Professor to perform downtown

The Walnut Circle Grill will be hosting various bands this coming weekend, including the University of Southern Mississippi’s associate psychology professor David Echevarria on Friday.

Dr. E and the Mississippi Voodoo Kings formed the band late 2005 when Echevarria met Tate Thriffiley, who now plays bass for the group, when they began by playing different versions of their favorite blues songs.

Echevarria is interested in the common themes of Cajun and delta voodoo and folklore, as he grew up with the Latino/Caribbean version of the legendary magic, which, along with his profession, inspired the band’s name.

“Almost immediately students called me Dr. E because they couldn’t pronounce ‘Echevarria,’” Echevarria said in a previous interview.

The band officially formed in the spring of 2006 when drummer Drew Wooten. Although the band has several other members, they sometimes mix it up and play as a duo or full orchestral funk machine.

Walnut Circle Grill is located in downtown Hattiesburg. For more information, call 

601-544-2202.