Bill Kirchen / Avett Brothers February 2, 2007

From his twanging tribute to the Fender Telecaster guitar that he plays (and which he notes "was born at the junction of form and function") to the soulful closing of Arthur Alexander's "If It's Really Got To Be This Way," Bill Kirchen covers a wide swatch of musical terrain on his forthcoming album, "Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods," slated for a January 30 release. Best know for his trademark big-rig guitar on the Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen single "Hot Rod Lincoln," which went Top 10 in 1972, Kirchen has amassed a respectable catalog of 7 critically acclaimed albums that helped crystallize the format now known as Americana. Kirchen has appeared on record and stage with a who's who of talent that includes Nick Lowe, Doug Sahm, Ralph Stanley, Gene Vincent, Link Wray and Elvis Costello (Kirchen recently shared the stage with him at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival here in SF & Costello named his band for the event The Hammer of The Honky-Tonk Gods after Kirchen's upcoming release.)

Sharing the stage this evening is The Avett Brothers. When people ask Scott and Seth Avett how long they've been playing music they'll usually say "forever." Though, under the name The Avett Brothers, they've only been playing for a relatively short amount of time. Yet, the Avett's sound is indicative of a lifetime of development and an implict partnership. Their sound is a mixture of old-time country, bluegrass, pop melodies, folk, rock n' roll, honky-tonk and ragtime. Listeners merely need one spin through their album to realize the breadth and depth of the Avett's music. The only thing that is certain about The Avett Brother's future is that it will be filled with shows, shows and more shows. It's the intensity at which the Avetts pour their angst, heartache and love into each show that has captivated crowds across the country. And it's those audience reactions that propel The Avett Brothers to continue.

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