Born in the backwoods of West Virginia, Hunter Hirsh was raised amidst a sea of ATVs and truck nuts. Now in Chicago, he performs on stages throughout the city and the Greater Midwest area. His jokes range from commentary on Jazz music to deluded rants on the beauty of being a firefighter. Hunter currently holds the record for the loudest but most endearing comic in the Midwest.
Everything Changes. Moments of Misery out now.
Pittsburgh metallic hardcore. New Album People Watching OUT NOW
Coming straight out of Queens with a captivating mix of modern rock and a hint of vintage guitar, NYC based outfit King Falcon has released their eagerly-awaited self-titled debut album. Showcasing an exhilarating blend of indie-rock adventurousness and Classic Rock swagger, King Falcon’s exceptional songwriting recalls artists like Black Keys, Jack White, Cage the Elephant, The Strokes, Royal Blood, and The Killers.
From the ashes of Curio (2009-2019) comes Wendigo Fever; a country twang-infused rock n’ roll outfit from Chicago. In 2024, songwriter Chris Pluska assembled long-time collaborators Donovan Foote (bass) and Gary Landess (drums) to flesh out a project that had been kicking around since the pandemic. Inspired by and using the themes of the Native American folklore surrounding the Wendigo, a supernatural creature that stands as a cautionary tale against selfishness and isolation, the band conjures a feral sound with songs about loss, temptation, and the struggles within.
Wendigo Fever will release their debut album and begin performing live at a juke joint near you in 2025.
END IT ALL is a heavy/noise influenced band created out of Chicago, IL.
Nia Asiel is a game changing upcoming singer-songwriter from the beautiful city of Chicago, IL. She brings a unique sound to the world of R&B through her lyrics, melodies, and relatable stories. With her constantly growing buzz and persistence, Nia Asiel will take the music industry by storm.
24 year old Atlanta native brings you into a psychedelic and chaotic world.
All star Detroit ska/reggae/soul revue fronted by John Bunkley of Gangster Fun & Atomic Fireballs fame.
The south side of Chicago has a tough working class reputation, it’s also known for one of the largest populations of Irish people this side of the Emerald Isle. So it’s not entirely incongruous that a hard luck kid from the south side of town would choose to play traditional Irish folk music in pubs around the neighborhood. At 18, Anthony (T.) Duggins, was doing just that – playing pub favorites and covers of greats like Christy Moore, and Ewan MacColl. Before long his brother and his best friends were playing the original songs he had written as well, and so became The Tossers. The name was taken from an old slang term used for worthless British coins in Sean O’Casey’s play The Plough and the Stars. The coins became useless after the southern Irish Free State won independence from Britain, and started to print it’s own currency. The term tosser has since come to mean wanker, or it’s American equivalent, jag off.
Gritty funked out ska rock, Skirt is a midwestern beach band proudly hailing from Northwest Indiana’s The Region. Formed in 2022, combining an eclectic mix of styles and inspiration to create their own “aggressively laid back” signature sound that accurately represents the working class blue collar beach town attitudes of where they were born and raised.
Madison, Wisconsin based funk band, RARE ELEMENT has developed a strong reputation for its high-intensity, live shows. The band’s highly talented 7-piece roster, including 3-piece horn section, bring massive energy to the stage at each performance. The band is influenced by classic funk artists such as Fred Wesley, The Meters, Clyde Stubblefield, and Herbie Hancock. See for yourself why Maximum Ink Magazine dubbed Rare Element as “Madison’s Newest Super Group”!
Chad Whittinghill (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Bryan Husk (tenor, baritone sax) first met in 2003 as members of the urban neo-soul band, VIBE SYNDICATE. Unbeknownst to them, they would spend the next 20 years playing side by side with some of Wisconsin’s finest funk and blues bands. For years, they honed their skilled working together with CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD‘s weekly Funky Monday shows. Later, the two would team up with Hammond B-3 ace Jimmy Voegeli and his blues powerhouse, THE JIMMYS. Over the years, they shared a common goal to create a band where this horn section could be pushed to it’s limit. Finally, in 2018, a roster of highly skilled musicians was assembled and Rare Element was created.
Completing the horn section is Nat McIntosh (trombone). Nat is a long-time member and composer for the phenomenal YOUNGBLOOD BRASS BAND. Nat continues to record and tour internationally with Youngblood.
The band also includes MAMA Award Winner Todd Phipps (keyboards, B3 organ) of THE BLUE OLIVES (and many other bands). Todd was recently honored with his addition to the roster of Hammond Organs endorsed artists!
Longtime Madison talent, Joe Niesen brings his super funky guitar playing and song writing to the band. Joe has a long history of performing with many of Madison’s finest bands.
Driving the band is ultra funky bassist Rob Garza. Rob is also a a longtime member of the Purple Veins Prince Tribute Band
The bands newest member is 2-time Grammy nominated drummer Joey B. Banks. Joey is a 5-time recipient of the MAMA Awards Drummer of the year as well as a highly accomplished music educator and former member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. He has dedicated himself to preserving the legacy of his longtime friend and mentor Clyde Stubblefield. Joey can also be seen performing with the great Steely Dan tribute STEELY DANE.
Joey B. Banks is a music entrepreneur from Madison, Wisconsin.
He is a 2-time Grammy nominated drummer and also the 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020 Madison Area Music Association Drummer of the Year.
Joey B. is a graduate of the Musicians Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California and a proud Madison Scout Drum and Bugle Corps Alum, and Director and founder of the award winning youth ensemble Black Star Drum Line.
Joey B is a master percussionist that also specializes in Drum kit,Marching/Percussive Arts, Music Education, Artist Development and Artist/Band Bookings, and “talent seller” for his entertainment and promotions business, JBent Productions.
HARDCORE RADICAL TIJUANENSE
Deathcore from the Chicagoland area.
Our Vices hails from Metro Detroit. Starting in the spring of 2013, they have never strayed away from writing the most heavy hitting and melodic music possible. Releasing their first EP “Survive” in October 2014. This was their introduction into the music scene but they thought they had more to offer. They went into the studio with Mike Martenson of Boys Of Fall to create their second, more long form, EP titled “Polarity”. This EP gained them a lot of traction and new opportunities. Following this they wrote a slew of singles throughout 2017 and 2018 before choosing to switch producers. Late 2019 they stepped into the studio with Lee Albrecht. Releasing their first single with him in November 2019 titled “Deathwish”. After having a period of too much time on their hands (2020) they pumped out three new singles in the following years which eventually were compiled to create “The Fog” EP. Adding a new member to the band in 2022 gave a fresh perspective to writing. Their newest single “Hellion” was released Nov 22nd, 2024.
Good Times & Great Oldies!
The Ugly Lovers is a Chicago based original rock band. Their morbidly upbeat songs have a distinctive sound with a bit of a hardcore edge.
They’ll rock your world but you probably won’t take them to prom.
North Carolina shapeshifting, atmospheric, noise rockers WAILIN STORMS released The Silver Snake Unfolds on July 22, 2022 via Gilead Media. Following the bands highly acclaimed, breakthrough album, Rattle (2020) – which received praise from NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, Treble, PopMatters, Indy Week, and more, The Silver Snake Unfolds shows the band delivering eight new tracks – portrayed as a 40 minute, sepia-toned journey of captivating vignettes – manifesting wounded souls battling addiction, hopelessness, and a hellish storm of never ending and vengeful anxiety. Fuzzed-out, hypnotic guitars fused with angst and laced with overdriven microdoses of moody and psychedelic dreamscapes play out like a binge-worthy, cinematic obsession. Justin Storms’ serpentining and seductively poetic vocals lure you into a fever dream of vestiges laced with bittersweet, alluring danger. Fueled by the grit and dust of the American South, WAILIN STORMS reveals ghost-story-like confessions of mysticism, folklore, and survival.
Jake Racina’s unique songwriting and guitar playing blends jazz and folk with insightful lyrics, forging his own path between the territories of melancholy and humor. Heralded as a “world-class sad clown” with a “forlorn sense of timelessness”, Racina just might entertain you.
Kiki is currently a singer-songwriter and a producer based in Chicago specializing in a wide range of contemporary styles such as Jazz, R&B, Pop and Funk,with some of her influences being Wayne Shorter and James Brown. Winning a singing competition at the age of 10 is what drove Kiki to pursue music as a profession. A recent graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies, she credits her expansion of her musical journey to industry professionals such as Cheryl Wilson, amongst others. Thanks to her vigorous training and numerous stage experiences both with lead and background vocals, she landed a brief role as a background vocalist in the TV show Empire in early 2020.
“Learning how to sing is also about learning how to share your emotions and your stories to your audiences.” she says. With her sheer dedication, passion, faith and love for music, along with her upbeat and fun-loving personality, Kiki is translating that into her music journey.
Mario McClean is a singer/songwriter from Columbia,SC, mixing soulful vocals with indie rock instrumentation.
Kiéla Adira is a vocalist, songwriter, creative director, and educator from the Southside of Chicago who has performed internationally, opening for artists such as Common, Anthony Hamilton, Renée Fleming, and Yo-Yo Ma. She has feature credits with artists like Terrace Martin, Chromeo, and A-trak, and was recognized by Time Magazine for one of the best songs & albums of Summer 2022 for her feature with Chicago funk-rapper Ric Wilson. Some of Kiéla’s musical influences are Lauryn Hill, India Arie, Missy Elliott, Ella Fitzgerald and Jazmine Sullivan. Kiéla uses her artistry and soulful vocals to inspire, spread love, and uplift her audience while exuding both positivity and vulnerability. Check out her debut EP “GROWTH.” and her newest EP “Fool’s Croon” on all streaming platforms, and follow Kiéla on Instagram (Kiela.adira) to stay updated on her upcoming tour dates and music releases!
MOON DESTROYS is the brainchild of Guitarist Juan Montoya (ex-Torche, MonstrO, Killer be Killed) and Drummer Evan Diprima (Gold Pyramid, ex -Royal Thunder). The band released their debut ep, ‘Maiden Voyage’ in 2020 via Brutal Panda Records, then took a brief hiatus. In 2024, Vocalist/Guitarist Charlie Suárez (MonstrO, Sunday Driver) joined the fold. Suárez previously graced the stage with Montoya in the Miami/Atlanta band, MonstrO.
Bringing elements of heavy rock and psychedelia, the band is a powerhouse of seasoned musicians that draw influences from The Cure, Black Sabbath, and Pink Floyd. In the summer of 2024 the band self-recorded and produced their debut full length record, expected to be released sometime in 2025.
Photo by Francesco Lo Castro 2024
“California psychedelic heavy rock champions SACRI MONTI blaze a scorching trail of superb shredding and smoldering riff-o-rama on their Tee Pee Records debut.”
Cinematic Goth
Claire Parlette is a stand-up comedian from Toledo, Ohio, known for lighting up the room with animated performances and physical comedy. As a producer of popular shows WIGS: Stand-Up Comedy in WIGS and Comedy and Caviar, she blends humor and creativity, bringing a fresh twist to the comedy scene. Her lively antics, bring a one-of-a-kind experience taking the scene by storm. Get ready for a wild ride of comedy that you won’t forget!
Mike Dwyer is a Chicagoland native who has tried various careers in various places and has never enjoyed any of them. He returned to Chicago to start stand-up as he entered middle age. He has cultivated a unique style that blends observations from his many failures and the mindset that created them. He is a regular on Roast Battle Chicago and Comic Court at Lincoln Lodge, and he performs on numerous independent showcases in Chicago and elsewhere.
Xavier Lamont is an executive biscuit concierge & peanut butter sommelier at the George Washington Carver Technical Institute for Legumology AKA The Fighting Black Beans
XL also a hilarious Chicago based standup comedian, writer, actor and is host of America’s #1 Animated Black Fake News Show on YouTube that’s based in Chicago: WHHN AKA WHAT HAD HAPPENED NEWS!
San Antonio, TX based punk rock band.
Twin Cities Punk Rock for over 10 years.
The Haunt don’t just play heavy – they embody it in all its forms. Through their emotionally charged lyricism, crushing musicality and the immersive energy of their live shows, siblings Anastasia and Maxamillion wield heaviness like a weapon, elevating the most vulnerable parts of their psyche through a death-defying blend of industrial, metal and alternative rock. The duo has, naturally, been musically linked since birth, eventually forming the band AnastasiaMax in 2015 over a shared love of hard rock, garage rock and blues-hewn influences like Amy Winehouse and The White Stripes. With Anastasia only 12 years old, they played clubs across their home state of Florida and soon toured the world alongside acts like Palaye Royale – eventually adopting a name that more closely mirrored the vulnerability, rage, darkness and sinister mystery of their sound. Accolades came quickly, with Kerrang! heralding The Haunt for their “gothic edge, flashes of punk vibrancy and riot grrrl attitude” and Rock Sounddubbing them a “Breakout Artist,” while their prolific musical output has helped their singles and EPs garner more than 40 million streams.
Now, on their debut LP, New Addiction (Nettwerk), The Haunt unfurl their craft in even more theatrical, therapeutic new ways: an exhilarating collection that sees the band continuing to bring their classic influences to contemporary spaces with every cascading breakdown, ascendant chorus, distorted bass line and toxic-tongued lyric. Produced by Kevin Thrasher (blink-182, Jelly Roll), the album is a bold step forward for the band’s evocative brand of rock, bolstered by supersonic sheen, Anastasia’s poignant vocals, and cameos from peers like MISSIO (“Can People Really Change?”) and Escape The Fate (the hit single “Masochistic Lovers,” a darkly hedonistic duet shooting up the Active Rock chart with high-octane rhythms and a devil-may-care snarl).
“We’ve always centered ourselves as a rock band but left the door open for a little push and pull,” Max says. “These songs are everything we set out to do: combine heavy music with soul.” The shared, almost unspoken musical connection between the siblings (“At this point in our lives, we’ve been playing music together longer than we haven’t,” he says) is ultimately the heart that’s omnipresent in their music.
Anastasia called the process of making New Addiction one of great healing, where the band was able to bring their darkness into the light, spinning tales of depression, crash-and-burn relationships, anxiety and the toils of the modern world. They’re directed both internally and outward, pulling the destructive nature of human duality into the light. “Own Me” finds the singer at war with herself, walling off her emotions to protect loved ones from pain, all while feeling increasingly isolated within her own mind, while the arena-stomper “Dead2Me” and pre-release, groove-heavy single “New Addiction” throw middle fingers to deadbeat exes, lording over the the chaos of emotional manipulation with unapologetic flair and grit.
They’re heavy topics befitting of the heavy musical treatment The Haunt provide, a cathartic experience that plays just as well to the barricade crowd at their sweaty club shows as to the back row of massive audiences at festivals like Download and Louder Than Life. And it’s ultimately proof in the power of self-belief, of forging your own path and using every heartbreak to rise up stronger and more resolute than ever before. After a decade in the making, The Haunt wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It feels like everything’s been building to this moment – all those thousands of shows we’ve played along the way and everything we’ve endured to get here,” Anastasia says. “It’s all waiting for us, and now we just have to go out there and capture it.”
Featuring short sets from: Marble Teeth, Riddle M, Priscilla Sabourin, Molly Compton, Pariah, Mary Alice, Said Echo, Ponyo, Jada R’Tinique, Transpanic, Sweetmelk, Austin Haga, Toni Picasso, Aliyah Houston, Mystic Rush, Drunken Goblins, Big 3 Montana, Safety? Always Off!, and Smoke Free Home
PLUS:
A SCREENING OF THE PREVIEW FOR MONSTER GIRLS DOC (FREE SHIRTS!).
PEDAL X (GUITAR PEDAL EXCHANGE):
VENDOR BOOTHS AND MORE!
COMEDY TO THE LEFT AND BINGO UPSTAIRS!
Singer. Entertainer. Lover. Free spirit. Life artist. Cire’s mommy
Tucked away in a Chicago apartment, the songs of Yellow Pills are concocted by one person. Mostly. Yellow Pills began as a one person project and has slowly but surely started to become filled with more people.”Absolutely timeless. Genre diversity fuels what Ryan is doing with Yellow Pills. I love it!” -Jim DeRogatis, Sound Opinions.
Led by electric organist Isaiah Keith, GARM is an organ trio that plays an eclectic mix of fusion, funk and jazz.
The group performs and records around the greater Chicago area. They’ve recently released a SUKO Jazz Collective-affiliated EP entitled “Clean It Up!!”.
Chicago-based Fascinator erupts with moments of explosive power and passages of airy space powered by honest vocals and lyrics that grapple with personal politics and loss in a divided universe.
The Chicago trio is influenced by the exposed-livewire power of various indie Midwest guitar bands and the thick cloaks of noise found billowing through classic shoegaze songs. Singer Erik Uppenberg’s lyrics explore the gouging, isolating forces of prejudice, objectification, and ableism in music and culture among other themes affecting identity and the heart.
Fascinator was founded in 2022 by friends and neighbors Jarrett Dapier and Erik Uppenberg. The two bonded over favorite music – a bond that grew as they began writing music together. Adding Ed Jaffe on bass in 2023 brought a heft and cohering force to the band that led quickly to writing their first 4 songs.
After hearing early demos, drummer and composer Matt Walker (The Smashing Pumpkins, Filter, Cupcakes, Morrissey, Garbage, of1000faces) signed on to produce and mix the band’s first EP. In November 2023, Fascinator recorded what would become the Trust Falls EP with Walker and engineer Scott Tallarida at Trigger Chicago across one single, brutal afternoon.
In 2024, Fascinator released the product of that session: the Trust Falls EP. On it, the band explores the contrast between bursts of distortion and powerful, unexpected rhythms in four songs that feature vast sonic range and thoughtful, personal storytelling.
Hailing from the rural outskirts of Baltimore, consisting of founder, Dresden Boulden on Guitar and Vocals, Triston Grove on Bass, and Jason Kendall on Drums. Magick Potion is a hard hitting heavy rock trio channeling the raw energy and heavy grooves of the late 60’s and early 70’s. Clearly hooked on the likes of underrated groups such as Blue Cheer, The Amboy Dukes and Budgie, the band crafts a sound that fuse’s heavy rock’s gritty riffs with contrasting moments boarding on psychedelia. With roaring guitars, thunderous drums and hard driving bass lines Magick Potion conjures a vibe that is both nostalgic yet contemporary and original. Their music is a bridge to an era where rock was rebellious, loud and unfiltered, yet they infuse it with a spirit all their own.
I am chicago based Comedian who has performed all over the country.
Collaborate, Create, Bloviate. This is how we succeed.
Wendi Freeman: drums, backup vocal
John Llewellyn: lead vocal, guitar, songwriting
Scott Niekelski: bass, backup vocal
Stevie Weber: guitars, keys.
CHICAGO
basspunk.
Slamming Brutal Death act Peeling Flesh (US). Quitessence of slamming brutal death metal from members of Strangled, Aberrant Construct and Loathing Existence.
LINE UP: Mychal Soto – Guitar; Jason Parrish – Guitar; Joe Pelletier – Drums; Austin Hirom – Bass; Damonteal Harris – Vocals.
Label: Unique Leader Records
Born amidst the chaos of quarantine, Fin Talbot is a unique blend of Chicago’s grit and Dublin’s charm. Started by Sean Fagan and joined by Dan Glines and his brother John, their indie rock landscape is shaped by influences ranging from ’70s glam rock to early 2000s indie rock. As they continue to evolve and grow, be on the lookout for new releases and shows.
A band that bloomed from a dark and damp basement in Chicago… BloomSwitch is a 3 piece band composed of Bing Labog (Vocals/Guitars), Chris Mall (Bass) and Kris Cocjin (Drums). With their combined love for different genres of music, – blues, rock, funk, hip-hop and disco – out came a sound that is both unique and unusual.
4th Point is an American alternative rock band from the Chicago area. In 2011, the band formed with the hope of creating honest music that they believe in. Influenced by the sounds and styles of artists like Switchfoot and Skillet, 4th Point brings passion to their performances through endless energy, sincerity, and crowd interaction. The band’s relatable lyrics and upbeat music are undeniable on the stage and reflected in their three full-length albums. 4th Point has shared the stage with national touring artists Switchfoot, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Red, Big Daddy Weave, ISLANDER, NF, Colton Dixon, and many more.
Additionally, 4th Point has performed at several Christian Festival Association (CFA) festivals including Big Ticket Festival (Gaylord, MI), Lifest (Oshkosh, WI), Unity Christian Music Festival (Muskegon, MI), and Sonshine Festival (Somerset, WI). Band members: Matt Ellis Bryce Knight Bradley Kus Joe Valliquette
reluctantly honest folkgaze from chicago, il
Experience the iconic sound of Maná with Sueños Líquidos, the premier tribute band dedicated to celebrating Mexico’s legendary rock group. With passion and precision, Sueños Líquidos brings Maná’s unforgettable hits to life, delivering an authentic and electrifying performance.
A loving tribute to one of Jazz music’s best songwriters
Nathan Subbiondo (born July 14, 2004), is an American artist based in Los Angeles. He frequently collaborates with kimj and 2hollis.
Underwear is the solo recording project of Annalise Panken, live they are joined by bassist Luca Cece and drummer Alex DeRango. Words and phrases used to describe Underwear’s sound include but are not limited to: spiky, lo-fi, freaky, jangle-worship, Beatles-esque, and “certainly something.”
Messengers delivering rock and roll on the daily
Belushi Speed Ball are a Kentucky-based band founded in 2013 as a studio project amongst friends with a penchant for cliché crossover thrash. Their first live performances came soon after, enthralling a rapidly growing fanbase with a uniquely interactive brand of theatrics and unorthodox approach to releases and merch.
Dubbed “one of the funniest f*cking things I have heard this year” by The Needle Drop’s Anthony Fantano, Belushi Speed Ball are inspired by bands from Toxic Holocaust and Anthrax to Gwar and Municipal Waste, to whom they simultaneously play homage and satirize a mean comment from a fan in their song “Ripping off Municipal Waste”, which was voted one of Leo Magazine’s top 20 songs of 2022.
With a reputation for both trashing venues and meticulously cleaning them up after each individually themed performance, Belushi Speed Ball are masters of executing the unthinkable.
From playing out of a Mad Max-esque moving van and starting Terminator-inspired 300-person Nerf gun fights to releasing entire albums in N64… or Furby… formats, nothing is sacred as they continue evolving as, in the words of Metalsucks, “a freakshow of blistering thrash dedicated to laughing its ass off at blistering thrash.”
This year, Belushi Speedball are readier than ever to keep that momentum going, with yet another album mastered to perfection by Joel Grind of Toxic Holocaust, as well as a host of festival appearances, tours, and merch set to drop over the months to come.
A short-lived side project assembled by the members of costumed shock thrashers GWAR, X-Cops penned comedic hardcore and speed metal ditties inspired by the humorous darker side of law enforcement. Going under such imaginative stage names as Sheriff “Tubb” Tucker (vocals), Sgt. AlDepantsia (guitar), Lt. Louis Scrapinetti (guitar), Patrolman Cobb Knobbler (bass), Cadet Billy Club (drums), Mountain Bike Officer Biff Buff (vocals), Sgt. Zypygski (vocals), and Detective Philip McRevis (samples), the members of X-Cops locked up their debut album, You Have the Right to Remain Silent, in 1995. But they managed only a single the following year before retiring from the force and, once again, concentrating on donning their GWAR outfits thereafter. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi
Siamese Dream is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on July 27, 1993, by Virgin Records. The album was produced by Butch Vig and frontman Billy Corgan. Despite its recording sessions being fraught with difficulties and tensions, Siamese Dream debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200, and was eventually certified 4× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with the album selling over six million copies worldwide, catapulting the Smashing Pumpkins to mainstream success and cementing them as a significant group in alternative music.
Performed by Smiling Politely
Songs for the Deaf is the third studio album by the American rock band Queens of the Stone Age, released on August 27, 2002, by Interscope Records. It features guest musicians including Dave Grohl on drums, and was the last Queens of the Stone Age album to feature Nick Oliveri on bass. Songs for the Deaf is a loose concept album, taking the listener on a drive through the California desert from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, tuning into radio stations from towns along the way such as Banning and Chino Hills.
Performed by Coveralls
Tom Holland & the Shuffle Kings have been playing the blues worldwide for over 25 years, regularly appearing at clubs and festivals worldwide. Years on the road with blues legends such as John Primer, Eddy Clearwater, and most recently James Cotton have made Tom Holland one of the most in demand blues artists on the scene today!
Bob Stroger: Have Bass Will Travel…. I was born in South East Missouri in a small town Haiti, where I lived on a farm. I moved to Chicago in 1955. I lived in the back of a night club on the West Side, where Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters played. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and I made up my mind that what I wanted to do was play music. I got married at an early age and I used to watch my brother-in-law play music. His name was Johnny Ferguson and he and JB Hutto had a band they called the Twisters. They were working on 39’th and State Street in Chicago and I would carry them to work every night and watch them. Then at home I would try to teach myself to play. My cousin Ralph Ramey said that we should start a band and we did just that. We got my brother (John Stroger), who played the drums, to learn the songs we knew and in four months we were making some noise. We went to a club and played two songs and the man said we had a job. It was one of the better clubs, where musicians like Memphis Slim worked. The owner wanted us to wear uniforms but we had no money to buy them, so we got black tams and put a red circle in the top and called the band the Red Tops and that was the way it started. We got so good that they wanted the band to travel, but Ralph’s wife did not wont him to travel. so my brother formed a band with Willie Kent and myself and called it Joe Russel and the Blues Hustlers. We played together for a while,but eventually I decided to move on, because i wanted to travel more and see the world and I found out you can make money doing this. I joined a jazz band and played with Rufus Forman for about 3 years, but we were doing very little work. Then I met Eddie King and we talked. I told him I was in a jazz band and we needed a guitar player that could play blues. He sead OK and joined our groop, and we started playing blues and RB and things took off. We called the band Eddie King and King Men, and we stayed together for 15 years. Then we split up for about 2 years and later we started the band up as Eddie King and Babee May and the Blues Machine and we stayed together until Eddie King moved out of town. I quit playing for 2 years becouse we were so close I did not want to play with anyone but Eddie. Then I met Jessie Grean when I was playing with Morris Pejo and he liked the way I played bass and one night Otis Rush need a bass player, so Jessie said come and work with him. The rest is history. I have been playing music for 39 years and I am still having fun.
Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983, by Sire Records. After their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band’s commercial breakthrough and produced the band’s sole US top-ten hit, “Burning Down the House”, which reached No. 9 in the Billboard Chart.
Jennifer Femme’s eclectic music takes inspiration from jazz, folk, pop and rnb with topics centered around identity and love, among other things. She plays violin and lead vocal in Jenni and the Loverboys, and guitar/lead vocal for Zhuzh Girls. Jennifer also hosts open mics at the Purple Tea Pot and Eli Tea Bar, and runs sound at the monthly Fruit Salad event at Dorothy. Her music is available on all major streaming platforms.
Brigitte’s always getting away with something. Tonight, she’s a mime masquerading as a musician. Last year, she premiered and sold out a mime rock show about grieving a relationship. She produces a singer/songwriter series called (R)evolve at Voice (R)evolution and is starting to build an immersive, scientific art project. Formerly a theater technician, but forever a woman of the shadows, you can find her @justafriendlygargoyle.
pc: @kristialyssa
Slam band from the depths of Dekalb Illinois
Stevie Schmidt:
Guitar/Vocals
Nick Bradshaw:
Drums
Gus Thome:
Vocals
Scottie Lyles:
Bass
For the past 10 years, Theo Lawrence has been making a name for himself as France’s favorite songbird. A truly one-of-a-kind Country singer and genuine keeper of the flame, Lawrence came into his own on his Austin-made 2023 LP release, Cherie, and on his latest all acoustic album, Pickin’ & Singin’.
Lawrence pens classic love songs, and delivers with a croon straight out of the Charlie Rich and Ray Price golden years. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in reviving an interest for Country Music in Europe, and with his recent move to Austin, TX, Theo Lawrence is bringing his honed craft back to its American cradle.
A Patch of Blues is a unique blues and soul band with Fati Jones (vocals), Rebecca Egwuenu (lead guitar), Claudia Easterwood (bass), & Stacy Norris (drums). The members met through the years and developed a friendship at the Fernando Jones Blues Camp in Chicago (Columbia College), where they developed a love for the blues, their city’s heritage, and playing music together. Each member is an accomplished musician and vocalist in her own right and decided to come together to bring a unique sound and urban funky flair to their audiences. POB has performed throughout the Chicagoland area and the Midwest (Wisconsin and Indiana) on major festival stages as well as in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge (representing youth Windy City Blues Society). The band was nominated in 2023 for a Chicago Music Award and received a Chicago Music Award for Best Band in 2024. A Patch of Blues strongly believes in the power of music to unite and heal.
“The Golden Bucks” are a Chicago-based Americana project that blends the most iconic sounds of the American music experience. They choose a mix of Western Swing, Blues, Old Country, Rockabilly, Early Jazz, and Folk from the 20’s through the early 60’s. The result is a mix of the most pivotal musical influences from the American soundscape.
Daniel Rey & the Revenirs are a Berwyn-based Chicagoland Alt-Country band reminiscent of the Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt, Centro-Matic and Lucero.
The Revenirs sound revolves around singer/songwriter Daniel Rey’s tales of “sorrow and solitude” and features Dennis Kardys on lead guitar and Dean Radzik on drums–both alums of Chicagoland alt-country darlings, “The Dirty Green”– alongside former “The Soup” (Denton TX) bassist, “Dodgy Mary” (Chicago) vocalist and Lone Star Native “Catfish” Willy Hudson on bass.
“Daniel Rey” began as the solo Alt-country, side-project of singer/songwriter Dejan Kralj (day-on kraal), who has spent the last three and a half decades as the bass guitarist and one of the primary songwriters for Milwaukee’s reclusive alternative-rock band, The Gufs. The former Atlantic Recording/EMI Publishing Artist and 2012 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Hall of Fame Inductee is a life-time resident of the Midwest, Rey (the Spanish translation of Kralj) and divides his time between his current home in the Veltway community of Berwyn on Chicago’s near-westside and a small farm in Southeastern Indiana, which has been the source of his alt-folk/alt-country musings over the last twenty-five years.
Daniel Rey has been performing throughout the Midwest since 2018 and released his debut LP “Living Low” on Milwaukee’s Red Submarine Records in 2020. Daniel Rey & the Revenirs are currently working on Rey’s follow-up and the band’s debut LP “Too Busy Dying” for release later this year.
Many are saying “It is good to like West Nile Crows” and we’d have to agree! West Nile Crows is one of the most unique sounding bands to come out of Milwaukee WI during the post-pandemic surge of indie music. Having a background in dream-pop, punk, grunge, goth, chillwave and psychedelia, the music West Nile Crows creates is sure to scratch an itch you didn’t even know you had!
Young Swan is a Chicago-based rock band featuring Edmund Sinnott on vocals, guitar, and keys; Daniel Laumbacher on drums and vocals; and Zach Porlier on bass and vocals. The band blends the best elements of ’80s UK synth pop and ’90s West Coast rock to create a sound that’s both original and nostalgically familiar.
The trio met while attending college, where they formed their first band, The Corduroy, in 2009. Their debut EP, Madeleine, earned them a spot as one of the top 10 finalists out of 729 entries nationwide in the VH1 Raw and Unprocessed Battle of the Bands. In 2014, Young Swan released their self-titled EP, which received airplay on WXRT and was featured on Spotify editorial playlists. They’ve also shared the stage with acts like Nathaniel Rateliff and Fruit Bats. Young Swan continues to release new music and perform live, with more releases expected in late 2024.
NecroticGoreBeast’s self titled debut album erupted from the cankerous crust of the brutal death metal scene in 2019 and immediately established the band as one of the very heaviest around. Combining fearsome technical ability with intimidating brute force they pushed the limits further with second album, Human Deviance Galore and now they have bulldozed through the boundaries of sonic extremity once again. Repugnant is a relentless attack of world shattering violence, its bludgeoning blows entwined in cruel complexity and warped imagination. Each strike is deadly, from the panic inducing opening of the title track to the final, fatal blow of ‘Frozen Feces Evisceration’. Along the corpse strewn way you’ll find throat shredding guest vocal appearances from Cryptopsy’s Matt McGachy and Bludgeoned’s Jonathan Huber and some of the most incredible brutal death metal you will ever hear. NecroticGoreBeast have the strength to take on anyone in their field and leave them bleeding. In the badlands of brutality there is no match for the ‘GoreBeast. On November 3rd the number one label for the most savage and unforgiving death metal, Comatose Music, will unleash Repugnant upon an unsuspecting world.
Moonbird is a Chicago band formed in the spring of 2022 by strangers seeking a creative outlet. Drawing from a variety of guitar-based genres, Moonbird is living proof that not everyone on Craigslist is trying to murder you. What does Moonbird sound like? A hug. Your favorite CD as a kid. A cigarette at a house party. Moonbird is whatever you want it to be.
Kepi is a genius. This ex-Groovie Ghoulies frontman is KEEPIN’ IT REAL, with his all new band and solo project. He’s been on tour for like 12 years straight. If you see them play and don’t like them, then you must hate fun. The terrorists win. Buy albums now. Don’t wait.