Annual Post-Thanksgiving Party with Commander Cody

Artist, musician and pioneering band leader, Commander Cody helped to invent a whole new style of music during the early 1970s, a period regarded as the height of rock innovation. Cody and his crew played country-rock, but rocked harder than most, making them the quintessential bar band. The Commander’s preferred sound was a no-frill, back to basics approach and he and his band, The Lost Planet Airmen are best known for their biggest hit, "Hot Rod Lincoln." Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were also the precursor to the Austin, Texas music scene of the 1980s. In fact Austin’s own Asleep at The Wheel first moved to San Francisco under the influence of Cody, where they played clubs as a satellite of sorts to the Airmen.

Grammy nominated guitarist, singer and songwriter Bill Kirchen is one of the fortunate few who can step onto any stage, play those trademark licks that drove his seminal Commander Cody classic Hot Rod Lincoln into the Top Ten, and elicit instant recognition for a career that has spanned over 40 years and includes guitar work with Nick Lowe, Emmylou Harris, Doug Sahm, Elvis Costello and many more. Named "A Titan of the Telecaster" by Guitar Player Magazine, he celebrates an American musical tradition where rock ‘n’ roll and country music draws upon its origins in blues and bluegrass, Western swing from Texas and California honky-tonk. His current CD Word To The Wise on Proper American features duets with many of these artists he’s worked with, including Elvis, Nick, Maria Muldaur and Dan Hicks.