Country / Western Swing band Honkeytonkitis plays a gig at Zad's Roadhouse on Friday, Jan. 18, along with God's Outlaw. The show starts at 9 p.m.

Who is Honkeytonkitis? Band member John Steffes was happy to elaborate.

"Honkytonkitis is honky tonk served the way it used to be: tunes about losers and failures and drinkers and dreamers who come to the bar to lick their wounds and dream of getting back on top again. This is how honky tonk was created by musicians like Hank Williams, Ray Price, Faron Young, George Jones and Johnny Cash. Somewhere along the line that image got lost, Country music got 'prettified' and the whole concept of music for losers got flushed from the bathrooms of our hearts."

The band just finished a 15-song original music CD and plans to release it later this year. Honkytonkitis shows its Wisconsin roots with songs like "I'm Leaving Wisconsin" and "I've Been Everywhere" which pays tribute to the towns of America's Dairyland.