Jimbo Mathus, Deadstring Brothers to fire up the rally

Jimbo Mathus and the Deadstring Brothers perform at the Rally by the River from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. tomorrow in Promenade Park on the downtown Toledo riverfront. Tickets are $5 per person. Children younger than 12 are free with a paid adult. Advance tickets and information: 419-249-4090.

Blues and soulman Jimbo Mathus, a co-founder of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Detroit country rockers the Deadstring Brothers entertain at tomorrow's Rally by the River.

Mathus, a native of Clarksdale, Miss., grew up listening to Mississippi Delta blues. In 1993, he and his wife, Katharine Whalen, started the Squirrel Nut Zippers - named after a chewy candy bar - whose big-band mix of jazz, folk, and swing music was a surprise hit in 1997 when its album, "Hot," sold more than a million copies.

His current Jimmy the Kid tour also includes a stop tonight in the Winchester in Cleveland.

The Deadstring Brothers came together in 2001. The group's music is influenced by the likes of 1970s rockers The Band and Gram Parsons, and it has shared the stage with acts including Cat Power, Jesse Sykes, Giant Sand, Drive-By Truckers. and the Mekons.

Jimbo Mathus and the Deadstring Brothers perform at the Rally by the River from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. tomorrow in Promenade Park on the downtown Toledo riverfront. Tickets are $5 per person. Children younger than 12 are free with a paid adult. Advance tickets and information: 419-249-4090.