One of San Diego’s most popular rock bands during the late 1970s and early 1980s, The Blitz Brothers have reunited. Fronted by guitarist Richard “Blitz” Livoni, with drummer Dickie Dodd and bassist Barney Roach replacing original member Danny Jamison, the trio performs at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge on Dec. 9. The band has a serious pedigree. Roach is a well-known writer and promoter of the blues. Dodd is a former Mouseketeer and is an original member of the 1960s surf legends The Bel Airs, who scored a hit with “Mr. Moto” (1961). He was also the lead singer of garage icons The Standells, who recorded the classic “Dirty Water” (1966). Rounding out the lineup, Livoni, the band’s frontman, is considered one of the top music producers in San Diego. Owner of Blitz Recording Studios, he has a diverse list of credits to his name, including collaboration with rhythm and blues icon Ike Turner, jazz legend Barney Kessel and punk heroes The Zeros. The Blitz Brothers’ original heyday was essentially 1973 to 1986, starting out in Orange County before relocating to San Diego. The band was hugely popular, with headline gigs and opening spots for artists like Slade (Civic Center, 1976) and Joan Jett (San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, 1982). 1983 was a peak year, with the Blitz Brothers’ song “You’ll Be Sorry” included on 101.5 KGB-FM’s “Homegrown” compilation album. Following the band’s split, Livoni played sporadic shows with a number of groups. However, nothing has quite matched the excitement the Blitz Brothers can deliver, though there was no particular trigger for the reunion. “I just got to a point where I wanted to go back out and hit it again,” Livoni said. “My friend, Barney, had been bugging me to do something and he would bring me to the blues festivals, where I would play as the Richard Blitz Band. That went over really good. Then he would hire me to play every six months or so at a couple of different blues shows,” Livoni said. The audience response was such that Livoni began to put together a new band. “We started auditioning drummers,” he said. “We went through seven or eight pretty great drummers, but nothing was quite feeling right. Then I had a dream about Dickie Dodd.” Contacting him the next day, the two quickly agreed to play on each other’s projects. Livoni said he was pleased from the first rehearsal. “It fit like a glove. It just clicked,” he said. For now, Livoni is looking to have the band perform once a month or so. He said not much has changed since the Blitz Brothers roamed the Southland’s stages. “I can’t sing as high,” he laughed. “(Other than that), it’s pretty much the same, only it’s a little more bluesy show now then what we did in the late period of the band. That was a little more rock ’n’ roll.” Livoni continues with other projects, including the recent release of “Strikes Again” from another of his groups, Sons of Edison. However, he said he’s happy to have the Blitz Brothers back in action. While he doesn’t have a preference, Livoni notes there are differences between his work and his band life. “I love my job,” he said, “(But) I think it’s easier to play live than make a record. (Studio recording is) a lot more studious, nose-to-the-grindstone stuff. You’re sitting at a computer.” He said he’s pleased with the response to the band’s pair of shows to date. “It’s definitely fun to get out and play again,” Livoni said. “It kind of gets you back to what got it all started. You’re just looking to give people some goose bumps. For me, that hour (onstage) goes by in ten seconds. It’s so intense, it’s a blur.” • The Blitz Brothers perform at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9 at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge, 2241 Shelter Island Drive. $15. 21 and up. For more information, visit www.humphreysback-stagelive.com