Das Boton

Photo: Jac Gilligan

He’s a rare sight within city limits these days, but throughout the ’90s Bill Dolan was a fixture in the local scene. The lithe guitarist channeled the Meters’ Leo Nocentelli with the supremely funky 5ive Style before harnessing his inner Jimmy Page in Heroic Doses alongside long-limbed drummer Ryan Rapsys.

Several years back, Dolan returned to his native Rockford, though he still resurfaces from time to time: In 2007, he popped up fronting a nimble ZZ Top–nodding combo alongside Tortoise timekeeper John Herndon (his 5ive Style bandmate) and bass warrior Matt Lux. Now the unsung guitar hero’s back with another new group, Das Boton, an instrumental trio with Rapsys and bassist Karl Ropp.

Rather than retread Heroic Doses, the squirrelly six-stringer turns up the eclecticism, shifting from swinging R&B shuffles to high-octane rockers. Rife with quirky detours, Dolan’s noodley riffs and chicken-pickin’ leads furiously fill up the space typically occupied by vocals.

While this year’s recorded debut, Soda Drip, serves mostly to spotlight Dolan’s jaw-dropping finger skills, the live show gives everyone ample face time. Herndon steps into Rapsys’s shoes for this monthlong weekly residency at the Hideout, carrying us into the teens with infectious, riff-ridden jams. Expect Dolan to deliver high kicks, fast licks and at least a few funky struts.

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