources include:
- Dean Haakenson — frontman, songwriter, bandleader (and the project's driving organizer).[1][2][5]
- Michael Ruiz — drummer (2012).[1]
- Matty Gerken — bassist (2012); he mastered the first record after learning the songs while mixing, then stepped in when former bassist Tommy Minnick left.[1] He is also credited as co-producer of the self-titled debut alongside Dean Haakenson.[7]
- Catie Turner — viola (joined after meeting Haakenson at a show; had not played in a band since leaving San Francisco).[1]
- Jacob Gleason — saxophone (joined after admiring the self-titled record).[1]
- Rachel Lomax — vocals/keys/guitar; a former BBBR member who later co-founded West Sacramento band Salt Wizard (2014).[8]
- "Chuck" — a Sac State student from Iowa brought in for a single show to satisfy a requirement that the band include one Sac State student.[1]
- Willie Ramsey — an honorary member who created the artwork for Under a Thin Veil of Madness after the band met him during recording sessions.[1]
- Andrew Morin (Flatlander) — credited on percussion for the self-titled debut under the billing "Mad Chops, a Percussion Production"; Morin is also known as Flatlander of Death Grips.[7]
The artwork of Kyle Larsen has hung in Haakenson's home, and local writer Josh Fernandez is cited as an inadvertent lyrical "muse."[1]
Discography (as documented)
- Be Brave Bold Robot (self-titled, released April 20, 2007)[3] — the band's first record. According to the album's Bandcamp page, it was produced by Matthew Gerken and Dean Haakenson and mastered by Scott Reams,[7] with percussion by Andrew Morin (Flatlander of Death Grips), billed as "Mad Chops, a Percussion Production."[7] The album is described as "21st century existential folk rock" combining "angst, love, despair, hope, irony, humor and confusion" through "lyrically lush" original songwriting.[9]
- Take a Deep Breath (2010).[1]
- Under a Thin Veil of Madness (2012) — its title partially lifted from Josh Fernandez's 2008 review, which referred to Haakenson as "under a thin sheet of madness." Recording sessions began at Expression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, where the band recorded free in exchange for being a class's "guinea pigs."[1]
- Press E to Continue (2015) — an "eclectic, weird new album" funded via Kickstarter (its title devised by the campaign's top donor). It opens with "Sacramento," includes the hip-hop collaboration "Grown Ass Man" with local rapper Mr. Hooper, and an 8-minute-plus closer, "Sonerda."[2]
- Short Raps Project (2016) — a compilation released July 1, 2016.[6]
- But to Hate God Do Get a Hot Tub (2017) — a concept album tracing the human experience chronologically from teenager through middle age; recorded with local engineer Patrick Hills at Earthtone Recording Company. Two tracks, "Better Late" and "Hiking," were leftover Kickstarter commission songs from Press E to Continue.[5]
- Life is other people (April 20, 2021)[4] — includes the track "Dwarf Star by Groovincible featuring Dean Haakenson," indicating a collaboration with the artist Groovincible.[10]
- WORTH IT (December 12, 2025)[4] — confirms continued activity through at least late 2025.
Live history and venue relationships
The Fox and Goose British pub (1001 R Street, Sacramento) is BBBR's signature room, hosting a recurring series of CD-release shows. Haakenson described "a particular bond" with the place; per the venue's booking staff, the band's 2013 release night was the best the pub had had in a couple of years. Release shows there include Press E to Continue (Jan. 23, 2015), Short Raps Project (July 1, 2016), and But to Hate God Do Get a Hot Tub (Jan. 20, 2017).[2][6][5]
Other documented appearances:
- Subject of an early Live in the City of Trees music-video session (2011), filmed by Wes Davis at a "secret spot in Old Sac."[11]
- Released Under a Thin Veil of Madness at Beatnik Studios on Oct. 26, 2012, alongside Appetite, Cold Eskimo and Buzzmutt.[1]
- Booked on the 2015 Concerts in the Park lineup (May 15, at Cesar Chavez Plaza).[12]
- Member Dean Haakenson competed (and broke a drumstick) in the first Non-Drummer Drum-Off at Westfield Downtown Plaza Mall on Dec. 4, 2011.[13]
- Performed at The Starlet Room (2708 J Street, Sacramento) on May 28, 2022, with support from Güero; tickets were $12 advance / $15 day-of, all ages.[14]
Supporting/collaborating acts noted at BBBR shows include CFR, Chili Sauce, Bellygunner, and Tribe of Levi.[2][6][5]