Anne Helen Wells (album release), Hedra Rowan, Shinespark, omg_aeri, MaryMary!
Anne Helen Wells makes digital pop music in a desperate attempt to be known, to be loved & to get off. Bristling with icy shards & rubbery squeaks, her intimately inhuman vocals and art pop songwriting begs to be savored, bone marrow drawn from circuit boards. Hedra Rowan- “I usually make noises but these are my slow sad songs.” Shinespark is bubbly, hifi, cute, sad, shiny, sweet, digital POP music for anyone. 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. Former catgirl popstar, omg_aeri is an electronic pop music producer, performer, and sound designer. having performed with the likes of Anita Velveeta, Cocojoey, and Fraxiom; Aeri blends catchy hooks and melodies with the sounds of pc music, digicore, and “recession pop” into a cascading display of “glittering queer luster”.
Jett Girls, Rareforms, The Laughing Hearts
The Jett Girls are a rag tag group here to wreak havoc, cause chaos, and marry their love for the absurd with high powered rock music. Rareforms makes heavy psych rock tinged with 90’s influences. A power trio bringing a high-energy show with riffs and intricacies to pull people in from the other room. The Laughing Hearts are from Chicago. Our first full length Album “TRACES” is out now. We are excited to share it with you. We have been a band since 2017, and will be forever.
Chainbreaker, Augment, Chaosphere, Malinche
Malinche is a Chicago band from the Southside founded on Malört to make, Malört-core! Chaosphere plays groove metal with hardcore/diy ethos. Pushing boundaries sonically and diversifying our scene. Everything we do is for Chicago. We will play anywhere to anyone. Life is just a sentencing. Augment are a Chicano hardcore band from the Southside of Chicago that plays a mixture of heavy groove riffs mixed with heavy beatdown 2 step drums. RIYL: desmadre, DARE. Chainbreaker is music to beat up your best friend to.
The Orchard, Pool Hall, Dogcatcher
The Orchard describes themselves as “Barn Rock” and will be performing their new EP County Fair Pool Hall brings fast licks, catchy lyrics, and a damn good time. Since its inception as the songwriting project of Chicago-based Iowa expat Mitch McAndrew, Dogcatcher has grown into a dynamic, twangy, and agile starting 5 that isn’t afraid to crash the boards.
Public Figure, Arcade Riot, Radar Waves, HeadTrip
Public Figure is an alternative pop-rock band whose focus throughout its time has been writing with the exclusive purpose of making their songs catchy and fun for themselves and their audience. With influences ranging from The Strokes to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Maroon 5, their debut singles “Poor and Pretty”, “Better Sleep”, and “Hollywood” have galvanized their fanbase across the Midwest, leading to multiple sold-out shows and a crowd that is obsessed with their art and personalities. Arcade Riot is an energetic neon pop-punk band from Omaha, Nebraska, with their roots in the music that shaped the childhood of kids growing up in the late 90s and early 00s. Their aim is to set themselves apart with catchy riffs and earworm hooks. With their soaring vocals, blazing guitars, and relatable lyrics, Arcade Riot is a force to be reckoned with in the modern pop-punk resurgence. Radar Waves is a trio that plays trash rock for trash people. HeadTrip is a Chicago Pop Punk 4-piece giving you high energy shows, relatable lyrics and infectious hooks.
Daundry, Atheena, Bum Rush
Daundry is a three-piece grungagze band from Chicago IL. Atheena is rock band that mixes early 2010’s alternative rock and 90’s grunge sound. Our recent release,”What We Do In Secret”, highlights our influences that range from Narrow Head to The Smashing Pumpkins. Interesting guitar work with grittiness will captivate the crowd and have you thinking,”When’s the next show?”. Bum Rush is a loud, energetic and irreverent punk trio based in Chicago, Illinois. They sound like all of your favorite bands rolled into one, but with more kick. There’s never a dull moment when Bum Rush steps up to the plate. They play shows often and sometimes release music, which you can check out anywhere you listen to music.
Sara Geist (Single Release), Universal Automation, Sara Mercurio
Sara Geist makes fun indie rock music for scorned lovers and the chronically ill, inspired by artists like the Beths, Phoebe Bridgers, and Great Grandpa. UNIVERSAL AUTOMATION is a DIY supergroup made up of the best songwriters in Chicago. Unofficially backed by the Teamsters, they only accept gigs at premier events where the drinks are flowing and the vibes are immaculate. Dependent on said vibes, they seamlessly drift between genres to deliver a once in a lifetime performance. Sara Mercurio, born and raised in New York, is a Chicago-based musician and performing artist. A frequent performer and featured act at many open mics and DIY events, Sara has also performed at spaces like the Gallery Cabaret, Uncommon Ground, Reggies Rock Club, Phyllis’ Musical Inn, the Burlington Bar, and more. She draws inspiration from many different styles of music, including but not limited to rock, punk, and folk.
Big Step, LJA Trio, Tunnel, Beach Trash
Big Step is the songwriting project and band of Jordan Paine. Through Big Step, Jordan uses carefully crafted lyrics to tell stories and tease out thoughts and ideas. Listeners experience all of this fully embodied thanks to the talents of Augie & Griffin (Bass and Drums). The music often sounds like a dance-y blend of singer/songwriter, alt rock and post punk with vocal harmonies added in. The LJA Trio (Labratio/Alex Maerbach/Jeff Goulet) is made up of 3 longtime contributors to both the Improvised Music, and No-Wave/Art Rock scenes here in Chicago. We have collaborated in many different lineups, but will play on this night as a trio for the first time, pulling out a set of psychadelic free improv. Members of Pet Peeves, Lovely Little Girls, Larvavision, and Taste Rubber. Tunnel (est. 2023) is a four-piece psych outfit that consists of Kelsey Gould (drums), Michael ‘Goldy’ Goldstein (guitar), Salem Iyabode (bass), and Tong Pan (guitar, trumpet) – all of the members sing. Tunnel indulges in musical catastrophe, embraces the endless possibility within its chaos, and searches for the momentum that brings us together. We believe in truth through motion. The band released their full-length debut album Driver Don’t Believe in Freewill on December 18th of 2024. Beach Trash is a jazz fusion powerhouse with a filthy punk streak. Known for chaotic grooves, blistering solos, and an unapologetic attitude, they smash genre rules like a barroom brawl. Sophisticated but rowdy, Beach Trash brings jazz snobs and pit warriors together for one wild, sweaty ride.
Double Extra Large, Official Claire, Potliquor
Double Extra Large is a four piece rock band from Chicago, IL. Initially created as a solo recording project for Charlie O’Neill in 2020, the band has since evolved into a collaborative effort with the introduction of Jack Fahey, Gabe Bostick and Billy Goode. Their debut album comes out this spring. FFO: Hum, Pavement, Unwound. Official Claire is one Chicago’s finest new songwriters, boasting confession and absurd humor. She’s also a calm shredder of guitar, gritty and delicate. Her live quartet includes LeRoy Bach (of Wilco and Theaster Gates’ Black Monks), and Brooks Hannon & Jake Keenum from Crisis Actress. Potliquor is a new experimental duo with pianist Sharon Udoh and turnablist Allen Moore. The two of them hearken back to the ancestors and call towards Black futures through sampling, remixing, and improvisation.Sharon Udoh is a Nigerian-American pianist, composer, arranger, curator, and vocalist based in Chicago. Their performances have been described as a warm bowl of soup, a tornado, a jalapeño pepper, a Jackson Pollock painting, a bulldozer, and magnetic. Her collaborators have included clipping., Tune-Yards, Jamila Woods, Ben Lamar Gay, Angel Bat Dawid, and on this particular night, Allen Moore.Allen Moore is a Black Interdisciplinary Visual Artist, Experimental Turntablist, Sound Artist, Educator and Youth Mentor born and raised in the Historic Village of Robbins, IL. Moore has exhibited and performed across the greater midwest, including Tritriangle, Compound Yellow, Experimental Sound Studio, Elastic Arts, The Museum of Contemporary Art, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Lula Cafe.
Mr. Phylzzz, Lollygagger, King Sans
Mr. Phylzzz makes Dirty Suit Noise Rock from Chicago. “A heavy speed-metal / wierdo punk Chicago power trio defined by whip-smart lyrics and riffs as fast and technical as they are accessible… Lollygagger’s sound is described as “a brown miasma of bass forward face-melting speed metal” As King Sans, Jake and Iz deliver a powerful showcase of what Chicago’s tight noise punk can be. Amongst a sea of countless awe inspiring bands, Sans paves a path of their own. Adopting a front of powerful altrock, they put a layer of sinister experimentation on top of melancholic lulls to deliver one delicious pie.