Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kim Wilson at Riley Center
Blues legend Muddy Waters once called Kim Wilson his favorite harmonica player and singer. The Fabulous Thunderbirds Featuring Kim Wilson still root their music in the blues, but they also branch out into rock, soul, jazz and other rootsy styles.
They芒聙聶ll bring it all to the MSU Riley Center stage on March 27 to kick off the Riley Center芒聙聶s Spring/Summer Series. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., with a pre-show party and refreshments in the Grand Lobby starting at 6 p.m.
The concert will launch a great entertainment weekend that will continue with the 59Twenty Music Festival on March 28. The outdoor event, at City Hall in downtown Meridian, will feature the Wailers, Drivin芒聙聶 N芒聙聶 Cryin芒聙聶, Black Pistol Fire, Old Southwest, Mississippi Shakedown, and Storage 24, plus local artists. The festival is a fund-raiser that benefits Care Lodge, a domestic violence shelter.
Wilson co-founded The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1974 amid the exuberant music scene of Austin, Texas. The band scored a top 10 hit in 1986 with 芒聙聹Tuff Enuff.芒聙聺 Today, Wilson芒聙聶s voice, which has added depth and richness over the years, plays off the stinging guitars of Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller. Bassist Randy Bermudes and drummer Jay Moeller round out the lineup.
Wilson loves the way the Thunderbirds芒聙聶 sound has diversified. 芒聙聹We芒聙聶re an American music band,芒聙聺 he says, 芒聙聹and we芒聙聶re much higher energy than we were before.芒聙聺
Tickets are $39 and $33 at the MSU Riley Center Box Office, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can be purchased online at or by calling the box office at 601-696-2200.