Playing a positive-natured brand of hardcore-tinged Celtic punk, Flatfoot 56 has been unleashing itself upon America and the rest of the world for over 20 years now. Forming in 2000, the Chicago natives achieved nationwide attention with their first two label-backed records, 2006’s Knuckles Up and 2007’s Jungle of the Midwest Sea. These releases built on a heavy dose of previously established regional notoriety, helping the band gain steam early on.

While each record received its fair share of acclaim, the quintet exploded onto a new level with 2010’s Black Thorn. Landing the band on a total of 9 Billboard Charts, Flatfoot 56 proved it could consistently reach an expanding audience while treading in a genre not often associated with widespread success. This success was advanced even further with song placements in the hit TV series
“Sons of Anarchy” and the video game “Watchdogs”.

After the success of “Blackthorn” Flatfoot hit the studio yet again in 2012 to record their Paper and plastic records backed “Toil” album. This album would further solidify the band as a consistent force to be reckoned with.

Flatfoot 56’s latest full-length album, entitled “Odd Boat”, was produced by Matt Allison at Atlas studios in Chicago. “We decided that since the last experience at Atlas Studios was so beneficial, we wanted to repeat it,” Bawinkel said. “We have been friends with Matt for a few years now and we love the work that he and his studio engineers do.”

“Odd Boat” was a self-released album. “We have been working with labels so long that we decided that we wanted to have more of a say in how our music gets distributed and promoted. We are excited about this next season,” Bawinkel said. “As a band we have all grown a lot over the years and we wanted to stretch ourselves even further. Self release is a good way to do this.”

In 2018, Flatfoot 56 released the E.P. “The Vancouver Sessions”. In this E.P., they restyled and recorded original songs from multiple albums acoustically. Some fans prefer these acoustic versions over their original versions as they highlight and emphasize the great storytelling element of these ballads.

In 2022, Flatfoot 56 released their first Split E.P. They joined forces with the amazing band,The Rumjacks, and each released three new and original songs. They are available on vinyl, for digital download, and playing on Spotify and other streaming services.

Frontman Tobin Bawinkel (vocals/guitar) is now set to lead Flatfoot 56 back into the studio. Armed with his brother Kyle (bass), along with their original piper Josh Robieson (bagpipes/mandolin), and Dan Alfonsi (Drums), Flatfoot 56 is in the process of writing their 8th full-length studio album. 

Founded in Chicago in 1996, The Arrivals are the Jam meets Dillinger Four in sound and spirit (they have shared a member with the latter since 2005); something like Naked Raygun trying to revisit The Kinks. They play a kind of working-class punk rock that’s not patriotic, not overtly populist, but thoughtful and authentic. The songs are artfully written and delivered with urgency and forthrightness, with well-informed lyrics that center on the lives of lower-class Americans and general disillusionment with civilization. The Arrivals is real modern music from the urban Midwest. It’s rustbelt realism at its best.

In the later part of the 2000s, The Arrivals evolved into their own species of punk rock animal, in the way that the Clash did as the ’70s became the 80’s or Jawbreaker did during the early ’90s. And their last album to date, 2010’s “Volatile Molotov” (their fourth full-length), tops all. With classic rock and punk references strewn throughout, they’ve called it their “love letter to their favorite music.” Todd Congelliere of their label, Recess Records, says it “listens like a classic novel.”

Since 2012, The Arrivals took a bit of a break⁠ — focusing on their home lives and starting an array of musically-adventurous side projects. When the band has come together to play, as they did in 2016 for Awesome Fest in San Diego and this past January at the Ian’s Party festival in Chicago, they explode from the stage with enthusiasm and a pure love of playing music together. As such, Arrivals shows have become highly-anticipated events that see fans traveling from far corners to join the group in their celebrations.

Guitars and mile markers.

The finest punk from Nashville, TN

The south side of Chicago is pretty rough, especially Blue Island. It reeks of drunks, gun powder, crime, exhaust, and weed. For the sake of not confusing the reader, Chicago pedigrees NIGHTCAP wouldn’t have it any other way. When not making runs to Miska’s Liquor Emporium and the infamous Harold’s Chicken Shack, these Blue Island locals are sawing through their set all over the Midwest.