Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers

While power blues-rock is the main business at hand when Jimmy Thackery takes the stage, the guitarist's bag o' tricks is jammed full. The man hasn't met a style of American roots music that he doesn't like or can't play the shit out of. Besides the blistering blues and roots-rock he's garnered his well-deserved rep for, Thackery brandishes monster chops when taking on swing, country, or jump-blues. This versatility was well showcased on his 2003 all-instrumental compilation Guitar.

Since amassing his credentials with legendary East Coast road warriors the Nighthawks in the '70s and '80s, the Washington, D.C.-bred Thackery has led two bands of his own. First was the R&B-styled Assassins in the late '80s. Next came the Drivers, the unit he's fronted since 1992. While Thackery has tweaked the band's lineup over time, the Drivers have always been about a stripped-down sound and supercharged guitar choruses. Thackery was last heard from in tandem with fellow axe-handler Tab Benoit on last year's Whiskey Store Live. His last solo effort was 2003's True Stories, which focused on his songwriting skills. On stage, however, Thackery's six-string is likely to do most of the talking.