Bill Kirchen: “Bill Does Bob”

In 1964 and 1965, a young Bill Kirchen made two pilgrimages from his home in Ann Arbor to the Newport Folk Festivals. Among many other wondrous things, he saw Dylan debut Mr. Tambourine Man in ’64, then go full on electric in ’65. Bill swears what he saw and heard at those Festivals ruined him for normal work. Bill brings his ace Texas band for songs and reminiscences from Dylan at the ground breaking Newport Festival shows in ’64 and ’65.

Bill Kirchen first gained renown as founding father, lead guitarist and vocalist for Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen, where the resonant twang of his battered Telecaster drove “Hot Rod Lincoln” into the Top Ten in ’72. Bill went to the Grammys in 2001 for Country Instrumental Of The Year with his chicken-pickin’ composition Poultry In Motion, beat out by the great Earl Scruggs. He has recorded with Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Dan Hicks, Maria Muldaur, Doug Sahm, Hoyt Axton, Hazel Dickens, Gene Vincent and Link Wray. He cracked the Americana Radio Chart Top 10 in 2018. Bill has released well over 2 dozen albums, from his Commander Cody catalogue on through his current 12 releases on the Proper and Last Music Company labels.

“A Titan of the Telecaster guitar.” – Guitar Player magazine

“Bill Kirchen rules, it’s just that simple.” – the Austin-American Statesman

“A devastating culmination of the elegant and the funky, a really sensational musician with enormous depth.” – Nick Lowe

“He is one of the singular instrumental stylists of American roots music, and to hear his sound once is to have it indelibly etched on one’s musical memory.” – Pop Matters