In 2008, Sawbuck began as the vehicle for Chicago singer/songwriter Kevin Sullivan to document some of the many song ideas which he had backlogged over time. Very quickly, the band began to build momentum and for two years Sawbuck played many of the familiar Chicago Rock Clubs (Martyrs, Double Door, Bottom Lounge, FitzGerald’s, etc.) With musical influences ranging from Rock and Country, to Punk and Roots Music, the end product is a hybrid of many styles. Roots Rock Country Folk Punk anyone? After playing the Chicago Country Music Festival (Millennium Park), in August of 2010, three of the founding members of Sawbuck left to from the Soul band, the Congregation. Approximately one year later, Sawbuck is getting ready to re-emerge with a fresh coat of paint, new songs, new members, and a slightly different, more electric, sound.

Dudes in a band.

What ever happened to all those dudes that were in those local metal bands of your youth? Well, in the case of The Hard Wood Boys they play old timey traditional folk with a twist now. With a few instruments (and some cleaning supplies made into instruments) these four long time friends are bringing you that hot new jug band joint straight from the underground. And by underground I mean rural Illinois. Featuring a washtub bass as well as mandolin, banjo, washboard and guitar The Hard Wood Boys tap into the very earliest American roots music. If the name Alan Lomax means something to you then this is your kind of band.

Freddy French Guitar, Lead Vocals. At the age of 14 Freddy started playing in honky Tonks on a flat top in Nashville. At 20 he started his first tour with NY very own Dirty water Dog’s. Playing the Punk/Rock clubs for over 20 Years recording on lab rat records and, many others. Opening for greats like Dick Dale M.X.P.X and many others. Tony Drums , He lays down The back bone. Tony Oncken has been playing drums for 15 + years. Shane Spina on the bass,Vocals. laying down that bass line of L.F.G Shane has been playing Bass for over 25 years he is a Schooled Jazz Bass player just moved here from Australia from down under.We found him Fighting Kangaroos and immediately asked him to join the band!!

The Tosspints’ style of music has been influenced by 3 lifetimes of living through the school of hard knocks, brought to bear from war, loss, degradation, and hard drinking. A band created entirely by a family who has had to make it through life the hard way and use their experience to create songs about the more distressed side of being human… Their fast paced no nonsense stage show drives songs straight into the audience one after the other, pushing their own style of up tempo minor chord melodies out with the highest possible energy level. Their powerful stage presence and unending barrage of music from the beginning of their set to the end of the dark, yet high energy show has earned them spots on stage with iconic underground rock heroes such as The Tossers and Murder by death, and earned festival showcases from The Michigan Irish Music Festival, the Crispy Music Festival, and the George Killians Irish Red Ruckus.Their songwriting skills have been recognized in the 2011 John Lennon Songwriting Contest where they earned a finalist position.