Stimulate your brain and hips

The blues continues to be an important music form that tells the story of the American experience—even if the story doesn’t take place in the Mississippi Delta of the early 20th century. Jeffrey Halford and The Healers aren’t a traditional blues-style band (in fact, they hail from the Bay Area) but their mix of country, rock and blues has music fans and critics buzzing. Halford and his band made a big impression with their 1999 album, Kerosene. “[Halford’s] storytelling talents are obvious, almost a Hemingway armed with a blues guitar,” wrote a Dirty Linen reviewer. Halford has been compared to songwriters like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen for his stories of American people and icons and also praised for his guitar playing and pop sensibility. The band’s latest album, Hunkpapa, also has received rave reviews. Vintage Guitar magazine wrote that Halford “is carrying on a tradition of rock and roll that is long and literate and, in the words of John Mellencamp, stimulates your brains and your hips.” The band performs 9 p.m. Oct. 4 at The Garage inside the Reno Hilton, 2500 E. Second St. The performance is free. Call 789-2000 for details.