MELTER
melter (melt’ er) n. 1. Physical liquefaction or the production of unions under stress. 2. The induction of complete transformation or rebirth. 3. Musical alchemy during decomposition.
BRAD HAYMAN
WILLIE “THE TOUCH” HAYES
*Grammy Award winner. *Inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame. *Actor in movies such as Thief, Hardball, Ali, Road to Perdition, The Express. *Worked with Tom Hanks, Will Smith, James Caan, Dennis Quaid.*Chosen drummer for: Son Seals, Junior Wells, Magic Sam, Chainsaw Dupont, Luther Allison, Carey Bell, Johnny Dollar, Mighty Joe Young, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Albert Bashor, Otis Clay, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Luther Allison, The Temptations, Lurrie Bell, Big Twist, the Mellow Fellows, and more.
ANDREW DIEHL
Andrew Diehl grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, picked up the harmonica when he was nine and spent his teens wearing the grooves out of Little Walter records. After moving north to Chicago at seventeen, Diehl fell in love with the guitar and it hasn’t left his hands since. You can catch The Nightmen performing all over the midwest, delivering a heavy hit of electric blues and vintage rock n’ roll.
SUPER GUITAR BROS
The Super Guitar Bros aren’t actually brothers – They’re bros!
Sam and Steve combine their love of video game music with their passion for acoustic/classical guitar to bring you a one of a kind musical experience.
Sometimes chill… Sometimes intense… Always super!
THE GRATEFUL STRING BAND
In a world full of Grateful Dead tribute bands it takes a certain level of respect to coax the music into new exciting genres & stand out from the crowd. With a catalog full of Dead favorites originals as well as covers that the Grateful Dead performed, The Grateful String Band dedicates its bluegrass prowess to anything dead related. Any music the Grateful Dead performed is what TGSB explores and we perform it with our unique bluegrass spin.
DAVE STONE
Based in Los Angeles by way of Atlanta, Dave Stone made his television debut on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” in 2013 and in the same year was selected to the prestigious “New Faces” roster of the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal. Since then, he has been seen on season 8 of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”, Viceland’s “Flophouse”, and Travel Channel’s “Cheat Day Chow Down”.
When not headlining clubs across the country, Dave regularly tours with Craig Ferguson. He also can be heard voicing several characters on Adult Swim’s “Squidbillies”, co-hosting his new paranormal podcast “The Boogie Monster” with Kyle Kinane, and hosting his weekly alt-country radio show “The Gravy Boat”.
EASYJACK
BASE2
ULTRASLOTH
EM GRACE
From experiencing ghosting, heartache and love to discovering her non linear healing journey around sexuality, self love, body neutrality, and addiction; Em Grace untangles an intimate part of herself and gifts you with a mirror. Her deepest intention is to use her music to heal; to connect and unify communities all over the world with vulnerability.
EM GRACE & the Undercuts is an all queer band making ukulele punk, defying the perceived contrast between sweet tones and strong electric waves. Front woman, Em, pairs her electric baritone ukulele with emotionally visceral vocals and is amplified by bass (Sage), and drums (Rachael V.).
Em Grace has independently released two EPs, “Peach Tree” and “Waves of Grief”, which are on all listening platforms.
Em Grace started in 2017 as a solo project and the Undercuts joined in 2022.
We have headlined at The Golden Dagger Chicago and Burlington Bar; performed at Chicago staples Hard Rock Cafe Chicago, Reggie’s Music Joint, Fruit Salad and The Second City. In March and April we’ll be making our debut at Liars Club and Subterranean.
We’ve paid our dues and played at copious amounts of local comedy shows, DIY venues, bars, restaurants, professional studios, apartments, and speakeasies.
ABSOLUTE PHASE
Formed in 2019, this hard hitting five piece band consists of layered vocals, tasteful guitar licks, a full bass foundation, and driving drum beats with a goal to invoke emotion, self-reflection, and growth.The band features Zak Johnson on lead vocals, Matt Storey on bass/background vocals, Andrew Kolb on drums/background vocals/guitar, Alvin Santner on lead guitar, and Ian Rottner on rhythm guitar/background vocals.During their short career, they’ve opened for national acts such as Otherwise and Spoken along with playing shows at well known Chicago venues like The Cubby Bear, Basecamp, Q-bar, Arcada Theatre, and more. The band has also been featured on FOX, NBC, CBS, Garage Bands, Rock Rage Radio, The Tasting Room, The Daily Herald and have even been on the radio in the US and the UK. They were poised to be on the festival circuit 2020 opening for global acts such as Puddle of Mudd, Tantric, Fuel, Local H, and more but the pandemic had other plans. Absolute Phase also has a 9 song album released on December 8th, 2020 called “The Little Black Book”. So far, 2021 has them focusing on writing new material and releasing more content for their fans with sparse shows in-between.
JEFF K%NZ
JEFF K%NZ is an emcee, painter, and visual artist. JEFF’s work is vibrant, loud and in your face; yet reflective and detailed; much like the famous artist who inspired his name. He lives by the motto, “We can all create,” encouraging his community to think Gr8, embody confidence, and use inner power to create the world around us.
His music was recently described in These Days Magazine as “featuring rapid, Jekyll-and-Hyde-style flow switches, thoughtful bars.” Meanwhile, his artwork specializes in portraiture, because it allows him to connect with people and spend time with their faces, as a way to think about who they really are.
JEFF is Chicago-based, previously had a home base in Houston and is a native to Champaign. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and has since been featured in numerous exhibitions, curated shows and art battles throughout the years. He has toured internationally through music with his collective TheGr8Thinkaz and painted murals throughout Chicago, as well as in New York City and Los Angeles. JEFF is the founder of ‘Think & Paint,’ an event that engages local community in conscious conversation and art creation by providing an intimate safe space to exchange perspectives verbally and visually.
RITUAL-THE MUSICAL
Ritual-The Musical
Music and Lyrics by Terry Morrow
Musical is based on the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
Based on the famous short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “Ritual-The
Musical” dives into a conformity driven farmtown, where superstition, sexism, and
tradition reign supreme. Tessie Hutchinson and her daughter Nancy discover an
unlikely connection in the face of certain disaster, and the townspeople will stop at
nothing to maintain their idea of order as they celebrate the annual lottery ritual.
KADEEM FULLER
Stand up comic/ My love language is weed/ Nobody can judge except God and my mama
CAITLIN CHECKEROSKI
She/her, Chicago-based stand-up comedian. Come for the dog pics, stay for more dog pics.
MATT BROWN
Ms. Brown is a comedian, singer, and host based in Chicago, Known for his rapid fire tongue, incisive crowd work, and improvisational fancy
GENA GEPHART
Gena Gephart lives in Chicago, IL where she pursues writing, stand up, and sketch comedy. Gena’s sharp brand of comedy reflects her dry, feminist perspective and has been called “awkward in a good way” by several drunk bachelorettes. She has opened for comics like Michael Che, Pete Holmes, and Natasha Leggero, and has performed at the Limestone Comedy Festival. Gena produces a monthly all-lady storytelling show in Logan Square called Ladylike as well as hosting the weekly Ladylike Podcast. She contributes to Reductress and Thought Catalog and is a cast member at the Lincoln Lodge. In her spare time, Gena enjoys sitting quietly in the dark and teaching her cat to be less fat.
CHRIS HIGGINS
DEAD LIVING
Dead Living is a garage punk trio from Chicago. They have been playing Chicago punk since 2001 and have since incorporated a wide range of influences and progressive elements.
TAYLOR MANHART
Taylor Manhart began traveling and busking across the country at a young age to start her musical career. Thanks to her father’s and loved one’s insistence, she moved back to Chicago to take her passion of music more seriously and bring it to a larger audience.
TASCHE DE LA ROCHA
Psych glam rock garage doo wop group
BELZEBONG
Belzebong are a stoner metal band from Kielce, Poland. Since the band’s formation in 2008
LATIN HERITAGE
GOLDEN AGE OF HIPHOP
COUNTRY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
MIKE VALLELY AND THE COMPLETE DISASTER
Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, Mike Vallely And The Complete Disaster not only encapsulate the punk sounds that skateboard legend and vocalist Mike Vallely is known for: Mike V And The Rats, Revolution Mother, Good For You, Black Flag, but they also play their own original brand of Barn Burning, Greasy Rock n Roll that spans the genres from jam band to hard rock, to metal.
The rhythm section is anchored by Irish twins Wade and Paul Thompson (Tyler Thompson Band) while guitarist Eli Clark exorcises his over-driven blues possession.
Bringing music to the people and partying like it’s 1977, Mike Vallely And The Complete Disaster are a bar band, arena rockers, and street buskers all rolled up into one tight and powerful bolt of lightning.
APOLLO SUNS
Founded by Ed Durocher, Apollo Suns is a 9-piece instrumental collective from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band fuses the influence of jazz, rock and psychedelic music, to create their own unique sounds with the dancefloor in mind. They have self-released three EPs: ‘Each Day a Different Sun’ (2017), ‘Dawn Offerings’ (2019), ‘A Relationship of Force’ (Color Red, 2021), and were awarded “Instrumental Artist of the Year” at Western Canadian Music Awards in both 2018/2020.
In 2022, Apollo Suns returned to the studio with Juno award-winning producer Ben Kaplan (Five Alarm Funk, Mother Mother, The Rare Americans) to record their latest album, ‘Departures’. The band is signed to the Canadian label Do Right Music, home to The Souljazz Orchestra, Soul Motivators, and Luvmenauts.
Developed over many tours trying out different arrangements and grooves, their new single ‘Pluto’ became a fan favourite at live shows due to its heavy horns, dynamic groove, and catchy melody. “Pluto is a many-faced god who is capable of great kindness but also is temperamental. We wanted the song and artwork to convey that feeling to listeners.”
Best known for their high-octane live shows, Apollo Suns have captivated audiences at Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Big Fun Festival, Vermont Jazz Fest, and Calgary Stampede. Some of their most notable shows include support slots for The Comet is Coming, Makaya McCraven, Anomalie, The Brooks, and Five Alarm Funk. The core group includes Ed Durocher (Guitar), Tim Iskierski (Drums), Erika Einarson (Percussion), Bryn Herperger (Bass), Garrett Malenko (Trumpet), Benjamin James Hill (Trombone), Aaron Bartel (Bari Sax) and Anatol Rennie (Keyboards/Synths).
TIL MORNING
chicago power pop ✨
dev/pat/mickey
OVERDOSE
Motör-charged Rock n’ Roll from NYC.
THE ACCUSED AD
With the knife-wielding, toothy-grinned Martha Splatterhead at their side, Seattle’s own THE ACCÜSED carved their way into the underground music scene by becoming one of the cornerstones of crossover music that melted faces in the 80s across the globe––A punk/metal fusion that planted its ever-growing seed in modern heavyweights such as MUNICIPAL WASTE, LAMB OF GOD, CANNIBAL CORPSE, the Patton/Lombardo project DEAD CROSS, and many more.
After its demise in the early 2000s, the band was reborn in 2004 as TOE TAG–a grittier, back-to-roots incarnation of the Splatterrock sound comprised of three-fourths THE ACCÜSED, featuring Blaine “The Wizard” Cook, Alex “Maggotbrain” Sibbald, and Steve “O’ring Nelson with good friend and musical comrade Steve “The Beast” McVay taking Alex’s 4-string job while the Maggotbrain took over 6-string duties, complete with Wah-Wah shreddage.
Singles were released and compilations were blessed with TOE TAG’s presence, but nothing could wipe clean the splatter that had so stained the early fanbase. So at the behest of the fans, TOE TAG occasionally guised themselves as MARTHA’S REVENGE: The West Coast Premiere ACCUSED Tribute Band, playing a horror-filled mix of TOE TAG originals and resurrecting ACCÜSED classics, laying waste to the West Coast and plucking fresh, young fans from their Mama’s arms, introducing them to all that is Splatterrock.
Following in the footsteps of bands like VENOM INC. KNOW, FLAG, and ENTOMBED AD–– now with Recruitment of Drummer Chris Gohde the blender baby known as MARTHA’S REVENGE now proudly sports the moniker THE ACCÜSED AD.
The cult of Splatter is alive, and the Kool-Aid is being consumed insatiably so.
They Ain’t Dead yet….
SUMMONING THE LICH
Taking inspiration from the best elements of Lord of the Rings, Magic The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, and Adventure Time, and wrapping it up in a fantastical death metal parcel, SUMMONING THE LICH has an attention to detail and commitment to storytelling that is second to none. United In Chaos tells the tale of the rise of the Lich and fall of the Kingdom Rodor – and the spread of his wicked influence across the land as his power grows.
SUMMONING THE LICH’s debut album follows a well-received, self-titled demo and live dates alongside heavy-hitters such as Origin, Beneath The Massacre, and several stops on the Summer Slaughter tour. Having honed their craft, they entered Sicktones Studios studio with producer Jack Daniels in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in September 2019. With mastering completed by John Douglass, the result is a technical, abrasive journey through fantasy-driven, modern death metal.
On United In Chaos, SUMMONING THE LICH haven’t just championed a fantasy world, they’ve created one in their own vision; this release marking merely the first chapter in a trilogy of albums that explores the outer limits of their imaginations. By inserting their storytelling chops into songs crammed with memorable hooks and meaty riffs, SUMMONING THE LICH have invited listeners to roll the dice and join the adventure.
The Rangers
Mike Abell (Vocalist/Rhythm Guitar), Dan Abell (Lead Guitar), Tom Crosby (Bass), Danny Garcia (Drums)
NO TRIGGER
American Band since 2001 🇺🇸
Pray to the Acid Lord™️
Not radicalized, just R A D
“No Trigger fucking sucks!” -no one 🏄🏼♂️✌🏼
ALLEYS AND GANGWAYS
Alleys and Gangways continues to evolve with more complex layered melodies, driving rhythm, and insightful lyrics while staying true to their roots in the Chicago punk rock scene. With Chris Walls (drums) and RJ Gonzini (guitar) joining founding members Jaret O’Neill (vocals), Nick Thomas (guitar), and Davey Grzeslo (bass), Alleys and Gangways is back at it with their third EP, “Take This Outside”.
“Take This Outside” , like their previous EPs, was recorded with audio engineer and local legend Dan Tinkler. “Take This Outside” has a dynamic yet cohesive range that will leave you feeling like you took a punch to the gut, and by the next song you’re floating on air.
DIXSON
SARIN/LUST
Midwest scum
GRISHKA
GRISHKA formed amidst the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. Unemployed and angry we screamed into the ether in a Baltimore basement.
GRISHKA pulls influence from Thrash, DC Hardcore, 90’s Death Metal, and 2nd Wave Norweigian Black Metal
WHORESNATION
GRINDCORE OV DEATH SINCE 2009.
WARFUCK
Power duo grindcore band based in Lyon – France, spreading blastbeat propaganda all over the world.
DJ NIKO TWIST ACTION
Singer, Guitarist, Bassist, Composer, DJ, Charming Man and Effective Forward.
LORDS OF PORTLAND
BRETT CONLIN & THE MIDNIGHT MILES
A roots-punk quartet based in Bloomington/Normal, IL. New EP out now everywhere!
MR. MEANER
Mr.Meaner is a swing punk band based out of fargo north dakota while having roots all throughout the Midwest.
JESSE RODERICK
LITTLE FOOT
JONNY TERROR
•raw folk punk•
regrets, cigarettes, and
an anxious mess
DITRANI BROTHERS
DiTrani Brothers play original songs from and about the dystopic present, and ragtime and jazz tunes
THE LORDS OF PORTLAND
YES MA’AM
Based in New Orleans, Yes Ma’am combines street music and 20’s style blues to create their original sound. Born from punk ethics and refined by years of performing alongside The Big Easy’s most talented street musicians.
PIGEON PIT
pigeon pit is a collection of stories wrapped in sunburned skin and a brave heart from a small beach town.
GRIFTERS & SHILLS
High lonesome harmonies with a rock n roll soul.
His was hard rock and heavy metal. Hers was the classic sound of the East Texas piney woods. Theirs was a fiery collision, bearing forth a sound that was at once novel and instantly familiar–high lonesome harmonies with a rock and roll soul.
RUN RABBIT RUN
From the shores of the toxic Ohio river in Cincinnati comes Run Rabbit Run, a band formed of an amalgamation of societal anxiety, existential despair, and the hidden joy and beauty that comes with reveling in the absurdity of everything that is confusing and miserable about being alive.
REVEREND RED AND MANDY ALEXANDER
TINY COUNTRY
A scenic detour from a familiar road, Tiny Country, takes you through the the twists and turns of Americana music. They have been winning hearts with their original songwriting and intriguing cover song selection.
The group features Despina Pafralides on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Chris Grant on Telecaster/ fiddle, Jarret Hicks on Drums, and Kim Sheya on upright bass and backing vocals.
LOCAL NEWS LEGEND
Folk punk lady-type trio from central PA strumming and humming some tunes!!! ♡♡♡
BLACKWATER SNIPER
EXTRATONE + POWERVIOLENCE