BHS graduates, Rob and Charlie Knapik, will rock Barrington’s White House this Friday night when their band, Sons of Bildor, takes the Ballroom stage at 8 p.m. These local brothers are kicking off their lineup of spring and summer concerts right here in Barrington to celebrate their hometown as they share their passion for performing together.
Both brothers were born and raised in Barrington. They were on the football, basketball and track teams at BHS. But Rob, lead vocalist, says his love for music dates back to his days as a young student. “I started in elementary school at Hough Street and then I joined the Barrington Children’s Choir. I sang at BHS as well in chorus and barbershop quartets.” With the help of online guitar tabs and an ear for music, Charlie (guitar & vocals) taught himself how to play guitar while at Hope College.
“When we were both home from college on breaks we would jam and experiment with our sound,” Rob says. “Having similar tastes in music and, being brothers, we had an instant connection and a somewhat seamless combination of guitar and vocal.”
After years of learning from great local music teachers and enjoying live music at Barrington’s 4th of July holiday Brat Tent, the brothers decided the time was right to form their own band. In the summer of 2005, they started playing together in their parents’ basement and named their band Sons of Bildor, which is a combination of their parents’ names, Bill and Dori.
Today, the acoustic rock duo covers popular music from all decades and genres and Rob says performing together is one of the highlights. “It’s a pretty neat thing to be able to play with your brother and we look forward to playing for years to come. Also, one of the most enjoyable and exciting aspects of performing is going from genre to genre and jumping decades with our covers. We can go from Roy Orbison to Maroon 5 to Led Zeppelin to the White Stripes.”
As far as their favorite songs to play? Rob says they’re constantly changing. “I would have to say ‘Pinball Wizard’ by The Who. I can’t get enough of Charlie’s guitar on that one. One of my new favorites is “S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliffe & The Night Sweats.”
Friday’s White House performance is just the start of an exciting concert season ahead for the Knapik brothers. They’ll be performing at the Chicago Ale Fest this summer and September’s Windy City Wine Festival at Buckingham Fountain. Closer to home, you can catch Sons of Bildor at the Barrington Brat Tent on July 1st and Fred Fest in August.
You might also bump in to the Knapiks around town. Rob lives in Barrington with his wife, Taylor, and three little girls. Charlie lives nearby in Arlington Heights with his wife, Kelly.
If you have yet to see Sons of Bildor perform, this Friday April 15th is your chance to catch them right here in the heart of town from 8 to 11 p.m. at Barrington’s White House, 145 West Main Street. Tickets cost $15 and Rob says they have a great show planned. Doors will lock 30 minutes after the start of the concert and there will be a cash bar throughout the event.
CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets online.
We’re also giving away TWO PAIRS of tickets to two winners for Friday night’s Sons of Bildor show. For a chance to win, simply fill out the form below. The deadline to enter is NOON on Thursday. We’ll draw and contact our two winners on Thursday of this week before Friday night’s concert. Good Luck! And have fun at the show.
