David Echevarria, professor and performer

Around this time of year students at Southern Miss can be found attempting to schedule their class line-up for the next semester to be as stress-free as possible, which includes finding out which professors are a bore and which professors flat-out rock.

For psychology professor David Echevarria, rocking is simply second nature. He has rocked stages from New York to the Deep South, and he and his band Dr. E and the Voodoo Kings will rock the Keg and Barrel on Friday night.

Hailing from New York City, Echevarria, or Dr. E as he is known to students and fans, has been enthralled with music since the age of 11 when a group of older friends introduced him to the Kiss album “Alive.”

“I saved up my allowance and got my own copy and would play air guitar on a tennis racket,” said Echevarria. “My mom asked if I wanted guitar lessons and that was that.”

His love of rock ‘n’ roll became a fantastic musical fusion when he discovered B.B. King when the blues legend appeared on an episode of “Sanford and Son.”

“It wasn’t too long before I was buying B.B. King records,” said Echevarria. “Although I did have strong ties to rock and heavy metal, the blues was always there too.”

Echevarria played his first show when he was 16 with a band called Revelation, which he formed with a friend. Afterward he had success touring with a glam metal band during the mid to late 1980s.

After his days touring the country, Echevarria decided to return to school to pursue a Ph. D. in behavioral neurosciences from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. It was after he received his degree that he decided to move to the South.

“In the ‘80s when I toured around I had been through the South and I loved it,” said Echevarria. “The very rich musical history of the state has fostered the rekindling of one of my first loves: the blues.”

This is evident in the soulful jams he plays with Dr. E and the Voodoo Kings. Whether it’s the heartfelt blues in “Gamblin’ Sugar Man” or the funky, angular rhythms of “Walkin’ the Dog”, the Voodoo King’s music teems with soul.

“My current inspiration comes from my experiences in this fantastic part of the country,” said Echevarria. “In this case, art imitates life.”

The band, together since February 2006, is made up of Drew Wooton on drums, Cody Ruth on bass, Paul Linden on piano and harmonica, Chris Werle on trombone, and Sam Bruton on keyboard. They are looking forward to recording their first album in 2010 for a spring release.

“My greatest accomplishment is always the last gig that rocked the house,” said Echevarria. “To be able to forget about life for a while and just get down without a care in the world, all to a live soundtrack that I am a part of. Man, what’s greater than that?”

Catch all the funk and soul of Dr. E and the Voodoo Kings for yourself at the Keg and Barrel Friday at 9:30 p.m. For more information on Dr. E and the Voodoo Kings, or to listen to their original songs, see www.myspace.com/bluesphd.