Kilynn Lunsford, The Ineffectuals, The Xpressionists
Kilynn Lunsford is a musician and performance artist blending inspiration taken from experimental film, post-punk and noise music, and most recently superfund sites and resultant mutant flora and fauna, to create memorable listening experiences and unique high-energy live shows.”[She] creates Burroughs Gysin cool cut-up chaos; an exquisite corpse of chords and beats that brings the crumpled body back to life and dares us to believe…” ~ Ian Svenonius Chicago two-piece The Ineffectuals formed over a mutual love of classic industrial, post-punk, and electro records, mulled over in the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic. Founding members Jeremiah Meece and TH Nordberg began by making purely electronic music, eventually augmenting their sound for live performance with vocals and bass guitar. The band released its debut album, First Offering, in 2024. The next year, Meece and Nordberg followed up with The Serious One, jettisoning most of the tongue-in-cheek humor that pervaded their previous work in favor of a survey of the rot at the core of human culture.The Ineffectuals have been honored to share the stage with contemporaries and forebears such as Plack Blague, HIDE, and The Egyptian Lover. The band is currently scheduling a 2026 US tour and recording a series of EPs featuring unreleased music from its live repertoire. The Xpressionists are downtown new wave / post-punk band led by Nu Vision’s Jonathan Valdez.
Onion, Future Bartenderz, Friendly Faces
Onion is a Chicago Indie Band that will make you cry! Future Bartenderz is the low-low-fi solo project of Brian Costello of Orlando, Florida, who once lived in Chicago, Illinois and was active in the garagepunk scene there in bands like Functional Blackouts, Johnny and the Limelites, and Outer Minds. Friendly Faces is a Chicago Folk Punk Band.
Raccoon Junior, Xyta, Vinny Guido
Raccoon Junior is indie rock soup. The ingredients are as follows: questionably emo 2000’s rock of Jimmy Eat World, sad white boy twang of Songs: Ohia, fuzzed out noise of Codeine, and a dash of the reverb pedal from Slowdive. Combine in chicken broth, stir and simmer. Mmmmmm. As a solo artist, Vinny Guido writes, records, produces, and releases his music independently to all streaming platforms. From After-Hours Influences’ acoustic-vocal tracks to What’s Wrong With You Is What’s Wrong With Me’s guitar-driven songs, Vinny’s evolution and maturity can be visualized through his lyrics and melodies. His most prominent influences are The Beatles, Guided By Voices, and Green Day, and can be heard throughout his catalog. Xyta is an indie folk solo act from Chicago, IL. A lifelong yearner and songwriter, they’ll make you cry, hopefully laugh, and definitely think about your ex, all with just a guitar and a microphone. A niche favorite of horse girls, gays, and the depressed and lonely alike.
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.