Valparaiso’s Own Head Honchos’ In Concert at the Franklin House This Friday

Head-Honchos-1Local music heroes Head Honchos' bring their sizzling blues-rock sounds to the Franklin House, 58 Campbell St., Friday, April 5. 9 p.m. Free. Info: (219) 707-5468 or log onto http://www.franklinhousevalpo.com/.

In a time when American music is too often characterized by emasculated melodies, narcissistic lyrics, and hyped mediocrity-- Head Honchos' offer up intense body-moving rhythms and emotionally-charged guitar expressions on their debut seven-song, self-titled CD. Grounded on the foundations of American blues, rock, soul, and funk, Head Honchos' launch their improvisational excursions with an irresistible invitation to kick back, let go, and enthusiastically ENJOY!!! Head Honchos' CD contains some quickly-memorable originals ("Lucky's Train," "Whiskey Devil," "Good Love," "That Driving Beat") as well as sizzling interpretations of classics such as Albert King's "Going Down," "Fire On The Bayou" by Aaron Neville, and Wilson Pickett's "99 1/2 Won't Do." Front person Rocco Calipari's Detroit-schooled vocals will leave no doubt of the unapologetic American identity we all experience. In an artistic celebration of our shared pride and joy, Head Honchos' cover some of our most loved standards, while introducing to an appreciative audience "roots-inspired" new tunes. www.headhonchosband.com.

"There's a scene in Ghost World where Steve Buscemi ventures to see an acoustic bluesman at a sports bar, and he brushes off a girl hitting on him because she's more into the headliner, Blues Hammer. Head Honchos are like Blues Hammer: as subtle as an uppercut and making Stevie Ray Vaughan sound like Skip James. The band's self-titled debut cannons chunky guitar riffs and cymbal crashes, and turns train songs into party anthems. Buscemi's Seymour would have cringed at how frontman Rocco Calipari Sr. enunciates The Meters' "Fire On The Bayou," but then again Seymour didn't like to have fun and Head Honchos certainly do." ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER