This edition of "Midwest BEAT with Tom Lounges" was originally aired on 12-14-20 on 89.1FM-Lakeshore Public Radio.
GUEST: KEVIN J. FRIEND
Southside of Chicago music native, Kevin J. Friend returned over the holidays to rock his old stomping grounds. Friend is best known in the region for having been the lead vocalist and guitarist for the club-packing Chicago band MAMMOTH during the 1980s.
The group shared stages with top rock names of the day at venue ranging from Pointe East, to The Hammond Civic Center, to the Aragon Ballroom, and Midway Ballroom, to name a few.
Friend later spent time on the local club circuit in the 1990s fronting Kevin Friend & 20/20 before relocating to Florida many years ago.
The popular and charismatic entertainer returns to town to perform two special shows before jetting back to the Sunshine State. During his time in studio at Lakeshore Public Radio, Friend talks to his old buddy Tom Lounges about the glory days, the current days, and the blessings of sobriety.
There is a fair share of live singing and playing of music in studio and the show opens with a short blast of hard rockin' via a partial clip of Friend's band 20/20 kicking out an amplified treatment of Cat Steven's classic, "Wild World."
