Every so often, Jack Collins and his fellow bandmates in Cut Loose would allow themselves to ponder the impossible dream: A hit song.

But with 29 of his 60 years spent in the music world, Collins is well versed in the reality of the business.

While Cut Loose may unveil an occasional original, Collins says the band’s focus is on “playing songs people know. We never thought we were going to ‘make it.’”

That’s just fine, says Collins, satisfied in pumping out the classics from Journey to AC/DC around the Bay Area, including Cut Loose’s debut at the Pioneer Tap Room in Fairfield on Oct. 24.

“It all depends on on what you’re trying to do,” Collins said by phone Tuesday. “The band that focuses on original music has a whole different perspective of what they’re trying to do and create. Our focus has been on playing in front of people who are dancing and having fun. That’s been our objective all along.”

As stable as a band can be — Collins said there have only been 10 musicians in the five-piece band’s near 30-year history — it has evolved while changing its original name of “Loose Blues” for many years.

“We got to the place where we thought we were limiting ourselves, having ‘blues’ in our name,” Collins said.

Thought tribute bands emerged and became popular, Cut Loose avoided the temptation, though Collins understands why the dedication to one act.

“People know ‘I’m going to see this band that will do all Eagles music’” or whatever the act, Collins said. “I jokingly say ‘We’re a tribute to good songs.’ We choose songs we like that get people dancing.”

It undoubtedly helps that everyone in Cut Loose are friends, Collins said, with lead vocalist Hillary Lee brought on board back in 2001.

“Everyone’s been in a band most if not all of their adult lives because we like to play music and play music in front of people,” said Collins, performing since his time at Concord High School.

Holidays are approaching, and there have been a ton of gigs Cut Loose has played specific to Halloween and, naturally, Christmas, which happens to be Collins’ birthday.

Blessing and a curse?

“I think, for me, it’s all been a blessing,” he said of the Dec. 25 birthday. “My family goes out of their way to make sure we have separate celebrations. I’ve always appreciated that.”

On the negative side, “When I was a little kid, we were never in school” for the holidays “so I never got birthday cupcakes. Of course, every kid who had a summer birthday was in the same boat.”

Cut Loose is scattered around the Bay Area. Collins remained in the Concord/Clayton area while Lee is anchored to Benicia. The rest of the band is in Livermore, Martinez, and Brentwood.

“We’re close enough to where it’s easy for us to get together,” Collins said.

Pre-COVID, Cut Loose was doing 40, maybe 42 shows a year, averaging three weekends a month.

“We’ve been a pretty active band, especially for folks who were doing it only for the love of the music,” Collins said.

Easing out of the 2020 shutdown, Cut Loose will probably perform 15 shows by the end of this year, said Collins, noting that it took three or four shows back on stage to get into the band’s previous groove.

“Essentially with not paying during 2020, it took us a while,” Collins said. “When we were back to non-COVID life, it was practice, practice, practice. Roughly the fourth gig, we started to feel right again,” Collins said.

Count on Cut Loose for a three-hour show with only one break, Collins said.

“That’s how we’ve always done it. It helps keep the energy up,” he said.

There’s rarely a fatigue factor while on stage, Collins said.

“It never effects you when you’re playing. You get in a zone,” he said. “The next day, you’re typically feeling beat up and tired and need to rest. Maybe as I continue to age, it’ll probably be incremental and I probably won’t notice until it’s too late.”

Cut Loose performs at the Pioneer Tap Room, 4491 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield, on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2 to 5 p.m. Admission $15 includes nachos. For more, (707) 208-8408.