She’s quite the paradox: a seasoned songwriter who perfectly embodies the music of the American South but lives in the wilds of Michigan. An artist who grew up performing with parents in the family bluegrass band but spent her teen years raging away in an all-girl punk band. An introvert off stage, whose wall-shaking voice has earned her a place at cutting- edge roots music festivals like Muddy Roots, SXSW, AmerianaFest, Mountain Top, and the Rochester International Jazz Festival. An icon of underground country, whose newest critically acclaimed album has been featured in major media outlets like CMT, Parade Magazine, Glide, and Cowboys and Indians, and garnered the attention from Nashville big-wigs. But when you sing this well and play like hell, who do you have to answer to anyways?

Carrie Nation & the Speakeasy is a high-energy “Brass ‘n’ Grass” sextet from Wichita, KS. The band, whose sound has been described as “…a stagecoach in overdrive”, has brought their eclectic blend of punk, bluegrass, and dixieland to packed bars, basements, and festivals across the US since their inception in the spring of 2007.

With a lineup of great musicians, the band’s live show is never the same twice. Brothers Jarrod and Zachary Starling provide acoustic guitar and drums/washboard; along with Dallin Bulkley on standup bass to round out the rhythm section. Garrett Briggeman adds to the energy with 5-string banjo, while Josue Estrada’s trumpet provides layers of jazz and Western to the sound. Tyler Grubb holds down double solo duties, playing both mandolin and trombone. This blend of influences and instrumentation ensures a unique and interesting show each night.

CNS plays hundreds of dates a year hitting 47 states and 5 countries. The band has built a dedicated following with their energetic live show and ability to fit on the bill with acts ranging from bluegrass to rockabilly; punk to ska. Breakneck mandolin solos melt into blaring trombone and trumpet lines, while the standup bass and feed-bucket-trap-set churn out driving rhythms that carry the force of a Kansas freight train.

Thoughtful songwriting that explores deeper, more interesting themes is what sets this band apart from the multitudes of acts content with singing about Whiskey and Women. From social satire to labor union songs to Civil War Ballads to existential journeys that explore life, death, despair, and indulgence, CNS’s songs will provoke thought, incite riots, and lure your children into a life of travel and debauchery.

With 2 original LP’s (2010 Self-Titled, 2013 Hatchetations) and 1 split EP ( 2012 Liberty, Solidarity, Responsibility w/ Cletus Got Shot), CNS has built a repertoire of original songs that continue morph with the progression of the band. Another 2017 full-length is on the horizon that will prove to highlight the band’s musical growth, and maturity of writing.

The band’s DIY mentality is shown through their self-recorded albums, self-published music, self-booked tours, and a community of local and regional visual artists that show the band’s distinctly grassroots approach. CNS has been pounding the highways and byways of this great country for 8 years now, bringing their songs and stories to thousands. Always providing a high energy, drink’em down atmosphere to any place they play, CNS has proven a dedication to their live shows with a solid understanding of what entertainment really means.

The Dyes are a raw rock’n’roll trio hailing from Chicago, IL. Often coined as ‘garageabilly’, they’ve dipped into a phonic realm fueled by infectious ’50s and ’60s oldies, approached with an irreverence and vigor that is anything but retro. Frontwomen Lisa and Jill formed the group as teens, then maintained the same line-up since the addition of Charlie back in ’06.  The Dyes’ve had the pleasure to travel around the great US of A a time or two, sharing bills with roots rock luminaries including Johnny Powers, Reverend Horton Heat, JD McPherson, Los Straitjackets, and too many other friends to name!

Their last single “Liza Jane” was featured on Bloodshot Records’ (RIP) 25th Anniversary Comp Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots, alongside 21 other Chi-town artists running the spectrum of classic country, bluegrass, rockabilly, folk, and rock. Described as “Cramps-and-Flat Duo Jets-fearing garage power trio spins a sleazy, lo-fi psychobilly take on a pop standard that became David Bowie’s first recorded single.”

Viva Le Vox – there’s a trombone in your soul, and we’re gonna blow it.

The Bomb Sawyers are a two-man band from Chicago, Illinois. Their hard-rocking, lyrics-driven music draws from such influences as Buddy Holly, Flogging Molly, Johnny Cash and Neutral Milk Hotel. Jason Horwitz, originally of Houston, provides rowdy, relentless drumming and soulful vocal harmonies. Ben Saller, a Chicago native, brings his own brand of intense singing along with frenetic guitar-work. The Bomb Sawyers love nothing more than lighting a crowd’s fuse and causing an explosion of boot-stomping, hand-clapping, knee-slapping and whiskey-drinking while they wail the night away.