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.
For more than a decade, School of Rock has been inspiring kids to rock on stage and in life. Through its performance-based approach to music lessons, School of Rock students are inspired to learn, more motivated to excel and more confident as a result. To date, School of Rock students have played thousands of concerts to more than 100,000 people at such legendary venues such as CBGB’s, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, as well as major music festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. The Oak Park School has enrolled close to 200 students since it opened in May 2013, teaching guitar, bass, drums, voice, and keys to all ages.
