Bill Kirchen and the Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods returns to the Sportsmen's Tavern Sun. 7/20 @ 4pm
Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step on any stage, play those trademark licks which drove the seminal Commander Cody classic Hot Rod Lincoln into the Top Ten nationwide, and elicit instant recognition for a career thats spanned over 30 years and includes performances with names like Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Doug Sahm, Elvis Costello and Danny Gatton. Named A Titan of the Telecaster by Guitar Player Magazine, he celebrates an American musical tradition where country music draws upon its origins in blues and bluegrass, and in the Western swing of Texas and California honky tonks. An apt description of Bills singing, songwriting and guitar playing skill is provided in this quote from Nick Lowe: He's like a devastating culmination of the elegant and funky... a really sensational musician, with enormous depth.
A winner of multiple Wammies over the years, In 2002 Bill Kirchen was one of three artists inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame along with Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana)and John Phillip Sousa. A Kirchen performance recalls a half century of guitar legends from C&W virtuosos like Merle Travis, Joe Maphis and Grady Martin to rock legends like Scotty Moore, James Burton, Duane Eddy, all the way to Jimi Hendrix and extends their brilliance into the present. This is well captured on his latest CDs: Raise A Ruckus,Hot Rod Lincoln - Live! and Tied to the Wheel on HighTone Records, featuring the 2001 Grammy nominated original composition "Poultry in Motion".
