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.
MICHAEL AVERY
When your mother plays nothing but the blues in the house, your cousin is blues titan Magic Sam, and you grow up in the same building with him on the west side of Chicago, you have little choice but to be firmly rooted in the blues.
As a teenager, Mike remembers all the backyard barbecue parties that Sam hosted. ‘’Man, he loved to barbecue. He used to have them all the time. And I remember all kind of blues musicians and singers like Otis Clay, Tyrone Davis, Betty Wright used to come around. Sam would cook and play blues on the back porch every chance he could. You could smell the barbecue clear down the street and all way at the end of the alley…’’ Already a singer in his teens, Mike soaked up as much as he could from his cousin, Magic Sam. In the middle seventies, Mike started singing at the Majestic Lounge on 14th and Pulaski with house blues bands, Scotty And the Rib Tips and Johnny B. Moore. He remembers, ‘’It was something, man, back then The Majestic was the after-gig joint. A lot of musicians would go there after their shows and just hang out. People like Lee Shot Williams, Mac Thompson, Johnny Dollar, Mary Lane. It was like a big family.’’ It is easy to understand how growing up so close to such R&B and soul singers as Otis Clay and Tyrone Davis could lead Mike down the path to R&B and soul music where he has focused much of his career. ‘’I’m not on the blues circuit, but that’s where my roots are. I couldn’t deny it if I wanted to. Giving me a good blues tune to sing is like taking me back home.’‘
BILLY FLYNN AND FRIENDS
Billy Flynn is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. The Chicago Blues SuperSession is Bob STROGER (Bass and Vocals) Billy FLYNN (Guitar and Vocals) Oscar WILSON (Vocals) Dave KATZMAN (Guitar) Kenny SMITH (Drums) Omar COLEMAN (Harmonica and Vocals) Amy LOWE (Vocals) Melvin SMITH (Bass) Roosevelt PURIFOY (Keyboards) Marty BINDER (Drums) John KATTKE (Keyboards and Vocals)
EDDY SHAW
Eddie Shaw on tenor and alto saxes and harmonica is a very talented singer,songwriter,musician,arranger, and band leader. He was Howlin’Wolf’s personal manager for five years. Eddie is one of the most respected blues musicians alive today. Originally from Benoit, MS, Eddie now lives on Chicago’s South Side. Band Members include Eddie Vaan Shaw Jr. , Eddie’s son, is one of the best guitar players in the blues business. Vaan has music of his own , CD’s, MORNING RAIN and THE TRAIL OF TEARS. Lafayette” Shorty” Gilbert, has been Eddie’s bassplayer for over 20 yrs. Strong vocalist , his version of ” Rainy night in Georgia” brings tears to your eyes. Tim Taylor on drums, is son of the late Eddie Taylor . Since Howlin’ Wolf died in 1976, Eddie Shaw has kept the Wolf Gang name for his band, which currently features Shaw as lead vocalist and sax; Lafayette “Shorty” Gilbert, who’s earned the most seniority in the band after 20 years; pianist and Chicago fixture Detroit Junior; drummer Tim Taylor, son of the legendary guitarist Eddie, who has eight years of his own in the Wolf Gang; and son Eddie “Vaan” Shaw on guitar. Shaw’s family abounds with showbiz talent. Another of his sons, Stan, has acting credits in films diverse as Harlem Nights, Fried Green Tomatoes, Daylight with Sylvester Stallone, and Cutthroat Island, the Geena Davis pirate flick. Eddie Shaw can compose, arrange, and write music. He worked the Delmark studios managing weekly sessions for the label with fellow studio fixture Jimmy Dawkins in the ’60s. In the ’90s he recorded for European and Japanese labels as well as for Rooster Blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi, which released In the Land of the Crossroads. “On Land of the Crossroads I did mostly Mississippi bayou type blues because I stayed down in that part of the country,” Shaw says. “Well, times change too. You go in with more modern equipment and you go with more up-to-date ideas. . . . Every time you do a new album, you’re looking for better quality, you’re looking for better compositions, you know, to upgrade everything. You want everything better than it was the year before, so hopefully that’s the case now.”
B GOOD THE HUSTLA
WONDA
CHAZ FRENCH
PARKAY
SAY IT AINT TONE
In today’s hip-hop climate it’s difficult for a rapper to be deemed authentic while still showing their audience they like to have fun. Detroit rapper SAYITAINTTONE doesn’t have that problem. Why? From one listen to his newly released mix tape 500 Million, you get the sense that the young spitter has been through some things, but hasn’t allowed the struggle to deter him from his goal of success. After beginning rhyming professionally three years ago, SAYITAINTTONE has grown as an artist, thanks to the support of his childhood friend, Big Sean.
GANGSTA BOO
Gangsta Boo (born Lola Mitchell on July 27, 1979), also known as Lady Boo, was a member of the Memphis, Tennessee-based rap group Three 6 Mafia’s Hypnotize Mindz.
61INCH
It took 2 years to set up the band that will finally make you freak out. 61inch is the resault of the search. A name that does not explain itself on its own, just like the diverse songs or the band as such. Jesse (Voc/Guit), Klaus (Bass/Voc) and Phrosh (Drums/Voc) build a trio that knows:
In a trio, it`s more about the individual. A trio always forces you to continue getting better. The energy can be directly focused and punt foreward. And a trio also allows you to combine tricky beats, clear bass-lines and screams with sociocriticism, whalesongs, disco-grooves and lovesongs – whether with a suit in a convertible or with a baseball-cap wearing shorts by making barbecue.
“Postbeatrhythmcollegebritpoppunk – they don’t even really know what they’re doing. 61inch sounds like sixties, nineties, 2011. Familiar and surprising, timeless but still up-to-date. That’s exactly what makes 61inch sound that good.” (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung)
GENE LOVES JEZEBEL
Gene Loves Jezebel (GLJ) originally formed in the early 1980s by identical twin brothers Michael and Jay Aston and Ian Hudson. Gene Loves Jezebel’s best-known songs include Sweetest Thing’Heartache”, “Desire (Come and Get It)” (1986), “The Motion of Love” (1987), as well as their broody dark alternative club hits “Bruises” (1983), ‘Shame’ “Influenza (Relapse)” (1984), and “The Cow” (1985).
BOW WOW WOW
FLEETWOOD MAC “THE DANCE”
The Dance is a live performance by Fleetwood Mac, released on Cassette, CD and VHS in 1997, and later on DVD. It hailed the return of the band’s most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie and Stevie Nicks, who had not released an album together since 1987’s Tango in the Night.
Who Knew will be performing “The Dance”
Who Knew was established in 2008 and is the heart project of cancer survivor and lead singer, Kelli Ann. Who Knew has been nominated for and earned multiple awards including being named Chicagoland’s Number One Dance Band. Individuals have a multitude of varied award winning experience, including grammy nominations for song writing and performing, national and international touring, and have performed on incredible stages, including Carnegie Hall.
Ken Becker (guitar/vox as Lindsay Buckingham), Kelli Ann MacCord Lotrich (Vox, as Stevie Nicks and 1 request prepared as Christine McVie, and acoustic guitar and tam), Jaclyn Rada (keys as Christine McVie), MaryCate Hines (vox as backups and Christine McVie and acoustic guitar), Claire Corriveau (vox as backups and Christine McVie and acoustic guitar), Matt Cordier (percussion as Mick Fleetwood) and Brian Garabaldi (Bass and Vox as John McVie).
UFO “STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT”
Strangers in the Night with original subtitle A Double Live Album is a live album by the British rock band UFO, first released in 1979 (see 1979 in music) on the Chrysalis label.
“Hello Chicago! Would you please welcome from England, U! F! O!”
During the hard rockin’ high-times of the ’70s, the live album achieved iconic status. During the era of excess, the double live album ruled turntables. In January of 1979, with five previous studio albums recorded under their contract with Chrysalis Records, UFO issued Strangers in the Night. In my humble opinion, this LP stands as the greatest official concert recording ever unleashed from the wild world of hard rock and heavy metal. Featuring the classic, high-flyin’ UFO line-up of vocalist Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, mercurial anthem-rock guitarist Michael Schenker, drummer Andy Parker, and Paul Raymond on keyboards, S I T N captures the band firing on all cylinders during the Autumn of 1978 US tour.
Most cuts included where recorded at the Chicago International Ampitheater since “the people in Chicago really took us to their hearts. We did well in other cities, but Chicago was like a home-away-from-home for us, and to this day it’s a special place for UFO.” – Pete Way
J LOGIK
J Logik (Jonathan Keith Ochoa) is a Chicagoland-area artist that is brining a new commercial rap and dance infused sound to the music front. J Logik is rated as reverbnations #1 Dance/Rap artist in Chicago (www.reverbnation.com/jlogik). J Logik is almost niche in the world of music by rapping and singing, his almost alternative-like vocals, over hard-hitting and higher tempo dance and house instrumentals accompanied by catchy and rhythmic melodies. Jae Switch (Justin Ochoa), brother of J Logik, plays an integral part in creating this music by offering additional vocals and song-writing talents to some of the music. J Logik has a unique delivery style and his lyrics are catchy, fun and humorous, which adds to the commercial and pop appeal. Having a very humble, laid-back, goofy and positive demeanor, his objective is to simply make good music and have fun while doing it.
J Logik released his first EP called “Logikal Nonsense” on October 9th, 2012. This EP was a free 6-song download exclusively on Facebook to his fans. An album was supposed to drop earlier this year but was later scrapped because it wasn’t the direction he wanted to take things musically. Originally, J Logik was a Hip-Hop artist that wrote on more conscious topics. J Logik states, “going from hip-hop to rap/dance, I really found where I fit in and it’s such a positive vibe and fun to perform on stage”. Very confident and proud of the “Logikal Nonsense – Part I” EP, A music video for “It’s Gone” was released the same date as the EP. The song “Party Poppin'” is getting a lot of local club play in the Chicago-land area. The complete “Logikal Nonsense” album is scheduled to release January 15th, 2013.
J Logik cites a vast range of different influences, such as rappers like Tupac Shakur, Biggie, Nas, Eminem, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rakim and Lupe Fiasco; R&B artists like Michael Jackson; rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins, The Verve, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and U2; electronic music like Deadmau5 and Skrillex. His wide range of appreciation and love for almost every genre of music and form of creativity inspires him to remain open with his musical direction and collaborations. J Logik cites, “good music is good music and that’s my passion…now let’s get this Party Poppin’.”
WEAREB.E.A.M.
B.E.A.M. – Beyond Every Aspiration & Music
When you think Beyond Every Aspiration… there is Music! This multi talented group, comprised of (2) producers, and a female songstress and (1) male singer all met with one goal in mind – to take over the world, and that’s what they plan to do.
B.E.A.M. – Beyond Every Aspiration & Music bridges the gap between underground hip-hop, mainstream urban pop, and electric rock alternative. They blend elements of hip-hop, pop, electro, and dance to create an original sound and lifestyle they call ‘Urban Alternative’.
“Far beyond trends…” and surreal analogies, such as “A powerful BEAM of light” are motto’s lived by this ever changing group. They authenticate their music style by constantly staying above the bar and surpassing expectations of trends and style. Whether it’s producing new tracks, song writing, or just simply in the studio with other artists they always stay free to “beam up” all day, every day.
R=Cash, Kritikal Dyverse, bobby zohar and Vanessa Colon are always stylish and swagged out… with shades, skinny jeans, graphic tees, and fresh kicks have taken the Chicago underground pop scene by storm and turned it on its ass! With their flossy and stylish fashion interest combined with their musical style, B.E.A.M. is definitely a group that creates outside the box and is not afraid to push musical boundaries.
B.E.A.M. all grew up on the south side of Chicago with one . Influenced by pop and hip-hop at young ages; they all were ahead of their time. Rapping on the streets, producing in basements, and creating beats from a Casio keyboard proved to be the core base of their love and passion for music and entertainment.
How can you deny it… It seems to be that once these 4 mad geniuses set their minds to ruling the world at large there is nothing standing in their way! Beyond your expectations… Every dream fulfilled… Aspiration of greatness… Music is the star B.E.A.M. is more than music, not just a lifestyle, but a culturally inspired movement… We Beamin’
SUNSQUABI
Created in March, 2011 by Andrew Clymer and Kevin Donohue, adding drummer Chris Anderson in the fall of the same year. Their music is called Electronic-Hydro Funk. The group, They have performed at Red Rocks Amphitheater, along with some of Colorado’s best music venues and several national festival apperances.
PYRO FIGHTER
Chicago’s dynamic unsigned duo Pyro Fighter have been radiating the scene with their Tron-Pop sound since late 2009.
While they first caught attention after opening for Benny Benassi, Pyro is best known for having their songs “LMFAO”, “I’m The One”, and “Electrobotic” on MTV’s Jersey Shore, the movie Worst. Prom Ever., O Music Awards and the Guinness Book of World Records ‘Worlds Longest Dance Party” playlist.
They have their own station on Pandora and Spotify, have topped the charts of PureVolume.com, featured in various Music Magazines, and were named one of the top 15 acts to see at North Coast Music Festival 2011 (Right between Fatboy Slim and Wiz Kalifa).
Pyro Fighter made their radio debut on Chicago’s biggest top 40 station b96 as well as Riverside California’s KGGI after teaming up with Worldwide DJ BadBoyBill to re-release their single “I’m The One”.
With a successful future ahead, the duo plan to keep releasing fresh singles to their hungry fan base while continuing to make their way to a city near you.
THE IMPERIAL ROOSTER
The Imperial Rooster play an out there mix of folk, blues, country, & rock and roll that can only be described as GONZO ROOTS MUSIC. Influenced by Beer, Sterno, Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Beer, Screamin Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits and Captain Beefheart.
NICK LUEBKE
I am a hip-hop/rap/pop artist from the beautiful city of Madison, WI. My style ranges from full on singing to a lighter style of rap. I’m always experimenting with different sounds and genres trying to change it up. As long as you keep listening to it, I’ll keep makin it.
ANDREW FRAKER & SONS
Andrew Fraker had spent much of his musical time since the end of his previous band, Treeline, playing covers on acoustic guitar in various drinking establishments on Chicago’s North Side. Those travels connected him with former Telstar guitarist and vocalist Anthony Calderisi, who encouraged him to record some of his own music at his home studio. Brian Cohen, also from Treeline, contributed bass, and Chris Costello, who plays in another band with Calderisi and used to work with Fraker back in the dot-com era, added drums to the tracks. The recording project quickly became a live act, debuting late in 2008. Andrew Fraker & Sons play earnest rock and roll with a tinge of country, marked by vocal harmonies, acoustic and pedal steel guitars and a restless spirit.
TRAPPER SCHOEPP & THE SHADES
Trapper Schoepp has the ear of a troubadour, the eye of a journalist and the heart of a young poet. He began writing songs at a tender age with startling facility, distilling rock, folk and country traditions into tunes that are at turns spirited and melancholy. Themes ranging from pride of place, love and adventure shine with surprisingly sophisticated metaphors for a songwriter so young. Run, Engine, Run won’t be out of place filed next to other artists distinguished for their early talent like Justin Townes Earle, Ha Ha Tonka and Lucero. Trapper, his brother Tanner, and the rest of their band the Shades offer this album as a love letter to their beloved home state of Wisconsin, and SideOneDummy will release it internationally on September 25, 2012.
Like his namesake M*A*S*H surgeon Trapper John, the 22-year-old Wisconsin songwriter found himself prepping for surgery a month before recording his band’s third and latest album, Run, Engine, Run, the result of a gnarly BMX bike crash 6 years earlier. Fortunately, his mother gave him a guitar after the accident and Trapper was able to turn his experiences on the operating table at the MayoClinic (for spinal decompression surgery) into songs like the Stones-flavored rocker, “Pins and Needles.”
“’Run Engine Run’ has a lot of meanings for me. My grandfather’s way of life was tied to timeless farming traditions passed down from generation to generation, the same way a songwriter is tied to and nourished by traditional songs. Musicians need to keep the engine running, to keep moving forward. The song is not only an ode to the car our grandpa gave us, but a nod to the perseverance of farmers in the Badlands and to preserving traditions.” Tanner agrees: “It’s about inheriting something of value from the past in a way that is not nostalgic, but vital and never-ending. The album title is a request for resiliency, a way of honoring the past, without getting stuck in it.”
Trapper Schoepp & The Shades is comprised of Trapper on lead vocals and guitar, brother Tanner on bass and vocals, drummer Jon Phillip (Tommy Stinson, Limbeck), and lead guitarist Graham Hunt. Daniel McMahon (Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Cameron McGill) produced Run, Engine, Run and contributed keyboard during the sessions. Grammy-award winning engineer Geoff Sanoff (Fountains Of Wayne, Green Day, Nada Surf) mixed the album.
“As a rock n’ roll band, we play music that has absorbed a whole range of stylistic overtones,” Trapper says of the musicality he’s after with the help of his band, The Shades. “In a sound bite world, it’s crucial to regard certain music not as a static art, but one that transcends tidy categorization. A radio station once said our music is ‘as much Pavement as Parsons.’ I thought that was telling, because this album has a little bit of everything – rock, country, power-pop, even some punk.”
While it’s difficult to capture the band’s live charisma on record, Run, Engine, Run comes close with 12 well-crafted tunes that describe the everyday triumphs and tragedies of Midwestern life. As soon as the album hits the streets, The Shades will take to the road, bringing their heartland rock to the masses. “There’s a blues song by the Rolling Stones called ‘No Expectations’ that hits on a person moving forward and not looking back,” Trapper says. “I hear the song as the story of a young, lonely rambler or musician whose has lost wealth and love, but accepts the fact that there’s a whole world ahead of him. I’m young, so I look at this as an opportunity to press on and share songs. Right now I have no expectations other than to keep on keepin’ on.”
THE HEADLANDS
Chicago’s newest groove purveyors! Bringing deep cuts, covering hip hop hits and greasing the dance floor with groove for days! Doin it to you in your ear holes!
SOMO
MAZZARELLA/HOFF/ZERANG
“Mazzarella possesses a joyfully keening alto saxophone tone with the impact of Ornette Coleman’s upbeat existentialism. He also reveals a capacity for cage fighting fury and fluent abstraction.” – Michael Jackson, Chicago Sun Times
www.nickmazzarella.com
Hoff has performed on hundreds of recordings and thousands of shows throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, with numerous musicians and bands. Some of those with whom he has worked closely include: Ken Vandermark, Nels Cline, Vijay Iyer, Carla Bozulich, Ben Goldberg, Mary Halvorson, John Dieterich, Xiu Xiu, Teko Saso, Kira Roessler, and Good For Cows (his long-standing duo with drummer Ches Smith).
devinhoff.tumblr.com
Zerang is a percussionist, improviser and composer who has performed with the hundreds of the best local and international improvisers, and has received over a hundred composition commisions and numerous grants for his work.
www.michaelzerang.com
EVEN THE JACKALS
Even the Jackals is a rock and roll quartet, founded in 2010. The four jammed on and off in several groups before finding the perfect combination of talent. Bill and The Kid have been known to murder people with raging guitar solos (criminal investigations pending), while Seth and Chris keep the rhythm thumping and the energy high. Come out to a show a see what you’ve been missing!
BLOOD FEAST
After years of lying dormant, the blood flows once again for New Jerseys own Blood Feast. Brought to life in 1985, known to be the East Coast’s answer to Slayer, now with a mix of original & the new blood of members, Blood Feast is prepared to continue where it has left off, playing intense Thrash Metal the way they have from the beginning. Now setting their sights on spreading their Trail of Death across North America & Europe, Blood Feast hope to reach their legions of fans from the past & the present. Seeing Blood Feast live the set list includes all of the classic tracks from all three releases, Kill For Pleasure, Face Fate & Chopping Block Blues & a few New surprises. Played with intensity & precision, something Blood Feast has been known for. Introducing Chris Natalini on Vocals, John Blicharz on Guitar , Tom Lorenzo on Bass Guitar & rounded out by original members Kevin Kuzma on Drums & Adam Tranquility on Guitar. The demand for the band to reemerge by Blood Thirsty Thrash Freaks has now been answered!
Those in attendance of Blood Feast’s inaugural return with Obituary, winter of ’08, knew there was a future at hand, and now was the time. A sweltering venue of blood thirsty thrashers laid witness to the battery of drums and onslaught of vocals. They enamored in the chaotic dual lead guitar assault and proficiency of classic thrash as only Blood Feast could deliver, and Blood Feast had delivered on that evil night. Additional shows would follow with the likes of Possessed, At War, Mortician, and others. “Thrash metal was alive!” the chemically imbalanced hailed their masters.
Offering a feverish set of Blood Feast classics such as Menacing Thunder, Blood Lust, Hunted Stalked and Slain, and Face Fate, and– quite possibly –a few new offerings in blood, fans will not be denied their fate at the hands of the Jersey Thrashers. Blood Feast is back and ready to thrash! The machine of war is oiled, forging forward, manned only by blood thirsty corpses with
visions of blood.
DEVIL BY DESIGN
Straight out of the depths of hell comes a hard living, heart stopping, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants rock ‘n’ roll band based out of Columbus, Ohio. From an attitude and intensity that snarls in your face with sexual drive, to a soulful and heart-felt, sense of melody, Devil By Design is undoubtedly a band you don’t want to miss. The raw relentless lifestyles reflect clearer than crystal within their music, and it is not hard to see why they are being called the most dangerous band in rock ‘n’ roll.
MG & THE GAS CITY 3
After a decade in Chicago playing metal, MG and Nate moved back home and decided to bring it back to what they knew; hard hitting tunes infused with punk, rock, and country music.
In MG & the Gas City 3’s short time together, they have become one of Indiana’s most exciting and hardest working bands; playing to great crowds across the Midwest.
After the release of their debut album Get in, Shut Up and Hold On (2010 Gas City Records), MG & the Gas City 3 has enjoyed a great string of success playing Indiana’s most prestigious venues with well known acts such as Rockabilly Hall of Famer Art Adams, Hillbilly Casino, The Krank Daddies, Hudson Hornet and Mo Foster’s The Next Big Thang.
With tons of views and likes, the single “Rock Kept ‘A’ Rollin”, filmed by Andrew Quinn soared courtesy of Gas City Records.
MG & the Gas City 3 is currently working on their second studio album due in the Spring 2012.
SUPER MINOTAUR
Super Minotaur is the embodiment of a short fused youth and a hymn for all who are still young. Nevermind. Youth is overrated.
JOAN OF ARC
Joan of Arc are an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1995, following the breakup of Cap’n Jazz. Singer Tim Kinsella has been the only permanent member of the group; he has also recorded as a solo artist.
BOB DYLAN “BLONDE ON BLONDE”
Blonde on Blonde is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 16, 1966 on Columbia Records. Recording sessions began in New York in October 1965 with numerous backing musicians, including members of Dylan’s live backing band, The Hawks.
TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS “DAMN THE TORPEDOES”
Damn the Torpedoes is the third album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1979.
THE STARSHIP
An alien lyricist and inter-dimensional time-traveler, The StarShip has only one directive- The Orgy at the End of the Universe. An Experimental mix of Industrial, Hip-hop, Electro, and Psychedelic; The StarShip is a unique entity. Known for the song “Fuck The Universe”, his sciFi and pop culture references have made him a cult favorite across all geek communities. Always pushing the envelope with humorous social commentary and an out this World conceptual performance, The StarShip will take you on a trip that must be experienced to believe.
GLITTER GUILD BURLESQUE
The Glitter Guild is a wandering troupe of Con-going Cosplayers grown too hot for their costumes. Best known for bringing their passion for everything from D20 to Doctor Who, to crowds of 600+ annually at Indiana’s GenCon, the Guild are all truly passionate enthusiasts who give the same loving care to their costuming that they lavish on their obsession of choice. What kind of underthings does a Klingon wear? Where else do Chthulu’s tentacles grow? These are questions the Glitter Guild considers carefully and answers with grins, glitter, and glee. Like all good Guilds, the Glitter Guild now journeys countrywide from Con to Con, bringing jiggles and joy to all the fanboys and fangirls they can find.
Featured Glitter Guild performers include- Bazoka Joe, Hazel Hellender, and Red Rum.
DOLLFACE
You can take the gal out of the Honky Tonk, but you can’t take the Honky Tonk out of the gal. Dollface wants everyone to treat her like a lady, and if they don’t, she’ll cut them in half. She’s tiny, but she’s fucking mighty, and takes her vitamin every day… it’s called a steak.
An all around artist and performer, Dollface knows no bounds. From photography to crafting, silks to grinding, tap to fire handling… Dollface, is the one and only razorblade in the cupcake.
VIKING JESUS
Legends say that VIKING JESUS is a being that descended upon Earth to give humans better metal. Others say he’s a spirit that passes on face-melting abilities from one person to the next. Others say he’s just a dude from Middle-of-Nowhere, Illinois who loves video games a little too much. Whatever you believe, prepare to be rocked!
KING’S X
King’s X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band’s lyrics are largely based on the members’ struggles with religion and self-acceptance. King’s X was ranked #83 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
Since being signed to Megaforce Records in 1987, King’s X has released twelve studio albums, one official live album, and several independent releases. The band is currently recording for the InsideOut Music label, and continues to tour with each new release. Early in their major label career, they had many opening slots on arena tours, but lately, the band for the most part headline their own shows playing mostly clubs and smaller venues. Each member of the group has recorded solo albums and has made numerous guest appearances on other artists’ albums and compilation projects. Doug Pinnick and Ty Tabor also have albums released with side bands that they participate in.
ANDY FRASCO
Andy Frasco, a twenty-three blues/jazz musician hailing from the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, is nothing short of an enigma. Influenced by Damien Rice, Sam Cooke, Professor Longhair, Van Morrison and Tom Waits, Frasco’s style is as uninhibited as those artists who inspire him. Let’s call it Party Blues.
Within the past three years alone, Frasco has trekked over 120,000 miles, performed over 700 shows, with spanning over 6 countries. Frasco’s journey, however, is just beginning. This revolutionary is on a mission to alter the music business as we know it.
Frasco’s a rarity in the music business: one who is an industry “insider” and a talented musician. This unparalleled insight is due, in part, to his days of managing and promoting bands when he was 16 years old. He’s booked bands like HelloGoodbye, and worked with labels and venues such as Drive Thru, Atlantic Records and The Key Club in Hollywood, Ca.
What’s more, Frasco does not come from a musical background. His family played no instruments, and it wasn’t until the age of 17 that Frasco met his soul mate: the piano. At 19 years old, Frasco traveled to New York to work with friend and colleague Jordan Stilwell, producing his first album Growth and Progress. From there, Frasco toured the country with VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, raising money for Music Education in the Public Schools.
Yet 220 shows in 360 days through 33 states that he personally booked on the Save the Music Tour wasn’t enough for this young prodigy. Frasco headed back to Los Angeles to form his own band and produce his third and current album, Love, You’re Just Too Expensive. Frasco continues to prove that he is a dynamic force with which to be reckoned, as listeners marvel at his talent and soulful performances wherever he goes.
Andy Frasco has jammed with artists such as Leon Russell, Galactic, Jakob Dylan, Pretty Lights, Butch Walker, The Flobots, Spill Canvas, Suburban Legends, Nural, Tyler Hilton, & John Mayer.
In 2011 alone, Frasco received musician of the year at showcases such as Sundance Film Festival, HatchFest, Orion’s Music Festival and the European Independent Film Festival.
Frasco may just be the “Second Coming” of blues music for this emerging generation, changing the course of mainstream music in a blazing path of glory that will someday take him home.
WILD MOCCASINS
Pop music from Houston, Texas.
GOOD GROUND
Good Ground formed in 2012 when husband and wife duo John and Carla Wills, with long time friend and musical collaborator Zach Thomas, began writing and recording original songs that combined Carla’s love of singer/songwriter folk music with John and Zach’s ten years of writing and performing together in various guitar-driven rock bands. The combination created a unique sound that features vocal tradeoffs between John and Carla, layered acoustic and electric guitar stylings, and tempos ranging from diving and upbeat to slow and melancholy. Good Ground has roots in the Chicago suburbs.
KROL KLEKS
Krol Kleks started in October 2011 in Chicago. By February 2012, Krol Kleks began to play shows all over the Chicago giving a very raw, DIY, and psychedelic/garage/surf rock sound to everyone fortunate enough to catch the experience (otherwise you can wear your motorcycle jacket while taking acid and catchin a wave). Krol Kleks is about imagination, angst, and karma….the rest is in your hands.
BIEL BARRET
Singer-songwriter raised in Texas. First picked up the guitar after listening to Townes Van Zandt’s For The Sake Of The Song, haven’t put it down ever since.
WARSEID
Warseid is an independent folk metal act from Madison, Wisconsin. The group was formed in 2008, and has always included many symphonic elements with their somewhat traditional sound. Their lyrical themes range from nature, to mythology and fantasy, often presented with very dark tones.
AETHER REALM
Thor’s hammer crashed to the earth with a mighty rumble. When the smoke cleared, there were some guys. Some stuff happened that set the mood, something about a quest to rock some towns, and now we play melodeath.
WILDERUN
Wilderun is a Symphonic Folk Metal band based out of Boston, Massachusetts.
The band combines original material with traditional folk songs, many of which have been pulled from America’s rich repertoire. Wilderun’s goal is to bring these old and lost folk tales to a modern audience, giving them a fresh metal twist, as well as creating epic, original compositions.
THE NIGHTHAWKS
When Mark Stutso, master of the deep groove, joined The Nighthawks at the beginning of 2010, the 21st-century version of the legendary American roots band was complete. With Paul Bell and Johnny Castle in the band for nearly a decade, and founding father Mark Wenner the remaining original, this team outshines all previous incarnations.
The Nighthawks was an idea in Mark Wenner’s brain long before he was able to implement it. The musical product of pre-1958 radio in Washington, D.C., he did not know there were rules against mixing blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly into one delicious stew.
In 1972, Mark, then 23, returned to his hometown after a New York City band apprenticeship eager to start a real, work-every-night band based on American roots music. He found a receptive local scene. Washington has long been a musical melting-pot of the kind that made Memphis the source point for the evolution of American music in the second half of the 20th century. It just never had a Stax or Sun record label to tell the world. As the city exploded with an influx of people from all the surrounding states during the Great Depression and World War II, Washington became a hotbed of musical cross-fertilization. When Bill Haley first brought his wacky Pennsylvania mix of hillbilly music and rhythm and blues to D.C. in 1952, people got it. And white kids like Mark found the Howard Theater – now recently restored and part of the historic top tier of the Chitlin’ Circuit that included Baltimore’s Royal, Chicago’s Regal and New York’s Apollo – just a 25-cent bus ride away from the suburbs.
LADY RAVEN
With a true passion for sub-bass, Chicago’s premiere female Dubstep DJ brings nothing but the dirtiest upfront beats. Lady Raven has been headlining parties across the U.S. and creating new legions of fans all over the world. She has rocked crowds across Chicagoland and various nightclubs / underground events all over the Midwest. She has already performed alongside Dubstep heavyweights Rusko, Flux Pavilion and Doctor P.
She strives to be at the forefront of the Midwest Dubstep scene. Her mixes have been featured on Digitally Imported Radio, Radio Dubstep, and Global Vortex Radio.
Lady Raven is guaranteed to put on an explosive show filled with the filthiest beats to blow your mind. If you like it dirty, then don’t miss Lady Raven!
