One of the Valley's most popular and acclaimed (and radically revamped and revitalized) bands, FourStroke Bus, makes their debut at the very popular and revitalized Whiskey's nightclub in Ketchum on Friday (Jan. 22), at 10pm.

What was once considered a "pleasant" and "easy listening" acoustic-folk band up until last summer has now become a full-on, seriously-rocking rock band, of sorts -- with the additions of stellar guitarists Ken Martin (also of The Heaters), and Chris Clark (whose signature black-wool cap looks every bit as natural on his young head as a guitar looks in his very capable hands), as well as drummer Cory Ballentine (whose work in another very popular local band, The Cosmic Beans, is almost the stuff of legends now).

Back when I first verrrry eagerly and happily wrote about this newly-expanded, revamped and revitalized FourStroke Bus for sunvalleyonline.com in the 9/9/09 issue of "Buzz" (http://www.sunvalleyonline.com/news/article.asp?ID_Article=7404), I said that the ONLY way I could think to describe this "new" FourStroke Bus was comparing the Ann and Nancy Wilson-driven group, Heart, of the 1970s -- back when they were warbling pleasant, easy-listening tunes like "Dreamboat Annie," "Dog & Butterfly," "Silver Wheels," and "Mistral Wind" -- and then comparing it to the Heart of the 1980s, when they were seriously rockin' the house with international hits  like "Alone," "Never." "Who Will You Run To?" and "These Dreams" ... the difference in tone and tempo was THAT different and also THAT surprising.

Verrrry high on my list of faves of theirs (which hopefully they'll be playing before a verrrry packed house at Whiskey's on Friday, starting around 10pm) are:

"Dear Mr. Fantasy" (a jaw-droppingly powerful Traffic song that'd certainly stop traffic in a Heart-beat wherever Bus played it); The Grateful Dead's "Loser" and"Franklin's Tower"; Widespread Panic's "Makes Sense;" Bus' original compositions "Better Day" (I always knew you had it on you, Lisa!!!), "Addams Family" (a dazzlingly-inventive and -elaborate instrumental arrangement that showcases the superb guitar work Lisa and Wade Port, Martin and Clark are obviously all capable of, and which reminded me immediately the very first time I heard it last year of some of Bachman-Turner Overdrive's 1970s-era soul-infusion guitar chords), "It's Your Life" (arguably one of the most radiant reasons why Lisa Whitworth-Port is often talked about in local music circles here with such unceasing, unbridled and unqualified enthusiasm and admiration, both!!), "Glad To Go," and the verrrrry danceable and infectious "Get Down To It"; Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice;" "I Know You Rider" (a wonderfully uptempo chestnut featuring the Ports on lead vocals that happily harkens back to some of those genuinely loving and lovely onstage moments between Johnny and June-Carter Cash, the chemistry between Lisa and Wade is THAT poignant and poetic); "You Can't Blame the Youth" (an alternately hard-rock and jammin'-reggae number that again superbly illustrates the band's increasingly eclectic and electric guitar work, as well as Ballentine's justly-deserved legendary-drummer status here); "Sample in a Jar;" "Deep Elem Blues" and the verrry B.B. King-like "And It Stoned Me" (the latter FourStroke Bus offering, being an especially appropriate one to hear at Whiskey's, after hearing those truly amazing back-to-back blues performances last weekend at Whiskey's featuring New York blues legend, Bill Sims, Jr.!!!) ... whose soaring riffs and mesmerizing melodies keep you thinking about it hours after you've heard them play it.

Other songs to keep verrrry high on your radar at Whiskey's Friday night that the FourStroke Bus crew has made completely their own: "My Babe," "Well Alright," "I Shot the Sheriff," "Not Fade Away," "Roll Away," "Friend of the Devil," "Love," "I Wanna Be Ready," "Delicate," "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," "City of Dreams," "Green Grass" ("Pioneer Cabin"); "Don't Ease Me In;" "D-Slide" (another fantastic instrumental showcase the band totally owns); "If He Tries Anything;" "Stealin';" and "Long-Legged Guitar Pickin'".

Even in its earliest incarnations, FourStroke Bus has always, always been an immensely likable and entertaining band I always loved listening to and rooting for -- lead singers and guitarists Lisa and Wade Port, particularly -- and one that sometimes even seemed on the cusp of genuine greatness, but also one that was in dire jeopardy of being relegated in many people's minds to the "OMG, not ANOTHER one!!!" pile, where easy-listening local acoustic-folk bands are concerned.

Well ... anyone who was fortunate enough to see/hear this new, pumped-up FourStroke Bus last summer (after Clark, Martin and Ballentine had all joined the band) -- at their standing room-only gig at Sun Valley's Zenergy Health Club, or during any of their many extremely popular Hailey concerts (at the SV Brewery, The Wicked Spud, during those "Monday Music Nights"), or at Papa Hemi's Hideaway in Ketchum (which is where I was first introduced to their amazing music several years ago) -- knows for a fact ALREADY that FourStroke Bus is definitely operating on all cylinders these days and otherwise regularly surpassing whatever previous high-water marks it set in prior gigs.

However, for who haven't seen/heard 'em anytime recently, Friday's night gig at Whiskey's will almost certainly be one that patrons will be eagerly talking (and smiling) about for many days afterward.

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Questions or comments regarding this local music scene-oriented "Harmonic Convergence" column can contact John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com

And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns he's written for sunvalleyonline -- which include raves on local faves Cow Says Mooo, Hickory Blue, Bruce Innes, Molly & Josiah Venter, and The Mighty Shims (aka, The Lightning Rods) -- simply type "John Pluntze" into the SVO search engine here.