MODEL CITIZEN
Long-running Alabama based band. Includes members of Drive-By Truckers, Dexateens, Bohannons, Capsiz
SPEED BABES
Do what you want. We’ll stay here.
TV MOMS
TV Moms is a loud, grungy, guitar-drums, gutter rocknroll band. Ok, not all the songs are loud. There’s some singing in there, but not vocal gymnastics. Bummer rock is a thing? But a little more sarcastic. Riff-based guitar stuff that is really fun to play, even if you don’t play guitar that much. And Dave plays drums. He broke a stick a couple times.
THE DARKHORSE COLLECTIVE
Blending elements of psychedelic rock, progressive metal, and almost everything in between, The Darkhorse Collective looks to create a new breed of modern progressive music. Full of many twists and turns, the contrast of heavy riffs, chaotic rhythms, and catchy melodies will demand your attention until suddenly you wonder… “Now how did we end up here?”
THE VELVETEERS
Growing up in Boulder, Demi Demitro rebelled through her guitar, practicing up to nine hours a day and neglecting schoolwork to develop a playing style that is heavy but agile, theatrical but nuanced, grounded in rock history but wholly idiosyncratic. With Baby Pottersmith and Jonny Fig playing on a conjoined set, the band developed a reputation for their rip-roaring performances. Clips of the band’s live shows and DIY videos made it back to Dan Auerbach, who invited them to his studio in Nashville to produce Nightmare Daydream, dropping October 8th on Easy Eye Sound. “I instantly dug them,” says Auerbach. “Any time you doubletrack drums on a record, it’s going to sound so heavy. Together with this baritone guitar player who is so bombastic. There’s nothing like them.”
THE BLUE STONES
From Windsor, Ontario, Canada; the duo is built on an electrifying blues-rock sound with alternative rock accents. They have been praised for their big and bold live performances, and have been featured on TV shows such as Suits, Parks and Rec, Battle Creek and Monday Night Football. They’ve opened for acts such as Justin Nozuka, Fitz and The Tantrums, Big Sugar and more.
GEORGE SHINGLETON
Generations of Shingleton men have played an amalgam of bluegrass and the Appalachian “hill country” music familiar in their area of rural West Virginia, but George Shingleton was the first to make the move from the local church choir to Nashville.
“We were all taught that blood was basically your savior and your lifeline, and how close we needed to be to one another,” Shingleton says. “We didn’t grow up with money at all, but the ‘family-ness’ was very, very rich in our household, and I could never have asked for anything better.”
Despite a childhood spent with music at the forefront, Shingleton didn’t seriously begin writing songs until he was an adult. A number of years into making music his full-time job, it’s still Shingleton’s family, as well as his friends and fans, who drive him to go after this dream.
“I know that I couldn’t keep doing what I’m doing without the support from people who really care about the music that I’m putting out,” says Shingleton. His wife, Emily, saw his potential and was the person who initially encouraged him to pursue this career, and his fans are the reason he keeps pursuing it. “I’ve been doin’ this a long time,” Shingleton adds. “The reason I know I can do it is because of them.”
All that support certainly isn’t misplaced. Shingleton’s second full-length album, 2020’s Out All Nighter, proved him “a skilled song craftsman and a talented vocalist… straddling the line between outlaw country and southern rock in his own original style” (Glide Magazine). His Shot or Two EP, released in January 2023, paired him once again with dear friend Dave Pahanish — who has co-written #1 singles for Toby Keith, Keith Urban, and Jimmy Wayne — as his producer, and Shingleton is working on more new material, to be released later this year.
Among those new songs are “Beer Drinkin’ Women,” co-written with Justin Wilson, a “let-your-hair-down, have-a-good-time” track — a rarity for Shingleton, the artist admits — and “I Can’t Let You Go,” a brokenhearted ballad with a darker, more rock-leaning edge. Neither, however, is completely out of left field for Shingleton, who as a teenager fell in love with the outlaw country and southern rock sounds of the Allman Brothers Band, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hank Williams Jr.
“I don’t feel like I’m straying away from any of my roots, but I feel like these new songs are a little more accessible,” says Shingleton, whose music toes the blurry lines between Americana, country, blues, southern rock, and gospel. The man with the “rich baritone full of love and comfort” (Americana Highways) remains committed to maintaining authenticity and integrity within his stories and sound — a move that has, throughout his career, garnered him the respect of artists such as Bucky Covington, Charlie Daniels, John Michael Montgomery, Darryl Worley, and others who have invited Shingleton to share the stage.
In addition to earning spots on a variety of digital music playlists — Apple Music’s “Country Roads,” “Back Porch Country,” “New in Country,” and “Country Lovin’”; Spotify’s “New Music Nashville”; and Amazon Music’s “Fresh Folk & Americana” — Shingleton’s songs have found their way onto television. His 2021 single “West Virginia Moon” was used in the fly-fishing show “Fly Rod Chronicles,” and another of his songs, “Restless Ways,” was featured in an episode of the hit TV series “Yellowstone.”
Prior to the pandemic, Shingleton began livestreaming regularly on Facebook, and fans eager to see him perform can catch him monthly on his Facebook page for his “Tuesday Night Tunes” series, which more than 1.4 million viewers have tuned in to watch. In 2023, though, Shingleton is eager to be out on the road more often, after years as a “weekend warrior.”
“I just want to be playing my music for people,” he asserts. “I want to make music that people can connect to in times of both celebration and sadness. Music brings us together in such a universal way.”
RICHARD & LINDA THOMPSON “SHOOT OUT THE LIGHTS”
Shoot Out the Lights is the sixth and final album by British husband-and-wife rock duo Richard and Linda Thompson. It was produced by Joe Boyd and released in 1982 on his Hannibal label. A critically acclaimed work, AllMusic’s Mark Deming noted that Shoot Out the Lights has “often been cited as Richard Thompson’s greatest work, and it’s difficult for anyone who has heard his body of work to argue the point.
BOOKER T & THE MGs “STAX CLASSICS”
Booker T. & the M.G.’s were an American instrumental R&B/funk band that was influential in shaping the sound of Southern soul and Memphis soul. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). In the 1960s, as members of the Mar-Keys, the rotating slate of musicians that served as the house band of Stax Records, they played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Albert King. They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single “Green Onions”. As originators of the unique Stax sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era. By the mid-1960s, bands on both sides of the Atlantic were trying to sound like Booker T. & the M.G.’
LIMOUSINE BEACH
Limousine Beach is a Sizzle Rock band from the tepid streets of Pittsburgh PA.
DANAVA
The classic sounds of ’70s hard rock and heavy metal have never gone out of style (that’s why they’ve earned the tag of “classic”), but although each subsequent generation has offered up bands eager to tap in, recycle, and reinterpret these timeless teachings, this enduring “retro” tradition has gained an especially large and dedicated legion of believers in the 2000s. So much so that for every band looking to the predictable Sabbath/Zeppelin/Aerosmith axis for inspiration (see Wolfmother, Witchcraft, The Sword, etc., etc.), there are others digging through forgotten crates to find other, significantly less obvious, root sources like, for example, the psychedelic acid trips of Iron Butterfly, the outer space adventures of Hawkwind, the epic synthesizer-laden prog metal of Rush, and yes, even a little Black Sabbath, but of the often dismissed, late-’70s period of the Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die! albums. These very influences apply to Portland, OR’s Danava (pronounced do-nuh-vuh), which was formed in 2003 by Illinois transplants Dusty Sparkles (vocals, guitar, synthesizer), Buck Rothy (drums), and Dell Blackwell (bass), with additional synth player Rockwell joining in time for the group’s 2006 debut through Kemado Records. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
TIGER LEE
CHERRELLE CHERISOUL SULLIVAN
A look into the life and mind of extraordinary singer/songwriter, dancer, stylist and multi-artist
HAROLD GREEN III
Harold Green is an ever-evolving artist whose vibrant storytelling and passionate, lyrical delivery captivate audiences domestically and internationally. Using poetry as his central art form, Green is a highly sought-after speaker, bandleader, and event producer. His self-published first collection of poetry (From Englewood, with Love, 2014) earned the prestigious Carl Sandburg Literary Award. Harold’s commercial publishing debut is BLACK ROSES and BLACK OAK, a duo of illustrated volumes inspired by his viral odes to Black celebrities who are making history today (HarperDesign, 2022), and his forthcoming children’s board book series, SUNDAY ADVENTURES, will make it’s debut with leading titles THE RAINBOW PARK and THE NUMBER STORE (Running Press Kids, 2023).
KING KONTRAVERSE & DIVERSE
King Kontraverse is an artist from Chicago, IL. He has been blessed to perform at Sxsw music festival, interview with Uic, and open up for Chief Keef, Lil Durk, King Louie, G Herbo, Saba , Noname, and Smino in the past few years. King Kontraverse has 3 projects out: Birth of A King, Long Live Migo, quarantined, divorce before marriage, and the self titled album King Kontra available on all streaming platforms.
SHUKIN AND THE RAMBLERS
Shukin and the Ramblers is the Rusty Roots Rock Revue you’ll have to see to believe. Influenced by the American sounds of the Chicago Blues, Classic Rn’B, Roots Country, a Funky dose of Gypsy Jazz and a Punk Rock edge. Matt, Dan, and Rob are a power trio with expansive song lists of original material and cover songs, providing a high-energy and engaging live show. From the past hundred years through the present, Shukin and the Ramblers cross many genres – keeping audiences thirsty for more. SOUNDS LIKE: Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, The Rolling Stones, Chris Stapleton, The Stooges, Devil Makes Three, Jimi Hendrix, Stray Cats, Tom Waits
MEDICINE WIVES
Medicine Wives are Rock n’ Roll from South Bend, IN
CHAEPTER
Chaepter is the first name and stage name of Chicago-based music artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Chaepter Negro. Hailing from Central Illinois, Chaepter grew up in a large Catholic family with 8 other brothers and sisters. Beginning piano and cello lessons at age six, his interest in music was sparked young, and by 13 years old, Chaepter began writing his own songs, playing in bands, and learning to record and mix. Since then, he’s released various projects under different monikers and bands, and in 2019, he moved to Chicago to pursue music as a solo artist under his own name. From 2019 to 2022, Chaepter dedicated his time to mixing, recording, and producing his debut album, a self-described “Midwest Gothic” called Kicking the Cat. With fourteen songs and a 56 minute runtime, Kicking the Cat is an ambitious album that meditates on generational trauma, aloneness, and religious decay. Songs like “Ritual” or “On the Mend ” highlight Chaepter’s ability to craft catchy pop tunes, whereas songs like “The Prairie” show off a rare songwriting ability. Recorded in various bedrooms, closets, and Chicago practice rooms over the years, the album was mastered by Greg Obis (DEHD, BNNY, Paul Cherry) and released digitally and as a limited cassette run through Chaepter’s own label, Church of the Cat. Since its release, the album has circulated the Chicago indie scene as a hidden gem. In their review of the album, Chicago blog Second Street calls the album “an eerie collection of melancholic perfection,” and further says:“There’s an old expression that says: ‘Where words fail, music succeeds.’ Even as a lifelong instrumentalist, I have rarely felt the meaning of this phrase until just recently. Kicking the Cat is one of these occasions where I truly feel the gravity of that statement: I want so badly to write about this album, because it makes me feel emotions that are near impossible to put into simple words. It’s quite the paradox.” While difficult to narrow and ever-changing, Chaepter’s music could best be described as dream pop / experimental rnb, with indie rock tendencies. His production is unique, and his songwriting works in extremes, always balancing precariously between earnest and cryptic, vulnerable and brooding. Chaepter typically plays shows around Chicago with a full band, but also has a solo set prepared.
MUDDY WATERS “HARD AGAIN”
Hard Again is a studio album by American blues singer Muddy Waters. Released on January 10, 1977, it was the first of his albums produced by Johnny Winter. Hard Again was Waters’s first album on Blue Sky Records after leaving Chess Records and was well received by critics.
THE STROKES “ROOM ON FIRE”
Room on Fire is the second studio album by American rock band the Strokes, released on October 28, 2003, through RCA Records. Its title is derived from a lyric in the song “Reptilia”.Room on Fire received positive reviews upon its release, and reached number four on the US Billboard 200 (where it went on to sell 597,000 units by October 2006 and was certified gold) and number two on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles were released from the album: “12:51”, “Reptilia”, and “The End Has No End”.
PRETENDERS “LEARNING TO CRAWL”
Learning to Crawl is the Pretenders’ third album, released in 1984, after a hiatus, during which time James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon died of drug overdoses.
After Farndon’s dismissal from the band and Honeyman-Scott’s death, Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers initially recruited Rockpile’s Billy Bremner and Big Country’s Tony Butler to fill in a caretaker line-up of the band in 1982. Bremner played guitar and Butler played bass on the band’s September 1982 single “Back on the Chain Gang/My City Was Gone”, both sides of which were later included on Learning to Crawl. As the album sessions got under way, Bremner, Graham Parker’s bass player Andrew Bodnar, and Paul Carrack (formerly of Squeeze, Ace and Roxy Music) played guitar, bass and piano respectively for the track “Thin Line Between Love and Hate”.
Finally, Robbie McIntosh (guitar) and Malcolm Foster (bass) were recruited to join Hynde and Chambers, and the band was now officially a quartet. It was this line-up that recorded the rest of the tracks featured on Learning to Crawl.
The November 1983 single “2000 Miles/Fast or Slow (The Law’s the Law)” was the newly reconstituted foursome’s first release, followed shortly by the full Learning to Crawl album in January 1984.
The album’s title of “Learning to Crawl” was given in honor of Chrissie Hynde’s then-infant daughter, Natalie Rae Hynde. She was learning to crawl at the time that Chrissie was trying to determine a name for the album.
DRTY RED
F.A.B.L.E
A music recording artist and producer raised on the south side of Chicago, but born in Detroit. His narrative based delivery spins whimsical imagery on top of soulful instrumentals.
MOTHER FORTUNE
Mother Fortune (MoFo) is an eclectic five-piece hip hop group based in Chicago whose funk, jazz, and soul influences drive their boisterous live sets, with vibes so good you’ll want to smack your mama–– or invite her to their next show. Made up of Shami and Moira, a dynamic rapper and vocalist duo, guitarist Cesar, bassist Tyler, and drummer Taskin, MoFo delivers everything from romantic lullabies to defiant, lyrical provocations. They promise to keep you on your toes with the quirky sensibilities of The Internet and Funkadelic-worthy breakdowns
ONE PERSON
CRANBERRY BATCAVE
Cranberry Batcave is a mix of Ska, Punk, and Alternative rock. Although, all transplants from other cities in the United States they reside in Chicago where the band was formed. For fans of “No Doubt”, “Against All Authority”, and “The Best of the Worst” Sunny-vocals, Nolan-guitar, David-trombone, Adrian-bass, and Liz-drums.
R.E.M. “DOCUMENT”
Document is the fifth studio album by American rock band R.E.M., released on August 31, 1987, by I.R.S. Records. It was the first album by the band to be produced by Scott Litt.Continuing in the vein of their previous album Lifes Rich Pageant, Document features more audible lyrics and a harder rock sound in comparison to the band’s earlier releases. The album became R.E.M.’s greatest success at the time, giving the band their first top 10 hit (“The One I Love”) and album, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200
THE DERRICK TATE CONNECTION
As one of Chicago’s up and coming performing artists, Derrick Tate has been a Professional Saxophonist since 2011. Throughout these years as an artist he has performed and collaborated with internationally acclaimed artists such as Solange and Amerie. He has also performed for numerous venues throughout the Chicagoland area as well as festivals and events such as Pitchfork, Ravinia Festival, Lake Meadows Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and more. Derrick continues to provide musical services throughout the U.S. and internationally for Weddings, Corporate Events, and other Special Occasions. High School Music Director from Chicago, IL. been playing professionally since 2010 and have been teaching and directing high school bands since 2016.
With a firm belief in the study and practical application of the performing arts, Derrick Tate has also become a high school band director and private educator to pass on the necessary skills and techniques to the next generation. He has professionally taught Jazz, R&B, Classical, Rock, and Pop music since 2016.
As a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Education, my philosophy is for the next generation to be able to come to regard music and its fundamentals as a tool and direct representation of their everyday purpose. With a focus in modern music such as Jazz, R&B, and Soul, I strive not only perform to the best of my abilities, but ti also be a model for the next generation of musicians to come. I believe that music will always represent something unique in the lives of others, and that through education and exposure, the arts will stay relevant and retain purpose for a lifetime to come.
MARILEE
Chicago based. Marilee. Nothing in front of that.
Nothing behind it. MARILEE. Comedian
Actress
Singer
V I B E
HARLEM NATURAL
“Them boys is good, I guess,” remarked a surly pub patron upon seeing Harlem Natural at his local watering hole. After finishing their second set of the night, the guys set out to the back for a smoke with their adoring fans. “Honestly, I thought The Dead Bolts were playing tonight,” a fan joked, “but uh.. Oh! I liked when you guys played Let’s Get It On. That’s something. I don’t know, man, don’t you have to go back on soon?” A ragtag bunch of miscreants, the USS Harlem Natural is manned by Pat Corbett (Bass, Captain), Mike Fitz (Drums, First Mate), Bob Puetz (Guitar, Second.. Mate?) And John Hall (Guitar, Done with this metaphor). Stay tuned for some new recordings and don’t forget to act natural.
UNCLE SEXY AND THE NEPHEWS
Uncle Sexy and the Nephews is a rock and roll machine made from all sorts of influences such as blues, folk, country, and soul. We use Catchy melodies and story telling to capture what its like to be the average hardworking American while rippin a few solos and crushin a few beers along the way. This music is written for people and as long as those people are willing to listen, we will keep the music comin.
DEEOHGEE
DeeOhGee is the wild conglomeration of brothers who scrape their inspiration from the talents of American music. The beat, the groove, the melody, are the holy trinity that guide this band. With togetherness as the goal they travel, sing, give and gather for the betterment of their fellow man. The origins of American music are built from the exact same elements that make our modern music quicken our current pulses. This is where DeeOhGee has made their home, pulling from acoustic roots to amplified chaos, they encompass the human condition within their songs. Without fear of being multi-dimensional, Zack Murphy pushes his heavy beat and nuanced percussion to new grounds. Matthew Paige heaves his weight into riffs and dissonance that lands in a beautiful cadence. And Dylan Whitlow brilliantly lends his gift of bass virtuosity to the heat that melts it all together. With plans to collaborate and participate in the vast world of music for as long as life allows, the DeeOhGee contribution is one of honesty and free thinking feels cranked up for those ready for liberation.
THRA
Arizona Death Sludge
ROD
Two lovers from Kentucky
Micah Wu
Angie Willcutt
FOEHAMMER
Washington DC’s Foehammer carve a monolithic slab of extreme doom on their second full length, MONUMENTUM. This hour-long plodding cavalcade writhes and undulates as if it were an ancient giant emerging from its subterranean lair. Serpentine guitar riffs ebb and flow between cascading waves of thick low-end din. This is colossal doom at its finest. Worship the almighty power chord at the altar of MONUMENTUM!
CLAIRE LIPARULO
Claire Liparulo is a diverse and dynamic Southwest Florida-based performer.
Imagine the sultry smoothness of Fleetwood Mac melded with the soulful command of Aretha Franklin, woven together by the romantic lover’s croon of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”
Her original music is inspired by artists such as Lucinda Williams, Jason Isbell, Joni Mitchell, and Chris Stapleton.
Claire’s heavily anticipated solo record, which highlights her soulfully expressive vocal style, includes players from Muscle Shoals and Nashville, is set for release later this year.
SERENA MONAY
Chicago Stand-Up Comedian
ST. JAMES JACKSON
St. James Jackson is an extremely talented, Chicago-based comedian who has one goal: Greatness. He started his career at the age of 17 when one day, while skipping class, he noticed that his school was having a talent show. He decided to try his luck at Stand-Up Comedy and immediately fell deeply in love with the art form.
From then on he began spending his every waking moment working to become an elite comic. Now, you can see this young gun all over Chicago performing.
On stage, St. James is a mix of being verbally brash and energetic. His unique cadence keeps you engaged and entertained the entire time. His comedy is personal, covering topics such as how it feels to live with a crazy religious family, his experiences with drugs, stories on race, growing up naïve, as well as an abundance of “dumb thoughts” he has while on the toilet.
St. James Jackson, with his work ethic and determination, has quickly became a hilarious comedian that you can’t miss!
HILARY JIMENEZ
75% Mexican, and 100% colonized, Hilary Jimenez is a Chicago based comedian, writer, and Limited Too Fitting Room Survivor, who’s comedy style is crossing the border and the line all while wearing designer shoes. Her comedy gives loud, abrasive voice to the female, chicana experience, with a self-deprecating wit and unapologetic delivery that makes her mother deeply uncomfortable.
Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, MI, Hilary graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Theatre Performance, and moved to Chicago to pursue the extremely lucrative career of Stand Up Comedy.
Hilary has performed at The Laugh Factory Chicago, Zanie’s, The Lincoln Lodge, Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, and many more.
GRACE BAHLER
Grace Bahler (she/her) is a Chicago-based writer and comic. You can see her every Tuesday hosting Laugh Factory’s open mic or at various clubs around the city and Midwest region. Bahler currently writes for Reductress, Awf Mag, and the BOB & TOM Show. She is a graduate of Second City’s Conservatory as of 2021.
Bahler started performing in 2018 on a whim when she decided it was really fun and she kinda wanted to keep doing it? Soon thereafter, she opened for Ronny Chieng in Indianapolis before heading to Chicago like a beautiful little fool. After spending six months taking classes at The Second City and interning for “Highly Recommended” (a Laugh Factory show she’d go on to later co-produce for eight months), Bahler went back up to Montreal to finish her Bachelor of Arts at McGill University. There, she performed stand-up at The Comedy Nest and La P’tite Grenouille and played with The Pit Improv and Bring Your Own Juice sketch group. Around the time she graduated in 2019, Bahler was hired by Reductress as a contributing writer and not long after started writing monologue jokes for the nationally-syndicated BOB & TOM Show.
As for upcoming projects, she’s currently working on her first feature-length screenplay and has recently taken on producing The Rambler (Wednesdays in Lincoln Square). It’ll take her forever to update this website, so follow her on Twitter @sooospontaneous or Instagram @veryspontaneous (she’s sooooooo spontaneous).
CASA
Blues/jam band from the south side of Chicago
MUDDY WATERS “HARD AGAIN”
Hard Again is a studio album by American blues singer Muddy Waters. Released on January 10, 1977, it was the first of his albums produced by Johnny Winter. Hard Again was Waters’s first album on Blue Sky Records after leaving Chess Records and was well received by critics.
TAYLOR SWIFT “1989”
1989 is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. After music critics questioned her status as a country musician following her pop and electronic-influenced fourth studio album Red (2012), Swift was inspired by 1980s synth-pop to recalibrate her artistry from country to pop music. On 1989, titled after her birth year to signify her symbolic artistic rebirth, Swift enlisted Max Martin as co-executive producer.
STEELY DAN “CAN’T BUY A THRILL”
Can’t Buy a Thrill is the debut studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in November 1972 by ABC Records. The album was written by band members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, recorded in August 1972 at The Village Recorder in Los Angeles, California and produced by Gary Katz.
RIKI RACHTMAN
After his hugely successful spoken word show debut in Charlotte, North Carolina in September, Cathouse founder and former host of Headbangers Ball, Riki Rachtman will take “One Foot In The Gutter” on the road. An intimate evening of stories, tales and true life fables from Riki himself…from growing up in Hollywood, to all the raunch roll sleaze and debauchery that happened at the Cathouse. Never before has he shared his experiences of Headbangers Ball in an uncensored spoken word event. In all the “Once In A Lifetime” moments he’s had, and he’s had A LOT, this spoken word show is a personal highlight.
The former host of MTV’s legendary Headbanger’s Ball as well as the Founder of Hollywood’s most notorious rock club and epicenter of raunch, the infamous party place, the Cathouse, Riki did something he’s never done before: appeared in front of a very large audience and told his stories…not only some never before shared stories of the early days with some of the biggest names in rock n roll, but he opened up with his tales of drug addiction, jail, bankruptcy and his true rags to riches to rags to riches story. “One Foot In The Gutter,” is Riki’s very first speaking tour, the first time he’s discussed with an audience his career and past, how he helped define metal culture, and beyond.
Riki is uncensored, unapologetic and not at a loss for words. What was it really like hanging with some of the biggest rock stars on the planet when the cameras weren’t on? What really happened on MTV with Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Ozzy and others? Riki explains, “In my entire career, there is nothing that I am more proud of than this show. Walking out on stage was surreal for me. I was not introducing another band as I had done for decades. I was the opener and headliner. It was bizarre for me to realize that the packed house was there for me. The show was far more than a behind the scenes Headbanger’s Ball tell all. The show was not just the description of the raunch that happened at my club Cathouse. I opened up about my battles with drugs, my arrests, bankruptcy and a lot of bad choices. To know that some found inspiration in this show is the highest form of flattery.”
“With one show done I am ready to do it again and again and again. I will incorporate multimedia more and deliver an experience with highs and low’s. The idea of taking OFITG on tour truly is not only a dream come true, but the highlight of my career.”
THE JIMMY CARTER BAND
AWEFUL
Aweful have a sound that’s rooted deeply in 80s post-punk, yet has modern garage flair and intense neo-goth vocals, with notes bending and dripping in the vocals. The music is thick and lush, with a hard, sharp edge that’ll cut you if you’re not careful. (JerseyBeat.com)
BAT HEARSE
“Bat Hearse is an original ghoulish gothability horror outfit from Detroit. With songs like “Transylvania Moonshine,” “I Fell in Love with a Dead Girl,” and “Do the Bela (lugosi)” – this campy vampy fiendish five piece is KILLER fun! Members include frontman Rick Ruiner (vocals and writer), Nina Friday (vocalist/guitar), Jungle Josh (lead guitar and writer), Dana Deadly (bass guitar) and Ajax (drums and backup vocals). Rick Ruiner built the namesake Bat Hearse vehicle in 2004.
HOLY JOKE
Chicago based indie/alt-country band.
Debut single “Sink In” out 1/27, presave
RISK
Hailing from the best city in the world (Chicago) RISK a.k.a. RECOVERING INTROVERTED SCENE KIDZ are a Pop/Punk duo looking to push the boundaries of how poppy pop punk can actually get! The respective duo infuses sounds from artist like BLINK-182, The Chainsmokers, Sum 41, and Katy Perry. Made up of vocalist/guitarist Matt (THUNDER THIEF) LeGrand and drum enthusiast, Jeremiah (the RENEGADE) de la Peña. These two idiots sincerely hope that through their music people can find a sense of nostalgia, belonging, and freedom to be who they were always meant to be. An Emo, misunderstood, scene kid!
MOTHER OF GRAVES
These Melodic Death/Doom necromancers conjure old school gloom from their haunting grounds in Indianapolis, IN. Fans of early Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Cloak and Khemmis will make life-long blood-pacts with Mother of Graves’ bleak atmosphere and pitch-black Gothicism.
ZACH DIETSCH
standup comedian in Chicago, IL
LELE MASON
Lele Mason is a rising actress, dancer, comedienne and professional guide in corporate leadership, professional development, team building, and communication. For your professional, organizational, corporate and comedic needs she is the lady to see.
CHRIS TRANI
Chris is a fantastic stand-up comedian from Chicago who integrates all forms of comedy into his act: Stand-up, storytelling, crowd work, one-liners; and if need be, he can do it all in Spanish (kinda)! Chris is the official house emcee at The House of Blues’ stand-up show, and can be seen at clubs all over Chicago: Zanies, The Comedy Bar, and more! Chris is a FUN, lively, energetic performer who loves to engage, entertain and perform for audiences of all ages.