Bringing back Bob, and a bonanza where they both bestow their best, after being around the world:
— They tour widely and prolifically and even more than the most prominent of rock stars, but the male-female duo Firefly played plenty in the region, too, in their 2012-13 tour, and now is bringing their act to Season’s Tavern in North Hudson on Saturday night, April 25. The duo met while doing their trademark globetrotting at about that time. I first met one of the members, Nici Peper, outside a place just up the road, the Village Inn, about three years ago, (I still have her business card somewhere), and it was clear from our conversation that their act would be popular. Along with musical partner Chris Snyder, they played almost 300 shows in a year across almost all of the 50 states, (including Alaska), and were on the main stage or headliners for very prominent festivals. They have opened for the likes of Bret Michaels of Poison fame, and also Hobo Jim and Elvis Monroe, among others. They include both covers and “well-written, soulful originals,” according to their online profile.
— Hey baby, Bob is Back! That’s vocalist and lead guitarist Schillinger, who with his band Full Tilt will play the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Friday night. I’ve known Bob from back in the 1990s through open mic nights at the old Sandbar and then weekly performances at Dick’s Bar and Grill. They followed that up with similar stints in Stillwater and other places, but Full Tilt has now — where has the time gone — been originally formed as a classic and southern rock group since 1995. They’ve played many clubs and biker-oriented events in a two-state area and specialize in Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet. I recall their guitar-driven style from back in the open mic days, where I, most notably in my memory, asked Bob if we could collaborate on Rock ‘N Roll by Led Zeppelin, to which he asked, “you can handle that?” These guys can handle a lot in their realm, and by the way, the other band members are Rick Lombardo on vocals and guitar, Rick Gates on vocals and bass, and Don (Deeg) Olson on drums.
— The simply stylish “Kyle” as he is known, will play at Guv’s Place in Houlton on Friday night. He might be the second coming of “The Gloved One,” as I’ll tend to forget for the moment about Michael Jackson and focus on the fact that Kyle has been known to frequently wear such an accessory on his hand/wrist. He’s also been known to give that up lately, and when I saw him the other night, he was one of a crew playing a video game and had his arms crossed, making it hard to see if his glove was back on. Check about his wardrobe status on Friday at Guv’s.