If you go
› What: Drew Sterchi and the Blues Tribe› Where: Songbirds Guitar Museum, 35 Station St.› When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27› Admission: $12 in advance, $15 day of show› For more information: 423-531-2473
Drew SterchiBrainerd High School alum Drew Sterchi started playing guitar at the age of 14, doing covers of Steppenwolf, The Rolling Stones, The Doors and Kinks. After he heard Chicago blues icon Michael Blumfield’s blistering solo on “Texas,” his playing began to lean more toward an expressive blues style.
While opening for artists like Johnny Winter, James Gang, Bonnie Bramblett, Sea Level and Dr. John, Sterchi’s band honed its unique style of blues -a blend of old-school electric and acoustic blues, R&B and some classic rock.
Now Sterchi has reunited with his longtime bandmates to create another new experience: Blues Tribe. They are incorporating the rock sounds and blues influences from their history to create an approach to new material that tells a story a personal way.
Blues Tribe features Milton Hamrick on bass, Burnard Tate on drums and Fred Mayes on keyboards. The band’s secret weapon is his niece, singer Virginia Sterchi.