REVENGE
Revenge Complete Line up info
Line up:
J.Read Music / Lyrics / Drums
Recording Lineup:
Vermin Guitars / Bass
J.Read Drums / Vocals
Live Lineup:
Vermin Guitar / Vocals
Haasiophis Bass / Vocals
J.Read Drums
JOE LYNN TURNER
In a career that spans 40 years, JLT remains one of rock & roll’s most distinctive, soulful & expressive vocalists
EXIST
American progressive metal band from Maryland
DEFEATED SANITY
Progressive Brutal Death Metal from Germany, formed in 1994.
GORGUTS
GORGUTS, long-running Canadian craftsmen of technical death metal have returned! After more than a decade of silence, mastermind Luc Lemay unleashes “Colored Sands”, a new brand of pestilent fury featuring an all star line-up including John Longstreath (ORIGIN, SKINLESS), Colin Marston (BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS) and Kevin Hufnagel (DYSRHYTHMIA). Few extreme bands have the pedigree of GORGUTS. During their early days as part of death metal’s first wave, they created a legacy of legendary releases including their debut album “Considered Dead” (1991) and its follow-up “Erosion of Sanity” (1993). The latter witnessed the Canadians becoming more experimental and technical. After a hiatus of five years, Luc Lemay returned with a new line-up, which released the acclaimed third full-length “Obscura” (1998). By then GORGUTS had fully transformed into one of the most progressive and influential bands in extreme music, which remained impervious to trends, while expanding and redefining the language of death metal. With a new line-up that left Lemay as the sole original member, another milestone album was released. On “From Wisdom to Hate” (2001) the Quebecois successfully merged the brutal and more direct approach of their earlier albums with the complex arrangements of “Obscura”. Just as GORGUTS seemed on the verge of making the first decade of the new century their own, the band was hit by business and personal issues and went on hiatus. Their musical legacy continued to inspire and thrive as their native Quebec became a focus for technical death metal with acts such as CRYPTOPSY, NEURAXIS and BEYOND CREATION to name but a few following in their footsteps. Now the masters are back to deliver the stunning masterpiece the metal world has been awaiting so long. Brace hard or get swept away by the mind blowing storm of “Colored Sands”!
CHICAGO JAMAICAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE
The Chicago Jamaican Jazz Ensemble is an 8 piece ensemble that plays music in the tradition and style of early Jamaican Studio One dance bands. Before reggae, there was the celebratory music of independence in Jamaica. Music made for dancing, music that was Jamaican Jazz!
Drawing on musicians from Chicago’s diverse jazz scene the music honors tradition and looks to the future of the style. Many of the featured musicians are staples in the Chicago scene and can be heard with/on Swing Gitan, Fox’s Empire Series, Jennifer Hudson, The Drastics, and the Glen Miller Orchestra to name a few.
This is a one of a kind group in Chicago, this is the next generation, and we’re going back to the roots!
T-MURPH
T. Murph is an Internationally known Comedian who has been featured on nationally syndicated shows such as Comedy Centrals Key & Peele, and the 2014 ReBoot of BET ComicView. During only four short years Murph has achieved a HUGE amount of success! In 2014 alone T. Murph was featured in the Comedy Central Sponsored New York Comedy Festival and also signed with a Los Angeles Based Talent Agency. T. Murph brought 2015 in with a bang reaching the Hollywood Finals for Shaq’s Next All Star and Headlining abroad in Dubai. This year you can catch T. Murph on Tour in a city near you and stay on the look out for new dates on T. Murphs International tour starting back in May of 2015. Anything else you’d like to know lets talk in person.
MARTY GRIMES
Marty Grimes should definitely be on your radar if you’re even minutely in tune with the pulse of the music industry. A budding talent coming from Berkeley, CA and an evolving prominent artist in the Bay Area’s rap scene. Influenced by his Northern California roots, Marty’s music embodies the lifestyle, slang and strut that the area is known for and that bred him. In addition Marty has released several introspective records revealing the details of his journey and ascension. Marty has achieved many feats since the launch of his professional career including the release of two albums Co-Executive Produced by longtime friend, & producer Kevin “KDE” Beggs to bring “Through the Smoke” and “Nobody Said It Was Easy” 2014 & 2015 respectively.
Marty has been featured on music’s premier online and print publications including, Billboard, Revolt TV, VIBE Magazine, The Daily Loud, Sway’s Universe and many more. In addition to achieving over 20 million total plays on SoundCloud; Marty has become accustomed to touring the road with his childhood best friend G-Eazy over the past six years gaining indispensable experience over that time period. Marty Grimes is focused on further expounding upon his brand and making unique music for his fans and supporters.
SWAGHOLLYWOOD
ZAHAR
Colorado/Chicago based Rock band. Currently recording new material in Colorado Springs.
WALK AMONG US
Walk Among Us is the only Punk Rock Piano Tribute to the Misfits! Classically trained pianist Sara VanLaningham formed the group in 2015, recruiting operatically trained vocalist/pianist Veronica Danko, good friend and guitarist/bassist Rob Pozen, and guitarist/drummer Nate Phillips. By using 2 pianos–one clean sound and one dirty/distorted sound (in lieu of guitars), a female vocal lead, 3-part harmonies, bass, and drums, Walk Among Us creates a sound that is both unique to the genre yet respectful of the Danzig and Graves eras of the Misfits catalogue. Each member of Walk Among Us, for many reasons, loves the Misfits and wishes to present this classic horror punk music in a new and fresh way!
“If I’m going to Hell, I’m going there playing the piano!” –Jerry Lee Lewis
STERN APPROVAL
Stern Approval are an alternative rock band based out of Hammond, Indiana.
Striving to provide groovy, hard-hitting, surfy jams.
BEDSIDE ALIBI
Bedside Alibi is a hard rock band from Genoa, IL. With roots in both the blues and new acts such as Bullet For My Valentine and Avenged Sevenfold, they have taken the northern half of Illinois by storm.
OUTDREJAS
OUTDrejas is an outrageous rock n’ roll act that plays originals and covers. We are always looking to connect with music enthusiasts and play gigs.
BOI FLOYD
Boi fLOYD is a Artist from the South Side of Chicago (Englewood) who uses his personal experiences to influence his music. #fukwitchaBoi….fLOYD
KARA CAVANAUGH w/ Philip Roach
Singer-songwriter, Kara Cavanaugh with Cornmeal‘s multi-instrumentalist, Philip Roach, perform Kara’s original music and captivating covers.
About the artists-
In the short time since Kara Cavanaugh has ventured into the Chicago music scene, the soulful, dynamic vocalist has accomplished more than most singers in a lifetime. Making a name for herself backing the nationally touring Grateful Dead tribute band Terrapin Flyer and Jerry Garcia Band alumni and organist, Melvin Seals, Kara stretches the genre with powerful performances and sultry lead presence.
It was only a matter of time before the charismatic vocalist sought to move out into the spotlight, fronting her own band to showcase her abilities as a songwriter and strengthen her solo performances. Currently in production on her first full length release, Kara Cavanaugh is poised and ready to introduce a side of her as yet unseen.
*****
Philip Roach began playing violin at age 5 and soon after was asked to perform with the nationally renowned Midwest Young Artists. During his time with that orchestra, he performed with his long time hero and fiddle great Mark O’Connor. His presence permanently influenced the course of Phil’s musical life, and he soon traveled down to Nashville to attend fiddle camps, where he received lessons from giants such as Vassar Clements, Darol Anger, and Mark O’Conner himself.
Phil then pursued a degree in classical violin performance, where upon graduating, he began a 3-year tenure performing with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestras, and Peoria Symphony Orchestra. Phil began recording session work in Chicago as an outlet for his love of improvisation, where he was featured on multiple recordings as a violinist, guitarist, and mandolinist for artists such as Lupe Fiasco and Company of Thieves. This led to meeting The Giving Tree Band and in 2009 he joined full time, performing hundreds of shows from coast to coast, as well as through Canada and Europe. He currently tours with the band, Cornmeal.
SHITIZEN
Chicago “snotty hardcore punk”
Claudia – vox
Jerm – guitar
ET- bass
Josh – drums
TRIBES COLLIDE
Oi!Core from Detroit.
4 WITHOUT
Powerful and energetic hard rock band. Aggressive, rock and jazz influenced guitars, funky bass lines; strong drums beat with lots of double bass kicking and a sexy, female, front woman with a broad vocal range.
SAMOTHRACE
Samothrace formed in early 2006 with the intent of writing heavy, blues-based doom with an emphasis on forging our own sound in the community. We released our debut album, “Life’s Trade,” in 2008 on 20 Buck Spin Records. Our 2nd album, “Reverence to Stone” was released July 2012. Heavy music for heavy times.
ALL THE COOL MOLECULES
Our sound is like if Ill State and The Strips fucked and had a baby
ELECTRIC BREW
JEANNIE TANNER
Jeannie Tanner is Chicago’s multi-talented vocalist, trumpet player, pianist, and composer, joining Chicago Women in the Blues for the first time this year.
LIZ MANDEVILLE
Chicago Blues Hall of Fame Master Artist, Liz Mandeville, has been a force of nature on the Chicago Blues Scene for over three decades. Known for her power house voice and prolific songwriting, Liz won both the International Songwriting Contest and the USA Songwriting contests and was named 2008 Blues Songwriter of the year by the American Roots Music Association. Last month she was named to “The Top 40 Modern Blues Artists” list by Alternate Root Magazine.
With her recording debut on 1996’s “Live from Buddy Guy’s Legends,” as a singer with the Aron Burton Review (house band at Blue Chicago for 5 years) Liz Mandeville was a featured artist on 3 other releases from internationally recognized Earwig Music Company. She released 4 CD’s of her own music for Earwig between 1996 and 2oo8. Liz also contributed her talent to Johnny Drummer’s CD, Unleaded Blues and is featured on two Earwig Boxed Sets as well. Liz’s original song, “Scratch the Kitty” from her 2008 Red Top CD spent 22 weeks at #1 on the Cashbox Charts. Most recently, Liz is featured on Earwig’s 2015 release, “Angles Sing the Blues” with Shirley Johnson and Mary Lane.
Liz Mandeville released two CD’s on her own label, Blues Kitty Music and has plans to release a third this year. Her current release, Heart ‘O’ Chicago, is in regular rotation on Stingray Music and SiriusXM. Liz is not only an award winning singer, songwriter & record producer, this year she was nominated for a Jimi Award for her guitar playing, which has been compared to the legendary Chet Atkins and, in some circles she is almost more famous for her washboard playing!
Liz Mandeville has performed in every major blues venue in Chicago, holding down long tenures at Blue Chicago, Rosa’s, Bill’s Blues, Kingston Mines. She’s toured in 11 countries on 3 continents including headlining festivals such as the Durban South Africa Blues Festival (twice) Maastrich Queen’s Day Fest NL, Sasquatch Reunion in Alberta Canada, Chicago Blues Festival, Riverfest NM, and many others. She’s played nearly every state in the lower 48 and Hawaii as well.
JULIEN-K
Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck have been musical partners for 15+ years. During their time together they have weaved in and out of mainstream music like a constantly evolving musical fashion house. In the late 90’s they were responsible for massive radio and sales hits such as “Blind” (Korn), “Blue Monday”,” Stitches”, and “Fiction” (Orgy), and recently “Crawl Back In” and “Let Down” (Dead By Sunrise with their pal Chester Bennington). After enjoying years of traditional music business success, they have spent the last 10 years methodically moving away from the mainstream approach that put them on the map, opting to carefully steer their fans in a new direction, towards their new independent alternative electro rock project Julien-K – which sounds more at home with the likes of modern acts such as M83, The Kills, LCD Soundsystem, The Naked and Famous, Empire of the Sun, and even the Black Keys (see Derakh’s sleazy electro-blues guitar playing on “We’re Here With You”).
PIG
<PÎG> is Raymond Watts, a British musician whose brand of electronic rock is danceable and deadly serious in turn. Watts’s words spring from the well of gallows humour in a world of corruscating cruelty and truth. <PÎG> climbs peaks and mines troughs, and musical genres slide and collide like tectonic plates.
The live band will comprise Raymond Watts, En Esch, Guenter Schulz, Z. Marr and Galen Waling.
THE VIADUCTS
Original Power Pop/Rock Band From Chicago
THE ALPHONSO JOHNSON BAND
The ALPHONSO JOHNSON BAND brings to you Metaphors, a high powered fusion quintet lead by renowned bassist Alphonso Johnson, featuring famed drummer Chester Thompson, reminiscent of their years together with the band Weather Report which brought about a musical revolution for years to come. Johnson’s Quintet commands a rich repertoire of an array of compositions ranging from Black Market and Mysterious Traveler material, to John Coltrane’s iconic compositions, to tunes such as “Amor Artificial” by Ray Baretto and “Cameleon” by Ruben Blades. These songs capture the essence of Latin Music that is reminiscent of Johnson’s time with “Santana and Abraxas Pool.” The band also plays the now standards of Johnson’s that gave the genre of fusion it’s shape, some Genesis and other material. The quintet includes accomplished American Jazz pianist Gary Fukushima, Israeli Hard Rock guitarist Nili Brosh, and Uruguayan World Music guitarist Federico Ramos. Together they explore the intricacies of modern complex improvisation techniques with a contemporary worldly approach, crossing genre boundaries and merging them in symbiotic synergy as metaphors of musical compositions.
CRANFORD HOLLOW
It’s a boot stomp on a dusty bar floor. It’s the clang of a whiskey bottle at last call. It’s grit. It’s the sounds of the South. It’s Cranford Hollow, a blended mix of Southern Rock, Appalachian Fiddle Music and American Rock and Roll.
The Hilton Head Island quartet, comprised of vocalist and guitarist John Cranford, bass man Phillip Sirmans, drummer Randy Rockalotta, and fiddler and vocalist Eric Reid, have won over thousands of loyal fans with what they call Lowcountry Stomp, a sound that is at once eclectic but uniquely their own. Elements of Blues, Old-Time Country, and Southern Psychedelic Rock come together with ancient mountain melodies in an energetic, engaging musical root bag sprinkled with some Sea Island hoodoo. Since 2011 Cranford Hollow has been playing upwards of 200 shows a year, steadily expanding from the South Carolina Lowcountry to places as far afield as Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Livingston, Montana and Taos, New Mexico.
St. Telluride, Cranford Hollow’s fourth studio album, was released on August 18th and features ten new original tracks. The album was recorded over the first five months of 2015 on the Hastings Mesa just outside of Telluride, Colorado, and at Retrophonics Studios in St. Augustine Florida. St. Telluride was engineered by John Cranford, Preston Havill, and veteran producer Jim Devito and includes two songs featuring Telluride songstress Ellowyn Kane. Cranford Hollow is touring the South and Midwest this autumn promoting St. Telluride.
WHISKEY BOB TAYLOR & THE TWELVE STEPS
Chicago-based five-piece Whiskey Bob Taylor and the Twelve Steps are a self-described “modern jug band” whose music recalls the hokum of the 1930s tinged with genre-jumping modern influences.
SIMPLY SAUCER
Emerging from the industrial city of Hamilton, Ontario in the 1970s, Simply Saucer created a distinct, original sound that was decidedly out of step with the current musical climate. The band played edgy rock & roll that was a combination of early punk pre-cursors (Velvets, Stooges, Modern Lovers), krautrock (Can, Neu, early Kraftwerk), and U.K. prog/psych (Hawkwind, Pink Fairies, Syd Barrett – both with and without Pink Floyd).
Thurston Moore dedicates sets to them when he plays Hamilton…..
JOHN BALLANTYNE’S CRAZY HEART
Although he’s the leader of a rowdy honky-tonk band, John Ballantyne is also becoming recognized as one of Chicago’s premier country songwriters. Ballantyne was born and raised in Scotland, though you’d never know it from his earthy vocal delivery and snarling lead guitar. Both resonate with the twang and raunch of classic country and Americana.
Besides being staples of the Chicago country music circuit, John and his band Crazy Heart (Gus Noble, Leslie Walle-Santos and Mike Fleming) regularly bring their high-energy honky-tonk sound back home for tours of Scotland, including main stage appearances at the prestigious, award-winning Tiree Music Festival.
DEAD FREDDIE
Dead Freddie is a Chicago-area band, known as the Pop-Punk Phenomena, playing original music based in early punk and power pop.
BURIAL RITUAL
Burial Ritual is a five piece death metal band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin that was formed in 2005. They are comprised of Chris Brooks on vocals, Jason Dykas on guitar, Matt Holtz on Guitar, Gary “Oso” Crawford on Bass, and ”Metal Fuckin’ Pete” Kissane on drums. They have released three full length albums and one EP, and have shifted their focus away from blood and guts themes to a more political nature, instead focusing on societal horrors, corruption, and conspiracies. They have long been a staple in the midwest death metal scene and have branched out across the United States, touring the nation multiple times.
SALLY MARVEL
Sally Marvel is a Chicago-based sideshow and burlesque performer, producer, and published alt model. She embraces that which is bizarre, dark, and sensual, combining the beautiful and the visceral.
VIVA LA RASSLIN
A One of Kind Wrestling Event!
AMALGAM EFFECT
Amalgam Effect is a progressive rock band from Colorado. We formed in an amorphous stage some time in 2011, from which point the gestation has been long delayed but ever-progressing. The initial formation of the band began with Mathew Spivack and Chris Childress as they set out together on a professional and artistic venture. This would become Amalgam Effect in its earliest stage: style being negotiated, initial composition taking place, and the spark of artistic kinship igniting the flame of the band that would be. Over the subsequent couple of years and through several minor line-up shifts – one of which saw Kody Little’s initial induction into the group and subsequent departure – the band slowly formed. The difficultly with keeping a full line-up eventually resolved itself as everything started to fall into place; it was in 2013 that Calvin Merseal joined the band – an event that was steadily followed by a surge in writing and composition within the group. It was shortly thereafter that Kody Little rejoined the band, and the progress and productivity has only come even further with his addition. As we are now, we still need to find the keyboard player to complete our band’s formula, but we have nonetheless found solidarity as a unit in its own state of completeness for the moment.
FIVE OF THE EYES
A blistering assault of melody and energy from Portland, Maine. Having received such high praise as being called “The Mars Volta fronted by Jeff Buckley”, the band pays homage to the past while seeking to forge their own path. Blending elements of Funk, Rock, and Metal into one nimble, flying sonic behemoth, Five of the Eyes delivers their powerful sound with grace and precision.
Five of the Eyes has self-released two EPs and had the pleasure of touring the Eastern US opening for such acts as Rival Sons, Chon, The Contortionist, Auras, Intronaut, Moon Tooth, and Entheos. They are currently writing their first full length album, set to release summer 2017.
NEW! PERFORMING NEU!
NEW! celebrates the music of innovative German Krautrock legends NEU!.
RANDY MCSTINE
Randy McStine is the founding guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter of Lo-Fi Resistance. He is also a member of Meridian Voice (instrumental jazz-rock), Red Spring (pop/rock), and The Great Conniptions Of Saint Ignatious (experimental/improv)
DRAI THOMAS
NP PRESLEY
N.P. Presley has been making records and touring independently since 1993. Releasing 13 albums with legendary Lexington punk band, Infected, he took the band across the nation multiple times. Infected released their final album, a 3-CD box set aptly titled “Complete”, in 2013. Nate (N.P.) also crossed the pond that year, playing guitar for The Brassknuckle Boys on a European tour and joined roots/folk rock band Paper Bridges, in which he still plays bass.
Going back a little further, Nate’s mother, Paula Marie Helton, toured with her cousin Elvis Presley in Nashville in the mid-70’s. She later recorded singles in Nashville, attempting a music career and was featured on Nashville’s “You Can Be A Star.” Nate was born into the business in the early 80’s. These deep roots and the rock and roll royalty bloodline are the driving forces behind N.P. Presley & The Ghost of Jesse Garon.
THE DEEP HOLLOW
“An incredibly promising debut” -Maverick Magazine
Winners of the American Songwriter 30th Anniversary Song Contest!
TEACH THE FIRE
Best friends since the 4th grade, started rocking together at the age of 13 and never looked back since. We’ve played our share of metal and pop punk music in the past, but our passion for the oldies stuck with us…until this day. Teach the Fire is a combination of Blues and Rock’n’Roll jammage. Anyone with an openmind should give it a listen. It’s fun, fast, and powerful. We love what we do and we show it in our music..especially live! .
FEED ME TO MONSTERS
KANSAS is an American progressive rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts, and later with hit singles such as “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind”. They currently tour in North America and Europe. FEED ME TO MONSTERS is much better.
WANYAMA
Wanyama is an energizing 5 piece band creating music that entertains the grooves of funk, vibes of reggae, and the elements of hip-hop. With soulful licks and lyrical flow, Wanyama uses live bass, drums, guitar, horns, synths and voice to cultivate their own experimental sound of Conscious Funk For Your Mind! Formed in Cleveland Ohio, Wanyama has a goal to separate themselves from other musicians, delivering a unique fusion of styles often accompanied by freestyle improvisations, making each show different from the last.
“My first reaction to Wanyama: “Hey they are from Cleveland, OH! I am here in Cleveland, let’s see what they are all about!” Second reaction after listening to their album: Head nodding, body swaying, toe tapping and a big smile. Third reaction: Hitting the replay button when the album was finished (rinse, repeat)!
“Wanyama has crafted a blend of political awareness (with an occasional side of humor), feel good-vibes, life commentary and observation, ska, reggae, punk, funk and hip-hop all delivered in a solid musical package. Released at the end of January, the six man band that created “Cleveland Zoo” all add their own magic in the mix. Tim Sawchik, Charlie Wilson and Brandyn Lowry’s vocals flow in a fresh way which makes you eagerly anticipate what is coming next (Tim and Charlie also play guitar and the Sax). Throw in the amazing bass of Zack Zimmer, drum skills of Niko Yup and the triple wizardry of AJ Therins (piano, synth and keys!), and you have a sweet blend for your ears. As I was listening to the album, I occasionally glanced at the cover and appreciated how they captured the sometimes gritty Cleveland vibe (graffiti art on the side of a brick building that has started to succumb to urban decay), yet added somewhat of an up-beat feel to it.”
-TrueBlue Magazine
“East Coast meets West Coast reggae, blended with roots rock reggae. With a large helping of HipHop tossed in. Mixed with some original flavor. Best served live and on fire!” -Cleveland Scene Magazine
FROM BEYOND THESE WALLS
Experimental Post Rock / Shoegaze / Post Doom Soundscapes from Chicago
Jeff Ulbrich
Erik Kikke
Jacob Ennis
James Genenz
BARREN HEIR
Heavy, atmospheric post-metal. Chicago. DIED DOWN – OUT NOW
ABRAMS
Fusing melody and dissonance, ABRAMS blast forth a cathartic mix of catchy, driving rhythms, soaring vocals and ethereal ambiance. Wielding elements of heavy rock, shoegaze, grunge and post-metal with ease and fluency, they create a crystalline heaviness that’s bittersweet and nostalgic yet also gazes forward.
The Denver band’s arresting sound finds them sharing terrain with the likes of Torche and Cave-In, while their penchant for crunchy, irresistibly hooky riffs recalls alt-rock icons Hum and Quicksand. Even so, their swirling meld of influences isn’t the totality of ABRAMS.
Blue City is where genre-defying heaviness and perfect melodic songcraft converge, a sojourn through lush, cinematic passages and contemplative psychedelia. Its lyrics describe a metaphorical prison, a cold but familiar place where fear of change and the impossibility of action lead to paradoxical, crushing comfort.
Zachary Amster – Guitar/Vox
Ryan DeWitt – Drums
Taylor Iversen – Bass/Vox
Graham Zander – Guitar
WON’T STAY DEAD
Won’t Stay Dead is a horror-themed punk band with grunge and new wave influences from Chicago, blending catchy hooks and harmonies with macabre lyrics.
The band formed in 2017 and has been playing with the current lineup since late 2022.
The band’s first full length album, Purgatory, was released in October of ’21 on Don’t Panic Records & Distro
FIN ZIPPER
UW Madison Student Formed Rock Experience. Blending funk and psychedelic ideas with our own flavors. We play because we love jamming, and you.
DIFFERENT PLACES IN SPACE
Different Places in SPACE may sound like an ambiguous destination, but the journey originated from a very specific terrestrial plane. Different Places in SPACE is a group of four artists who pull together diverse elements of jazz and rock and mix it with an interactive performance style to create a sonic, and decidedly psychedelic, musical experience. The band has only a brief history in time, dating back to its genesis as a duo in the city of Los Angeles where Michael McCabe Palladini and Daniel Lawrence Ruffolo were roommates.
If LA produced the Big Bang, then the expansion of the Different Places Universe occurred when the pair discovered two other like-minded musicians back home in Pittsburgh. This new connection pulled them back in the PA orbit, although Ruffolo currently maintains a satellite position in Chicago. In addition to Ruffolo, who plays lead guitar, and Palladini, who plays rhythm (they both share vocal duties), the band features Douglas (DJ) Joseph Hitchman on bass and Matthew Austin Newmeyer on percussion. As a unit, the four weave together a pastiche of sounds, styles and rhythms for recording and live performances which incorporates sound with visuals and audience participation. At their shows they encourage audience members to add their own artistic energy through painting and dance which creates a fully interactive experience. Energy is taken from the crowd, then fed back to the audience so that everyone can lose themselves in the experience.
XTX Xie Tianxiao
Legendary Chinese rocker XTX (Xie Tian Xiao 谢天笑) brings his explosive live show to the US in April. The tour, produced by seminal Chinese label/promoter Modern Sky, hits nine cities including Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, New York, and Indianapolis.
Originally from Shandong, XTX got his start in Beijing in the mid-1990s, forming the grunge act Cold Blooded Animal 冷血动物 and releasing the band’s self-titled debut on Chinese underground rock label Scream Records in 2000. A 2002 tour of the US, during which Cold Blooded Animal became the first Mainland rock band to perform at SXSW, and two years living in New York City, honed the vision for XTX.
Nearly two decades of wild live shows and a bad-boy reputation have made XTX a mainstay headliner at major Chinese music festivals, and a legend among Chinese rock fans.
PROJEKT F
Montreal-based industrial rock group, Projekt F, are well-known for their emotionally intense music and powerful stage presence. Founded in 2009, the band is comprised of lead singer and main composer Jonh M. Miller, bassist William Hicks, guitarist Simon Sayz and drummer Fred Linx.
Coined by one reviewer as “the heavy brother of Nine Inch Nails”, Projekt F have over the years evolved into a group that commands as much visual attention as it does musical. They have played to audiences in Canada and the United States, sharing the stage with internationally known artists such as Motionless in White, Combichrist, Dope, and many more. They have also played a variety of festivals in North America, including Kinetik Festival, Montreal Fetish Week-End, GothFest, among others.
In addition to Projekt F’s live performances, their song “Oophorectomy” was featured in the 2013 Cannes Film Festival short movie “Purpl Love” (Les Films de la Muerte), and they appeared in a science-fiction TV pilot, performing their song ‘’Room 13’’.
Projekt F’s music has been played by radio stations around the world. To date they have released 1 album and 3 EPs, to numerous rave reviews. “Stunning”, “powerful”, and “brilliant” are just some of the many words that have been used to describe the music of Projekt F – a band with an all-consuming dedication to musical excellence and vivid live experiences.
DAWN OF ASHES
The very name calls to mind the legend of the Phoenix, a god-being born anew from the ashes of its own destruction. It unites the Alpha and Omega, signifying that every end is a beginning and vice versa, that life and death are one. So goes the destiny of this musical form: to die unto its first self, passing through the agonizing fire of purification, only to rise again to a new dawn, with renewed purpose.
The fans who stood by DAWN OF ASHES from their earliest incarnation in 2001 know exactly what founder-frontman Kristof Bathory brings to the equation: music of violent power, unrelenting destruction, and cinematic sweep — a ruthless horror show for the ears, eyes and mind. Hard-edged and terrifying soundscapes driven by pummeling beats propelled savage lyrics across multiple albums; the introduction of crushing metal riffs and epic production elevated the music’s scope to its ultimate realization with the acclaimed 2013 album Anathema. It was at this stage of the band’s career that new opportunities loomed… or so it seemed at first.
With the prospect of a new label and a potentially higher global profile on the horizon, new business alliances were made that resulted in the formation of URILIA, an extreme metal unit which incorporated many sonic and thematic themes already familiar to DAWN OF ASHES fans, as well as new and diverse musical elements, united under a new philosophy and a heightened awareness of the Left Hand Path. While this concept grew creatively from Kristof Bathory’s own personal and spiritual journey, the aforementioned business alliances would ultimately prove to be less than sound, and a decision was made to sever ties with those parties.
In late 2015, URILIA was laid to rest after its brief but memorable time on Earth… and from that ending, DAWN OF ASHES rose once again in 2016 with the release of Theophany, the band’s first album with Metropolis Records and first collaboration with Mick Kenney of ANAAL NATHRAKH.
DAWN OF ASHES is set to release yet another diabolical musical milestone in 2017: Titled Daemonolatry Gnosis, their next full-length DOA release through Metropolis promises the band’s most brutal fusion of Extreme Symphonic Black Metal in their long history. Among the album’s 12 tracks, it will feature a special cover of legendary Black Metal band Mayhem’s “Freezing Moon,” as well as a featured guest vocal performance from Cradle of Filth’s Lindsay Schoolcraft. Daemonolatry Gnosis also marks the return of Mick Kenney as mixer and producer. The album art was done by Machine-Room, whose body of work includes DOA’s 2010 release Genocide Chapters, along with artists such as My Dying Bride, The Foreshadowing and many more.
A new year brings a new DAWN, and the rising has already begun. Prepare for the light… and for the burning.