The Sons of Gladys Kravitz kick off Thunder Nites

It’s that time of year again, grab your motorcycle (or your lawn chair) and head to Thunder Nites Bike Night Friday on the downtown square.

In its fourth year, Thunder Nites brings more than 1,000 motorcycles along with thousands of people to downtown the second weekend of the month starting in May and running through September. Kicking off the concert series is The Sons of Gladys Kravitz, a classic rock group out of Des Moines.

“This will be our first appearance at Thunder Nites and we are really looking forward to it,” band member Brian Kohlwes said.

Founded 22 years ago as an acoustic duo, the group has existed in one form or another ever since. Currently, the group is a four piece classic rock cover band that plays music from the 1960s through present day. Wade Krieg (guitar/vocals) and Ron Kennebeck (keyboards/vocals), Brian Kohlwes (bass/vocals) and Rick Maly (drums/percussion) make up the vocally-driven team who have a wide platform of classic rock and pop styling on which to perform. Some of their favorite artists are the Beatles, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and The Who.

Kennebeck and Krieg began playing together in 1992 and formed the heart of the popular band The Subdivisions. Kennebeck and Maly go back to The Kruze Band from 1985 to 1990. Krieg and Kohlwes spent several years playing together in Legacy.

The Sons of Gladys Kravitz can be found in two basic formats. The first is a more moderate duo acoustic show involving the vocal and instrumental talents of Kennebeck and Krieg in a laid-back eclectic version of your favorite hits from the 60s through the 80s. The second way is to find the band in all-out four piece rock mode where they enlist some of the best rhythm section players in central Iowa including Kohlwes and Maly.

The group chose a whimsical name evoking another time, “when actors could act and sitcoms were funny” and the music was great. They have busy summer planned with appearances at the Summerset Winery, Indianola and Winterset Bike Nights in June, The Italian Fest and Clive Fest in July and the Beaverdale Fall Festival in September, as well as club appearances in Des Moines and the surrounding area.

The Thunder Nites board, under the leadership of executive director Angie Taylor and board president Bob O’Brien, features many community members new to the Thunder Nites family, but also includes community members who have been a part of Thunder Nites since the inception in 2011.

The Thunder Nites Board has brought in many new and returning sponsors and vendors for this year. The Thunder Nites stage will feature many familiar faces including Wikid Likir, Richard Arndt, Standing Hampton and Gimikk.

The board will be adding more new surprises throughout the year, keep posted to the Thunder Nites Facebook page and website www.thundernitesinnewton.com.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com