Gerfety, Hearthands, plush
Hearthands is a band from Chicago. The music blends elements of slowcore, shoegaze, dream pop, and 90s indie rock. plush is a Chicago shoegaze/slowcore/indie/whatever band. Gerfety is Chicago 3-piece Shadow Rock.
Triplets of Gonzo, Zakary Extract, Beastii
Triplets of Gonzo began as a street performing act in Mexico, where Selinger Gonzo and Jess Northup first developed their guitar and vocal chemistry. After relocating to Chicago, they teamed up with drummer Todd Waters and pushed their sound into something more mature and expansive, a melding of early-2000s Chicago underground, 70s prog sprawl, and Latin-leaning rhythmic patterns. Their new EP Gift (recorded with Mike Lust) digs into that mix with intricate guitars, massive synth bass, razor-tight drums, and a powerful vocal presence that cuts through the chaos. Onstage, the compositions intensify as the band cranks up the energy, balancing a tight, dialed-in sound with Selinger’s magnetic stage presence. Zakary Extract is a singer-songwriter from Chicago Illinois making intricate, hand-crafted art rock. On his new full length record “Elsewheres,” Extract trades biting electric guitars for lush, ephemeral psychedelia. Beastii – Surfy moody grungy groovy garage pop
Speedway Squad!, MYDGE, Dr. Goldfoot & the Bikini Machine
Speedway Squad! is a Chicago based emo band that perform an exciting live show by combining technical melodic guitar, post hardcore riffing, and heavy breakdowns. There is never a dull moment with MYDGE, Chicago’s isolted-explosive indie rock outfit. MYDGE began in 2022 as a confederation of four musically-minded yankees, united by an irreverent sense of humor and eclectic artistic sensibilities. So far MYDGE has honed an iconoclastic, energetic stage presentation in the local dives and clubs of Chicago, and their two starkly contrasting EPs have dealt in grit, polish, groove, and precision. Taking cues from Talking Heads and the B-52s, Dr. Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine can’t quite be defined by one genre. Progressive Dad Soul? Sure. Nonsense Rock? But of course! DGBM is anything you want them to be and then some, overlaying freewheeling guitar and groooovy organ on top of a watertight funk base. Delicious!
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Max Glazer, Dicot, Adri Zhong, Jack Tecca
Max Glazer plays play solo electric guitar – sometimes with loops sometimes not, but all instrumental and arranged for a solo instrument. Funk, noise, jam, jazz, rock, some real guitar hero southern rock moves, all the good stuff is there! We’re excited to see him perform because this show will lead into his 30th birthday…hopefully that’s as good a reason as any! 🥳 Adri Zhong sings songs of hubris and transformation. Dicot is an indie rock, shoegaze band from madison, wi. The band uses “volatile, dynamic interplay to create enormous, cathartic moments” with hooks that are “catchy as hell.” For fans of Alex G, Duster, Elliot Smith, and My Bloody Valentine. “Dicot is already the truth and they’re still only getting started.” – Aaron Grych, Madison Music Radar “Dicot will be a band to watch going forward” – Steven Spoerl, Tone Madison Jack Tecca is a singer-songwriter based in Chicago. He uses a multitude of influences to craft his earthy vocal melodies and exciting instrumental compositions. Expect to see songwriting thats personal and honest alongside intricate expressive acoustic jams, with a cover or two thrown in for fun. If you’re a fan of Nick Drake, Townes Van Zandt, Kaki King, or The John Butler Trio, you will enjoy seeing Jack live!
.cordless, Try a Dull Knife, 2g
.cordless – new chicago loud and moody Try a Dull Knife – Malort powered emotional rock, guitars and screaming 2g – Loud, fuzzy, heavy punk music
Dead Sugar, Mel Senese, + Friends
Dead Sugar is a rising American rock band; a collaboration between vocalist Blair Robinson (@blurryxblair) and guitarist NEiL (@neilswanson). They have gained attention for their emotive live performances and haunted concept album. Virus is the soundtrack to the zombie apocalypse. A concept album using the undead as a metaphor for complacency, fear, and emotional decay. Dark, aggressive, and unexpectedly vulnerable, Virus is about survival, self-awakening, and refusing to go numb. Mel Senese is a Chicago rock artist whose music blends fiery energy with raw honesty, tackling life’s struggles with empowering conviction. Known for her electrifying performances, Mel has shared stages with national acts like Dorothy and The Veronicas, won Chicago’s Big Break in 2017, and built a devoted following through both live shows and her engaging livestreams, which earned features in the Chicago Tribune and on ABC7.
Shinespark, Future Nest, Mary!Mary!, sulffffffur
shinespark is the musical project of Chicago based producer zoey eliza. Her tracks blend emotive melodies with textural beats and mellow to otherworldly electronic sounds. With influences ranging from minimal ambient, idm beats and breaks to pop punk riffs, y2k aesthetics and nature, shinespark aims to create saturated emotional spaces to dream of a better world to. ⋆˚✿˖°shinespark’s recently released album ‘zoey.eliza_dream_realm’ is a collection of uplifting and dreamy all-instrumental beats. Future Nest blends Industrial Goth and Digital Hardcore to create a a show that is both dynamic and immersive. The action of the songs is heightened by her improvised movement and vocal delivery, which connect the audience directly to the performance. Skin on metal on wire on blood – flirt with that sacred pull and let desire walk you on its leash. MaryMary! is a noisepop musician who sings about love and fear and self respect. She loves analog synths and digital samplers, both of which can be heard on her EP, entitled MY STUPID HEART LIKE A SNOWGLOBE FULL OF BLOOD. Her music and other endeavors can be found at linktr.ee/marymarychic. Mary lives in Chicago with her friends. sulffffffur is serious contemporary music.
Nude Franklin, Smooth Rogers, Oux
Nude Franklin is new Chicago-based alternative rock band led by songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Dylan Barnett. Drawing inspiration from eclectic, genre-bending artists like Talking Heads, Pink Floyd, Prince, St. Vincent, and King Krule, Nude Franklin blends new wave, funk, and psychedelic rock in their incendiary live performances. Expect raucous guitar solos, bewildering lyrics, 80’s inflected synth pop, and funky drums. The band plans to release their debut EP January 22nd, 2026. “oux “/É’/” is an alt-pop band from chicago. while you could call their music “experimental pop”, that hardly does justice to the profusion of genres and ideas they weave into their songs. oux’s debut full-length, “necronym” balances prickly idiosyncrasies with sleek earworms, and unraveling its layers is part of the fun. Smooth Rogers is the brainchild of Chicago-based musician, Zac Bron. Combining elements of psychedelic pop, dreamy alt-rock, and funk, Smooth Rogers takes you on a journey through lush soundscapes and danceable grooves.
La Croix Mystique, Alpine Subs, Gatsbe
La Croix Mystique combines garage rock stylings à la Guided By Voices and Pavement with driving motorik beat and psych rock intuition of Can and Neu! Alpine Subs – Chicago rock ‘n’ roll for fans of garage, jangle and psychedelia. Gatsbe is a three-piece rock and roll band from Chicago. They blend the genres of rock, punk, and pop, all while bringing the energy of a house show. “These guys are awesome!” says lots of people.