Singer/guitarist Gary Hoey has been around the block more than a few times. Emerging in the early 90s as an instrumental shredder, the Lowell MA native scored a Billboard #3 Rock hit with his cover of Focus’ Hocus Pocus. Since then, he’s added vocals to his repertoire, delved deeply into the blues, toured extensively with guitarist Lita Ford and become the music director for Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp. He is also the creator of the much loved Ho Ho Hoey series of holiday shows, where he uses rock guitar stylings to reimagine Christmas classics.

Hoey recently performed at The Center For Arts At Natick, a lovely small theater with great sound and chill ambiance. Taking the stage as a power trio with bass and drums, Hoey took the house on a musical journey. Mixing classic blues (Going Down) with original blues compositions, iconic surf tunes (Pipeline, Penetration) and eclectic covers (Tom Cochrane’s Lunatic Fringe, Low Rider), Hoey’s guitar and vocal chops are as sharp as ever.

Hoey also brought his son Ian, a solid guitarist in his own right, on stage for some father/son blues jams. It was easy to clock the pride on Gary’s face as Ian took off on some blues flights of fantasy. The family vibe was strong for this show.

In addition to everything else, Hoey is one of the most humble and appreciative entertainers in this man’s experience. He’s constantly thanking the crowd for coming and always manages to name check members of the armed forces at show’s end, playing the Star Spangled Banner as the show comes to a close.

Short story: if you love instrumental shredding, blues, surf and rock guitar from a man that’s truly thankful you’re spending your hard earned money with him, Gary Hoey is your guy. Plus, he live-streamed the show so his mom could watch from home. How can you go wrong?

www.garyhoey.com