On a humid Wednesday night at the beach – or in Milton, Florida, or anywhere in between – two brothers from Lewes are doing what they’ve done since they were kids in their parents’ basement: making music together. Drew Fitzkee, 20, anchors the groove on bass while his younger brother, 18-year-old Alex, keeps time at the drum kit while singing. They’re part jam band, part punk show, part family experiment that’s turned into something bigger than either imagined.
“Our parents would tell us to go outside and run soccer drills,” Drew says. “But they never had to tell us to play music together. That just stuck.”
Growing up in Lewes, Drew and Alex Fitzkee always seemed to complement each other. In soccer, Drew played goalie while Alex was the striker. When Drew was 7, he asked for a bass guitar. Alex followed with a drum set, forming the perfect brotherly rhythm section.
In just a few years, the Fitzkee Brothers have emerged as a musical force making waves across the East Coast and beyond with a soulful blend of jam, rock, funk, and punk – rooted in influences like the Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Parliament Funkadelic, and the Meters. With long, flowing hair and Drew’s thick mustache, they’d look right at home at Whisky a Go Go circa 1978. Their raucous live shows fuse technical chops with raw energy, earning fans across generations.
For the Fitzkees, it’s always been about more than playing the right notes. Over time, their focus shifted from mimicry to spontaneity.
“My perspective changed from trying to perfectly replicate a recording to creating a new moment every time with everybody there,” Drew says.
They started by covering favorites (especially simple punk songs like those by the Ramones) but were soon drawn to the improvisational spirit of classic jam bands.
“We love the jazz approach of soloing freely with other people because you find something new every time,” Alex says. For the brothers, music became a way to connect – not just with each other, but with every fan in the room.
Catch them live, and you’ll see why the crowds keep growing.
“We started with our punk roots,” Alex says. “So when we play jam band music, we do it with that energy.”
Drew is known for over-the-top stage antics – whether it’s leaping off bar tops or playing bass from inside a bouncy house.
“There was one show where we played an outdoor festival with a bouncy house nearby,” Alex remembers. “Drew jumped inside to play. The hardest part was getting through that little hole with your bass on.”
As one fan told Drew: “I’ve never seen someone headbang to the Grateful Dead before. You’re Dead-banging, bro.”
Along the way, musical mentors helped shape their path. One of Drew’s earliest influences was B.J. Muntz of local legends Lower Case Blues – his self-described “bass dad.”
A major turning point came when the brothers discovered the Roots Rock Revival, a musician’s boot camp in the Catskills founded by Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers.
“It completely transformed our lives,” Drew says. There, they didn’t just learn chops – they learned how to live as musicians, often under the guidance of rock royalty.
“Playing ‘All Along the Watchtower’ with Jorma from Jefferson Airplane was pretty rad,” Drew says.
Butch’s daughter, Melody Trucks, later brought the brothers into her Road to Roots project, a touring mentorship initiative for young musicians.
“We’re incredibly honored, grateful, and it’s wild,” Drew says of being welcomed into the extended Allman family.
For Melody, their rise has been personal.
“When I met them, they were 15 and 17,” she recalls. “I said, I can’t take you out with me, but I can go with you – so what do you wanna do?”
What began as mentorship grew into full collaboration.
“I’ve never seen two musicians more inspired, with a better work ethic,” Trucks says.
“Drew is like a historian – he can tell you who played on what sessions, when. Alex absorbs the way music channels through people in a spectacular way.”
Today, the brothers are full members of her band, Melody Trucks and the Fitzkee Brothers.
“They’ve earned every bit of it,” she says.
Now, the brothers split their time between touring and teaching. As ambassadors for Roots Revival, they visit music schools across the country, teaching kids how to jam – and then bringing them on stage the next day.
“We’re doing what we went through at Roots,” Alex says. “Teaching kids how to jam, then putting them in that environment.”
For Drew, mentoring others is deeply personal.
“Playing music fulfills my soul,” he says. “If I can bring someone else into that who has the same passion, that means a lot.”
When the Fitzkees first showed up at Arena’s in Milford, manager Ramsey Schrader didn’t know what to expect.
“I hadn’t really heard them, but we booked them as part of Show City Wednesdays,” he says.
What started as a gamble turned into a residency.
“It’s clear they’re going places. I just hope they remember us,” he says with a laugh.
He describes their sound as Southern rock meets the Grateful Dead.
“They can reach such a broad audience with that music and that energy. And when people see how young they are, it blows them away. Prodigies – it’s impressive.”
But more than the talent, he says, it’s their character that stands out.
“They’re polite, humble, just happy to be up there – and then they let it rip.”
Locally, the brothers have sold out the Milton Theatre co-headlining with Lower Case Blues, and they’ll open for Robert Randolph at the Rocking the Docks concert series Aug. 13. Beyond Delaware, they’ve headlined the Sunshine Get Down Festival in Florida and shared the stage with Duane Betts and even Post Malone.
This summer, they’ll hit the road again for Road to Roots, leading classes and playing shows in Asheville, Tennessee, and Philadelphia – many alongside Melody Trucks.
“She knows family bands,” Drew says with a smile.
Melody says the support from their parents, Chana and Andy, has been key.
“They couldn’t be more supportive – but they’re not helicopter parents,” she says. “They allow their kids to become who they’re going to be.”
Through Road to Roots, the brothers will tour North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York – connecting with music programs like School of Rock to pay it forward.
“It just shows how much we love seeing like-minded people, sharing the music, and creating even more of that community,” Alex says. “Because then you’re doing it for the right reasons – and having fun.”
CATCH THE FITZKEE BROTHERS LIVE:
Wednesday, Aug. 13: Rocking the Docks in Lewes, DE: Fitzkee Brothers featuring Melody Trucks & The Lee Boys, supporting Robert Randolph
Saturday, Oct. 18: Delmarva Folk Festival in Houston, DE: Fitzkee Brothers featuring Melody Trucks (headlining)
Weekly Jam with Show City: Weekly residency at Arena’s in Rehoboth Beach
Plus appearances at venues like Fast Eddie’s in Ocean City, Md.
Stream their music on Spotify and Apple Music, and follow their gig calendar to catch them around Delaware and beyond.
