MOON DESTROYS is the brainchild of Guitarist Juan Montoya (ex-Torche, MonstrO, Killer be Killed) and Drummer Evan Diprima (Gold Pyramid, ex -Royal Thunder). The band released their debut ep, ‘Maiden Voyage’ in 2020 via Brutal Panda Records, then took a brief hiatus. In 2024, Vocalist/Guitarist Charlie Suárez (MonstrO, Sunday Driver) joined the fold. Suárez previously graced the stage with Montoya in the Miami/Atlanta band, MonstrO.
Bringing elements of heavy rock and psychedelia, the band is a powerhouse of seasoned musicians that draw influences from The Cure, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. In the summer of 2024 the band self-recorded and produced their debut full length record, expected to be released sometime in 2025.
“California psychedelic heavy rock champions SACRI MONTI blaze a scorching trail of superb shredding and smoldering riff-o-rama on their Tee Pee Records debut.”
Claire Parlette is a stand-up comedian from Toledo, Ohio, known for lighting up the room with animated performances and physical comedy. As a producer of popular shows WIGS: Stand-Up Comedy in WIGS and Comedy and Caviar, she blends humor and creativity, bringing a fresh twist to the comedy scene. Her lively antics, bring a one-of-a-kind experience taking the scene by storm. Get ready for a wild ride of comedy that you won’t forget!
Mike Dwyer is a Chicagoland native who has tried various careers in various places and has never enjoyed any of them. He returned to Chicago to start stand-up as he entered middle age. He has cultivated a unique style that blends observations from his many failures and the mindset that created them. He is a regular on Roast Battle Chicago and Comic Court at Lincoln Lodge, and he performs on numerous independent showcases in Chicago and elsewhere.
Xavier Lamont is an executive biscuit concierge & peanut butter sommelier at the George Washington Carver Technical Institute for Legumology AKA The Fighting Black Beans
XL also a hilarious Chicago based standup comedian, writer, actor and is host of America’s #1 Animated Black Fake News Show on YouTube that’s based in Chicago: WHHN AKA WHAT HAD HAPPENED NEWS!
The Haunt conjures a wild, youthful and stylish indifference that reflects an era when rock n’ roll was ‘by and for’ the beautiful outcasts. Led by siblings Anastasia & Maxamillion the group creates a strong bond with fans through their live shows and online, by encouraging confidence and authenticity.
Their sound elicits a feeling of both classic and contemporary rock icons who have influenced their music, and denies any claim to chasing trends.
Featuring short sets from: Marble Teeth, Riddle M, Priscilla Sabourin, Molly Compton, Pariah, Mary Alice, Said Echo, Ponyo, Jada R’Tinique, Transpanic, Sweetmelk, Austin Haga, Toni Picasso, Aliyah Houston, Mystic Rush, Drunken Goblins, Big 3 Montana, Safety? Always Off!, and Smoke Free Home
PLUS:
A SCREENING OF THE PREVIEW FOR MONSTER GIRLS DOC (FREE SHIRTS!).
PEDAL X (GUITAR PEDAL EXCHANGE):
VENDOR BOOTHS AND MORE!
COMEDY TO THE LEFT AND BINGO UPSTAIRS!
Tucked away in a Chicago apartment, the songs of Yellow Pills are concocted by one person. Mostly. Yellow Pills began as a one person project and has slowly but surely started to become filled with more people.”Absolutely timeless. Genre diversity fuels what Ryan is doing with Yellow Pills. I love it!” -Jim DeRogatis, Sound Opinions.
Led by electric organist Isaiah Keith, GARM is an organ trio that plays an eclectic mix of fusion, funk and jazz.
The group performs and records around the greater Chicago area. They’ve recently released a SUKO Jazz Collective-affiliated EP entitled “Clean It Up!!”.
Chicago-based Fascinator erupts with moments of explosive power and passages of airy space powered by honest vocals and lyrics that grapple with personal politics and loss in a divided universe.
The Chicago trio is influenced by the exposed-livewire power of various indie Midwest guitar bands and the thick cloaks of noise found billowing through classic shoegaze songs. Singer Erik Uppenberg’s lyrics explore the gouging, isolating forces of prejudice, objectification, and ableism in music and culture among other themes affecting identity and the heart.
Fascinator was founded in 2022 by friends and neighbors Jarrett Dapier and Erik Uppenberg. The two bonded over favorite music – a bond that grew as they began writing music together. Adding Ed Jaffe on bass in 2023 brought a heft and cohering force to the band that led quickly to writing their first 4 songs.
After hearing early demos, drummer and composer Matt Walker (The Smashing Pumpkins, Filter, Cupcakes, Morrissey, Garbage, of1000faces) signed on to produce and mix the band’s first EP. In November 2023, Fascinator recorded what would become the Trust Falls EP with Walker and engineer Scott Tallarida at Trigger Chicago across one single, brutal afternoon.
In 2024, Fascinator released the product of that session: the Trust Falls EP. On it, the band explores the contrast between bursts of distortion and powerful, unexpected rhythms in four songs that feature vast sonic range and thoughtful, personal storytelling.
MAGICK POTION
Hailing from the rural outskirts of Baltimore, consisting of founder, Dresden Boulden on Guitar and Vocals, Triston Grove on Bass, and Jason Kendall on Drums. Magick Potion is a hard hitting heavy rock trio channeling the raw energy and heavy grooves of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Clearly hooked on the likes of underrated groups such as Blue Cheer, The Amboy Dukes and Budgie, the band crafts a sound that fuse’s heavy rock’s gritty riffs with contrasting moments boarding on psychedelia. With roaring guitars, thunderous drums and hard driving bass lines Magick Potion conjures a vibe that is both nostalgic yet contemporary and original. Their music is a bridge to an era where rock was rebellious, loud and unfiltered, yet they infuse it with a spirit all their own.
ALAN FORD JR.
I am chicago based Comedian who has performed all over the country.
Collaborate, Create, Bloviate. This is how we succeed. Wendi Freeman: drums, backup vocal John Llewellyn: lead vocal, guitar, songwriting Scott Niekelski: bass, backup vocal Stevie Weber: guitars, keys. CHICAGO
Slamming Brutal Death act Peeling Flesh (US). Quitessence of slamming brutal death metal from members of Strangled, Aberrant Construct and Loathing Existence.
LINE UP: Mychal Soto – Guitar; Jason Parrish – Guitar; Joe Pelletier – Drums; Austin Hirom – Bass; Damonteal Harris – Vocals.
Born amidst the chaos of quarantine, Fin Talbot is a unique blend of Chicago’s grit and Dublin’s charm. Started by Sean Fagan and joined by Dan Glines and his brother John, their indie rock landscape is shaped by influences ranging from ’70s glam rock to early 2000s indie rock. As they continue to evolve and grow, be on the lookout for new releases and shows.
A band that bloomed from a dark and damp basement in Chicago… BloomSwitch is a 3 piece band composed of Bing Labog (Vocals/Guitars), Chris Mall (Bass) and Kris Cocjin (Drums). With their combined love for different genres of music, – blues, rock, funk, hip-hop and disco – out came a sound that is both unique and unusual.
4th Point is an American alternative rock band from the Chicago area. In 2011, the band formed with the hope of creating honest music that they believe in. Influenced by the sounds and styles of artists like Switchfoot and Skillet, 4th Point brings passion to their performances through endless energy, sincerity, and crowd interaction. The band’s relatable lyrics and upbeat music are undeniable on the stage and reflected in their three full-length albums. 4th Point has shared the stage with national touring artists Switchfoot, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Red, Big Daddy Weave, ISLANDER, NF, Colton Dixon, and many more.
Additionally, 4th Point has performed at several Christian Festival Association (CFA) festivals including Big Ticket Festival (Gaylord, MI), Lifest (Oshkosh, WI), Unity Christian Music Festival (Muskegon, MI), and Sonshine Festival (Somerset, WI). Band members: Matt Ellis Bryce Knight Bradley Kus Joe Valliquette
Experience the iconic sound of Maná with Sueños Líquidos, the premier tribute band dedicated to celebrating Mexico’s legendary rock group. With passion and precision, Sueños Líquidos brings Maná’s unforgettable hits to life, delivering an authentic and electrifying performance.
Underwear is the solo recording project of Annalise Panken, live they are joined by bassist Luca Cece and drummer Alex DeRango. Words and phrases used to describe Underwear’s sound include but are not limited to: spiky, lo-fi, freaky, jangle-worship, Beatles-esque, and “certainly something.”
Belushi Speed Ball are a Kentucky-based band founded in 2013 as a studio project amongst friends with a penchant for cliché crossover thrash. Their first live performances came soon after, enthralling a rapidly growing fanbase with a uniquely interactive brand of theatrics and unorthodox approach to releases and merch.
Dubbed “one of the funniest f*cking things I have heard this year” by The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano, Belushi Speed Ball are inspired by bands from Toxic Holocaust and Anthrax to Gwar and Municipal Waste, to whom they simultaneously play homage and satirize a mean comment from a fan in their song “Ripping off Municipal Waste”, which was voted one of Leo Magazine’s top 20 songs of 2022.
With a reputation for both trashing venues and meticulously cleaning them up after each individually themed performance, Belushi Speed Ball are masters of executing the unthinkable.
From playing out of a Mad Max-esque moving van and starting Terminator-inspired 300-person Nerf gun fights to releasing entire albums in N64… or Furby… formats, nothing is sacred as they continue evolving as, in the words of Metalsucks, “a freakshow of blistering thrash dedicated to laughing its ass off at blistering thrash.”
This year, Belushi Speedball are readier than ever to keep that momentum going, with yet another album mastered to perfection by Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust, as well as a host of festival appearances, tours, and merch set to drop over the months to come.
A short-lived side project assembled by the members of costumed shock thrashers GWAR, X-Cops penned comedic hardcore and speed metal ditties inspired by the humorous darker side of law enforcement. Going under such imaginative stage names as Sheriff “Tubb” Tucker (vocals), Sgt. AlDepantsia (guitar), Lt. Louis Scrapinetti (guitar), Patrolman Cobb Knobbler (bass), Cadet Billy Club (drums), Mountain Bike Officer Biff Buff (vocals), Sgt. Zypygski (vocals), and Detective Philip McRevis (samples), the members of X-Cops locked up their debut album, You Have the Right to Remain Silent, in 1995. But they managed only a single the following year before retiring from the force and, once again, concentrating on donning their GWAR outfits thereafter. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
Siamese Dream is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993, by Virgin Records. The album was produced by Butch Vig and frontman Billy Corgan. Despite its recording sessions being fraught with difficulties and tensions, Siamese Dream debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, and was eventually certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the album selling over six million copies worldwide, catapulting the Smashing Pumpkins to mainstream success and cementing them as a significant group in alternative music.
Songs for the Deaf is the third studio album by the American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on August 27, 2002, by Interscope Records. It features guest musicians including Dave Grohl on drums, and was the last Queens of the Stone Age album to feature Nick Oliveri on bass. Songs for the Deaf is a loose concept album, taking the listener on a drive through the California desert from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, tuning into radio stations from towns along the way such as Banning and Chino Hills.
Tom Holland & the Shuffle Kings have been playing the blues worldwide for over 25 years, regularly appearing at clubs and festivals worldwide. Years on the road with blues legends such as John Primer, Eddy Clearwater, and most recently James Cotton have made Tom Holland one of the most in demand blues artists on the scene today!
Bob Stroger: Have Bass Will Travel…. I was born in South East Missouri in a small town Haiti, where I lived on a farm. I moved to Chicago in 1955. I lived in the back of a night club on the West Side, where Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters played. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and I made up my mind that what I wanted to do was play music. I got married at an early age and I used to watch my brother-in-law play music. His name was Johnny Ferguson and he and JB Hutto had a band they called the Twisters. They were working on 39’th and State Street in Chicago and I would carry them to work every night and watch them. Then at home I would try to teach myself to play. My cousin Ralph Ramey said that we should start a band and we did just that. We got my brother (John Stroger), who played the drums, to learn the songs we knew and in four months we were making some noise. We went to a club and played two songs and the man said we had a job. It was one of the better clubs, where musicians like Memphis Slim worked. The owner wanted us to wear uniforms but we had no money to buy them, so we got black tams and put a red circle in the top and called the band the Red Tops and that was the way it started. We got so good that they wanted the band to travel, but Ralph’s wife did not wont him to travel. so my brother formed a band with Willie Kent and myself and called it Joe Russel and the Blues Hustlers. We played together for a while,but eventually I decided to move on, because i wanted to travel more and see the world and I found out you can make money doing this. I joined a jazz band and played with Rufus Forman for about 3 years, but we were doing very little work. Then I met Eddie King and we talked. I told him I was in a jazz band and we needed a guitar player that could play blues. He sead OK and joined our groop, and we started playing blues and RB and things took off. We called the band Eddie King and King Men, and we stayed together for 15 years. Then we split up for about 2 years and later we started the band up as Eddie King and Babee May and the Blues Machine and we stayed together until Eddie King moved out of town. I quit playing for 2 years becouse we were so close I did not want to play with anyone but Eddie. Then I met Jessie Grean when I was playing with Morris Pejo and he liked the way I played bass and one night Otis Rush need a bass player, so Jessie said come and work with him. The rest is history. I have been playing music for 39 years and I am still having fun.
Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983, by Sire Records. After their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band’s commercial breakthrough and produced the band’s sole US top-ten hit, “Burning Down the House”, which reached No. 9 in the Billboard Chart.
I’m a songwriter and solo act that performs with acoustic guitar and piano. In an effort to find a platform for my songwriting, I bought a guitar and channeled a few years of childhood piano lessons to start scrapping together some music. I’ve come a long way since then and still push everyday to get better. But my goal has always been the same; to relay my honest experience in a way that can resonate with anyone.
JenniferFemme’s eclectic music takes inspiration from jazz, folk, pop and rnb with topics centered around identity and love, among other things. She plays violin and lead vocal in Jenni and the Loverboys, and guitar/lead vocal for Zhuzh Girls. Jennifer also hosts open mics at the Purple Tea Pot and Eli Tea Bar, and runs sound at the monthly Fruit Salad event at Dorothy. Her music is available on all major streaming platforms.
Brigitte’s always getting away with something. Tonight, she’s a mime masquerading as a musician. Last year, she premiered and sold out a mime rock show about grieving a relationship. She produces a singer/songwriter series called (R)evolve at Voice (R)evolution and is starting to build an immersive, scientific art project. Formerly a theater technician, but forever a woman of the shadows, you can find her @justafriendlygargoyle.
For the past 10 years, Theo Lawrence has been making a name for himself as France’s favorite songbird. A truly one-of-a-kind Country singer and genuine keeper of the flame, Lawrence came into his own on his Austin-made 2023 LP release, Cherie, and on his latest all acoustic album, Pickin’ & Singin’.
Lawrence pens classic love songs, and delivers with a croon straight out of the Charlie Rich and Ray Price golden years. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in reviving an interest for Country Music in Europe, and with his recent move to Austin, TX, Theo Lawrence is bringing his honed craft back to its American cradle.
A Patch of Blues is a unique blues and soul band with Fati Jones (vocals), Rebecca Egwuenu (lead guitar), Claudia Easterwood (bass), & Stacy Norris (drums). The members met through the years and developed a friendship at the Fernando Jones Blues Camp in Chicago (Columbia College), where they developed a love for the blues, their city’s heritage, and playing music together. Each member is an accomplished musician and vocalist in her own right and decided to come together to bring a unique sound and urban funky flair to their audiences. POB has performed throughout the Chicagoland area and the Midwest (Wisconsin and Indiana) on major festival stages as well as in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge (representing youth Windy City Blues Society). The band was nominated in 2023 for a Chicago Music Award and received a Chicago Music Award for Best Band in 2024. A Patch of Blues strongly believes in the power of music to unite and heal.
“The Golden Bucks” are a Chicago-based Americana project that blends the most iconic sounds of the American music experience. They choose a mix of Western Swing, Blues, Old Country, Rockabilly, Early Jazz, and Folk from the 20’s through the early 60’s. The result is a mix of the most pivotal musical influences from the American soundscape.
Daniel Rey & the Revenirs are a Berwyn-based Chicagoland Alt-Country band reminiscent of the Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, Centro-Matic and Lucero.
The Revenirs sound revolves around singer/songwriter Daniel Rey’s tales of “sorrow and solitude” and features Dennis Kardys on lead guitar and Dean Radzik on drums–both alums of Chicagoland alt-country darlings, “The Dirty Green”– alongside former “The Soup” (Denton TX) bassist, “Dodgy Mary” (Chicago) vocalist and Lone Star Native “Catfish” Willy Hudson on bass.
“Daniel Rey” began as the solo Alt-country, side-project of singer/songwriter Dejan Kralj (day-on kraal), who has spent the last three and a half decades as the bass guitarist and one of the primary songwriters for Milwaukee’s reclusive alternative-rock band, The Gufs. The former Atlantic Recording/EMI Publishing Artist and 2012 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductee is a life-time resident of the Midwest, Rey (the Spanish translation of Kralj) and divides his time between his current home in the Veltway community of Berwyn on Chicago’s near-westside and a small farm in Southeastern Indiana, which has been the source of his alt-folk/alt-country musings over the last twenty-five years.
Daniel Rey has been performing throughout the Midwest since 2018 and released his debut LP “Living Low” on Milwaukee’s Red Submarine Records in 2020. Daniel Rey & the Revenirs are currently working on Rey’s follow-up and the band’s debut LP “Too Busy Dying” for release later this year.