Mr. Blotto was born in Chicago as an off-night vehicle for musicians who loved each others playing but were in different bands at the time. The only rule was that they would only play what they loved. That philosophy continues today and has led Mr. Blotto into unique musical situations.

Mr. Blotto takes the Jam band asthetic into areas unfamiliar to the standard Jam Scene. They have been known to cover entire albums by Led Zeppelin and the Who as well as perform entire shows of Country and Reggae. Artists as diverse as the Grateful Dead, the Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson and The Velvet Underground have seen their material interpreted by Mr. Blotto in the 2000+ shows the band has performed in the last 15 years, yet covers only pepper the bands hefty catalog of original material stemming from five studio albums and other unreleased crowd favorites.

Taking hits from today and yesterday, adding a heavy hand of the backyard feel good party vibe with a dash of gritty bump & grind smokey goodness.

Mano is a Middle Eastern-inspired progressive rock band based in Chicago. Their compositions utilize musical textures and sounds from varied genres of contemporary, classical, and world music. Mano fuses a rock rhythm section with classical and world instrumentation to bring a unique and energetic live music experience that journeys through intense, thematic unison lines contrasted by sections of virtuosic improvisation. Founded in 2013 by flutist/composer Joe LaRocca, Mano includes Greg Firak (guitar), Parker Grogan (electric/upright bass), Collin O’Brien (drums), Najeeba Syed (violin), Desiree Miller (cello), and Marshall Greenhouse (percussion/kaoss).