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SWELL
w/ Sleeping With The Fishes / You Black Kettle / Buffalo Clover
Alternating influences from neo-psychedelia, noise pop, and Ennio Morricone film scores, Swell formed in San Francisco in 1989 when vocalist/guitarist David Freel and drummer Sean Kirkpatrick decided to record an album. Enlisting second guitarist John Dettman and bassist Monte Vallier, the band recorded a self-titled debut album and released it on their own Psycho Specific label in April 1990. After playing live for the first time in August -- a support slot for Mazzy Star at San Francisco's I-Beam -- Swell toured around California, and released a second album, Well?, by February 1992. Though Dettman left the band soon after, Freel and Kirkpatrick soldiered on, receiving an offer from Def American Records to give Well? a wide release one year after its first issue. Adding guitarist Tom Hays to replace Dettman, Swell began recording their third album. The LP, 41, was released by American in November 1993. Subsequent efforts include 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking and 1998's For All the Beautiful People. Everybody Wants to Know appeared in spring 2001.
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BARB CITY STOMPERS
The Barb City Stompers have been together since 2005. They play Driving Traditional Jazz that is a cross between Dixieland and Swing. The members are John Skillman (Clarinet/Leader), Roy Rubinstien (Trombone), Larry Rutan (Rhythm Guitar), Roger Hintzche (Bass), Aaron Pucket (Drums), and Diana Brown (Vocals). These guys are experienced Jazz musicians that play all over the USA and in Europe. Visit The House Café when the Stompers are there...... the place Rocks! You can contact them at jlskill@aol.com
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THE RANGELS
w/ Tarsus / David Thompson
Formed around summer 2005, The Rangels played under many other names such as Ten Feet to Fall, No Destination, and the Hartwig Quartet before finally settling on a name honoring their rich Mexican heritage. Los Rangels’ career achievements include playing as the house band on the Chad SEXington Show, Seasons 1 and 2, as well as a 3rd place showing in Genoa-Kingston’s 2006 Battle of the Bands. The Rangels have had quite a few memorable gigs, playing venues such as Genoa Days, The House Cafe, Clearwater Theater, The Rave/Eagles Club, and of course Furious D’s Musical Emporeum. We’ve been doing shows as often as is possible with all of us attending different colleges during the school year, so keep an ear open.
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CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE
w/ Ill Ease / Carta Marina
eing on the emotionally fragile side, Arab Strap comparisons are inevitable for CFTPA, but that would be over-oversimplifying things. While no single track stands out, this has wide stylistic range and a sparse feel that works fantastically well: it never once bored me. Owen Marshall is presented to the world by his PR sheet as your everyday bedroom electronic Mozart, and he looks bloody shy. I actually bet he has it away with loads of girls.
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A CURSIVE MEMORY
w/ A Rocket To The Moon / Single File / Brighten / The Urgency
Ambitious at a young age, the Southern California-based outfit A Cursive Memory had already managed to secure MTV airplay when most bands their age were stuck trying to come up with an original name. The pop/rock group -- which combines piano leads, rousing choruses, '80s-influenced keyboards, and sunny melodies -- took influence from a wide range of sources, including bands like the Killers, the All-American Rejects, and the Beach Boys.
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OH MY GOD
w/ Brave Tin Soldiers / E.S.G. / Radio Virgin
Oh my god has been on the road for five-plus years as they’ve written and recorded the Oh My God EP (2000) and the albums Well (2001), Action! (2002), Interrogations & Confessions (2003) and You’re Too Straight to Love Me (2004). Now, the nasty organ of ig (who’s toured/played with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Van Morrison, Otis Rush…), the inhumane drumming of Bish and the society-page scandals of singer/bassist Billy O’Neill join forces with that…th-th-th-that thing….GUITAR! Look for longtime Chicago oh my god mate Matt Lenny to handle the live six-string parts; Jake Garcia of NYC’s Darediablo (Southern Records) laid ’em down in the studio.
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THE COLOR MORALE
w/ Screams Of Winter / Another Hero Dies / Fighting The Waves / Minarette
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MARK ROSE [of Spitalfield]
w/ Empires / The Insecurities / Wolf Nation [mbrs Inspector Owl]
Mark Rose is a singer/songwriter from Chicago, IL who plays his own blend of pop, rock and r&b. Front man and key songwriter for rock band Spitalfield from 1998-2007, Rose has made a name for himself as a versatile songwriter and performer. “The guys deserve credit for knowing exactly where to go big and when to hold back for maximum effect,” says All Music Guide’s Corey Apar, of Spitalfield’s 2006 effort, Better Than Knowing Where You Are.
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KESLINGER
w/ Project Threeville / The Nominees Are / From The Bridge On
After winning a local radio stations battle of the bands, Keslinger's third show was played at the House Of Blues in Chicago IL. Since the the group started in 2004, they have gone on to create three EP's, played countless shows, been interviewed on the radio a handful of times, been featured in local news papers and music magazines. They have recently finished their 2008 full length self titled cd. Why do people like keslinger you ask...is it the music? Yes, people enjoy keslinger because of the music, but that's not really all there is to being a keslinger fan. Keslinger fans are devoted people; who know they are 'part of the band'. Keslinger's live shows are energetic and engaging, which facilitates an immersive experience unique to the band.
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LOVELIKEFIRE
Ask any member of LoveLikeFire about why the band has become so strong, so quickly, and the answer will sound a bit like a confession: The music is a compulsion, they say. An inevitability. An obsession. In 2008, the four San Franciscans intend to pour that passion into a full-length debut disc. For now, though, LoveLikeFire is doing what it's always done: Playing shows wherever and whenever. Writing songs constantly. Clinging strongly to the idea that it's better to be good than lucky.
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HIGH ON FIRE
w/ Bison b.c. [metal blade] / Loose Lips Sink Ships
Guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike, bass player George Rice, and drummer Des Kensel formed High on Fire in 1999, following the collapse of Pike's previous band, doom metal titans Sleep. But while Sleep had built their fame on impossibly slothful tunes and copious weed consumption, High on Fire's first release, The Art of Self Defense, displayed a far more aggressive though still fantasy-themed style of heavy metal. Released to mildly enthusiastic reviews, the album's prospects suffered from label Man's Ruin imminent bankruptcy, and it wasn't until High on Fire landed on grindcore powerhouse Relapse Records for their second album, 2002's devastating Surrounded By Thieves, that their abundant promise was rewarded. Extensive touring and an ever-increasing fan base followed, so that by the time they unleashed their third release, Blessed Black Wings, in early 2005 (introducing new bassist Joe Preston [ex-Thrones and Melvins]), High on Fire had earned their place as one of the most widely respected heavy metal outfits on the planet.
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HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA IV
The Felix Culpa as Guns N' Roses
Bachelor Party Weekend as T. Rex
Loose Lips Sink Ships as Weezer
Dear Me Dear You as WWF Entrance Themes
Mother Leopard & Cub as Will Smith
Geronimo as Alkaline Trio
Roboggan as The Flaming Lips
Nash Taylor Cash as The Jackson 5
Join The House Cafe and Kickstand Productions for the 4th Annual Halloween Extravaganza! This event has become one of the most anticipated events of the year around these parts and for good reason. Watch your favorite bands play in musical costume as other famous bands of old. Dress to the 9's for our costume contest. Bob for apples and see alot of fake blood. All this and more can be yours...
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FAMILY GROOVE CO
Family Groove Company is a four piece band from Chicago that is turning heads and catching ears with a sound that is uncannily fresh, and live performances that simply envelop audiences in the fun, excitement and passion that the band radiates from the stage. Growing audiences everywhere FGC plays attest to the impact the band is beginning to make, as they bring the excitement of their live performances to ever growing venues, in more and more cities across the country. Appearances at most of the Midwest's major music festivals (Summer Camp, 10,000 Lakes, Summerfest) have helped along the way, headlining appearances at other festivals (Farmapalooza, Feel Good) point to the great things to come, and the over 25,000 live CDs that have been distributed all over the country speak for themselves. Family Groove Company is a band that music fans should not miss.
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CHAIRLIFT
w/ The Patience / The Maybe Column
Amidst the revival of psychedelic music in the New York underground, Chairlift has chosen to work closely with musical associations within their own generation, shifting between pop-art jingles, synthesizer-heavy film soundtracks, and DIY basement beats to project an organic portrait of the young blood raised on Lite-Brites, riding the transition from analog to digital.
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MICHALE GRAVES [ex Misfits singer]
w/ Bachelor Party Weekend / Turbo Vamps / The Horrids
New Jersey-based Michale Graves cemented his reputation as one of the leading lights of horror rock when he became vocalist for the iconic punk band the Misfits after they reunited in 1996. Graves made his recorded debut with the Misfits on their 1997 comeback album, American Psycho, and also appeared on Famous Monsters in 1999. Graves parted ways with the Misfits in the fall of 2000, though he briefly rejoined the group for some dates on their 25th anniversary tour in 2001. Graves and Misfits drummer Dr. Chud had teamed up for a short-lived side project called the Lost Boys during time off from the band, and they joined forces to form the group Graves; they released an album called Web of Dharma before the group splintered due to differences between Graves and Chud. - All Music
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CREEK ROAD RAMBLERS
w/ Clifton Roy & Folkstringer / Twilight Revival / Filthy Wizard
Creek Road has become one of the hardest working bands in the mid-west playing over 125 shows a year and sharing the bill with such acts as: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Sound Tribe Sector Nine (STS9), Blind Melon, Flaming Lips, and many more. In the short time that the band has been together, they have played at such events as: Summer Camp, Universal Rhythm Assembly, and in 2008 were asked to play20at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride CO. Another highlight for the band in '08 was being asked to have their own late-night show friday night on the Bluegrass Campfire Stage at Summer Camp. Hot Buttered Rum (Sat.), Great American Taxi Ft. Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon(Thurs.), and Cornmeal(Sun.) also shared this honor. Creek Road also proudly hosts the annual "Down on the River" music festival on the East Peoria Riverfront which is a charity event that pays tribute to the life and times of John Hartford with the permission of John's estate.
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PORTUGAL. THE MAN
w/ Earl Greyhound / Wintersleep
There has to be some credit given at least for this band's name alone -- co-founder John Gourley once explained it as an attempt to create a demi-mythic entity bigger than the individual members. Whatever the exact origins of the name, Portugal. The Man itself came together in Alaska in the wake of the initial dissolution of Anatomy of a Ghost, with guitarist/vocalist Gourley and bassist/singer Zach Carothers continuing to work together. Portugal. The Man formed with the addition of keyboardist/singer Wes Hubbard, himself a veteran of other Alaska groups, leading to the three eventually relocating from Alaska to Portland, OR, to record and perform.
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MATT & KIM
w/ Best Fwends / Yea Big + Kid Static
Matt Johnson (guitar/vocals/keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums/vocals) create the giddy pop stylings of Matt & Kim. The indie rock pair came together in 2004 in their native Brooklyn. Two years later, with spring shows alongside Meneguar, the tender-hearted twosome began recording their debut album. Their self-titled release followed on iHEARTCOMIX in fall 2006.
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EDIE SEDGWICK [dischord, ex-antelope]
w/ Living As Wolves / Frequency En Mass / The Midwestern
Edie Sedgwick is the transgendered reincarnation of a vacuous Andy Warhol Superstar who died of a barbiturate overdose in 1971. A visionary artist who lay dormant in her host organism until his first epileptic seizure in 2001, Edie appeared at the dawn of the New Millenium to save the world by singing, writing, and producing video about celebrities. Armed with a video projector and an occasional backing band, Edie travels through the dark American night presenting auditory and visual art that honors the likes of Sissy Spacek, Martin Sheen, and other celebrity co-conspirators. If smarter, edgier, more ridiculous, more serious, more compelling art has been made, is being made, or will ever be made, Edie is not aware of it.
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BROKEN PHYSICS
w/ Case In Point
Dark, driving and groovy, Broken Physics makes any stage their own with their unique brand of energy and presence. This northern Illinois quintet present a sound with a wide variety of influences including Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and Nine Inch Nails. All these diverse elements come together to tell stories of heartbreak, confusion and all out insantity. It is melodic. It is heavy. It is a brutal narrative of a heart lost in society. It is Broken Physics.
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INEPT
Inept is a band that brings an explosvie live show to each stage that they perform on. With over 3 years of live shows under their belts, each show now is better than the one the night before. Hailing from Chicago, IL, Inept brings to the table only what they deem as their best. Inept has played on the 2004 and 2005 Warped Tour, the 2006 Taste of Chaos tour, Dirtfest 2006, and The Bamboozle Left in 2006. In addition, Inept has shared the stage with some of the biggest and brightest names in music today, including; The Deftones, Story of the Year, Quietdrive, TheAudition, Lucky Boys Confusion, My American Heart, Trapt, Alter Bridge, Blindside, Madina Lake, Thrice, Bowling For Soup, MC Lars, Atreyu, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Inept has received praise and play from Q101 (WKQX 101.1fm) in Chicago including winning the "Chicago Street Fight" constest hosted by James Van Osdol for ten nights in a row and being the first band "retired". In addition, Inept has played live acoustic sets on WONC 89.1fm and WXAV 88.7fm.
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THE MEDIC DROID
w/ Hyper Crush / Chronic Future / Breathe Electric
From the burgeoning Phoenix music scene comes a band whose unmistakable sound and flamboyant style makes them, at once, supremely original and strikingly familiar. Comprised of vocalist Chris Donathon, and guitar/keyboard player Hector Bagnod, The Medic Droid encapsulate the very best elements of their electronica/new wave forefathers, while simultaneously carving their very own niche in today’s overcrowded, underwhelming music scene. Led by Donathon’s instantly recognizable voice and backed by Bagnod original and creative riffs, beats and samples, The Medic Droid’s songs are an amalgam of dance, indie, punk rock and metal. Combining vocal hooks, pounding bass and electronic drums, The Droid take listeners on a roller coaster ride of emotion as they beat and finesse their way through sometimes sexy, sometimes brutal, always evocative songs laced with equal parts heart, emotion and energy. - lastfm
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PELICAN
w/ Suicide Note / Head Of Skulls
The secretive instrumental art metal outfit Pelican was formed in Chicago by guitarists Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Lebec, with bassist Larry Herweg and his sibling drummer, Bryan. Owing a great debt to pioneering forefathers Neurosis and often compared to Boston's nearly as influential Isis (minus the vocals, naturally), Pelican coincidentally also found a home at Isis mastermind Aaron Turner's Hydra Head Records. After making their debut with an eponymous four-song EP in 2003, Pelican expanded their epic, otherworldly trance-metal to continent-sized movements with 2003's critically acclaimed Australasia album and followed it with 2004's The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw. After nonstop touring, playing in clubs, small halls, and mammoth festivals, the quartet took a much-deserved break. They returned to the studio in 2006 and released City of Echoes in June 2007, followed by the live CD/DVD After the Ceiling Cracked later that December.
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RED BAR RADIO
Red Bar Radio, a comedy talk radio show out of Chicago, takes it's show to the stage and broadcasts in front of a live audience. Red Bar Radio is one of the top podcasts on the internet, as well as a featured podcast on the iTunes music store. Hosts Mike & Dean make fun of everybody and give their comedic spin on today's events. Prepare to be "offended." This show is not for the politically correct. Audience participation encouraged! Come on stage with us and talk on the radio! The show will be simulcast on webcam, and available on our website the next day. Hot babes and give-aways all night!
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ANDREAS KAPSALIS TRIO
w/ Clifton Roy & Folkstringer / Filthy Wizard
Not only is Andreas Kapsalis quickly building his reputation as the most important torch bearer in the tradition of the one-man guitar army since Michael Hedges left his legacy with the music world, he’s also raising the bar for the 21st century film score; a composer who uses his idiosyncratic style to create an impressonable perspective on the silver screen. With the release of the Andreas Kapsalis Trio’s self-titled album, Kapsalis consummates the alliance between eight-fingered guitar virtuosity and outstanding melodic theme and variation. This album also helps to tell the story of an unusual musical journey. For Kapsalis, this journey began by accident.
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DAVE TAMKIN
w/ Andy B / Skinny Paul
Chicago Singer/Songwriter, Dave Tamkin, has created his own unique style of rhythmic-acoustic rock that's based around a fresh musical vision. His shows vary from intimate solo acoustic performances to a full band experience encapsulating a mixture of personal lyrics and skilled songwriting set against a high-energy percussive backbone. While touring relentlessly all over the nation, Dave plays over 232 shows a year. He's shared the stage with Guster, Rusted Root, Michael Galbicki, Butch Walker, Matt Wertz, Stroke 9, The Violent Femmes, Fountains of Wayne, Vertical Horizon, Will Hoge, Stephen Kellog and The Sixers, Willy Porter, Freddy Jones Band, Brian Vanderark, Rhett Miller of the Old 97s, and Carbon Leaf to name a few. Tamkin has a style that's hard to resist. His lyrics are unabashedly honest and his passion for playing is undying. He is currently touring nationally solo and plays the mid west with his band. Dave Tamkin and Co. create a distinct sound. Their equal parts create a sonic percussive assault mixed with a vivid, melodic instrumental bed, shaken with a twist of passionate vocal lines.