BY DANI TIETZ
dani@sjodaily.com
Grunge. Hip Hop. R&B. Heavy Metal. Rock. Rap.
The 1990’s were all about music.
Champaign natives Andrew Duncanson, Josh Stimmel and Chris Breen began their band, Kilborn Alley, in 1999. They had no idea where their talent might take them.
Producing blues music for 19 years, Kilborn Alley has recorded six albums: The Tolono Tapes, Four, Better Off Now, Tear Chicago Down, Put It in the Alley and Kilborn Alley Blues Band.
“I think the thing that really helped us is that the band has evolved musically,” Duncanson said. “We keep growing, keep creating new songs, learning together and maintaining a friendship.”
Coming out of high school, Kilborn Alley members didn’t expect much to happen with their band. But with hard work, and a few breaks, they have now traveled to 40 states and 8 countries going into the release of their seventh album.
They have also received accolades that have put them on the map on the blues music scene.
The group has been nominated for “Best New Artist Debut” and “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at the Blues Music Awards.
In Linda Cain’s review of the 2010 Blues Blast Music Awards at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, she wrote, “Kilborn Alley took the stage with a vengeance and got the crowd revved up from the first note as harp player Joe Asselin displayed his unbelievable lung power on “Train To Memphis.” Josh Stimmel tested the strength of his Gibson’s strings with his mighty note-bending on some down-home licks on “Foolsville.” Andrew Duncanson’s commanding, soulful vocals, which alternated between the styles of Howlin’ Wolf and Otis Redding, thundered across the room. His show-stopping performance on “Better Off Now,” elicited whoo’s and yeah’s from the fans and even had the wait staff stopped in their tracks. That number earned the quintet the award for Best Blues Song, the title track from the band’s CD on Blue Bella.”
Duncanson calls the band, which currently includes eight members, “family.”
Duncanson and Stimmel graduated from Centennial High School while Breen went to Central. The core four band members are rounded out by Aaron “A-Train” Wilson, who grew up in Danville.
“It means a lot to do this with those guys,” Duncanson said. “They’re my brothers.”
The group does not have plans to slow down, either.
Pulling from influences that showcase Chicago blues, Memphis soul, gospel music and rock, Kilborn Alley will perform their set at the Homer Lake Forest Preserve from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, September 22.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Champaign County Forest Preserve’s Summer Concert Series.
