Collins brothers will perform in hometown

~Former Sikeston residents will kick off record tour Thursday

SIKESTON - Former Sikeston residents Scott and Justin Collins will kick off their new record tour with their first stop in Sikeston.

The Collins with their band Pale Blue Dot will perform in Sikeston Oct. 16 and 17. This is the first time the Collins brothers have taken the stage here in Sikeston since moving to Nashville 11 years ago.

The stop is part of a tour supporting their new record, "Big Plans," now out on Bandaloop Music.

"This is something we've always wanted to do," said Scott Collins, a 1992 Sikeston High School graduate, about their upcoming performance. "The timing just never worked out until now. Danny and Linda (Bridger, owners of Danny's Place) are close friends of the family, so it is very fitting to start the shows off there."

According to the Collins, Pale Blue Dot's sound runs the gamut from a stripped down acoustic three piece to a full-on five piece rock band. The band seeks to blend melodic guitar lines, expressive tenor harmonies and heart-in-hand lyrics to generate unique and well tailored songs. This sound is especially evident in their new album, "Big Plans," which reveals more organic and clearly interpreted songs than their self-titled debut album, which was released in spring of 2001, they said.

Family is at the core of Pale Blue Dot. The brothers began their musical collaboration in 1998 when Scott Collins left New York City to join his younger brother in Nashville.

"Being brothers lends a sense of security to the music because of an honesty during the creative process," Scott Collins said. "We have a mutual taste in music and know what moves each other. If we both approve of it, it's the kind of music we want to make."

Their sound gained depth and range with the addition of Scott's wife, Kim, of the band Kim's Fable.

"It was a natural progression," said Justin Collins. "She gives the music a different twist -- she makes it more mysterious. She's not a background singer, we think of her as another instrument."

Kim Collin's musical contributions include a variety of percussion and woodwind textures as well as her classic and haunting Middle Eastern vocal phrasing.

Thursday's show will begin at 8 p.m. at Danny's Place and Friday's show will be at Cronies at 9 p.m. The Pale Blue Dot Big Plans Tour moves on to St. Louis on Saturday at Off-Broadway with a 10 p.m. showtime.

You can learn more about Pale Blue Dot and the Collins at their Website: www.palebluedotmusic.com.