Programmable Animal’s latest release “One Step to Hell”, has been produced/mixed by renowned Producer Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Slayer, 3TEETH, & No Doubt). While writing the record, the group also recorded with Producer Chuck Macak (Born of Osiris, Fall of Troy, & Letlive.) Following the completion of the album, Programmable Animal signed with label Negative Gain in 2020.
Indie Folk/Alt Country duo from Chicago.
Playfully perilous, like a paper tiger stalking a paper gazelle through the maze on the back of a cereal box. Toy Dynamite can brighten your day or break your heart. It’s all a matter of where you place your attention.
On their 2022 debut EP, “Sour Sugar,” they’ve perfected this recipe. 1 cup of alt country, 8 oz of indie folk, 3 tbsp of art pop, a pinch of jazz, twee and shoe gaze. The blues to taste. Plate and garnish with some parsley.
Multi-instrumentalist, Shawn Connors (Last False Hope/The Dirty Generals) & Ukitarist, Debbie Jean McGovern (Blue Ribbon Glee Club) make a wonderfully complimentary songwriting duo. Their voices blend together like adult beverages with tiny umbrellas. Make it a double; pun intended.
“Boston born Chicago based based post-punk collective Oddysseys are making a big splash with the release of their brand new album titled “Odd Behavior”.
The four-piece consists of Christian Treon, Paul DiRico, Josh Corbin, and Mark Pangilinan. The group’s sound is a dark, bleak mixture that is intriguing and mystifying when you first take a listen, as the band’s uses a combination of creative musical measures to keep the audience’s attention span at bay here.
They seem to be making a deep impact when it comes to wowing the listeners. While the band’s sound doesn’t have flashy melodies or catchy hooks, the band’s creative resolve will definitely come into play when creating your impression on this local group, which is blossoming into something very special. An intriguing group that is well worth of taking a deeper listen to.”
– Music Box Pete
Subhah Agarwal has brought an honesty to her comedy that will leave you saying “I didn’t need to know that.” Subhah has written for the “Plan B” movie on Hulu,” and The Jim Jefferies Show”on Comedy Central, amongst others. You can also catch her jokes live at stand up comedy clubs across the country. If you don’t want to leave your couch, you can see her late night debut on NBC’s “A Little Late With Lilly Singh.” She’s also appeared on season three of HBO’s “Westworld”, on TruTv’s sketch comedy “Friends of the People”, and as herself on MTV2, Comedy Central, and Gotham Comedy Live.
Joe Sib, co-founder and co-conspirator of Side One Dummy Records for 25 years, has continued to climb up the ranks of the comedy scene. Joe released his first comedy record, Joe Sib Nowhere Near the Top, in April 2017 which debuted #3 on the Billboard’s Comedy Chart. From the 1980s punk scene to millennium parent, Joe’s comedy takes you on a manic, ride from growing up in the era of “safety last”, and into the present, as he tries to helicopter parent without a license.
After throwing himself into the punk and skate underground of his California hometown, Joe’s band Wax was signed to a major label as part of the early ’90s breakthrough of punk rock into the mainstream. He co-founded an indie label, SideOneDummy, that signed such now-iconic bands as Flogging Molly and the Gaslight Anthem. Turning his behind-the-music stories from the road into a one-man show led to touring as a stand-up comic, which led to such highlights as his recent tour with Metallica, in which he and comedian Jim Breuer created a show that re-defined the term “opening act.” With every new twist and turn in his path, Joe has been left wondering “How did I get here?”
Best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the punk band Rancid, Lars Frederiksen has been a major player in the California punk scene since the ’90s, working not only with his bands Rancid and Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards, but doing production work with Dropkick Murphys, Agnostic Front, Marky Ramone, and many others.
Frederiksen first achieved notoriety playing with the U.K. Subs on their 1991 U.K. tour. He joined Rancid in 1993, and made his recording debut with them on their second album, Let’s Go. While still a member of Rancid, Frederiksen got a side band together, called Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards, and released that band’s first album in 2001. Their second album, Viking, saw the light of day in 2004.
November 2021 saw the release of Frederiksen’s debut solo project entitled “To Victory,” a 6 song EP with 3 accompanying music videos. Frederiksen has announced a tour around the EP in March and April 2022.
Chicago’s premier Italian band
“We play energizing pop-punk originals that are occasionally jazzy.”
The Data Waves have that slow-jam, stank-face, late-night car ride sound. Their fusion of funky drums and bass, jazzy chord progressions, and soulful horns creates a symphony of complex, entrancing sound. The group has recently released their debut album, Revolution, in addition to various EP’s and live recordings, and is currently based in Chicago.
The County Line is a jam band with a deep appreciation for the Grateful Dead. The County Line consistently challenges themselves with jam improvisation, and a dedication to making every show energetic and unique.
Poul Freitag is on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Poul has been covering The Grateful Dead for over 25 years in various bands.
Jakob Freitag is on lead guitar and backup vocals. Jakob was trained at School of Rock Arlington Heights, where he played in the house band for 3 years.
Phil Chester is on Bass. Phil graduated from DePaul with a degree in Jazz Studies. He is a music director at School of Rock Schaumburg, a session musician and participates in multiple projects.
Jim Farmer is on drums. Jim was a founding member of two legendary Grateful Dead cover bands in the Chicago area – Terrapin Flyer and Caution. He is also a current member of Northwest Corner.
Steve Anton is on Keys and organ. Steve has been playing in Grateful Dead bands for over 25 years.
“It’s Jazz. It just doesn’t sound like it.”
This is how virtuoso guitarist Oz Noy describes his intoxicating blend of jazz, funk, rock, blues, and r&b.
Born in Israel, Oz started his professional career at the age of 13 playing jazz, blues, pop and rock music. By age 16, he was playing with top Israeli musicians and artists. By age 24, he was one of the most established studio guitar players in the country. Oz was also a member of the house band on Israel’s top-rated television show for more than two years.
Since his 1996 arrival in New York, Oz has made a huge impact on the local and international music scene. His unique and intoxicating style has broken all the rules of instrumental guitar music by focusing on the groove. All-stars such as Keith Carlock, Anton Fig, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Dave Weckl often contribute on drums, with bassists Will Lee, James Genus, and Reggie Washington.
In 2003, Oz released his debut record – “Oz Live” – recorded at NYC’s legendary Bitter End.
In 2004, Oz signed with Magna Carta Records and in 2005, released his highly-acclaimed studio record “HA!” with his all-star band featuring Fig, Carlock, Lee and Genus plus special guests Mike Stern and George Whitty.
In April of 2007, a licensing deal with Magna Carta and Japanese label Videoarts opened the door for Oz’s music in Japan. Later that year saw the release of “Fuzzy,” Oz’s third record under the Magna Carta label. For Fuzzy, Oz’s all-star band is joined by various special guests including Colaiuta, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and keyboardists Whitty and Jim Beard.
September, 2009, saw the release of Oz’s fourth album, “Schizophrenic,” featuring Lee, Fig, Carlock, Weckl, Ricky Peterson, Chris Palmero, and special guest Steve Lukather.
In November of 2011, Oz released his fifth studio album “Twisted Blues Vol. 1” Featuring Vinnie Colaiuta, Anton Fig, Chris Layton, Will Lee, Roscoe Beck , John Medeski, Jerry Z, Reese Wynans, Ralph Macdonald and special guests Eric Johnson & Allen Toussaint.
In late 2012, Oz released his two highly acclaimed instructional DVDs,”Guitar Improvisational Workout” and “Play Along Workout”, released by jazzheaven.com .
May of 2014 saw the release of Oz’s 6th studio album “Twisted Blues Vol. 2” featuring special collaborations with: Chick Corea, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Warren Haynes, Gregoire Maret, Greg Leisz, Dave Weckl, and John Medeski. The album featured the help of a stellar backup band featuring Keith Carlock, Anton Fig, Chris Layton, Will Lee, Roscoe Beck, Jerry Z and Reese Wynans.
In March, 2015, Oz released his 7th album “Asian Twistz” featuring Dave Weckl & Etienne Mbappe. The live album was recorded during a tour in Asia during the summer of 2014.
oz-noy-img5April 2016 Oz Release his 8th studio album “Who Gives A Funk” Featuring very special guests Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Dweezil Zappa, Fred Weasley, Chris Potter, John Medeski & Corey Glover.
Sept 2017 showed the debut release of “Ozone Squeeze” , Oz’s new band featuring Atlantha Drummer Darren Stanley & Australian Keyboardist, vocalist Rai Thistlethwayte.
March 2019 Oz Release his 9th solo Album “Booga Looga Loo” Featuring Drummers-Steve Ferrone, Vinnie Colaiuta and Dave Weckl, Bassists-Will Lee, John Patitucci and James Genus, Keyboardists- Jerry Z and Brian Charette with special guests- Anne Drummond, Kevin Hays and Seamus Blake.
For his accomplishments as a trend-setting guitarist, Oz won the highly acclaimed Guitar Player magazine readers poll for “Best guitar riff on a record” (2007), “Best new talent” (2008), and “Best out there guitar player” (2013).
Oz’s success both as an artist and an instrumentalist has built demand for him as an instructor. In 2011, he released two Instructional videos for Jazz Heaven, entitled “Guitar Improvisational Workout” and “Play Along Workout.” since 2015, Oz released three instructional videos for My Music Master Class (MMMC) entitled “Unlocking The Neck” , “Blues, Bends and Beyond” and “Effects On The Gig”. He also released four videos for True Fire, entitled “Improv Wizard”, “Essentials Funk Rhythm Guitar”, “Twisted Guitar-Blues Soloing” and “Twisted Guitar- Blues Rhythm”.
Oz also conducts periodic master classes at The Collective School of Music (New York City), Musicians Institute (Los Angeles), and others.
Oz Noy has performed, toured and recorded with Richard Bona, Chris Botti, Gavin DeGraw, Harry Belafonte, Cyndi Lauper, Clay Aiken, Akiko Yano, Wonder Girls, Toni Braxton, Phoebe Snow, Nile Rogers, Mike Clark, Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts, Dave Weckl, Mike Manieri, John Patitucci, The East Village Opera Company, Roger Glover, Bill Evans, Randy Brecker, The Gil Evan Orchestra,Warren Hayes, Gove’t Mule, The Allman Brothers, Umphrey’s Mcgee, Allen Toussaint, Eric Johnson, Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, Wallace Roney, Steve Lukather, John Medeski, Chris Potter, Fred Wesley, Tom Scott, Don Was, Nelly Furtado, Natasha Bedingfield, Phillip Phillips, Andy Grammer, Angelique Kidjo, Matisyahu, Jennifer Hudson, Henry Butler, Gart Hudson, Don Henley, Patti Austin, Take 6, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Phil Ramone, Paul Shaffer, Dweezil Zappa, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Sting, Steve Perry, Allison Krauss Foreigner, Patty Smyth, Wiz Khalifa, Shelea, Jordin Sparks, Average White Band, Christopher Cross, TYP, Betty Buckley, Idina Menzel, Luke Nelson, Justin Timberlake, Bonnie Raitt, Lizzo, Dave Mathews, Cat Stevens, Scary Pockets among othersj
A cool collection of metal. Anthrax, Pantera, Ozzy, Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden just to name a few.
Ed Towns has a real love and passion for comedy. Throughout his life, he’s always admired true professionals with a gift for invoking their ideas to a crowd through humor. This was never a reality for Ed until his high school english teacher, comedian and mentor Bill Gorgo opened his eyes during a class about stand-up comedy. It took several years but Ed’s courage finally came to the forefront and he hit the stage for the first time and instantly fell in love. Now Ed entertains and makes people laugh with his cynically honest views on relationships, current events and his family. Nothing is off limits as audiences get a peak into Ed’s life and all the hilarity it ensues. Ed has opened for the likes of Chris Redd (SNL) Felonius Munk ( ABC For Life) and Josh Johnson (The Daily Show). Ed now is a producer of Comedians You Should Know, a 14 year staple in the Chicago Comedy scene.
AZIOLA CRY is an instrumental progressive rock band from Chicago consisting of Warr guitar, guitar, and drums. Described as “rhythmically intricate, dark, and complex,” the band showcases “suburb musicianship” while having songs that have been described as “extraordinary” and “something special.” The trio has performed with bands such as The Aristocrats and Behold The Arctopus and made appearances at festivals including ProgStock, Prog Day, and M.A.R.S. Fest. Their most recent release, The Ironic Divide, made many top album of the year lists and won the Sonic Perspectives Top Instrumental Progressive Metal Album of the Year award. Now, the band is set to release a new album in early 2025 that promises to expand on their sound while venturing into new territories.
Jason Blake / Warr Guitar
Mike Milaniak / Guitar
Tommy Murray / Drums
On their sophomore album Preserved in Torment, Olympia WA’s doomed death metal unit MORTIFERUM push their penchant for dark, depraved, and disgusting dirges even further out into the periphery. Picking up where they left off with their Profound Lore debut Disgorged from Psychotic Depths, MORTIFERUM continue to mine the poisonous quagmire of classic American death metal, the warped visions of Finnish death metal, and the suffocating lurch of funeral doom for inspiration, but the resulting six tracks on Preserved in Torment operate on a larger scale, both in musical scope and in sheer crushing weight.
Tompkins Square label, established in 2005, has released acclaimed recordings by artists such as William Tyler, Gwenifer Raymond, Ryley Walker and Michael Chapman as well as reissues of folk, old-timey, gospel and American Primitive Guitar. The label has received 8 Grammy nominations.
“Hard to Love” the first completely DIY recording by the band was released on 10/22/2021 with Paper+Plastick Records.
WITH A HEALTHY LIST OF RECORDS UNDER THEIR BELT, DATING BACK TO 1996, HUNTINGTONS RELEASED THEIR 8TH FULL-LENGTH ALBUM ON JANUARY 31ST, 2020. THEIR FIRST IN NEARLY 17 YEARS.
Chicago’s Musical Homage to the music of Echo and The Bunnymen. From the purveyors of Still IL, PriMary, The Psychophantic Furs, Who’s This Mary?, All Mods Conned and more! We also play The Smiths, The Clash, Fabs and others.
Recording Artist
Singer/Song Writer
ILLVILLE VANGUARD is a Chicago based music group that’s all about creating new ideas. ILLVILLE created a sound that is unique and can’t be compared to anything else. Led by Gabriel Alston, ILLVILLE is known for providing a high energy atmosphere that’s fun, free, emotional and exciting. Their musical sound is heavily shaped by Jazz, Gospel, Funk, Jazz Fusion, Hip-Hop, Latin and Neo Soul. Having a wide range of musical influences places ILLVILLE’s sound in a category of its own. ILLVILLE is second to none and will always leave listeners satisfied and craving for the next ILLVILLE experience.
Justn is a Chicago raised, Los Angeles based pianist and singer-songwriter. Known for his soulful vocals and jazz-inspired piano, Justn is taking the industry by storm. Only last year, he performed keys and backing vocals on Bas’ Milky Way world tour, the Milk Down Under Tour and A$AP Ferg’s Floor Seats Tour. In between, you might have seen him live at Dreamville Fest, Osheaga Fest, and Day N Vegas. Justn’s highly anticipated R&B/Neo-Soul debut EP is set to release end of year.
Brutal Death Metal
BayArea, CA
What happens when several of the finest musicians in Chicago are “Pandemic Bored”? They become a kick-ass David Bowie tribute band. SuperCreeps formed in the COVID Summer of 2020, when venues were closed and musicians had lots of time on their hands. Skid Marks, Robin Crawford, Bill Hartwig, Taylor Morse and Rich Poston were all quite aware that idle hands can become the devil’s playthings. With the devil on the doorstep, this cadre of talented misfits channeled all their creative energy into a formidable Bowie tribute. SuperCreeps… Coming soon to a venue near you!
Space Mafia hails from the Windy City of Chicago, Illinois. While only getting their start in 2016, they have quickly caught traction with single releases such as “Black Haze”, “Baby Goodbye” and “Miss Lady” which was selected as one of Alternative Nation’s “Top 10 Rock Songs of 2018” alongside such artists as Chris Cornell, Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice In Chains and other high caliber well-known artists. In July of 2019, Space Mafia released their debut EP, “Waves”, featuring a more diverse, developed sound and bangers like “Black Cat Cometh”, “San Francisco” and “Roses & Wine”. For Halloween 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, the band released a timely single, “Horror Movie”, recorded remotely at the guys’ individual home studios. The single was featured on Chicago Sound Check’s “2020 Year in Review”. With a high energy show featuring heavy psychedelic rock guitars, slamming drums, funky bass lines and big melodic hooks, they have already solidified their status as one of the most promising up and coming bands of the newest wave of rock and roll.
Original folk/americana music from Chicago. Just some raw demos I’ve recorded onto the voice memo app of my phone. Appreciate the listen.
We are Backroom. Were a 3 piece band from Aurora Illinois. We make emo music for bastards like ourselves. From the depths of the midwest you will find us writing, preforming, recording, and producing all of are own music.
Fiona Garrity, Robbie Green, and Noah Sulsby are the only 3 members of Backroom. Fiona plays guitar and vocals. Noah plays bass. And Robbie plays drums. In their home town of aurora Illinois, while still in high school.
Fiona, Robbie, and their previous member Alex started jamming and writing music together around May of 2020. A year later the 3 of them slowly started to release demos and play gigs. November 2021 rolls around and Alex quits.
Noah then stepped in and became our new bassist. Backroom is not dead. And it never will be till we say so. (December 19th 2021 First Ep may or may not be released)
comin down with a case of the blues
-chicago-
Shoegaze/indie band based in Chicago, Illinois
—
Our Members Are:
Fritz: Guitars & Vocals
Maura “The Banana” McGarvey: The Drums
Lou Mars: The Bass
Jude the Obscure is a singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based in South Manchester.
Modern Art Rock
atheena is a chicago rock band.
atheena is:
Dom-Guitar/vocals
Marcy-Bass
Josh-Drums and Noise
Chicago post hardcore
Nick Muilaert is a Chicago-born singer/songwriter who takes his inspiration from folk artists, old and new, such as Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, Nick Drake, and many more. Nick’s music deals with many coming of age topics like self-discovery, apathy, and romance while utilizing a DIY/lo-fi approach to creating music. Performing with his talented backing band, Muilaert & The Society , Nick, and the band constantly reinvent themselves on stage, which in return creates a unique live performance every time.
Cxpital is a 3-piece Indie/Alternative Rock band from the region of Northwest Indiana, USA. The band is composed of Region natives, drummer Benji Grimler, and lead guitarist Tyler Maximoff; while accompanied by vocalist and rhythm guitarist/bassist Lucie Ashmore, originally from Greystones, Ireland.
After meeting and forming in 2017 under the name WAVES, Ashmore and Maximoff independently recorded and released a 4-track EP titled After // Thoughts, a collection of songs inspired by the lyrical and musical techniques of alternative rock band Pvris. About a year later, the two were introduced to Benji and continued from there as a 3-piece.
Influences range from old-school Coldplay, to the current indie sounds of Paramore, with everything from The Maine, The Aces, Pvris and The Strokes also thrown into the mix.
The iconic, genre-bending powerhouse trio is back, led by visionary guitarist Wayne Krantz and featuring drummer Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Sting, John Mayer) and bassist Tim Lefebvre (Tedeschi Trucks Band, David Bowie).
The album is composed of the rawest, heaviest, heart-pounding and gut-wrenchingly groovy material to ever come out of NYC. Branching out in new directions from their previous hip hop influenced sound, Rebelmatic has evolved into a hybrid of punk, hardcore, and aggressive funk all their own.
BERATOR is relentless black death violence –
Death-Thrash unit from Houston, TX
Formerly known as Pentagram, but they changed their name in May 2012 out of respect for the famous doom metal band Pentagram.
Pentagram was formed in 1985 by Anton Reisseneger (lead guitar/vocals) and Juan Pablo Uribe (bass). Inspired by bands like Venom, Slayer, and Possessed, they started their own brand of extreme metal in a time and place where the genre was in its very first steps.
With a couple of originals and some covers, Pentagram debuted as a trio on December 28, 1985 with Eduardo Topelberg from the band Chronos on session drums. The first gigs were disastrous mainly because of the little experience of the band and the lousy conditions in which they gigged.
Next year, they hired drummer Marcelo Ulloa, with whom they played exactly one gig. By then they had three original tunes ready and after hiring Topelberg as a permanent drummer they recorded their first demo on the first month of 1987 at Nacofon Studios with a very tight budget. Reisenneger did vocals and played bass and guitar, while Uribe played second guitar. The demo started spreading through the international underground tape trading circuit and people started taking notice. Next month Reisenneger traveled to Brazil with a friend, invited by Max Cavalera (Sepultura). Some label in Rio de Janeiro offered Anton a record contract, to which he accepted, but then never heard again from them.
international dj & curator 🌎 founder –
@babesonlyfun
💋 producer –
@vipermagazine
🐍 bad bitch 💎
Hey ! I DJ house music I’m a Chicago based artist trying to share this sounds called House. Follow me on this journey it’s only going up from here
The drunk uncles of White Sox Twitter Baseball. Beer. Bullsh*t.
Psychic record label since 2003. Tubular in shape. Reminiscent of bloodbeak sausage but without the aftertaste of turpentine and cider. Recommended for raising punk vibrations.
The label was started in 2003 by Darius Hurley and Jon Babbin. The following bands have all appeared in our catalog M.O.T.O., The Effigies, Vee Dee, Functional Blackouts, Young Governor, Kim Phuc, The Young, Canadian Rifle, Pedestrians, Out With a Bang, Hotlips messiah, New Black, Phenoms, Mushuganas, Terrible Two’s, Manhandlers, Holy Shit!, Bear Proof Suit, Useless Children, The Young, Mannequin Men, The Runs, Army of Jesus, Shoot it Up, Pink Reason, The Yolks, Claw Toe, The Krunchies, Tyrades, Baseball Furies, The Ponys, Twat Vibe, Kill the Hippies, FNU Ronnies, The Gravetones, Curtains, Sick Jump, Flying Trichecos, Rotten Fruits, Catburglars, Phantom three, Hot Machines, Busy Kids, The Dirges, White Outs, White Load, and I Attack.
Vulgar Commons is an Indie Punk band based in Chicago. They began gigging at house parties under the name The Vagrants and gained a cult following. However, when things started to take off, their lead guitarist moved to Berlin, forcing them into a hiatus. But during the pandemic, the guys realized that they had to keep playing music to stay sane, and began rehearsing again regularly (and safely). The three remaining members changed their name to Vulgar Commons and were fortunate enough to start booking gigs at hallmark Chicago venues like Beat Kitchen and the Golden Dagger (formerly the Tonic Room) once live music started up again.
The band draws from a wide range of musical backgrounds, but, to avoid sounding like someone writing a Pitchfork article, let’s just say that their overall sound is Misfits meets The Strokes with a little Interpol thrown in. The guys play with a raw passion, which reflects their profound love of and gratitude for the Chicago Music scene, and they’re unbelievably stoked to be part of the best music scene in the U.S. once again.
Check out their EP Nicotine Fingers.
New Album “Traffic Jamz”
The Pete Ellman Big Band (PEBB) was formed in 2009 after Pete retired from the Illinois Air National Guard after 20 years of service. Since then, the band has played regularly in the Chicagoland Western suburbs at locations such as Mullen’s in Lisle and Fitzgerald’s in Oak Park. They regularly invite student jazz ensembles to join them and will provide guest clinicians. This is a way to get these budding musicians into a real world environment playing the music they love in addition to an auditorium in front of parents or classmates.
Additionally, the PEBB has hosted numerous fundraisers at their events to help raise money (and food / toys) for local non-profits such as Loaves & Fishes, Toys for Tots, Kids Matter, Kidz Cabaret, Youth Symphony of DuPage, Naperville Educational Foundation, Gil Ellman Memorial Fund, and more! To Pete, it is all about giving back to the community to help kids, in general, and also to give kids an opportunity to participate in the arts.
Pete has worked full time at Ellman’s Music Center since 1985, having worked in nearly every position in the company, from repairman to outside sales representative to purchasing agent to janitor. With that kind of overall experience, he has a uniquely complete vision on how to run the business.
Pete continues to play professionally and has performed with nationally known artists such as Wayne Newton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Aretha Franklin, Bob Newhart, Chicago Sinfonietta, and many more. Being a trumpet player, Pete’s favorite artist to date has been world renowned trumpeter Wayne Bergeron.
Pete attended DePaul University and majored in Music Performance. Peter attends many industry specific and financial seminars including NASMD, NAPBIRT, and NAMM. He sits on the board of the Naperville Municipal Band.
Musician :: DJ :: Producer :: Drummer :: Percussionist :: Band Leader :: Composer :: Curator :: Taste Maker :: Vinyl Enthusiasts :: Beat Maker ::
Alfonzo Jones’ love of music started in church, watching and imitating every move and sound of the drummer at the age of 3. Once Alfonzo’s mother and grandmother grew tired of finding damaged pots and pans, they placed a drum set in front of him and he has been banging away at his future ever since. Everyday, Alfonzo played along with tapes and videos and watched every drummer he encountered intently in order to learn. From there, Alfonzo was not only playing drums at school, but also the church he grew up in, Liberty Temple.
While in high school, under the tutelage of Phillip Crews, he gathered a wide range of influences including Dennis Chambers, Tony Williams, Carter Beauford, Elvin Jones, and Jimmy Cobb. In 2002, with Alfonzo as the drummer, his high school was chosen as one of the top 15 best high school bands by the Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Competition, garnering opportunities to study with Wynton Marsalis, Herlin Riley and other members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. In 2012, Alfonzo was selected as one of the top 10 drummers in the country for the Roland V-Drums drumoff contest, and has participated and progressed far in other national drum competitions.
Throughout his career, Alfonzo has worked in several genres, and has shared the stage with established artists and musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Brian Courtney Wilson, James Fortune, Vicki Winans, Wycleff Gordon, Orbert Davis, Martha Munizzi, Tye Tribbett, Kierra Sheard, Pinqy Ring and more. Aside from playing at Liberty Temple Full Gospel Church, Alfonzo can be seen playing with the band Left.Jones, Mike Zabrin’s Funktastic, National recording artist Nikki Lynette and the O’my’s.
Alfonzo hopes to create his legacy through music, but also by being a good human being. As a shining example to aspiring drummers, he’s well on his way to that goal
Blake Burkhart is a comedian and writer from Chicago’s north side. He is a regular at all Chicago Clubs and local showcases, and regularly headlines at comedy clubs throughout the Midwest. His album Atlantis reached #1 on the comedy iTunes Charts in 2018 and he is in the works on his next album which he hopes will go triple platinum. Good bowler too.
Joey Villagomez, has been performing stand up comedy for 15 years. He was part of the TBS Just For Laughs Chicago Festival and appeared on Paul Rodriguez’s New
Latin Kings of Comedy Tour. Joey has performed at clubs including The Hollywood Laugh Factory, The World Famous Comedy Store and The Hollywood Improv. He is
currently part of The All Things Comedy Network and is featured on the Comedy Central stand up series, Bill Burr Presents: The Ringers.
American Folk || Grand Rapids, MI || Est. 2019
Single “Me & The Whiskey” out now!
We’re just 5 dudes looking to play tunes we love and defend the good times.
You Died is a 4-piece hard-rock band from Chicago,IL. Featuring veterans of legendary acts such as The Arrivals, Local H, The Tossers and Mary Tyler Morphine, they might be mistaken for a supergroup if you lower your standards. Is it hard rock? Punk rock? What the hell difference does it make? If you like tight songwriting and themes that span from video games to folklore, we got your number.
Destruction and melody, acid wit and bruising vocals-this is the Pack A.D. Singer/guitarist Becky Black and drummer Maya Miller have made a sound so gigantic, so fierce and raw and empowering, that it’s easy to forget there are just two people behind this brilliant, carefully constructed havoc. Shredding and pounding their way through every song, the Pack A.D. swallows you whole inside their fearless Franken-blend of heavy psychpop/garage-rock. Their lyrics are wild nests, human and complex: darkly funny disclosures about depression; indictments of digital excess; grief-stricken fire bombs; sly crusades against stupidity.
Curtis Salgado – Damage Control January 18, 2021. Available February 26, 2021 Award-winning vocalist, instrumentalist and songwriter Curtis Salgado, the man NPR calls “an icon” with “a huge voice,” will release his new Alligator Records album, Damage Control, on Friday, February 26,…
DEAD REGISTER is an American doomgaze band from Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of pianist and artist Avril Che, bassist and vocalist M. Chvasta, and drummer Greg Meisenberg (Oxx, Maid Myriad, A Fucking Elephant). The band has released two studio albums, three EPs, and six music videos since its formation. Their work blends elements of post-metal, sludge, and gothic rock.
Friendship Commanders are a heavy duo from Nashville TN. The band is vocalist/guitarist Buick Audra and drummer/bassist Jerry Roe. Their forthcoming album, MASS, is a concept record about memory, language, and the state of Massachusetts. The ten-track body of work was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Kurt Ballou at his Salem, MA studio, GodCity. The album will be accompanied by a memoir in essays by Buick Audra. Both will be released on September 29, 2023; pre-orders are open.
Their 2022 EP, RELEASE THE REST, is a limited vinyl compilation of the singles they released throughout the pandemic following their 2020 EP, Hold On To Yourself, a collection about being an adult survivor of childhood abuse. Both were mixed by Kurt Ballou.
The band has released two previous albums. Bill (2018) was recorded at Electrical Audio by Steve Albini, and Dave (2016) was engineered and produced by the band.
A boisterous rising star with a bright falsetto and golden pen, Kyle Dion can’t stay put. After releasing his heartfelt ode to traditional R&B, SUGA, in 2019, he couldn’t help but expand his talents and set his eyes on creating a classic turn-up album. Playfully rapping and exuding even more bold confidence, Dion is reinventing himself in the next chapter of his career, showing off the fullness of his personality by throwing out any and all rulebooks. The proudly independent artist possesses a soul from another era and creates a sound refreshing to any generation. From the small community in Florida where he grew up to effervescent Los Angeles, where he’s worked with artists like Kehlani, Kali Uchis, and PartyNextDoor, Dion is blazing a unique path. Dion’s new album, SASSY, that dropped September 17th, features rap and R&B titans like Kari Faux, Duckwrth, Ja Rule and Channel Tres. The new album is inspired by his time touring and exploring international territory in support of his debut album 2019’s SUGA, marks a new era for the “rising star” (PAPER) as he sheds his melancholy in favor of more bright and buoyant tunes. SASSY is a bold and bright sonic landscape that promises an unfiltered sound while flaunting a no rules mission statement. It’s a joyous and exclamatory soundtrack to better times.
The Delta Waves is a Chicago based funk/blues/fusion instrumental jam band. Vulfpeck + Snarky Puppy + Lettuce + The Fearless Flyers + Grateful Dead = The Delta Waves mark – sax, vocals scotty – keys/production john – bass kheem – drums marli – vocals jimmy – guitar/production