Jackson Free Press

Webb Wilder's southern blend of roots music and rock is nothing new for Jackson. The Hattiesburg native has been driving out distorted guitar licks on stages across the region and country for more than 30 years.

The stage veteran will rock Duling Hall in Fondren Friday, March 30, with surf-rock cover band Buddy and the Squids opening the show.

Wilder's signature khaki hat and thick-rimmed glasses give the impression of a 1950s detective more than rock star. But as soon as the first notes come from the self-proclaimed "Last of the Full Grown Men," there is no denying his precision with an ax and ear for rock-and-roll detail.

Maybe that's why Wilder has managed to be a mainstay on the American music scene—which tosses aside more casualties every year than cigarettes—despite little to no radio air play, magazine covers or MTV appearances.

"The tour is like 30 years old or something. I'm just sort of doing different stuff all the time," Wilder said in an interview.

Wilder's last album release, 2009's "More Like Me," features everything from the slow ballad "She's Not Romantic" to the steady, fast-paced rock of "Ju Ju Man" and the country-roll of "Honky Tonkin' (in Mississippi)."

Though he hasn't played in Mississippi in a while, Wilder says it's always special to come back and play in his home state.

"A little over a year ago, I was in Jackson because I was inducted into the Mississippi Musician's Hall of Fame, which was a tremendous honor for me," Wilder said.

"We always want to see some new faces. In this case, we're really looking forward to seeing some old familiar faces, too. We have a lot of great memories of all those shows we did at Hal and Mal's and different venues around Jackson."

See Webb Wilder perform with Buddy and the Squids Friday, March 30, at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave., 601-292-7121). Doors open with cocktails available at 7:30 p.m.. The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door and $13.30 on Ticketmaster.com.