BIO

Kevin Burns – AKA “Burns,” “KPB” From my humble, middle-class Midwestern beginning, I've grown into a humble, middle-class quasi-Texan musician. Mixing uniquely inspired originals with crowd-pleasing covers, I hope my shows are an experience to behold. For as long as I can remember, I've always had a song in my head, in my heart and very often on my lips. Early memories of driving with my father, listening to the radio and his singing (off-key, as all dads do) are a fond remembrance of the start of my “musical journey.” I learned early on that music was to be not only a driving force in my life, but a companion, drinking buddy, shrink and girlfriend all rolled into one. From the days of wearing a tennis racquet around my neck and strumming along to everything from the Rolling Stones to Poison, I took a giant leap forward with the gift of my first guitar, a candy-apple red Gremlin, in 1991. A short year later, I made the purchase that would change my path: a ‘90s era black Fender Squier II Stratocaster Contemporary. This first musical purchase on my own would begin a hobby and a passion. This little starter guitar would undergo as many changes as its owner and always be at my side. As my playing grew in the mid to late 1990s, so did my arsenal, with the addition of “Rosalita” the red-flake Fender Stratocaster in 1995. Not only buying new toys, I was honing my chops playing concert, jazz and blues/rock guitar while exploring country and metal to expand my repertoire. My first group music experiences came in the forms of “The Last of The First” and “The Original Substitutes.” My departure for Kalamazoo, MI and college brought the acoustic guitar and opened my eyes and ears to influences such as Dave Matthews, Rusted Root, Phish, the Grateful Dead, and Jim Croce and found me revisiting such bedrocks as CCR and the Stones. The new millennium brought me to Chicago and the band Katheter, looking for a rhythm guitarist. Playing amped-up, humorous and hard-rocking originals, as well as working with older, more experienced musicians, showed me the ups-and-downs of being in a band and the difficulties of booking and management. A volatile mix of personalities and issues festering long before my birth led to the demise of the group and only a scant few copies of our album “Soapy Orifice” remain. A career shift and a longing for new experiences sent me out of my comfort zone and element to the great state of Texas, where I quickly “found out that Texas is another world.” I was quickly accepted and welcomed by the wonderful people of this large, proud state. In the process of making great friends and finding my place in the world, I rounded out the lineup of the successful Dallas alt-rock/funk-pop act Slip Fall Sue. My first group experience since the days of “Grandma Dater” and “You Don't Know Sh*t” in Katheter, proved to be a horse of a different color. Boasting an already strong and faithful fan following, Slip Fall Sue was another game of catch-up for me, but I was equal to the task, immediately adding rhythm lines and backing vocals. The eventual addition of new Sue originals (since I joined) and even some of my own, along with a solid roster of covers, allowed us to play some high-profile gigs in Dallas and North Texas. A desire for a change of pace and new experiences led to my departure from the group in early 2004 and the launch of my new “solo career.” I continually strive to entertain, impress and retain fans of all ages in and around the Dallas area. Along with an continually expanding stable of covers, new “KPB Originals” are added regularly to provide more depth and breadth to my sets. Each performance is a thematic musical journey through different phases of my life and each song – original or cover – offers a unique perspective into me and my experiences. What will the future hold for me? Only time will tell. But time is on my side and it's 23 Hours to St Louis.