By Brian Golden

Correspondent

NORWICH – Music fans in Chenango County will have the opportunity Friday to experience something that hasn’t occurred here since 1987: Jimmy Frech and the Velcros/Spider Murphy are back and ready to rock.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Frech will be joined by original members Ron Thompson and Gary LaVancher, on drums and bass guitar respectively, reuniting for a pair of shows and bringing their blend of original and classic rock ‘n’ roll back to the stage. Members of the once hugely popular Syracuse-based band, which landed a 53-date tour opening for Van Halen in 1984 and played countless Central New York club dates, are joining forces once again for two dates this weekend. On Friday, the trio will play at Beadle’s Lounge, located on Lackawanna Avenue in Norwich, and Saturday’s show will take place at Hotties, on Grant Avenue in Auburn.

“We’ve only reunited twice since we broke up in 1988,” said Frech, a Norwich native who now resides in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where he owns and operates Mental Case, a boutique custom road-case company. Mental Case’s clientele includes artists such as Eddie Van Halen, The Moody Blues, Michael Anthony, Shinedown, Rikki Rocket, Motley Crue, Joe Walsh, Taylor Swift, Poison, The Killers and many others.