A glance at Bill Tucker passing on the street is to see a man all about individuality. At the same time, a listen to any of his albums or a jaunt to any of his shows will show a great interest in collaboration.  His band is called Bill Tucker and Friends, and it is evident that everyone in it has an input, which is guided by Bill’s wonderful and sometimes eccentric vision.  The eccentricity of Bill and Friends only add to their appeal, however.  When attending a show, the atmosphere is a definite “come as you are, enjoy yourself,” which encourages the audience to rock out in whatever way they feel compelled to by the music.

The last two Bill albums that crossed my path were Illusions of Repetition, a thirteen track jaunt into the world of Bill Tucker and Friends, and Little Jesus, a joint effort by BTF and Jonni Greth and the Drones.  Illusions of Repetition grabs attention from the very start by combining spoken word with an instrumental backdrop in Peoria Illinois, then gets down to the rockin’ that seems quintessential Bill Tucker in Indiana Avenue and following tracks.  One of the standouts tracks is definitely Gameshow Fear, a song that got amazing audience participation at a recent show at the Hollywood in Chicago, Illinois.  My I.D. is Me, previously featured on Consistent Themes #2, is also a notable track.  Sometimes experimental, but consistently winning, Illusions of Repetition is a great album.  The standouts on Little Jesus are Copper Eye and Grayscale Rainbow; both songs seem stylistically more Bill.

Take it from a person who has listened to everything from Taylor Swift to Run DMC to Flogging Molly and beyond: you will like Bill Tucker and Friends.

Written By Anne Wickboldt

Discography:

Bill Tucker & Friends on the web:

Bill Tucker Fanclub