RHYTHM GIANTS
The Rhythm Giants are Matt Engler on lead guitar, Joe Magdaleno on bass, Blake Longewayon
THE TINS
The Tins are an indie-rock trio from Buffalo, NY. Spotify/Napster founder, Sean Parker, discovered their standout track, “Green Room,” which currently has 2 million plays on Spotify. The Tins just recorded their sophomore full length with help from Ted Young (Rolling Stones, Kurt Vile, Grace Potter) and Robbie Takac from the Goo Goo Dolls.
HEART ATTACK MAN
SECRET SPACE
ROY WOODS
Artist from Toronto, ON that’s adept at effortlessly rapping and singing.
GLAMOUR HOTLINE
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois- Hayley Jordanna, Riley Cavanaugh, Alex Lukawski have redefined the new wave of punk music with their Socratic, anti-establishment punk music as Glamour Hotline.
GUNTHER
GUNTHER is an electronic producer recently relocated to Chicago from Boulder, Colorado. He loves to mix chill, break beat melodies with hard hitting, technical baselines.
BLUE FUTURE
Electronic music artists from Elgin, Illinois.
LWKY
LWKY is a live dance music production crew from Chicago, IL. They combine modern electronic music production techniques with classic live instrumentation both on the stage and in the studio. Their dedication to the live recording process creates a unique blend of Blues, Funk, and Soul undertones all played out in the context of dance floor ready Electro-Soul and Future Bass.
COFRESI
COFRESI pushes the boundaries of modern performance and production with a hybrid style and a refreshingly versatile live dj/digital-acoustic drum setup. In the studio, he creates a unique sound that is provocative, melodic & rythmic at it’s core. Live, his sets are full of energy as he showcases a unique ability to incorporate multidimensional digital and acoustic percussion into modern electronic music.
NEED
Jon V. – Vocals
Ravaya – Guitars
Anthony – Keyboards
Victor – Bass
Stelios – Drums
Ravaya – Guitars
Anthony – Keyboards
Victor – Bass
Stelios – Drums
LIES AS WE SPEAK
We are a local band from Chicago IL, our music interests and new ideas took us to a different direction.
Lies As We Speak was formed on April 6th 2009 Formallyknown as From Dusk Til Dawn.
THE TRUTH
Kyle Middleton – Vocals
Nathan Cox – Guitar
Jake Anderson – Guitar
Nate Fowler – Bass
Kyle Anderson – Drums
COUNTERWEIGHT
Mark – Guitar |
Joe – Guitar |
Woody – Bass |
Keith – Drums |
Chris – Vocals
SCUMLORD
SCUMLORD is a Chicago based Grind/Hardcore band. Whippits & Beer
TOWER
“TOWER bring the party wherever they are.” – High Times
“This is a group who capture the hearts of an entire audience and within seconds have them all dancing on the floor showing what they’ve got. This is a band who bring us back to the foundational beauty of the music and remind us why we got into it in the first place.” – TwoGuysMetalReviews
“Sarabeth’s roar scorches and seduces in the vein of Leather Leone, Janis Joplin or the late great Ronnie James Dio (she did front Holy Diva, after all).” – Slutist.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY (July 11, 2016) – Raised on a diet of pure 20th century rock, New York City’s TOWER produces a sound many admire, some attempt, and few can pull off.
Featuring members Sarabeth Linden (lead vocals), James Danzo (guitar), Zak Penley (guitar), and Philippe Arman (bass, backup vocals), the band delivers riffs like a newly discovered bolt of old cloth hidden away since the days of Scorpions and Priest, topped with Linden’s vocals which soar through the realm of banshees and angels.
Says the band, “Tower is proud to celebrate The End of a long dry spell for hard rock and metal.”
TOWER is currently putting the final touches on their debut album due out later this year.
APED
Aaron Block – Vocals,
Grant Carlson – Guitar,
Maxwell Beckman – Bass,
Zafar Musharraf – Drums
CHIP RATLIFF & THE DIRTYBLUCRUE
The beat hits you in the chest like a jackhammer…your head starts bobbin’…the bass attacks with no mercy…now you wanna’ dance! You look around and people are groovin’ everywhere! You don’t know what’s going on, but it feels good! Don’t be alarmed! It’s a natural reaction to the force of nature called Chip Ratliff & The DirtyBluCrue!!! The band offers fans an unforgettable live experience steeped in the Chicago tradition of a good time!
Throughout the country’s music venues including Chicago’s Navy Pier (Chicago), Buddy Guy’s Legends, California’s Fender Center, and more, people have experienced the colossal low end and tasty grooves that this band dishes out routinely, and with a vengeance! Bassist/vocalist Chip Ratliff and his band is dedicated to not just rehashing classic funk, but to taking his own unique style of Funk, Soul, and Blues to new heights. Fueled by his own original releases, Chip takes his talent, infuses it with the sophisticated funk and showmanship of Prince, the tightness of any one of James Brown’s bands, the grit and excitement of Chicago Blues, the extended live jams of a Parliament-Funkadelic show, combines it into one big pot, and serves it hot!
Every show is different. “The set list is a guideline!” says Chip. “We keep it spontaneous and free flowing throughout. Makes it fun for me, the band, and the audience can feel it! They go on the journey with us. It always comes out good!”
“I just want you to get down and have a good time! If you leave the show happy, exhausted, and wanting more…mission accomplished!”
THE DELTA BOMBERS
Raging Rockabilly from Las Vegas 🎲🍸
SEVEN KINGDOMS
Seven Kingdoms is a Power Metal / Heavy Metal band from DeLand, FL. Seven Kingdoms has toured all over the world with bands like Powerwolf, Blind Guardian, Windrose, Stratovarius, Evergrey, Amaranthe, Kamelot, Hammerfall, Rhapsody Of Fire, Queensryche, Doro and many more. The band will be supporting the Juno Award Winning, Unleash The Archers in September of 2021 in the USA after a Sold Out Headlining Performance at the Mad with Power Festival in Madison, WI. Visit the band on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more info!
Line-Up: Sabrina Cruz – Vocals Camden Cruz – Guitars Kevin Byrd – Guitars Keith Byrd – Drums
Discography: 2007: Brothers Of The Night 2009: Seven Kingdoms 2012: The Fire Is Mine 2016: In The Walls (EP) 2017: Decennium 2019: Empty Eyes (EP) 2020: The Great Goat Rodeo (single) 2022: Zenith
Label: Distortion Music Group / Independant
Endorsements: Sennheiser DDrum Caparison Guitars Ernie Ball Bare Knuckle Pickups InTune Guitar Picks
YOUNG $ILKY
PAUL MCCARTNEY “RAM”
Ram is a studio album by Paul and Linda McCartney, released in May 1971 on Apple Records. The album was recorded amid Paul McCartney’s legal action in the United Kingdom’s High Court to dissolve the Beatles’ partnership, following their break-up the year before. This is the only album credited to the couple. He and Linda recorded it in New York with guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken, and future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. Its release coincided with a period of bitter acrimony between McCartney and his former bandmate John Lennon, who perceived verbal slights in the lyrics to songs such as “Too Many People”.
On release, the album was received negatively by the majority of music critics, although opinion has become more favourable in subsequent decades. A commercial success nonetheless, Ram topped the national albums charts in the UK, the Netherlands and Canada. Three singles were issued from Ram: “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”, which became McCartney’s first number 1 hit in America, “The Back Seat of My Car” and “Eat at Home”. The album was reissued in May 2012.
STRNGR
I’m a visual artist that got ableton 6 years ago so now I’m a music producer too. Loner Club is a science fiction melodrama set to sad conceptual
PERTURBATOR
“The legend says he’s half human, half synthesize
TURBID NORTH
In 2007 we left North Pole, Alaska, for Fort Worth, Texas—far away from any friends and family—determined to play music exclusively and relentlessly. Now, after a few challenging years, Turbid North has three remaining members, guitarist/singer Nick Forkel from North pole, Chris O’Toole – a bassist from Dunstable, England, and Jono Garrett a punishing drummer from Texas. We write music that’s meaningful to us, musically and lyrically. Our last release “Orogeny” features several chilling stories of human survival in the harsh, arctic land, set to inspired death metal music. The songs also explore our love of other forms of metal, as well as our collective interest in many other styles of music. We’re eager and hungry to stay out on the road and share our unique brand of “Alaskan Mountain Metal” with the rest of the world.
ENTOMBED A.D.
For those about to rot, we salute you!” says Victor Brandt (bass/backing vocals) and welcomes you to “Dead Dawn”, the second full-length by ENTOMBED A.D. “It feels great to be able to release a new album again. It turned out even better than I could hope for. The production is great, the songs are killer, and the band is tight and hungry. And with all the plans we have for 2016, it’s going to be a great year!”
If you don’t know ENTOMBED A.D., the deadly sonic force fronted by former Nihilist/Entombed vocalist L-G Petrov, well, then you’re either no metalhead, slept under a rock since the late 80’s or have already gone the way of all flesh with crawling swarms of maggots deliciously peeling every single bit of meat from your sorry bones.
To save you some precious time for listening to this record rather than wasting it for googling, here’s a quick historical breakdown nonetheless: ENTOMBED A.D.’s legacy goes way back into the year 1987 when the band originally formed under the name Nihilist. In 1989, the group changed its name to Entombed and together with Morbid (for whom singer L-G played drums), Treblinka/Tiamat, Grave, Unleashed, Dismember, they established themselves as masters of Swedish death metal before flavoring the trademark “Stockholm sound” with a more punkish, rocking edge that culminated in the ultimate death ‘n’ roll classic “Wolverine Blues” in 1993, an album still very much present in the band’s current sound.
Just like its 2014 predecessor “Back To The Front”, the commando’s newest strike, “Dead Dawn”, does not rehash the early, pure death metal nor the softer leanings of Entombed in the late 90’s, it proudly sports the filth, the roll, the death, the goddamn dose of heaviness you need, expect, and wish to hear from this pack. And, it has L-G Petrov, whose glorious, whiskey-drenched roar thrones above the musical fundament like a mad, deranged king bellowing his lunatic commands! From the classy death metallic opening riff and irresistible drive of “Midas In Reverse”, the powerful groove of the title track or “Silent Assassin”, the beyond cool Randy-Rhoads-tribute-riff and morbid twist of “The Winner Has Lost”, the full-frontalAutopsy-like assault of “Black Survival”, ENTOMBED A.D. hit harder, more immediate as on the previous opus albeit
implement some smart surprises. Just take the bluesy twang on “As The World Fell”, the captivating guitar melodies garnering “Down To Mars To Ride”, the sickened ballad “Hubris Fall”, which reminds of Entombed’s ingenious Roky Erickson cover, “Night Of The Vampire”, and unbeatable, fast-paced nonchalance of “Total Death”. Nico Elgstrand (guitar/backing vocals) comments the creation of “Dead Dawn” as follows: “I think it is safe to say that all of us in the band feel like we just have given birth to one tank each. Meaning the pregnancy and delivery was everything but pleasant! Still, when watching our newest offspring play with their cannons and bombs, blasting everything around them to bits, we feel, just like any parent, pride and joy and wouldn’t have it undone for all the money in the world!” Rounded off by a striking cover artwork created by Watain-frontman Erik Danielsson, and backed up by a versatile production team consisting of Tom Van Heesch and Jacob Hellner of Big Island Sound, Stockholm as well as Nico Elgstrand himself, who produced a majority of the tracks whereas Svante Forsbäck of Chartmakers mastered this new beast, “Dead Dawn” looks and sounds great, too.
Following a successful live campaign around “Back To The Front” including an European tour with Grave in 2014 as well as tons of festival appearances, ENTOMBED A.D. shall hit the road again shortly before releasing “Dead Dawn”. First up is the Europa Blasphemia tour in January/February 2016 with Behemoth, Abbath, and Inquisition, followed by an extensive US run with Amon Amarth in April/May, Hellfest (FR), Wacken (DE), Summer Breeze (DE), and more. A schedule just fitting nicely to Victor’s promise for 2016: “Now we’re gonna tour, play festivals, tour even more, and already start working on the next album.”
It seems that after returning to the front in 2014, ENTOMBED A.D. are now way more comfortable with the arsenal at hand and the quartet is more eager than ever to live up to the finest line from the track “Total Death” – “It’s only rock ‘n’ roll – DESTRUCTION!”
AVALON STEEL
Heavy metal with influences of thrash, power, and doom. Soaring vocals over thundering riffs that make you want to bang your head and raise the horns.
KNIGHTMARE
American Power Metal. What is that you ask? Well ladies and gents, that’s Knightmare. 4 good ol’ carolina boys, unite to give Raleigh and the REST OF THE WORLD their spin on a classic, time tested and time honored sound. Storming out of the gates from the get go, Knightmare was created to rock your mind, and give you a blast from the past, with a good touch of modern and pioneering sounds. Giving you slamming drums, killer bass, and of course, the two tower axe attack. An act that you will not so easily forget. A live show full of energy and passion for music. Raise the banner and smash down the gates! Lets bring back the days of heavy metal.
CARRIAGE
Carriage was formed in October 2015. Featuring members of various bands including: Robbie Rainey (vocals) and Michael Martin (guitars) from the thrash band Possessor. Randy Ashberry (drums/keys) and River Ashberry (guitars) of Heaven Falls Hard and This Gentle Horror. As well as Tombstone Steve (bass) from Mammoth Black and Von Doom. Bringing together sounds and inspirations from all over the heavy metal genres , Carriage takes them all and forges them in the fires of true heavy metal, and quenched in the oils of old school metal glory.
ICE SWORD
NOBLE BEAST
Noble Beast is a traditional/power-metal band hailing from the frozen tundra of St. Paul, Minnesota. After many years spent paying dues and building a reputation in the Minnesota metal scene, Noble Beast released their debut full-length in 2013 to widespread international acclaim, getting rave reviews from The Metal Observer, Metal Wani, Toilet Ov Hell, Metal Shock Finland, Black Wind Metal, and others. Their sound runs the gamut from soaring Germanic power-metal to roaring American speed metal, with an emphasis on riff-driven melodicism and anthemic choruses.
SUBSTRATUM
DEVIL IN DISGUISE
Michael Podrybau – Vocals
Petey Mendoza – Guitar
Michael Maselbas – Guitar
Alfonso Polo – Bass
Adam Kopecky – Drums
JET JAGUAR
JET JAGUAR born in 2014, when guitarists Sergio and Diego Aragon Guez known, both being former members of Steel Sentinel. Soon, Jimmy Lozano recruited as drummer and bassist Jorge Ramirez / vowel, thus being formed alignment of the band. JET JAGUAR officially debuts on March 8, 2014, with Commando (Thrash Metal) and Wild Demise (Extreme Melodic Metal). Later, in April of the same year, the band released their first demo, “Call of The Fight,” which consists of 3 original songs. With this demo, the band has made some achievements, such as sharing the stage with Skull Fist, in his second tour of Mexico. Similarly, the same demo was re-released in cassette format (along with a bonus track) by Roots Active Records, Thailand, making it reach countries like Malaysia, Italy, Chile, Spain, among others. In 2015 JET JAGUAR starts recording the first EP of the band. Maxx Mendoza joins as vocalist (Jorge would like bear only). The EP “Zero Hour”, has 5 songs and will be released in March 2016 under Sade Records.
PHANTOM (CAN)
Phantom is a heavy metal band from Toronto, Canada. The band was formed in January of 2012 by ex-ash Lee Blade members D.D. Murley (Vocals, Guitars), Necro Hippie (Bass) and J.J. Blade (Drums, vocals).
Emily Anne, skin-basher of fellow Canuck ‘bangers Axxion, joined Phantom in 2016, and has cloned herself so she can play in both bands without anyone noticing…
The band’s music is traditional heavy metal in the vein of Maiden/Priest/Dio, filtered through the sensibilities of the power trio format. Songs are immediate, catchy, and driving; the band having distilled their influences into a caustic solution that is both modern in scope and nostalgic in sound. Live, the band is engaging and dynamic; on record, powerful and nuanced.
Their debut e.p, “The Powers That Be”, was released in 2013.
Phantom has played with fellow Canadian metal acts Cauldron, Skull Fist, Midnite Malice, Axxion and others, as well as opening slots for metal legends such as Accept and Diamond Head. Prior to forming Phantom, DD and Necro also enjoyed a brief stint as Canadian muscle rock legend Thor’s backing band.
On the heels of a successful appearance at England’s Bloodstock Festival, the band has released their sophomore recording, “…Of Gods And Men”.
There second full length album, “…of a fallen world” is due to be released in early 2017.
PHANTOM (NY)
Phantom was an American speed – and power metal band from New York City , New York , which was founded in 1985 and located about 1993 dissolved again.
SYRUS
In the mid-1980’s San Antonio was a hotbed of Texas Metal activity. Local heavyweights Slayer, Juggernaut, Karian, and Wyzard were leaders of a scene seething with talent and enthusiasm. Syrus emerged from this scene with powerful songs, intelligent lyrics, and a commanding dual guitar attack. the band was formed in 1984 by guitarists Al Berlanga and Johnny Castilleja and rounded out by vocalist Mike Vasquez, drummer Ken Ortiz, and bassist Julio Paz. Syrus, fully aware of the immense local talent, took their place in the local metal hierarchy seriously and practiced endlessly to perfect their craft. This dedication paid off as they soon became respected members of the burgeoning local metal scene and were called upon to open for such touring acts as Paul Dianno’s Battlezone, Omen, and Fates Warning. A 6 song self-titled demo was released throughout Texas in 1986. Surprisingly well produced for a self-financed demo, it featured rich, intertwined guitar leads, driving rhythms, and a good dose of technicality.
MORTAR
Mortar was a Power/Thrash Metal band from Chicago.
Mortar was formed by Brian Foster,Dave Dorocke, & Erik Armstrong in June of 1987.
From 1987 to late 1995, Mortar carved a notch for ourselves in the Midwest Metal Underground scene.
Our first 2 demos (Conquering Armies & Hellfire) landed us in many of the top metal magazines of that era, including: Metal Maniacs, RIP, Metal Forces, & F.E.T.U.
Despite minor setbacks, many related to lineup changes, Mortar was a favorite for promoters like Last Rites, Shark Entertainment & Jam Productions and various clubs when a good local band was needed to help promote & increase attendance for touring national acts.
We have shared the stage with bands such as Nuclear Assault, Overkill, M.O.D., Savatage, Wasp, Forbidden, Cyclone Temple, Raw Power, Malevolent Creation, Brutal Truth just to name a few.
Mortar was also privileged to perform at Jack Koshick Milwaukee Metalfest 3, 4, & 5 in the late 80’s early 90’s.
Mortar also had a strong regional following due to the metal underground tape trade, with loyal fans in Cities like Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis & St. Louis.
While our music & stage presence were similar to high energy west coast & east coast bands like Testament, Overkill, Suicidal Tendencies & Anthrax, we were probably best known for our innovative & dangerous stage shows which included outlandish stage setups, custom pyrotechnics, concussion bombs, and high powered air craft landing lights.
In this wonderful age of the internet, many videos of our live performances are testimonial proof that, Mortar were Chicago’s Dangerous Metal during the late 80’s & early 90’s
EXALTED PILEDRIVER
High Priest Of The Metal Inquisition, King Of All Assholes, The Rotund One, Scribe Of The Metal Manifesto, Unpolisher of Turds. Piley. OlPiley. OlPileyface. The Exalted Piledriver. Always and forever. Caused a rawkin’ ruckus in late 1984 with a turgid slab called Metal Inquisition. Inscribed in dead dinosaurs we found Sex With Satan, Sodomize The Dead, Witch Hunt, Human Sacrifice, Alien Rape, and lootsa fiine fresh thrashafrash. And a stoopid pointy dangerous-crazy-person image to boot! And lotsa radio silence from camp while the tunage did the talkin’. 2yrs later, an emission of dirt and slime produces a byproduct known as Stay Ugly, which hosted a panoply of sicknesses, notably The Executioner, The Fire God, Flowers Of Evil, Metal Death Racer, The Incubus and Lord Of Abominations. The universe ceased to exist for Pile until the internet piqued his interest and he came out of his analog sloughing pod to found out there was an actual fanbase out there. He ran through a very loong line of half-dead miscreants before unearthing a suitable cadre of misfits to assemble Metal Manifesto, which, despite it’s sonic and conceptual placement smack dab between Inquisition and Ugly, deficient efforts on behalf of yet another record weasel dick rendered it’s issuance an unheralded affair that would only be followed by distress in the Pilenation as hundreds of orders went amiss. Pile apologized for allowing such chicanery on his behalf, and set about for his third Phoenix turn with an even olderschool set of maladjusted misfits in search of retribution and forgiveness from his global tribe of fractured followers. Witness as progress in this regard his latest expulsion of audio, Night Of The Unpolished Turd. A brutally honest recording of all the PileyClassicks from live in Nowheresville, Northern Ontario, where real myoozishnin’s play and play and play. Occasionally, they’ve been spotted soiling eurofestival stages, and walking away with their audiences, but such sightings are increasingly rare. www.sickfuckrecords.com/#5 is where to go to get your own dose of aural excrement excitement from Ol’Piley, btw… hint.. hint…
BATTLEAXE
Since reforming in 2010, Battleaxe have been busy picking up from where we left off in the 1980’s. With some cracking live gigs under our belts we headed off into the studio to record the latest album. The completion of this album has been frought with unexpected problems and delays both personal and technical. Sometimes, life, has a nasty habit of gettin’ in the way of our goals. This has been very frustrating for the band and most importantly, you! the Battleaxe fans that have helped us reform and kept the “legend” alive !
THE RADIOMEN
Known as the baddest rock show in Chicago, The Radiomen have left their mark on stages large and small…literally. Lead singer and guitarist Ryan Fitzgerald can be seen throwing his guitar across the stage, as bass aficionado David Buschauer smashes the neck of his bass guitar on a crash cymbal. Drummer Dean Lazzara is the back beat of the band, making sure everything is in check. The courageous frontman will flaunt tasty licks with a soulful touch of magic, but don’t let the malicious solo face fool you, it’s all for the love of Rock N’ Roll. If you’re having trouble spotting Buschauer on stage, he is the one with the permanent smile glued to his face. Don’t expect to get a decent picture of Lazzara, because he is always in a blur.
The lively psychedelic stage show adds to the allure of the band. Their effervescent attitude towards their followers is one of love and admiration, as the ambitious trio shoots for their dreams. From empty bars to roaring venues, the group has never …
CHARLES WALKER BAND
“Tight, classy kick ass…Deep grooving, high energy music…Musi
season your soul with.”
-Maximum Ink“…the Charles Walker Band, a quintet whose chops are strong,
whose command of the genre is certifiabl
every turn.”
-Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
season your soul with.”
-Maximum Ink“…the Charles Walker Band, a quintet whose chops are strong,
whose command of the genre is certifiabl
every turn.”
-Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
Deliciousl
Charles grew up literally in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded
In the past year, the instrument
As a testament to their live magic, the group has opened for national acts including Earth Wind & Fire, Aaron Neville, Robert Cray, BB King, Richard Marx, Eddie Shaw (Howlin Wolf’s Sax Player), Booker T, Cameo and Bernard Allison. The ensemble has been featured on Fox News, NBC “Live in the Morning,” nationally
Counting Ghetto Prophet, the band has released eight albums, each album an evolution in sound while retaining their roots in positivity
BLAKE RUE
A lot of things we work for in life turn out to be fluff. Substance is rare, and so is a fresh perspective. Live for yourself with purpose and conviction.
FREDDIE OLD SOUL
Freddie Old Soul is a Chicago based emcee, who uses rhymes, and storytelling to express her most inner secrets and divine self. Growing up on the Southside of Chicago. Her style weighs heavily upon boom bap, yet she incorporates many other styles such as trap, and soul music. A style that allows you to dance, and liberate the soul at the same time.
BEEKAY
BeeKay was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago. From a young age BeeKay has been known for his love of music and attention-grabbing personality. Since the release of his first mixtape, Under Tha Influence: Vol. 1, BeeKay has shared stages with fellow artists such as: Rhymefest, Kids These Days, Rockie Fresh, The Dean’s List and Chance the Rapper. Drawing inspiration from personal life experiences and forging his own style derived from music legends of all eras and genres, BeeKay brings a breath of fresh air with a degree of familiarity to the music industry.
JUSTIN RUFF
ABC Windy City LIVE finalist, Justin Ruff is an up and coming R&B artist based out of Chicago, IL. His unique sound/style has caught the attention of JET Magazine, Soultrain.com and Cincinnati’s #1 radio station, 101.1 The Wiz, to name a few. Ruff’s debut EP, ‘‘The Ruff Draft’’ released January 2016 and debuted in the Top 100 on iTunes R&B/Soul Charts. Since its release, he’s been awarded great opportunities including the chance to open for Grammy-nominated R&B artist, Ginuwine. Stay tuned because Justin shows no signs of slowing down! For more information on the rising star, visit www.justinruffmusic.com
EJ JACKSON
A rising star from Gary, IN, who often fuses the topics of love and spirituality, vocalist/rapper/producer, Ej Jackson (real name Eric J. Jackson Jr.) discovered his love for music and has been singing ever since the age of three. Having since releasing 2 commercial EPs (Closer, Soul Vaccine), performing at the Chicago Gospel Music Festival, and opening for Grammy nominated R&B artist Mali Music, Ej continues to prove that he can’t be put in a box!
ACE DA VINCI
Ace da Vinci, the Chi-Town MC & producer, began developing his craft at the age of 16. Since then, he’s been building a formidable following, deepening track-listing & domineering presence in his music. The Windy City Dreamer develops his sound with pure lyricism & unadulterated spirit. As the creator of SmartMouf Ent, da Vinci has solid intentions on establishing a sound in Hip-Hop that is incomparable to most & rivaled by none.
BONGO STRAITS
It all started with guitar players Walt Stagner and Joe Klink playing in the basement and working for something a little bit better. After a while, they met up with Mr. Forrest (Stix) Kulwin through a Craigslist
SILENT PARTY
At our signature Silent Parties, the party-goer is in total control of their musical and social environment. Every attendee gets their own pair of headphones to tune in to whichever genre of music they prefer, with live DJs spinning each channel. It’s a unique experience to be part of a huge party that makes virtually no noise, except on social media afterward.
THE MYRCENES
THE FOXKILLS
Christophe
Jeremy Bermejo – Lead Guitar
Albert Gonzalez – Rhythm Guitar
David Vasquez – Bass
Jeremy Bermejo – Lead Guitar
Albert Gonzalez – Rhythm Guitar
David Vasquez – Bass
STARDUSK ENCOUNTER
Sporting a sonic kaleidoscope that includes psychedelic rock, intimate shoegaze, dark new-wave and driving dance beats; Chicago’s Stardusk Encounter have quite the pedigree for major success in the area. In a scene where bands seem chained to their specific genre, Stardusk Encounter are a consistently shape-shifting entity, yet the unique mixture of styles isn’t there as a hollow grab for every possible audience. This is a band of well-schooled multi-instrumentalists, clearly writing and performing on their own terms with a canyon-wide palette of slinky, ominous sounds.
BROCAS HELM
Brocas Helm is a heavy metal band from San Francisco founded in 1982. It is named after the medieval Brocas helm displayed in London’s Rotunda, Woolwich.
ROSS THE BOSS
As a child growing up in New York City, Ross “The Boss” Friedman showed great promise as a piano and violin prodigy, but when he first touched the electric guitar he knew he found his true love.
He met Andy Shernoff in 1973 while playing in one of his bands at a house party in his teenage years. Together, they created a band known as The Dictators, who became the first signed Punk Rock band launching the CBGBs scene. Known for their sense of humor and affection for White Castles and wrestling, they were one of the most copied and influential bands of the genre.
Blue Oyster Cult Producer Sandy Perlman was the manager for both The Dictators and French Rock Band Shakin’ Street in 1979 when Ross needed a gig and Shakin’ Street needed a guitar player. Ross flew to France and floored everyone with his guitar playing. He joined the band, lived in France for a year, recorded an album, learned to speak French and toured the world with the band.
While Shakin’ Street was opening for Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult in 1980, Ronnie James Dio introduced Ross to crew member Joey DeMaio. The two of them agreed on their vision for what a Heavy Metal band should be and together, they co-founded Manowar. They created their own subgenre and dubbed it “True Metal” playing epic songs with viking themes at very loud volumes. His eight years and six albums with this band gained him an unbelievably loyal cult following who widely considers Ross The Boss to be the definitive Manowar guitar player.
The Dictators revamped into a new band called Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom in 1989 that bridged that gap from punk rock to metal, and really allowed Ross The Boss to showcase his kind of guitar playing. Even though each of his bands are a different musical style, he says he’s always, “Just playing Rock and Roll”.
When his son was born in 1991 he stayed closer to home being a great dad and making music with his friends and other New York based musicians. During that time he had a few major releases and played shows with his bands The Pack, the Blues Rock “Heyday” and The Spinatras. The Dictators continued to tour and made a highly acclaimed studio record ” D.F.F.D.”, a live CD “Viva Dictators” , and a Greatest Hits and Early Demos compilation.
In 2005, the time was right for him to join former Blue Oyster Cult drummer Albert Bouchard in his band The Brain Surgeons, winning over audiences with his own style of guitar playing, and kicking the band up a notch into new territory for two albums.
Ross constantly writes and records new music and reunites with his old bands and former band members for special shows and projects. His 2005 appearance with Manowar at the Earthshaker Festival was so successful he formed his own “Ross The Boss” band and signed with AFM Records Germany. His two critically acclaimed solo albums 2008 “New Metal Leader” and 2010 “Hailstorm” saw him playing shows and festivals all over the world, putting him back in front of a Heavy Metal audience and reminding everyone that Ross The Boss is one of the world’s most loved Metal guitar players.
As people started connecting with him on the internet, he began to collaborate with musicians online and guesting on tracks for bands like Majesty, Wotan, Atlantean Kodex and The Vibrators to name a few.
His newest project “Death Dealer” began as an online collaboration but quickly gelled into a supergroup featuring Sean Peck (Cage), Stu Marshall (Dungeon, Empire of Eden), Mike Davis (Halford, Lizzie Borden), and Steve Bolognese (Into Eternity). The band has been touring the world for their debut album “Warmaster” and is getting ready to release their second album “Hallowed Ground” in 2015.
Ross The Boss was one of the pioneers of both Punk Rock and Heavy Metal. He’s proud to know that the music he’s made has influenced and inspired so many other artists. You can be sure that whatever band he’s in or whatever style he’s playing in, he’s always happy to be writing new music and playing the guitar with his friends.