Frank Bang and the Secret Stash Appear at White's
February 17th

 By Scott Baker

After being a standout at both the Frankenmuth Blues Bash on Cass events, Frank Blinkal and company also sold out The Palace in Essexville last October. He is now bringing his brand of blues rock over to White's Bar to give Saginaw a little taste of what the buzz is all about.
     
Having pared down to a three-piece in December, Blinkal is now the sole guitarist in the band. Along with bassist Charlie Pierce and drummer Mark Diffenderffer, the trio mixes classic rock with a deep blues sensibility, offering transient jams and memorable songs.
 "The new trio is great," said Bang from a current break from the road. "It's really not new though.

 
The three of us have been playing together for almost a year. Plus, Diff and me have been playing together from the start. There's a lot of listening to each other. That's something you just don't get from a 'new group'.
 
"I couldn't do it without the right bass player and drummer. Diff and Charlie sounded good together all by themselves. The first jam Charlie played with me and Diff was a Trio. Our guitar player was late. So I thought if it ever came down to it, I'd be O.K."
Blinkal just recorded a new live album with the Secret Stash as well.
 
 "We recorded a Live record from Martyr's in Chicago. We did it the night before Thanksgiving. I'm not sure what I'm going to call it yet. Homegrown or maybe Cryin' Out Live. The Live disc should be in stores by April.
"We are gonna record for XM radio on March 13th. We've been playing all the new songs at shows.
So we plan to record some of the new stuff for XM."
 
Blinkal is a former backing guitarist for Chicago blues legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Buddy Guy.
 
"The trio thing means a lot to me now," he said. "Let me explain. The thing that will always be so special about Buddy's band was me coming full circle. From being inspired by the Man to playing with the Man on my stage. To playing with him on his stage all over the world and with the biggest names in Music, to running sessions or tapings that involved his music. It meant a lot to me, much more than anything else. It used to be all I dreamed. Now with it being a trio I feel like this was meant to be. Like it's also starting to come around full circle."
 
Check out www.frankbang.com for more information.
 
Advance tickets for Frank Bang & the Secret Stash are available at White's Bar. The show is slated for Friday, February 17th.
(Editor's Note: The Scott Baker Band will be opening.)