Bill Kirchen aims his Telecaster towards the stars and unspools some wide-open tails on his new album Cat Out of the Bag. To let a cat out of the bag supposedly means to let a secret slip out — but for Bill it means freedom. Freedom from confinement, convention… even gravity. Freedom to hit the road and play rock ‘n’ roll.
That’s the energy driving the title track — a “good-to-be-alive song,” says Kirchen. “It’s a celebration of getting through the worst of the pandemic unscathed, getting back on the road, and affirming our belief that the kids are alright.”
The music flowing from Kirchen’s roots-loving heart blends boogie-woogie, jazz, jump blues, western swing, country, folk, and other idioms — yes, he was playing Americana before it had a name. He helped pioneer the genre when he co-founded Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, whose sizzling version of Hot Rod Lincoln stormed to the top of the charts in the ’70s.
Dubbed the “Titan of the Telecaster” by Guitar Player magazine, Bill Kirchen is a roots music institution. His nimble fingers and rock ‘n’ roll soul have been turning heads since the 1970s.
His singular style mixes boogie-woogie, jazz, jump blues, western swing, country, and folk into something that defies easy categorization — because he was inventing Americana long before anyone called it that.
Co-Founder
Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
Chart Hit
Hot Rod Lincoln — Top 10, 1972
New Album
Cat Out of the Bag — 2026
★ One Night Only ★
Friday, May 15 · 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Buddy Lou’s, Hancock MD
