Sunday, July 20

Bill Kirchen

Talk about a rock-n-roll high school! Picture this made-up scene: a fast kid named Bob Seger getting his books flipped in the hall by Jim Osterberg (later known as Iggy Pop), while walking past Bill Kirchen’s locker at Ann Arbor High School. All have gone on to make their marks in music, but of the three, Kirchen got the lion’s share of musical talent. His first national success was as the guitarist for Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, whose 1972 cover of the classic Charlie Ryan racing anthem “Hot Rod Lincoln” became a top-ten hit. It also provoked finger cramps in thousands of guitarists who tried to copy the signature riff. After splitting of from the Airmen, Kirchen went on to establish himself as a truly unique persona, sharing the stage with a slew of performers including Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, who plays on his most recent release Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods (Proper American), and who calls Kirchen “a devastating culmination of the elegant and funky...a really sensational musician, with enormous depth.” A true Godfather of the Americana scene, his encyclopedic knowledge of classic country, rockabilly, R&B, western swing, and truck driving songs continues to inspire young bands as much as his innate charm and stage presence captures a crowd.

—buck quigley

4pm. Sportsmen’s Tavern, 326 Amherst Street (874-7734/sportsmenstavern.com) $20