Robbie Fulks takes country as its starting point and then travels far, far beyond any label or genre. As encompassed by his recent live CD, Revenge! (Yep Roc), Robbie's repertoire stretches from bluegrass to pop to classic honky-tonk to twangy country rock, all of it informed by whip-smart wordplay, an improvisatory, boundary-pushing musical sensibility, and a truly offbeat sense of humor.

After getting his start in 1987 as vocalist and guitarist for the Grammy-nominated bluegrass band Special Consensus, Robbie went on to form his own rock band, the Trailer Trash Revue, before going solo with homages to the country music of the 1950s and '60s like South Mouth and Georgia Hard. (He has also taught guitar for years at the famed Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago.) Known for his live shows full of fabulous guitar work, hilarious banter, and unexpected musical juxtapositions, any evening with Robbie is quite a memorable experience.