When I launched Boomerocity.com almost a year ago, it was my original intent to have the occasional interview with an icon or two from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s.  So far, we’ve had a pretty good run of it and have a lot more planned for the future.

However, in the course of my networking for interviews, reviews and stories, I quickly learned that I was doing a great disservice to you, our very loyal readers.  See, here’s the deal: There are some great bands and artists out there that have a sound that we Boomer’s would love if we were just exposed to them.  If you were to  listen to all this new talent, you’d swear that they are from our day. Black Robot is just such a band.

Black Robot is a band you’re really going to love.  Why? Well, they’re like a tasty desert with all sorts of your favorite ingredients mixed in.  When you devour the tasty treat, your taste buds will recognize each ingredient without one flavor dominating the others.  Black Robot is much like the decadent desert I just described.

Do you like AC/DC and Black Sabbath?  You’ll love Black Robot.  Do you like Lynard Skynard?  You’ll love Black Robot.  Do you love Cream, Clapton and Harrison?  You’re gonna love Black Robot.  Do you love the Partridge Family?  Then you WON’T love Black Robot.

I was just seeing if you were paying attention.

Black Robot is the brainchild and creation of JB Brightman and lead singer, Huck Johns.  Does Brightman’s name sound familiar?  If it does, it’s because JB was a founding member and former bassist for the band, Buckcherry.

I recently had the distinct privilege to chat with Brightman about his new band. At the outset of our conversation, I noted the various classic rock influences that I mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago.

“I think that we were heavily influenced by the generations that were before us.  I would say to myself, ‘Man!  I wish that I was born just a little earlier and could’ve seen all the cool stuff that you saw, you know?  A lot of people I know that are my age, or younger, are wishing that we were there for all that cool stuff.”

JB’s answer was pretty much matter-of-fact when I asked him for the “Reader’s Digest” version of the story behind the creation of Black Robot?

“I played in a band called Buckcherry.  I was the founder of that band.  We had a really good run for a point in time.  We made two records together but then we just couldn’t stay together as a band. So, we broke up in 2001.  We had been through a lot and saw a lot.  It was, basically, a bad experience for some of us.  That’s why we had to get rid of the band.

“I kept in touch with some of my old band mates and we talked about getting together and making some music.  I was introduced to our singer, Huck Johns, through some of the guys in Kid Rock’s band.  They said, ‘You’ve got to hear this guy.  He’s out of Detroit and he’s a great singer.’ 

“We became friends and we spent a couple of years putting songs together, getting together whenever we could.  The guitar player on this record, Yogi (Lonich), who was in Buckcherry with me, was touring with an artist, Chris Cornell, from Soundgarden (and former lead singer for Audioslave), so it was REALLY hard to get everybody together to do this.