Harry "Flamin' Harry" McGonigal, long considered to be one of the premier East Coast blues-rock guitarists, and his band, The Roadhouse Rockers, are expected to figuratively set the stage afire in a co-headlining concert with the Skyla Burell Band at this month's 2nd Story Blues Alliance event, 7 p.m. Feb. 20, The Epic Center, 1205 Broadway, Fountain Hill.

None other than fellow blues rock legend George Thorogood has called McGonigal "the most underrated guitar player in North America." The Philadelphia Daily News stated that The Roadhouse Rockers "has a sound coherent of the classic trios like Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience."

McGonigal lives in Bucks County but was born in Philadelphia. He owns property in the Poconos and a sailboat in Annapolis, Md, so he divides his time between the four locations.

The Roadhouse Rockers, founded in the 1970s, has changed genres and members over the years. It is now composed of Chuck Hearne, bass; John Kehoe, drums, and Harry McGonigal, guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer.

McGonigal has recorded six releases, including "Fire on Main Street" and "Rude Shoes." He also appears on the compilation CD, "The Green Room Blues."

McGonigal says The Roadhouse Rockers grew out of his band, Sweet Freedom, in the late 1960s.

"I moved to New York City and performed in an off-Broadway show called 'Don't Walk on the Clouds,'" McGonigal says in a phone interview from his home.

McGonigal stayed in New York for four years while performing on and off-Broadway, but he missed Bucks County and eventually returned.

McGonigal has appeared with Bonnie Raitt, Greg Allman, Stevie Ray Vaughan, South Side Johnny, BB King, The Hooters, Richie Havens, Steppenwolf, Ted Nugent, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Copeland, Joe Walsh and Foghat.

During a five-year hiatus, McGonigal tended to family and health matters. Last year proved to be a turnaround and a highly successful year. He celebrated 50 years of music performance, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards, was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame and was presented with the Bucks County Blues Society "Keeping the Blues Alive" award.

McGonigal gained the nickname "Flamin'" because of his airbrushing skills. At age 11, he and his parents saw Ed "Big Daddy" Roth airbrushing T-shirts. Roth remarked that it was so easy a kid could do it.

"He grabbed me out of the crowd," says McGonigal, "put the airbrush in my hand and pressed my finger on the button so that I was airbrushing with him. I was mesmerized."

After getting his first airbrush set, McGonigal admits, "Everything in the house was either airbrushed or pinstriped." This included bicycles and then motorcycles. His love of painting flames earned him a nickname that stuck with him for decades.

"If I knew it could have been a [reality] TV show, I'd have stuck with it."

McGonigal owns the McGonigal Music and Arts Studio, Perkasie, Bucks County.

"Art is art, whether its music, drawing, tattooing or airbrushing. It's a music store and lesson studio with derma graphic art tattooing as well."

McGonigal is touring the East Coast and working on two CDs, a solo acoustic project where he plays harmonica and piano, and a band-centered CD, where McGonigal will invite celebrity friends from the music industry to perform.

"We're looking forward to the show at the Epic Center," says McGonigal. "It's going to be fun. I've always loved playing in the Lehigh Valley."