The Capitol is proud to bring back Webb Wilder! There are roots rockers and then there’s Webb Wilder. Hardly a purist, he describes the music he makes as, “Rock for Roots fans and Roots for Rock fans.” The “Last Of The Full Grown Men” hasn’t limited his creativity to the music business. Using all manner of media, Webb Wilder has been impacting Popular culture for over 20 years, all the while maintaining a devoted worldwide fan base through a relentless tour schedule. Webb Wilder is an evangelist for real Rock n’ Roll. As a singer, guitarist, bandleader, actor, song-writer and humorist, he may be roots-rock’s only true Renaissance man.

More Like Me, his first collection of new material since 2005, is classic Webb – an exciting blend of bedrock American music and bittersweet ballads incorporating a host of influences. Not forgotten is his ever present irreverent attitude and wit.

A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Wilder moved to Austin, Texas in 1976 with his boyhood friend, Bobby “Crow” Field. Incorporating a British Invasion influence (among others) into their then double time tunes separated Wilder’s music from the pack. After moving to Nashville, Wilder and Field formed the Beatnecks in 1985. As Nashville moved toward unapologetically commercial fare, Wilder and Field were busy crafting their signature brand of rock ‘n’ roll, founded on classic influences from both sides of the pond. Wilder’s debut, It Came From Nashville, a brazenly rocking bar-band rave-up, seems even more unlikely now than it must have seemed then. His subsequent albums (Hybrid Vigor, Doo Dad, Town & Country, Acres of Suede, About Time, and Born To Be Wilder (live)), have continually maintained the high standard set by the first, becoming textbooks for aspiring roots rockers and showing there was (and is) a vibrant market for their hybrid brand of Southern musical gumbo.

In concert, Wilder spikes the punch between songs with potent doses of rustic wit and character, transcendent mediations, incantations, and codes by which to live. Webb’s first Blind Pig release, Born To Be Wilder captured that on-stage alchemy with a set featuring favorites such as “The Human Cannonball,” “Tough It Out”, “Miss Missy From Ol’ Hong Kong”, “Louisiana Hannah,” and others, at their rockin’ best in front of a sold out enthusiastic crowd.

Also upcoming in October is the ever-popular ROCKtoberfest! Our feature band, who is sure to put the rock in ROCKtoberfest, will be the amazing Skip Bond and the Fugitives, who always succeed in delighting audiences of all ages. In addition to great music, we will have a food and beverage tasting featuring some of Bowling Green’s top-rated restaurants; a Live and Silent Auction with lots of great items for your bidding pleasure and much, much more!

Tickets for WebbFest V are $10.00 (plus ticketing fees) and are available on the Capitol website (www.capitolarts.com) or at the Capitol Arts box office. For more information, call 270-782-2787.