No better place to find out who THE B’S are than right here on BALLBUSTER MUSIC’S site. The B’S are a band made up of seasoned musicians who know how to entertain you while reaching every nerve in your body and electricuting you, making your blood boil until your heart feels like it’s going to burst while making you want to get your hard & heavy groove on at the same time. What more could you ask for? Ohhhh…maybe knowing what they’ve been doing. Let’s read & find out…
MARCY: Introduce the band…
BOB: Brad Divens (Bass – KIX, Wrathchild America), Brian Forsythe (Guitar – KIX, Rhino Bucket), Bob Paré (Guitar – KIX, Sun Dogs) & Shannon Larkin (Drums – Godsmack, Wrathchild America).
MARCY: You four friends played two Recovery Benefit shows for LADDERS TO LEADERS (ladderstoleaders.org) in Hagerstown, MD at THE MARYLAND THEATRE, one in January 2025 and one in January 2026 and earned tons of money for a great cause. When you played those shows, did you consider yourself a band or just friends getting together to help people in need? Just asking because you didn’t really have a name for a band then.
BOB: After the success of the first Recovery Benefit concert in 2025, we toyed with the idea of creating new original music, but we weren’t in the mindset of becoming a “Band” until the conclusion of the second Recovery Benefit Concert. Alicia Divens (Brad’s wife) had the idea to generate support for Ladders to Leaders, and naturally included Brad in her vision. Brad reached out to sober musicians to see what could be possible, and now, here we are!
MARCY: I was at both benefit shows and they were great! Couldn’t ask for anything better. Thinking back to the first benefit show, what were some of the highlights of the show? You played cover songs and a couple original KIX and WRATHCHILD AMERICA songs which got the audience moving. How did you pick the songs you four wanted to play?
BOB: There were many highlights that stem from the first concert- Zach Constable, Brad’s Son, joined us on vocals for a couple of acoustic numbers, which was a real pleasure, especially for Brad. With respect to the KIX material we chose, we wanted to play a couple of songs that involved both Brad and Brian during the original recording. Brad’s work on the second KIX record is fantastic! Brian’s contribution to the song “Love Pollution” is just plain great. It includes one of the bands most iconic opening guitar riffs. It’s pure rock and roll. As far as WC goes, we just wanted to play the fun ones! I am such a fan of the early WC.
MARCY: Me too!!! I loved going to see WC play and caught them as much as I could. Also saw KIX a lot. Great bands!!! The second benefit show for LADDERS TO LEADERS lasted longer and you had two wonderful guests….could you tell us about the guests that played the second benefit show? What did they sing/play? Were the guests scheduled to play the show or did they just show up? Like the first benefit show, you played cover songs and some original KIX and WRATHCHILD AMERICA songs. You also had SHANNON get up from his drums and play two songs….could you share with us which songs Shannon aced? I loved that part!
BOB: One of the highlights for the second Benefit Concert was having our dear friend Jimmy “Chocolate” Chalfant on drums while Shannon Larkin came out front to sing a few tunes. Jimmy playing Punk songs! We did “Slave To My D***”, a popular tune by the Canadian band “Subhumans”, and “My Way” the Sid Vicious version. John Moyer, bass player from the band “Disturbed”, joined us for AC/DC’s “Dog Eat Dog”, and Doug Pinnick of “Kings-X” joined us on bass and vocals for a few Hendrix and Thin Lizzy tunes, which he did so well! Everyone was scheduled to perform, and came to Brad’s studio to rehearse for a day the week of the show. We ate, told stories, and just had a great time hanging out.
MARCY: I heard somewhere the upcoming benefit show which is the third for LADDERS TO LEADERS (ladderstoleaders.org) is the last one. Is that correct? Can you tell us anything about the third benefit show……any guests or are you just going to surprise us and make this the best one yet? Either way, I cant wait for this show. When is the date? It’s at THE MARYLAND THEATRE in Hagerstown, MD again. When are tickets going on sale? Where can the tickets be purchased?
BOB: This will definitely be our last time hosting the Recovery Benefit Concert for Ladders to Leaders..it’s time for some else to carry the torch. We are blessed to be in a position to help others in need. All four of The B’S are sober musicians. Nothing brings more joy than making a difference to those that need it the most. We have a fresh set list, and special guests to be announced. We also intend to perform a few new originals tunes that we’ve been working on over the past year. The date is January 9, 2027. The Maryland Theatre has been a great asset to the community on top of being a fine venue for a rock show. The entire Team at the Maryland Theatre have been a real pleasure to work with. Tickets go on sale September 25, 2026, and can be purchased at Ticketmaster (search Maryland Theatre) or directly from the box office in Hagerstown, MD.
MARCY: Now, let’s talk about that band name….THE B’S! Does it stand for BRAD, BRIAN, BOB and SHANNON or something else? Tell us, Bob! The B’S played one show at HUB CITY VINYL in Hagerstown, MD. What date was that? I missed this show but I assume you played covers and some KIX and WRATHCHILD AMERICA songs and you also had SHANNON do a few songs. Which KIX and WRATHCHILD songs did you play? What songs did SHANNON sing? Also at this show, you played THE B’S first original song “JUST A SHOUT AWAY”!!! Now everybody’s going to want to know where they can hear this song…where can they?!? It’s an upbeat song with great vibes….it is a great song and I think everyone will enjoy it. Now….more on this song??? Who wrote the lyrics, who wrote the music, who did what??? We got to know! Did all four of you have a part in creating THE B’S first song?
BOB: The name, “The B’S”, was Shannon’s idea. We didn’t want to make it seem like work, and after throwing around a bunch of ideas, we felt it was great! Simple, yet clever…it simply stands for “Brad Brian Bob Shannon”. We’re not rocket scientists, and we thought, that’ll work. The Hub City Vinyl show on Saturday June 27th in Hagerstown was fun! We played a few new cover tunes, played the song “Just A Shout Away”, which we released in June. It can be heard on Apple Music, Youtube, etc… I wrote the intro, along with the verse and chorus progressions, and Brian, Brad and I worked out the rest. Brian mastered the slide guitar on the track, and did amazing! Brad is a great rock singer, and he wrote the lyrics. We all contributed to the song, and we’re proud of how it turned out. We definitely have a signature to our writing, as people will hear in the near future. It’s a little bit old rock and roll, and little bit bluesy, and a little bit raw. We use real amps, with real old guitars, and no trickery…like it should be. We are excited for people to hear what we have to offer.
MARCY: Your next show is the third benefit show in January 2027? Are you just going to play a couple shows a year considering you all are busy with other projects? Well, you were but I believe Brian left Rhino Bucket and Shannon just does podcasts or something….. Could you tell us the members other projects, please?
BOB: After the January 9, 2027 Benefit Concert, The B’S will be playing shows in the area, so please stay tuned. Everyone has other projects, so scheduling is always a challenge. Brad is jet setting all over the planet with various Artists serving as FOH Engineer. His current work with “Smashing Pumpkins” is held in high regard. Shannon has a few musical projects that he has keeping him in top form as a drummer as well as clinics, etc., along with as his Podcasts. He’s a typical drummer, he cannot sit still. I believe Shannon has a few releases coming in the near future, and of course he is still committed to supporting his former band “Godsmack”. Brian and I just wrapped up playing The KIX Fan Fest in Waynesboro, PA, which was a really fun time. Brian does a few freelance projects, tracking guitars for people that require his expertise. I stay busy with the SunDogs, A Tribute To Rush, along with KIX bassist Mark Schenker and Ricky Slezak.
MARCY: I was at the KIX FAN FEST and it was spectacular. I can’t wait until next years. Do THE B’S have any merchandise available and if so, where can it be bought? How can THE B’S be contacted?
BOB: We have T- shirts for now, we may add hoodies and pick packs, etc in the future. It all depends on demand. We can be reached via The B’S Facebook page… https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590431850413&sk=about
MARCY: Bob, you have been great dealing with my interview delays and such, I want to thank you for that!!! Is there anything else you’d like to add about the benefit shows, THE B’S,…..ANYTHING about ANYTHING??? Thanks for your time!!! I appreciate it more than you know!!!
BOB: We cannot do any of this by ourselves. We have so much support from Companies like JBL, Godin Guitars, Fender Guitars, All Sound Pro, Chuck Levins Washington Music Center, Inzane Skins, Island Music in southern MD, and a slew of people behind the scenes that make each of our performances what they are….and just as important- we thank the people that come out and help support us. Bless you all.
