Since 1985, Kenny Wilkerson has been keeping the flames lit for Florida-based hard rockers Nova Rex. And for the first time since 1992, original vocalist Kevin Tetz will be joining the band onstage later this month, right here in good old Daytona Beach at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday, Sept. 28.
I recently spoke with Wilkerson about all of the current endeavors he has going on both in, and out of Nova Rex. Regarding Tetzs’ return, he says, “I just told him, why don’t you just come on down, split the time with (current Nova Rex singer) Adrian [Adonis], and see how it goes?! And sure enough, he was cool with it.” Current Nova Rex guitarist Greg Polcari, and newcomer Shawn “Sawbladehead” Lowery (drums) will be on board for the party as well.
Many of you may actually recognize Tetz from his work on such shows as Spike TV’s Trucks. And while it’s doubtful he will be sporting the same spandex pants he did for the band’s 1987 video “Turn It Up Loud,” you can be sure to hear such songs as that, as well as many other well-known numbers from the band’s early catalog like “Bring the House Down” and “Think of Me.”
Fellow ‘80s rockers Pretty Boy Floyd – perhaps best remembered for their hits “I Wanna Be With You” and “Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire)” (both off their 1989 debut Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz) – will be kicking off the sure to be wild evening.
Directly following the Hard Rock Hotel show, Nova Rex will be playing the 6th Annual ‘80s in the Park show the following day at the Space Coast Harley-Davidson in Palm Bay. The band will go on at approximately 5pm on Sat., the 29th, and as Kenny explains, “It’s sure to be a long weekend for us!”
As if that wasn’t enough, Wilkerson also wrote a soon-to-be-released cookbook. He explains; “It’s called Rockin’ Recipes for Autism, Vol. 1, and I have over seventy rockers lending their own recipes for it, including Rikki Rockett from Poison, and Frankie Banali from Quiet Riot (just to name a few). I’ve been working on it for about 3 years off and on, and the money from the book is going to go to a charity called We Rock For Autism. I’m sure as soon as the book comes out I’ll end up somewhere on the Food Channel (Laughs)!”
Be sure to catch Kenny and the guys from Nova Rex at one (or both) of the previously mentioned shows, as well as check out his upcoming cookbook…all of which are sure to have you banging your head, one way or another!
