VOTED BEST BLUES BAND IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA BY THE BLUES SOCIETY OF TULSA
The Hydramatics are a Tulsa, Oklahoma–based blues band with deep roots and serious credentials. All four members are proud inductees into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame, a distinction that reflects decades of dedication to the craft.
Formed in 1990, The Hydramatics deliver a powerful, authentic blend of Chicago, Texas, Delta, and West Coast jump blues—played the way it’s meant to be played. Over more than three decades, they’ve performed across the region and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in blues music.
This isn’t a tribute to the blues. It’s the real thing.
THE BAND
“BBQ Bob” Wallace
// Bass, vocals
From Modesto, CA
Bob Wallace is a veteran of the Oklahoma and California blues scenes with more than 40 years of experience. His passion for the blues began in Central California, where late-night R&B broadcasts from Mexican radio station XERB and Wolfman Jack opened the door to a lifelong pursuit of the music. After seeing B.B. King and Elvin Bishop perform in the early 1970s, the blues became his calling.
A skilled bassist and vocalist, Wallace studied guitar and bass under big band multi-instrumentalist Tommy Galindo and has worked across many areas of the music industry, including bandleader, soundman, graphic artist, and owner of Wallace Sound, a respected guitar and amp repair business. Inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in 2023, he has shared the stage with many of the biggest names in blues over the last four decades.
Steve “Actor” Kilman
// Guitar, vocals
From San Bernardino, CA
Steve “Actor” Kilman is a highly respected blues guitarist and vocalist with deep roots in the West Coast blues scene. He has recorded with Johnny Dyer & the L.A. Jukes, William Clarke (Tip of the Top), and Rod Piazza (So Glad to Have the Blues). Tip of the Top earned W.C. Handy Award honors, including Best Album of the Year, and a Grammy nomination for the single “Must Be Jelly.”
Inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in 2022, Kilman has been featured in Guitar Player Magazine, Living Blues, the Los Angeles Times, and other national and international publications. He has shared the stage with blues legends including Big Joe Turner, Big Mama Thornton, Willie Dixon, Paul Butterfield, Rod Piazza, William Clarke, Charlie Musselwhite, Hollywood Fats, Ronnie Earl, and many others, and has performed at major blues festivals across the U.S.
David “Bernesto” Berntson
// Harmonica, vocals
From Galesburg, IL
David “Bernesto” Berntson is a powerful blues harmonica player and vocalist known for his mastery of Chicago, Mississippi Delta, and jump blues styles. With more than 40 years on stage, his playing combines deep blues tradition, dynamic tone, and crowd-connecting energy.
Berntson has performed at major blues festivals in the U.S. and abroad, including the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival (formerly the King Biscuit Blues Festival), Bishopstock Blues Festival in England, Nothin’ But the Blues Festival, and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. He is a member of the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame and a Hohner harmonica endorsee.
In addition to performing, Berntson is also an experienced blues educator, presenting interactive programs and workshops that explore blues music, history, and culture—bringing the same passion and authenticity he delivers on stage.
“Smiling Paul” Huskins
// Drums
From Sugar Land, TX
“Smiling Paul” Huskins is a veteran blues drummer with more than 40 years behind the kit and a deep Texas blues foundation. Inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in 2023, Paul brings power, groove, and authenticity shaped by decades of professional playing.
He began drumming at age 11 and was performing professionally by 14 throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas. His formative years included studying jazz, rock, country, and blues, with Texas blues influences clearly driving his style.
After countless gigs, festivals, corporate events, TV appearances, and opening slots for national acts, Paul now calls Tulsa home. He brings seasoned musicianship and a deep respect for the blues to the band’s rhythm section.