The JD Hobson Band will return to the Red Bike at 9 p.m. Friday to kick off Strawberry Festival events at the popular venue.

A two-time winner of the South Sound Blues Association’s Back to Beale Street competition, Hobson brings a powerful mix of upbeat, soulful roots music — both solo and with his band — to the stage.

“His music never fails to pack the dance floor while it also stirs the soul,” Pete Welch, co-founder of Vashon Events said.

In 2013, Hobson’s album, “Where the Sun Don’t Shine,” hit number eight on the Freeform American Roots Chart and number three on KEXP’s Blues Chart.

Hobson honed his craft while studying under greats like John Jackson, David Honeyboy Edwards and John Cephas at Centrum in Port Townsend, “resulting in Hobson’s exceptional feel for most roots music,” Welch said. “His ability to grasp every nuance down to the (most minute) inflection has become his hallmark.”

ID will be required for the no-cover show.