The Goddamn Gallows formed in 2004 by founding members and Lansing/Detroit natives Mikey Classic on guitar and vocals, Fishgutzzz on upright bass, and Amanda Kill on drums -replaced by current drummer Uriah Baker (aka; “Baby Genius”) in 2006. The trio started out migrating around the West for a time, holing up in Hollywood squats and squalid apartments, before releasing several albums: The Gallows EP (2004), Life of Sin (2005), and Gutterbilly Blues (2007), and finally hitting the road nearly full-time to establish their presence in the psychobilly-country scene while honing their self-described “twanged-out punk rock gutterbilly”. In 2009 the addition of Avery, a fire-breathing, accordion and washboard player, as well as Jayke Orvis (formerly of the .357 String Band) on mandolin and banjo, prompted The Goddamn Gallows to explore many new directions with their songwriting and in their live performances. As evidenced on their most recent 2009 album, Ghost of The Rails, and as witnessed by their spectacular and tireless live shows, The Goddamn Gallows began to forge a path founded on their very own brand of contagious primeval abandon: an unpretentious and from-the-gut carnivalesque smorgasbord of parts old time revival, circus sideshow, and good old-fashioned rock and roll. The result falls dead center into a head on collision between something like a Western honky-tonk impromptu parking lot rodeo, and Suburbia (the 1983 Penelope Spheeris cult classic film, not the location).

A founding member of The .357 String Band and current member of the Goddamn Gallows, Jayke Orvis is ahead of his time even though he plays timeless music. The songs on his solo effort “It’s All Been Said” are articles of the heart, exposing Orvis as a fragile, troubled soul. His depictions of love are raw and blue, the pages of his life littered throughout this album.

For nearly a decade, The Fisticuffs have been proving themselves as a band to be reckoned with. Their songs are fast paced, complex in nature and direct in delivery. While many bands in the Celtic punk genre lean heavily on played out and sped up traditional pub melodies accompanied by lyrics that are heavy on shtick but low on substance, The Fisticuffs make every effort to steer clear of these pitfalls. According to singer Bobby Baldwin, “If you want that leprechaun b.s. don’t buy a Fisticuffs record, go eat at a Bennigans.” The earth pounding drums and bass of Tony Dellorto and Neal Farrell meet head on with the thrashing guitar work of Sean Moriarty. On top of this mix Dave Beneventi’s mandolin and Arcadia Kust’s fiddle unleash melodies that, depending on the song, can dampen your eyes or clench your fists. Through it all are Baldwin’s growling lyrics about family, hard work, a great many sins, and life on the South Side of Chicago. The band are known for their raucous live shows that can be described as equal parts Irish wake and soccer riot. These kinds of heart racing performances are achieved by the groups love and respect for their music, fans and from the experience gained from years of playing all over Chicago and the eastern United States. In a musical landscape where the term Celtic punk is often synonymous with watered down punk rock, The Fisticuffs are hell bent on standing out. They’re all whiskey, no water.

Lone Wolf is a one man band who consist of Bruno Esposito singing raspy, dirty, vocals, playing slide banjo, bass drum with his left foot and giving a thumb tap rhythm against the banjos snare like drum, while picking the strings and playing harmonica. This style creates a unique, real, authentic sound that is unlike anything you”ve ever heard.