Certain musicians earn their nicknames. Bill Kirchen has been called the “Titan of the Telecaster” since Guitar Player magazine bestowed the title, and fifty years of playing have done nothing but reinforce the designation. The guitarist, best known as a founding member of Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, brings his own distinctly American voice — part rockabilly, part honky-tonk, part hillbilly boogie — to Abilene Bar & Lounge in Rochester this May.
Commander Cody’s 1971 novelty hit “Hot Rod Lincoln” brought the band its biggest chart moment, but Kirchen’s contribution to American roots music runs far deeper than that single recording. He spent decades refining a telecaster style that draws on the full western swing and honky-tonk tradition while remaining immediately identifiable as his own. His playing is a course in what a Fender Telecaster can do in the right hands — dry, percussive, impossibly fluid, and suffused with the kind of joy that serious musicians sometimes forget to project.
The timing is particularly good: Kirchen has a new album (“Cat Out of the Bag,” announced for May 22nd release) arriving right around the time of the Rochester show, meaning audiences will likely get a preview of new material alongside catalog favorites from an artist who has spent half a century building a body of work worth celebrating.
Abilene Bar & Lounge has been Rochester’s home for roots and Americana music with genuine pedigree, and a Bill Kirchen show at this stage of his career is an occasion. Tickets are available through Abilene’s website. Arrive early — the room fills for shows of this caliber.