This year marks their return to the stage after 13 years

“The excitement of our fans – we feed off them,” says K-Man Band front man Tony Richards. The band’s last major project was the album Live Sweat and on it, many a fan may be heard. “Everyone’s a star on that album!” Live Sweat was recorded at New Milford’s former Hayloft in 1989, now the infamous Cookhouse Restaurant on Route 7. This year marks their return to the stage and the fans are out in droves.

The evolution of the K-man Band took place over more than three decades. The group was known as New York Chalk from 1975 to 1978 and as Brother Jump from 1980 to 1983. “We were some serious road dogs,” Richards says. “We did huge tours. Then we all woke up and said, ‘Let’s take a little break.’  Everyone was starting to figure out what our responsibilities were. We were no longer just wild and crazy musicians on the road.

“We were on break for 13 years,” Richards goes on. “But we called each other every other week. And through the whole thing I was still writing songs.”

Although the band never officially broke-up, following that serious time off in the 90s, members of the band spent time focusing on other priorities like marriage and family. Today the group has reunited and they are tighter, stronger, and better than ever.  It was about five years ago when the band had planned their first comeback, however due to a “comedy of errors” Richards says it couldn’t happen at that time. “We kept moving back the date. But about a year ago we all got to the point that we said, ‘It looks like all the kids are gone, in college …so we met face-to-face. Everybody looked great – and we started rehearsing.”

Formerly a horn, funk, rock band, K-man is now more rock-based. Back in the day, Richards says they were “chaotic – a shove-it-down-your-throat” kind of sound. “Today we have more solidity, (more) power,” he says. “We are much more spiritually based. We’ve grown – recognized more of the value in life.”

Getting back out there means kicking it in the clubs and coming up on August 15, K-man will be playing the Marbledale Pub in Washington, Conn. “We’re starting off in this area,” Richards says. “That’s what we know we can do.” Fans can hardly wait.
“The band is great, danceable, high-energy,” says Aura Showah, owner of the Pub.

“Tony is like the Pied Piper of music,” she goes on. “He works so hard at his craft. He is constantly writing, tweaking everything, practicing. He’s a great showman. And he transcends – young people need to hear him.”  The crowds are growing and expanding across the generations according to Richards. “We have no qualms about getting to the younger people. Good music is good music,” he says. “There is a lot of life to us – we put on a great show.”