The Arcade Hustlers are a musical collective that spans multiple cities, but the core members began in South Texas. The band’s wildly original music combines elements from many genres including funk, jazz, Latin, hip-hop, and many more. The members of the Chicago chapter of the band include Ryan Garza (lead singer and ukelele), Justin Cavazos (lead guitar), Paulo Grieder (bass), Tyrus Tucker (drums). And the original band members include Ryan Garza (lead singer and ukelele), Matt Martinez (bass), Sauce Rodriguez (keyboard), Ryan Garza (lead singer and ukelele) Zak Kaszynski (trumpet, keys, auxiliary), and Matt Perez (percussion).
Mozey is a new queer, indie-rock band based in Chicago. Zoë DePreta, Em Modaff and newest addition Alissa Wolff bring searingly honest lyrics together with dynamic melodies and dreamy harmonies. Mozey recently released their first single “Prague (I Can’t Win)” on all streaming platforms.
Master Plan Inc, a band from Chicago led by Fred Shorts. With just one single to their name – an uber-rarity rated at over $2000 – nobody had any idea that within the confines of a studio archive and Shorts’ private residence there would be a wealth of other recordings on acetate, reel-to-reel tape and cassette.
SOMETHING REAL FOR THE PEOPLE – OPEN MIC NIGHT
NETWORK | PERFORM
How It Works:
Everyone gets (3) entries for open mic
Performers names are randomly chosen from a bucket (performing not guaranteed)
Banshee Tree is a high-energy quartet that blends modern indie, trance, and psychedelic rock with old school Django-inspired jazz. Using traditional instruments through a range of pedals, Banshee Tree ties the styles and sounds of modern music to the earthy roots of acoustic music in a whole new way. Their live show is a wild dance party with a great deal of improvisation while remaining grounded in indie-style songwriting. There is nothing quite like it on the scene.
Notable contributions: Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket); Todd Roper (Cake); David Hood (Swampers; Muscle Shoals Sound)
Recently awarded Artist in Residence Spot by the Studios of Key West to develop the MicroPARTY Stage Show this winter
*MicroPARTY Festival Performances: Coast is Clear, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Flimp Festival, Llano Earth Arts Festival
EBY Support History: George Porter, Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Black Pumas, Neal Francis, Liz Cooper, Rayland Baxter, Proxima Parada, Early James and the Latest
AARON MCDAVIS
Aaron McDavis got his start in comedy performing in Dallas and Austin before moving to Chicago in 2014. His stand-up credits include Don’t Tell Comedy (Chicago-2022), Altercation Comedy Fest (Austin-2021, 2023), Comedians You Should Know (Chicago- 2020, 2023), and The Fringe Fest (Edinburgh, 2017).
Mohammed Abbed is a Chicago-based comic. He co-founded, produced, and hosted a show at the Lincoln Lodge called, “Campfire Stories,” which was nominated two years in a row for best story-telling series by The Chicago Reader. The show had the honor of having Sam Tallent, Jeff Dye, and Geoff Asmus perform on the show. Mohammed has performed with Aaron Weber at Don’t Tell Columbus. You may have seen him perform at The Den Theater, Zanie’s, Laugh Factory, The Lincoln Lodge, The Second City, and The Comedy Bar. He has performed all of the country including The Helium Comedy in Indianapolis, Austin, Cincinnati, Columbus, Janesville, LA, Madison, Milwaukee, Omaha, and more. Mohammed was selected to perform at the World Comedy Expo in 2022, and the Madison Comedy Week 2023.
Daniel Cassilagio (Dan Cass), is a Chicago based comedian/actor that features, headlines, and hosts all major clubs in Chicago and throughout the United States. His favorite spots are The Laugh Factory, The Paper Machete, and Zanies Chicago. Dan has opened for comics including Moses Storm, Joey Villagomez, and Billy Wayne Davis.
He is also a co-producer and co-director of “Lowkey Funny” at The Laugh Factory in Chicago. Dan studied at the Moscow Art Theater in Russia, and was a feature comedian for the first annual, “Boom! Chicago” comedy festival in Amsterdam for 2021, then returned as a Host and Headliner for 2022. Dan’s comedy dabbles in surrealism as he seeks connection and joy with his audiences. Serving strangers and turning them into new friends is the reason Daniel loves to perform.
THE IRON ROSES Nathan Gray – Vocals Becky Fontaine – Vocals Pedro Aida – Guitar & Backing Vocals Philip “Eugenius ” Smith – Guitar & Backing Vocals Michael Espinosa – Bass & Backing Vocals Steve Cerri – Drums
The Iron Roses are a passionate, unique, and beautiful group of people making music that we hope will change the world. Fueled by the injustices of our current times – their songs are the kind of protest anthems that only a group of seasoned musicians could make. Still angry, still driven, and still screaming – this is a band that will never give up the fight.
The beauty of seeing these six individuals singing their truth is astounding. Watching them grow from strength to strength in the last few years it is unsurprising that this record is the outcome. They, and their songs, represent such power, love, and passion – something that we need more than ever in this world today.
Chicago’s very own rapper & songwriter, CRYBBY aka KYLA AUSTIN encapsulate today’s sound while still being able to incorporate a clever blend of real stories, unapologetically, braggadocious, anthems and nostalgic. Utilizing the pockets of melodic trap beats and nostalgic samples to craft a tale of witty wordplay and familiar sentiments, chanting, polarizing anthems over blaring, glo inspired, horns and hypnotizing drums, or simply riding the melody of a dreamy hyperpop miniature. With only a handful of singles out on streaming platforms, she has been able to showcase an array of sonic and visual versatility and prowess privy to only few in today’s music scene!
KING MELIK
King Melik’s musical odyssey commenced in the unique setting of homeschooling, fostering an unwavering dedication to music. A graduate of esteemed institutions such as Merit School of Music, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra (CYSO), and the Musical Art Institute, Melik’s solid foundation paved the way for his extraordinary musical prowess.
A pivotal moment in King Melik’s narrative was the mentorship he received from none other than Chance the Rapper. Their connection ignited at one of Chance’s renowned ‘Open Mike’ events, where Melik showcased his talent by seamlessly blending rap and violin. This mentorship laid the groundwork for Melik’s evolution as a recording artist.
Further honing his skills through the Chicago Public Library’s ‘YouMedia’ program, King Melik delved into the realms of producing, mixing, and mastering.
Identifying himself as an alternative artist, with mainstream and psychedelic overtones. Melik’s genre-blending music dives into the
complexities of love, his untraditional upbringing, his ever-growing confidence , and an unwavering determination for musical excellence.
His love for orchestra permeates the majority of his self-produced and mixed releases, underscoring the importance of the conductor’s control in shaping the final product. Melik, also known as Bryce Melik Thompson, positions himself as a multifaceted artist with a keen involvement in the production process.
Hailing from the southside of Chicago, icyybands, aka ICYY B takes inspiration from his life’s experiences and his love of cars. And incorporates that in his music and his videography style. Since Coming off the release of his last album “Your Favorite Racer” icyybands is ready to show why he’s everyone’s favorite racer.
BBSUBI is a songstress of multiple genres hailing from Chicago. After releasing her debut album in October 2023 she has been on a tremendous run from having multiple shows to even being ranked #5 on What’s the Words hottest upcoming artists in Chicago.
Sydny August is a singer, songwriter, & producer hailing from Chicago’s north side. She meets R&B with a stylistic, no limit approach. August remains consistent and truly the one to watch.
omb Mold are a Canadian extreme metal quartet with a neck-snapping style that pairs the uncompromising attack of American death metal with the doomy vistas made popular by iconic Finnish death metallers like Demilich and Convulse. The band adhered to this blueprint on acclaimed efforts like Primordial Malignity (2017) and Planetary Clairvoyance (2019). They expanded their sonic purview on 2023’s Enduring Spirit, adding jazz fusion elements, ’70s prog, and 4AD-style dream pop to the mix.
Founded in Toronto in 2015 as a duo by drummer/vocalist Max Klebanoff and guitarist Derrick Vella, the group, who took their name from the popular horror RPG Bloodborne, released a pair of demos, The Bottomless Perdition and The Moulting, independently in 2016, with the full-length Primordial Malignity arriving the following year. Second guitarist Payson Power and bassist Steve Musgrave joined the group for the 2017 demo Cryptic Transmissions, and in 2018 the band inked a deal with 20 Buck Spin and released the unrelenting Manor of Infinite Forms. 2019’s punishing Planetary Clairvoyance saw the band fully embrace their American death metal roots on a kinetic and technically sound set of songs that elicited praise from underground and mainstream metal audiences alike. An unofficial hiatus resulted in bandmembers working on various other projects, including Dream Unending and Daydream Plus, before reuniting in 2022 for the three-song EP Aperture Body. In 2023, Tomb Mold unveiled their most ambitious project to date, Enduring Spirit, which borrowed facets from multiple metal, pop, jazz, and rock subgenres. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi
Lopaka Rootz is a singer songwriter & musician creating Reggae music from Hawaii. Kailua Kona, Hawaii, Moku o Keaw to be precise.
Known for his KWXX #1 Hit songs “Living My Best Life” and “Blue Clear Sky”, “Lemon Pie”, “Ganjaprenuer”, “The Three L’s”, the “Irie Hawaii Radio Ad Jingle”, “Eddie”, “The Ocean”, and “Takin It Easy”.
He has gotten frequent radio play on KWXX, KAPA and Q103 in Maui and Kong Radio in Kauai.
He was just recently featured on KHON’s living 808 as one of local reggae’s upcoming stars and has opened for such headlining acts as Leilani Wolfgramm, Soul Medic, Black Uhuru, Through The Roots, Tomorrows Bad Seeds and Mike Love at the sold out Kahilu Theatre.
His music is a unique style of positive original upbeat reggae with a message of gratitude and positivity.
From the bowels of The Alley in Chicago, Tÿre Fÿre has risen through the mucky muck to aurally assault your earholes with the truth. While smelting punk, post-punk, and a touch of hardcore, Tÿre Fÿre have forged their own voice and intend to shout down the demons that plague society.
Giuda is a five-piece band from Rome, Italy, that play an air-punching mix of anthemic ‘70s rock hooks delivered with the brutal force of early UK punk, all interpreted in a contemporary and original way with relevance for today’s discerning listener.
The story of Giuda begins in 2007 and is inextricably connected with that of Rome’s seminal punk rock band Taxi. When Taxi’s career was cut short by the tragic passing of their drummer, singer Ntenda, lead guitarist Lorenzo and bassist (then drummer) Danilo regrouped as Giuda. The lineup is completed by guitarist Michele, adding a second layer of boogie sparks to the mix, and new drummer Alex, who recently replaced Daniele.
Fuelled by the sounds of bands like Slade, Glitter Band, Hector, Third World War and Slaughter & The Dogs, Giuda offer fresh, powerful rock and roll with attitude in spades.
Their debut album “Racey Roller”, famously described by Robin Wills (The Barracudas) as, “Cock Sparrer twinned with the Equals”, was graced with iconic cover art courtesy of French designer and glam fanatic
Tony CrazeeKid, and quickly became an underground sensation. Highly praised by publications as diverse as Mojo, The Guardian, Uncut, Rolling Stone, Vice (album of the year) and Maximum Rock’n’Roll, the album remains a true cult classic and an inspiration to the numerous hordes of bovver rockers currently following in Giuda’s wake.
From their debut album release up until the present day, the band has completed several European tours and five USA/North American tours, playing around 400 gigs in total, including triumphant appearances at many major festivals such as Rebellion (Blackpool, UK), PunkRock Bowling (Las Vegas, USA) and Hell Fest (France).
There’s a delicate intimacy that Samuel Aaron brings to the Chicago indie music scene. The Portland-born artist is difficult to categorize, as he weaves between singer-songwriter and producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist. His soulful, vulnerable music sits somewhere between folk and alt rock, and continues to evolve with every release. In his recorded music, he lands at the crux of new and old, synthesizing his core influences with innovative sound design and production techniques. Aaron had his first official release in late 2020 with his first EP entitled “ALL I AM IS ALL I HEAR,” exploring themes of nostalgia and wanderlust through a minimalist bedroom-pop lens. The road to his next project, the critically acclaimed “Versions of Love Songs,” began in 2021 with the release of singles “Anything Left” and “Keep Me Around,” and their accompanying music videos, before the EP was released in full on October 14, 2022. “Versions of Love Songs” was listed as one of the best Chicago projects of 2022 by local publications Lyrical Lemonade and These Days, who called the project “truly homegrown, encapsulating Aaron’s raw approach to creating art and sharing it with others.” Second Street referred to the ambitious EP as “a chill listen, but not without depth; a romantic album, but not without pain”. ~ Justin Corp
Within the realm of Indie Folk Rock, our unique sound features expansive horn and string arrangements complemented by a deep hitting rhythm section to create a rich and layered sound. Our live concert experience intertwines intimacy and raw energy to create a one-of-a-kind show. Our music has drawn comparisons to artists like Black Country, New Road; Bon Iver; and Big Thief. The band consists of Sam DuBose (vocals, guitar), Casey Cheatham (drums, vocals), Tyler Thenstedt (bass, vocals), Connor Hoyt (alto sax), Sam Uribe Botero (tenor sax, electronics), Callum Roberts (trumpet, guitar), and Kaysen Chown (strings, guitar).
After releasing our debut album, “Grip Your Fist, I’m Heaven Bound” in 2021, we are currently working on our second studio album, set to release in the Fall. Kingfisher has garnered significant attention and support on various streaming platforms. On Spotify, Kingfisher has over 1 million total streams, attracting a dedicated fanbase of over 180k listeners. Kingfisher has also played numerous live shows at established venues and DIY spaces across the Midwest and East Coast. Notable venues include The Hideout, Chicago and NPR’s WDET, Detroit.
Born from the ashes of defunct bands in Maryland & Virginia, Savage Hands might be a young band, but they certainly don’t lack experience. The collective members have ample experience in writing and playing their music to audiences in support of several noteworthy nationwide tours—experience enough to write and record an album with Andrew Baylis (My Enemies & I, Sylar) which garnered the attention of SharpTone Records. Filled with catchy hooks that weave in and out of blood-pumping, adrenaline-spiking verses and visceral, gut-busting breakdowns, Savage Hands’ debut effort is one that makes the ground shake and inspires an emotional, energetic uproar within the listener. Never sacrificing a sense of poetic wit and sharp-tongued flair for their equally engaging punchy musicianship, Savage Hands’ debut effort in early 2018 is just the first of many things bound to craft a stellar—and savage—future.
Post-hardcore Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S.) is back with a new full-length album, ‘DESTROY REBUILD,’ their first release since 2011’s acclaimed self-titled debut album. Craig Owens is once again at the project’s helm and has again orchestrated a band and record that is sure not just to catch your attention but also keep it. The new release, ‘DESTROY REBUILD,’ offers listeners the uniquely nostalgic D.R.U.G.S. sound they have been craving while also exploring new territories making ‘DESTROY REBUILD’ the perfect progression and exciting new chapter.
When Owens got to writing, he described Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows’s signature sound as “fast, to the point, syncopated rhythms with a melody on top.” The aggressive melodies are paired with low-tuned guitars and introspective lyrics to create the nostalgic alternative rock sound that we all grew up with and have come to crave. To capture this sound, Owens connected with A-List producer Howard Benson whose past work with My Chemical Romance and The All American Rejects heavily influenced the modern alternative rock world. Benson’s raw talent for recording helped shape the structures and harmonies of the album. Owens found this collaborative process cathartic and embraced his newfound flow of creativity.
Owens’ knack for creating sincere lyrics shines through while touching on topics like destiny, perspective, and redemption on ‘DESTROY REBUILD.’ It is a physical manifestation of the course he has taken in his musical career and encapsulates each step along the way. “Everything that we are today is because of yesterday, and this depicts where I have been, but also where I’m going.” It is a bright reflection of one’s life and actions, and it encourages the listener to do the same in their own life.
“DESTINY,” the first single off of the record, is a solid bridge between the first D.R.U.G.S. self-titled record and ‘DESTROY REBUILD.’ Is it a hard-hitting track that expertly blends the nostalgic alternative rock sound with enough modernity that’s sure to appeal to many different listeners. Another track off the album, “The Arm,” is a collection of melodies, lyrics, and hooks eloquently constructed together. It is known as the “anomaly” of the album due to its organic nature of origin and leans toward the band’s future.
‘DESTROY REBUILD’ is an exciting new beginning for Owens. It is a way for him to connect with fans to share life experiences, and he is hoping the album will help them cope with whatever they are dealing with and experiencing. “This album is my first step forward without thinking of running back,” Owens stated. “I hope it can leave a mark and grow with people.”
Chicago. In a city brimming with classic blues and jazz divas, Lynne Jordan stands apart. Not only do her soaring vocals dip effortlessly into blues, jazz, funk, rock and even country but her bawdy personality wins over any crowd. Her talent so dazzled the Second City that the late Chicago film critic Roger Ebert declared her his “favorite diva.” Backed by her sizzling band The Shivers, Jordan quickly developed into a Chicago institution, playing jazz and blues clubs, swanky lounges, and even the charity circuit throughout the country. She brought her special brand of storytelling, raw humor, and performance to New York, DC, and Atlanta with her sold-out show, “A Musical Tribute To Nina Simone.”
She has recorded with Tom Waits; The Punk group Urge Overkill; Alligator Records Blues artist Toronzo Cannon; featured amongst Taj Mahal, Etta James, and Koko Taylor on Blues Down Deep: A Tribute to Janis Joplin and her own CD’s: Bit o Fun and Holiday Shivers. Lynne performed in Jazz Operas in Europe, performed her own one-woman show, and is a featured vocalist with Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues.
Lynne has traveled the world with her band the Shivers including a life-changing performance in Kyiv, Ukraine in Freedom Square before an audience of 250,000. Jordan has performed her works at numerous Live lit (storytelling) shows in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Moscow, Rio, Riga, and Paris and is featured in the book: Chicago Storytellers, From Page to Stage. Because she is a popular entertainer in Chicago, she has honed her storytelling skills with every song, in every concert and event, and created a one-woman show “A Great Big Diva” that includes her wonderful stories and music.
Lynne is a 3Arts Make a Wave Artist, and recipient of the African American Arts Alliance of Chicago: Outstanding Achievement in Music – Rhythm & Blues award in 2017-2018. She is currently enjoying a “Diva Residency” as an artist in residence at the Raue Center for the Performing Arts in Illinois. Lynne is presently working on two new recordings: one includes original material from Corky Siegel, Toronzo Cannon, and John Cameron Mitchell and the other is exclusively classic blues tunes from the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s.
Krallice is an American black metal band formed by New York City musicians Colin Marston, Mick Barr, Nick McMaster and Lev Weinstein. They play an experimental, highly technical style of black metal.
With modern punk bravado, scorched guttural vocals, meaty hooks aplenty, and serious musical chops that sometimes lean into elements of crossover and metal, No Consent pour their attention on the ills of society with a powerful vengeance and conscience. For people who gravitate towards the anthemic anger of Rise Against, The Casualties, and MDC, this will be a top-notch affair. For instance, tunes like the surging “No Escape” tries to tear down the self-enclosed safe spaces around people in order to expose the police as well as the ecosystem of greed, corruption, and brutality that makes the dire dysfunction all possible. “Fuck All Cops” needs no introduction: the slower, but highly-charged tempo is a backdrop to their belief that cops have become class traitors who disgrace and traumatize communities: with a crushing tempo and gruff vocals, they emphasize the dire need to reform the system that legitimizes brutality in the name of so-called safety. Without arming themselves with loads of leftist books, they make a plainspoken case in the harrowing, uptempo “Division of Wealth” that the money world has reached a tipping point, an inflection: the credit card debt, and the seething gap between the have and have-nots, are not sustainable and are a recipe for piling up grievances against injustice, forced poverty, and exploitation. The band’s politics of despair and disorder, raw insight and basic intelligence, are bolted to each word, and none of it feels like a classroom lesson. Other tunes like “Sugarloaf” depict the small-town, fucked-up kids of the gutter-prone night, riddled with pain and alienation, rejection and loser status, while “Alone” feels like a rage against the human machines: the people who try to block, subvert, and repress our wills and energies. Those same enraged sentiments and outlooks also pervade “Live Free,” which is a testament to free agency in the middle of a new American authoritarianism. It’s a throaty shout-out to a burning desire to shred the plans, inherited ideas, and roles placed on us. And not to be missed, “Bastard Nation” assails “the home of god, hate, and slavery,” a dark inherited American history whose myth begins to crumble under the weight of observation, in which the politics of red and blue are just another kind of dope. It’s a weighty tune about the power of dissatisfaction, the false promises of a system baring its problems daily, and the fear of an overarching government whose policies are worrisome, at best.
THE DOORS “L.A. WOMAN”
L.A. Woman is the sixth studio album by the American rock band the Doors, released on April 19, 1971 by Elektra Records. It is the last to feature lead singer Jim Morrison during his lifetime, due to his death exactly two months and two weeks following the album’s release, though he would posthumously appear on the 1978 album An American Prayer.
SOMEONE’S VILLAIN
We are a 3 piece cover band based out of Downers Grove Il.
K-Man & The 45s, where Ska meets Rock and Roll. One of Canada’s most well-known and loved Ska bands. Their relentless touring and hyper active live shows keep turning heads.
Their critically acclaimed Self-Titled album came out in 2016 and there’s been no slowing down since (barring the pandemic blip). Fan favorite songs such as I Don’t Mind and Space Thriller cemented them in the scene while festival plays and relentless touring brought them to the four corners of the globe. Playing alongside greats like the Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Planet Smashers, The Original Wailers, Big D and The Kids Table, The Slackers levelled up their fanbase and live show.
With the release of Stand With The Youth the band was solidified in the National and now international Ska and Punk scenes. Things were going great! Now they were not only playing Canada but The USA and Europe as well. Everything was going great!
Then the Covid call came in and everything shut down.
Completely devastated, beaten by a pandemic and divorce, K-Man spent his time in a little house isolated on the side of a mountain by a lake. Here he wrote the songs for Primed To Go. Self reflection let to the realization that life is just better on the road (a major them of the album). There were moments of fun and light heartedness during these times shown in songs such as The Girl Likes Heavy Metal, Daytime Drinking and Regroup on Planet X. The latter features Efrem Shultz of the Voodoo Glow Skulls, Death By Stereo and Manic Hispanic.
There is also an element of soul searching showing a more personal lyrical tone in some songs which are a new thing for the band. K-Man Style Way depicts the loneliness that can occur while spending so much time on the road. The song Silhouette is a slower moody ballad and departure in style featuring the lovely Lea Keeley doing a duet with K-Man on vocals and musical moods that reflects the love and obsession romance depicted by the words.
Primed To Go feels like a more complete album than their past efforts and shows the growth of the band. Always energetic and just as refreshing this new album tips its hat to the original Ska genre with the band’s signature Rock and Roll attitude front and center.
Festivals, Canadian, US and European tours are all booked and K-Man & The 45s keep moving!
For fans of: The Specials, The English Beat, Mad Caddies, The Planet Smashers, Sublime
“The band creates a contagious proposition from a fusion of ska and rockabilly spiced classic rock ‘n’ roll with plenty more involved, a recipe providing their finest feast of sound yet within their self-titled full-length.” – RingMaster Mag
“With a fantastic horn section playing catchy melodic lines and blazing solos over an energetic rhythm section, they switch naturally from ska to rock and punk, with surf sounds often not far behind.” – XS NOIZE
Chicago four-piece Brain Repair’s exuberant sound brings audiences to their feet. With a tip of the hat to American punk touchstones like Dead Kennedy’s and TSOL, the band’s high-energy performances blend acerbic lyrics, razor-sharp riffs, and a rhythm section that kicks harder than Mrs. O’Leary’s cow.
The Surfrajettes are a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto, ON, Canada. Since forming in late 2015, the band has charmed audiences with their clever mix of psychedelic rock and reverb-drenched surf music, sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner as thick as their guitar strings.
The band achieved viral online notoriety from their home-made performance videos and their feature by Norman’s Rare Guitars in LA. The debut 45 single “Party Line / Toxic” released late 2018 on Hi-Tide Recordings to immediate success. The band has toured extensively in its support, including performances on The Beach Boys Cruise, The Melissa Etheridge Cruise, at Nashville Boogie, Wild O Fest in Mexico City, The New England Shake-Up!, Surf Guitar 101 Convention, Tiki Oasis & Hi-Tide Summer Holiday: Asbury Park.
The band released the follow up single “Hale’iwa Hustle / Banzai Pipeline” in 2020, supported by a festival appearance at Hi-Tide Winter Holiday: Pittsburgh. The group spent the rest of 2020 and most of 2021 writing and recording their debut LP “Roller Fink” – in stores NOW from Hi-Tide Recordings.
The Surfrajettes are guitarists Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff, bassist Sarah Butler, and drummer Annie Lillis. When not on tour, the group is busy woodshedding in their secret beach hut, sewing new miniskirts, debating vintage gear, and daydreaming about performing in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
ALESSANDRO DEL VECCHIO (Hardline) – Lead Vocals
RYO OKUMOTO (Spock’s Beard, Asia, Chris Squire) Keyboards
MIKE KENEALLY (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani) – Guitar & Vocals
PETE GRIFFIN(Zappa Plays Zappa, Edgar Winter) – Bass, Pedals, Guitar, Keys & Vocals
JONATHAN MOVER (GTR, Marillion, Satriani, The Tubes) – Drums, Percussion, Samples & Vocals
Look for ProgJect to perform a two-plus hour set of Prog classics & epics such as “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, “The Cinema Show,” “Karn Evil 9”, “Roundabout,” “Long Distance Runaround,” “21st Century Schizoid Man,” “Lark’s Tongues In Aspic”, “Hell’s Bells”, “Xanadu,” “Red Barchetta,”“Have A Cigar,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Solsbury Hill” and “Living In The Past,” to name only a few.
ProgJect – The Ultimate Prog Rock Expereience is the brainchild of drummer Jonathan Mover and came to fruition out of his childhood love of Prog. “Prog Rock is the reason I play drums,” Mover explains, “but by the time I turned pro, Prog in the classic sense was over. And, although I got to work with some Prog-associated artists–GTR (Steve Hackett and Steve Howe) and Marillion–my career took a decidedly different, though incredibly fortunate path, with artists such as Alice Cooper, Joe Satriani, Aretha Franklin, The Tubes, Shakira, Julian Lennon and others. That being said, I never lost my desire to play the Prog I grew up listening to.”
He adds: “The idea and inspiration came in 2019 from my getting a last-minute rescue call to play with the Genesis tribute band, The Musical Box. That not only relit my childhood fire and desire, but made me realize: in the tribute world, if there’s an audience for Genesis, and an audience for Pink Floyd, and YES, and Rush, there must be an audience for King Crimson, Gentle Giant, U.K., Bruford, and Jethro Tull, too. So, why not play them all, since I love them all, and assemble a team of extraordinary musicians that feel the same as I? So I did. And they, like me, wanted to play a wide variety of Prog from all our favorite bands, and therefore thought more of the concept of a legacy ‘homage band’, instead of a tribute band.”
Mover says that “the chemistry and dynamics of ProgJect are amazing” and “we’re all very excited to hit the road again, especially now with Alessandro singing; with his four-and-a-half octave range, there are no limits to what we can cover. We love playing this music so much and know how much prog fans love it too, and now more than ever, since most of our prog heros are either gone, or simply not touring anymore.”
What is the enduring appeal of Prog? “It’s music that you really listen to, and in some ways, live in,” says Mover. “It’s not music to be played in the background. When you’re into Prog, you’re not only really into listening, but often times, attached to it as well. It’s the same for seeing it played live. It’s more than just a music performance–it’s an experience.”
A very special photo exhibition by David Tepper. Over 50 portraits of Chicago’s Blues Artists and Icons. Portraits will be on display on both floors.
GERRY HUNT’S LEGENDARY ONE-MAN BAND
Gerry Hundt is a wunderkind of a blues and old-timey music multi-instrumentalist who plays as many roles as he does instruments, performing as a bandleader as well as a sideman, in full bands, quartets, trios, duos and solo.
But his “Legendary One-Man Band” has become Hundt’s alter ego, just as, say, Spiderman is Peter Parker’s. And to see him in action on his guitar/harmonica/bass drum/snare rig one wonders if Hundt was bitten by a radioactive boll weevil in his youth, enabling him to tear it up on his own terms, transforming from merely Gerry Hundt, musician, into “Gerry Hundt the Legendary One-Man Band,” sprouting stringed instruments, rack attachments and foot devices, and bursting into a set of hot, rag-time blues. I mean, I don’t know, but then there was that time he “went to Colorado,” and came back a full-fledged one-man-band-kind-of a musician. I’m just sayin’.
Katie Toupin has found home in her role as a solo artist after leaving the critically acclaimed alt-country band, Houndmouth, in 2016. Toupin had enormous success with Houndmouth after releasing their sophomore album, “Little Neon Limelight”. The single, “Sedona”, reached #1 on Billboard’s Triple A Chart. Toupin made multiple appearances on David Letterman and Conan as well as toured internationally during her time with the band.
Toupin has since released a live EP, “Moroccan Ballroom”, a self produced album “Magnetic Moves, and her newest creation, a mini-album, “Little Heart”, releases July 9th, 2021. She has spent time touring nationally gaining her praise from outlets like Paste, Pop Matters, American Songwriter, and more. Her solo collaborators have also been noteworthy, including Grammy winning engineer for Cage The Elephant, Jeremy Ferguson, who co-produced her newest release, “Little Heart”.
Toupin’s solo live show does not disappoint as she blends her entire discography into an energetic, full band experience. It appears that after a thirteen year career, Toupin is just getting started.
Hello Darling is a Nashville Alternative Folk outfit led by Grace Russell and Patrick Armould. The band met in 2020 at Lipscomb University. The profound complement of Russell and Armould voices and songwriting style segued into the recording of their self titled debut EP in 2021. Taking influence from artists like The Avett Brothers, Lord Huron, The National, and Gregory Alan Isakov, Hello Darling has painted a diverse landscape creatively that exists in between Alternative Folk and Indie Rock.
The band has toured with acts such as The 502s, Magic Giant, The Arcadian Wild, Vista Kicks, Brother Brothers, Dylan Leblanc etc. As they embark on their second EP with producers Zack Green and Louis Johnson, Hello Darling will continue to forge their trail as one of the most exciting young bands to watch. “In a time when many critics agonize over the state of music, Hello Darling serves as a comforting reminder — the kids are going to be alright.” – Nashville Scene
Hello Darling is Patrick James Armould, Grace Russell, Riley O’Donnell, and Amber Sawyer.
Brothers Matt & Kyle, brothers-in-law Victor & Drew and brother from another mother, Tom, form Illinois Joy, an American rock & roll band.
“Chicago-based Illinois Joy have just released their new, self-titled EP. From it, we have received “Yours To Lose,” the first track you’ll hear once you dive into this fresh body of work. And friends, you really want to hear this thing. The vocals enter, full of rasp and grit and perfectly reminiscent of Caamp or The Lumineers– a style which cannot be learned, but solely granted by the gods of folk music.
We loved “Yours To Lose” so much that we had to keep listening. The EP’s closer, “Cincinnati Rain,” is an upbeat anthem for dusty roads. You’ll find many of the same elements in this one that we heard in the previous, and it is a fine piece of good-old Americana. The vocals, again, completely hit and are delivered via over-driven tubes, providing so much vintage flavor that you will taste it in your coffee. Ladies and gentlemen, as the evidence suggests, Illinois Joy are the real deal.” – Up To Hear Music
Come fall in love with Odesa, Ukraine, the Pearl of the Black Sea! Kommuna Lux brings you the heritage music of their beloved hometown. Klezmer, Balkan, and Urban Chanson, with a dash of Ukrainian Folk and powered by rocket fuel, Kommuna Lux impacts the crowd with a nostalgic, high-energy Big Band sound from the bygone days of speakeasies and rum runners. When Volodymyr Gitin raises that clarinet to his lips, he becomes the only man in the room—you can’t help but utterly fall into his virtuoso arms. “Heavyweight Champion” Oleg Vasianovich holds his accordion like it’s light as a feather, while he develops the foundation of each melody. Layers of complexity are added by the bold, bright trumpet of Andrei Okhramovich and the sassy, playful trombone of Yaroslav Besh. Viktor Kirilov never stops dancing as he plays his acoustic guitar, and you never know when Sergei Poltorak will pause on the percussion to punk the rest of the band with a sly prank. At center stage is sultry powerhouse Bagrat Tsurkan, whose hot buttered voice and nonstop energy compel everyone to the dance floor.
These conservatory-trained musicians started out playing flash mobs in the markets, piers, and streets of Odesa, and quickly moved up to local and national stages. After winning Germany’s “Iron Eversteiner” prize for folk music, they began touring the world, but had a falling-out with their vocalist. They soon discovered “Baggi” singing background for another band, and knew they’d found the perfect front man. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the band went into shock along with the rest of their countrymen. One musician even left to join the army. But the others soon decided that they could do more good with their instruments than guns, and began touring Europe in earnest to raise money and support for Ukraine. They raised thousands of dollars that summer, and became the “go to band” for Klezmer music in both Germany and Poland. Their first USA tour in Fall 2023 was so successful, they founded a 501-c3 nonprofit to make it even easier to support Ukraine. People don’t just listen to Kommuna Lux. They fall in love! No one can resist these playful, passionate Ukrainian musicians, who have so much fun on stage that you get caught up in their joy.
Introducing ++, a female-fronted doom-gaze band from Chicago, formed in 2022. The group features Abigail (bass and vocals), Dove (guitar), Ethan (drums), and Hunter (synth). The ++ sonic palette is a fusion of doom metal, post-punk, and shoegaze, a unique blend that sets them apart in the musical landscape.
At the core of ++ is Abigail, whose gripping bass lines and heart-wrenching vocals serve as the emotional anchor of the band. Paired with Dove’s low fuzzy guitars, Ethan’s thunderous drumming, and Hunter’s ethereal OP-1 synth textures, the collective energy of ++ delivers a visceral punch that leaves listeners immersed in a realm of intensely beautiful melancholy.
KURNUGIA is an old-school Death Metal band from Ohio that is heavily influenced by Death Metal bands from the early ’90s. Founded by ex-and current members of Decrepit, Embalmer,NunSlaughter, December Wolves, & Delusion.
Advent Horizon is a project of pure creative passion. The brainchild of artist/producer Rylee McDonald and drummer Mike Lofgreen, Advent’s goal is to bring a new, fresh sound to the Progressive Rock/Metal world.
Advent Horizon’s third full length studio album “A Cell To Call Home” is now streaming!
Plastic Crimewave (Steve Krakow) is a Chicago-based illustrator, writer, avant-garde musician and music historian. He is the editor of Drag City-published magazine Galactic Zoo Dossier, eponymous front man for Plastic Crimewave Syndicate, founder of the Million Tongues Festival, and Vision Celestial Guitarkestra. He writes and illustrates the “Secret History of Chicago Music” comic in the Chicago Reader and co-hosts WGN-AM’s Secret History of Chicago Music series. He runs the Drag City imprint label, Galactic Zoo Disk.
Embracing a multicultural language, while investing in a variety of disciplines within the music itself, Mexican born, and Chicago based composer, bandleader, drummer and lyricist Gustavo Cortiñas continues to surpass himself in the breadth of his work. “Cortiñas’ music is uplifting, robust, melodic, and gets your body moving; it’s an exciting blend of the artist’s musical influences from jazz and Latin America, including his native Mexico” (DOWNBEAT). This can be heard on his four records as a leader, “Snapshot” (2013), “ESSE” (2017) “Desafío Candente” (2021), “Kind Regards / Saludos Afectuosos” (2022) and “Live in Chicago” (2024), “the culmination of a decades worth of music” (The Arts Fuse). “Cortiñas and band revel in a live setting. They not only demonstrate their intimate knowledge of the compositions, but express their evident joy at melding their musical skills with Cortiñas’s continuing commitment to encouraging social change through music.” Cortiñas gives life to music that attempts to build bridges and understanding in times of borders and ignorance; words that focus on our feet and the dust on which they walk, instead of the stars under which they dream. Through his participation in more than 30 discographic productions, “Cortiñas’s deft touch reaffirms his status as one of the great drummers in the City’s new guard.” (ChicagoReader).
A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans (BM Jazz, Minor in Philosophy), and Northwestern University (MM Jazz), Gustavo Cortiñas has developed a successful career in the US for over a decade, leading and accompanying ensembles in renowned stages and festivals in North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. During his time in Chicago, Gustavo has become one of the most sought out drummers, performing and recording with Javier Red’s Imagery Converter, Matt Peterson, Kitt Lyles, Erik Skov, Emily Kuhn, Michael Hudson-Casanova, Chuchito Valdés Trio, Roy McGrath, Kyle Madsen, and the Carla Campopiano Trio, among other ensembles. Cortiñas is a member of the Chicago Jazz Composer’s Collective, performing regularly for their monthly residency at Chicago’s very own Green Mill. Gustavo Cortiñas is a proud endorser of Canopus Drums & Bosphorus Cymbals, and has been recipient of grants from the Mexican National Endowment of the Arts (FONCA), the Illinois Arts Council (IACA), the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and Pathways To Jazz. His album Desafío Candente, a sprawling meditation on Latin American life and struggles, earned a well-deserved spot in Jazziz Magazine’s list of the 2021’s Best Releases, and was listed among the Jazz Journalist’s Association Top Latin Jazz Albums of 2021, among other critical praise.
Born and raised in Mexico, son to a Uruguayan university professor and a Mexican elementary school teacher, Cortiñas grew up surrounded by books of all kinds, ranging from religion and philosophy, to history, economics and art. Music was just as diverse: be it through voice of Chavela Vargas, Wagner’s operas, the revolutionary cry of Rock en Español, or the soothing songs of Edith Piaf, music of all kinds was always there. At age 10, he fell in love with the drums, and was soon seduced by the syncopated and improvised beat of Jazz. This love inspired a journey far from home. First traveling to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, and later Chicago, the place he now calls home. This journey set the foundation for his work: Latin American folklore, classical music, and jazz; philosophy, religion and the Latin American cry for justice. These experiences and streams of inspiration forge the unique voice of an expansive artist who will continue to defy categorization in many years to come.
Cortiñas has relased four albums as a leader, in which he acts as drummer, composer, arranger, bandleader and producer. “Snapshot” (2013), “a Smörgåsbord of the moods and nuances that make up the human experience,” (Jazziz); “ESSE” (2017) “a fascinating musical realization, exploration, and distillation of the works of Hegel, Aristotle, Descartes, Plato, and other brilliant minds” (AllAboutJazz); and “Desafío Candente” (2021), “a musical palimpsest that carries the weight of the history of colonialism and neocolonialism of the entire southern part of the Americas” (LatinJazzNet). On his latest release, “Kind Regards / Saludos Afectuosos”, Cortiñas takes on the role of lyricist in a bilingual song set that focuses on building bridges of empathy and understanding, in times of border walls and ignorance. “Kind Regards triumphs both as a bearer of a message that can’t be heard enough and as purveyor sophisticated acoustic pop of arresting beauty” (LATINO MAGAZINE).
Gustavo is extremely thankful of all the great musicians, mentors, and human beings he has been privileged enough to learn from along the way. Some that stand out are Gabriela Fouilloux, León Cortiñas, Andrés Cortiñas, Andrés Suárez, Agustín Yela, Anne-Marie Garas, Santiago Fortson, Rodrigo Jiménez, Hernán Hecht, Wayne Maureau, Johnny Vidacovich, John Mahoney, Tony Dagradi, Janna Saslaw, William Horne, Victor Goines and Willie Jones III.
Cortiñas is invested in giving this back and sharing what he has learned. He started as the drum set instructor at the Edron Academy in Mexico City in 2004. Since then, Gustavo has had an extensive private studio, and also taught master classes in Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, Ecuador, Argentina, and around the US. He has been teaching at Flatts & Sharpe Music Academy since 2014, and has been a guest artist with the jazz small ensembles at Northwestern University. From 2019-21 Cortiñas worked as a Jazz Director at the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. Since 2018 Gustavo has been an assistant conductor of the jazz combos and jazz orchestras at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. IL and currently teaches drums at the prestigious Chicago High School for the Arts.
Born and raised in Chicago, Harold started doing Comedy in 2022. Co-hosts a weekly open mic on Tuesdays where the audience members can write roasts about the comics on-stage. He performs all over Chicago and surrounding suburbs and has done stand-up in Austin and Memphis with those good ole folk.
