‘The Thunder Returns’ when hard rock band Harpo storms Kirby Center in Wilkes-Barre on Nov. 26
From a press release:
It was announced today that Sunbury hard rock band Harpo will storm the F.M. Kirby Center’s Chandelier Lobby on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 9 p.m. with The Thunder Returns Tour. This will mark the tour’s only stop in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area.
Tickets, which are $15 in advance or $18 the day of the show, go on sale this Friday, Oct. 14 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at the Kirby Center box office (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100. A special Kirby Members pre-sale will begin this Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m.
Pennsylvania’s rock institution Harpo was formed in 1974 by founding members Bill Kerstetter and John “Lloyd” Kistner. After seeing the band live in Toronto, Harpo signed on with Mallard Management, which led to their first recording, the self-titled “Harpo.” It was recorded in Rochester, New York and released in early 1982. With extensive radio play and club exposure, Harpo’s popularity grew to the point where they sold out many of their venues and, in 1987, Harpo released their second LP, “Armed to Deliver.”
Six months before releasing a six-song EP entitled “Fire Your Fire,” Harpo added a new lead guitar player, Chris Silvagni, and drummer Richard Smith both from Williamsport. In 1992, the band released their album “Too Much Is Just Enough,” a compilation of the best songs from their three previous albums and five songs never recorded. This was their first release on CD. After 21 years of high-energy, high-power touring, the band released their fifth album, “Smokin’ Gun,” in early 1996.
In 1997, the band won a well-deserved spot in front of Queensrÿche on their 1997 Hear in the Now Frontier Tour at Montage Mountain in Scranton. Harpo released their sixth album, “Go Heavy or Go Home,” in the midst of their 25th anniversary tour in 1998 and has made intermittent appearances ever since they played their “final” show on Dec. 31, 1998 at the Peppermint Lounge in their hometown of Sunbury.
