Bobby Amaru considers himself a restless musician.
So he decided to fill his downtime as front-man for hard rock band Saliva by returning to the road for a string of solo acoustic performances. On Friday, that outing will bring him to Northampton's Gin Mill & Grille.
Amaru, during a Jan. 14 phone interview, said he is aiming for a "jukebox" vibe this weekend. He plans on performing Saliva tunes, plus covers and a few other surprise cuts.
"It's a little night and day when seeing a Saliva show; this is a little more toned down. For instance, a song like 'Ladies and Gentlemen,' when I play that, it's different from the record version," he said. "That's the fun part, dissecting the songs and playing them a little differently."
Amaru said he enjoys being on stage, whether it's maneuvering the ship that is Saliva or performing solo. He has been with Saliva since 2012, when he replaced founding singer Josey Scott.
Saliva's tenth album, Love, Lies & Therapy -- which dropped last summer -- is the third to feature Amaru on lead vocals. Amaru said he is proud of how the album turned out, but admitted taking a hands-on approach can be a daunting process. "It can be very draining," he said. "When we did Rise Up record we had a producer. This one, we did it at our home studio and did it ourselves.
Saliva's double-platinum-selling sophomore album Every Six Seconds, released in 2000, spawned the singles "Your Disease" and "Click Click Boom." Their follow-up effort, 2002's Back Into Your System, produced the hit "Always," which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Saliva singer Bobby Amaru will perform Friday at the Gin Mill & Grille, 1750 Main St., Northampton. Show time is 6 p.m. Tickets cost $10.