Mr. Blotto was born in Chicago as an off-night vehicle for musicians who loved each others playing but were in different bands at the time. The only rule was that they would only play what they loved. That philosophy continues today and has led Mr. Blotto into unique musical situations.

Mr. Blotto takes the Jam band asthetic into areas unfamiliar to the standard Jam Scene. They have been known to cover entire albums by Led Zeppelin and the Who as well as perform entire shows of Country and Reggae. Artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead, the Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson and The Velvet Underground have seen their material interpreted by Mr. Blotto in the 2000+ shows the band has performed in the last 15 years, yet covers only pepper the bands hefty catalog of original material stemming from five studio albums and other unreleased crowd favorites.

Since 2012, Lighten Up has been quickly gaining notoriety in the Chicago music scene. Their catchy blues riffs act as a solid platform for them to integrate their jazz and soul backgrounds into one cohesive sound. With the release of their first EP this past Spring, they are already looking to their bright future, with hopefully adding new members, new merchandise, and a full length album. Lighten Up is constantly pushing the boundaries, evolving and progressing within the band itself, and the Chicago blues and soul scene.

Rock Island Line is a new band out of Chicago featuring Ray Mckenzie (Tanqueray Mist), John Maher (CRYSIS BAND), Michael Mejia and the Kleinberg brothers (Fruitful Dave, The Stone Masons). Mostly original music featuring styles of folk, rock, blues, jazz, country.