Wild Zero, autofill, OM IN GOLD
Wild Zero is a DIY alternative outfit from Chicago, IL working on their debut album to be released in 2026. autofill is a four piece alternative band from Chicago. Biblical swirls and sharp angles and wicked melodies – noise rock for the 22nd century. Find ur new faves @ Cole’s Bar ♫
Stereo Mapping, No Info, Big Step, Marcela
Stereo Mapping is an Indie-Jazz-Fusion outfit made for the eclectic listener. Every song is a collaboration in writing and arranging between all 4 members of the group (Elaine, Jackie, Taryn, and Augie). This music is made to make ya feel somethin’ and move somethin’! No Info is a 5 piece outfit from Chicago. Drew, Jaydon, Laila, Luigi, and Rez blend elements of jazz, funk, lo-fi, and psych rock together to get their distinct dreamy and sleek sound. Through tight rhythms and flowing melodies, No Info seeks to keep you grounded and send you into the stratosphere at the same time. 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. Marcela is an independent singer, songwriter, and producer based in Chicago. I make bedroom pop!
CRUSH & BURN: Sinners, Lovers, and Revolutionaries Masquerade Ball
Reclaim Valentine’s Day from exploitative consumerism at CRUSH & BURN. Dance to music from around the world, release the tension you’re holding, and maybe even meet your next situationship while supporting Organized Communities Against Deportations and local artists. Invite your bestie, show up solo, or corral the entire polycule – just keep it consensual and safe. Featuring: Music and beats by Honey Lucio, and trejon Raffle Fundraiser benefiting OCAD: https://www.organizedcommunities.org/ (2 entries included & winners will be texted) Costumes & Elaborate Fits are Encouraged, but not required.
Sex Mex, Watermelon, Doomzday Slutz
Sex Mex is the alias of Clark Gray, a lanky and wiry dude who makes music, because it’s the only thing you can do where being a dorky weirdo is acceptable. While currently residing in San Antonio, Clark was born in the Midwest, something he attributes his ingenuity and “no fucks given” attitude to. In concept, Sex Mex is punk music from a dystopian future, but as time goes on it becomes less of a concept and more “it is what it is.” He is equal parts songwriter, musician, and audio engineer. He is also simultaneously hated by all three of those people. That’s because Sex Mex is music for people, not nerds who play guitar… Doomzday Slutz – Drug rock for slutz that fuck as hard as they hate. Watermelon – Super sour punk from Chicago.
Sleeping Trees, The Matriarch, Westhead
Sleeping Trees is alternative-folk band from Bloomington, IN. By combining elements of folk, rock, country, and improvised music, Sleeping Trees produces a eclectic sound elevated by fluid arrangements and poignant lyricism. The group is a seemingly unlikely mix of high-art players, indie rockers, and honky tonk shit kickers—an honest representation of what Bloomington, Indiana has to offer. The Matriarch is a queer, indie rock/folk pop duo based in Chicago, IL, made up of Mal Babcock and Mal Benoit- two best friends who share a name, a home, and a creative codependency that works too well.Their songs are a celebration of shared human experience and a testament to the transformative nature of art. Whether they’re writing about personal regret and climate dread (‘The End’), or the constraints of capitalism and a longing for change (‘K!’), themes of community, love, and growth remain at the heart of everything they do. Ever-evolving, heavy, and heartfelt is the music of Westhead, the project of songwriter, producer, and engineer Maxwell DiFrisco. Though Westhead is consistently cutting their teeth inside the studio, the 4-piece often brings their music to the stage with a heavier and dreamier sound. Expect to hear their lush folk music reconfigured for live audiences, with just as much heart.
Optic Sink, sunglow, Crises Actress
Optic Sink are a hypnotic dance influenced postpunk band from Memphis touring on their new album “Lucky Number” out now on Feel It Records. sunglow Crises Actress
A Casual Divorce, Chrome Rhino, JJ Smith
It is the year 2050, and genre is dead. What remains is a wretched chimera of jazz fusion, theatrical rock, art pop, and unadulterated absurdity they call A Casual Divorce. Almost thirty years ago, this quartet from the now-unlivable Arizona desert brought their gloriously unnerving vocal harmonies and face-melting lack of guitars to an unprepared world. They’re as pretentious as that one guy from your local coffee shop and as musically inconsiderate as the jam band your burnout cousin forces you to listen to every time he bums a ride. So enjoy your precious music while you can. Chrome Rhino’s style of rock n’ roll will dazzle your senses while stomping you into the dust like you are on fire – this adventurous and energetic Phoenix AZ quartet embody the escapism we’re all looking for. Their tunes combine the kaleidoscopic twists and turns of Electric Light Orchestra, the screaming guitars and lush vocal harmonies of Queen, and the playful wildness of Alice Cooper and Tenacious D. With their exciting live shows and innovative music videos, Chrome Rhino brings dextrous musicianship, eclectic songwriting that’s whimsical yet deep, and a generous helping of nostalgia. JJ Smith is probably letting out a heavy sigh somewhere. He writes music for people that suffer from yearning, heartbreak, and general angst. More commonly known as; Rock, Folk & Alternative. Side Note: He hosts a free winter music festival called Unsigned in Ravenswood. Because he believes you shouldn’t have to pay $300 dollars to stand 500 ft away from your favorite band.
Anne Helen Wells, violethead, Bonnie Brooks
Anne Helen Wells is a hardware electronic artist making submissive digital pop about the love of pain & the pain of love. violethead is the solo cloudpop project of elle kimberly, tenderly sequenced in her bedroom. billowing bass, glittering bells, and mementos of wet kisses long since dried. Bonnie Brooks – Evil girl Cyrus Chrome – Recently moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. High-concept hyperpop music. High concept pop songwriter and performer.
Chupaflor, Killer High Life, Totally Cashed
Chupaflor is a Rock N’ Roll band with traces of punk, blues and shoegaze. Formed during the winter of 2023 in Milwaukee, Killer High Life writes songs about heartbreak and despair as well as blistering fast songs about anger and aggression as a woman/queer individual living in our current era. Fusing elements of indie, emo, hardcore punk, and dreamy rock; Killer High Life creates an intense atmosphere perfect for both moshing and sobbing. Totally Cashed is tongue-in-cheek hardcore punk. Find ur new faves @ Coles 🎵
Menace4Hire, Gayun Cannon, Waine Ghazi, Armanii Day
Lilheadbutt is a Chicago cassette label of A.Barlow & J.Jamais. Learn more here. Chicago artist Menace is redefining contemporary hip-hop through a distinct fusion of street realism and couture-level intention. Emerging from West Englewood on the city’s South Side, the multidisciplinary creative first established himself as a cut-and-sew designer, visual artist, and cultural curator before transitioning into music in 2021. Everything he produces whether a garment or stage performance is one of one.. Gayun Cannon is a 23 year old singer, self-produced artist, and multi-instrumentalist from the South Side of Chicago. Through her music, Gayun creates a space for healing whether she’s exploring love, personal growth, or the trials and tribulations of her own life journey. Each song is crafted as an emotional experience, inviting listeners to reflect, feel deeply, and embrace every part of themselves. Her artistry blends vulnerability with intention, turning personal stories into shared moments of connection. Waine Ghazi is a Chicago-rooted artist whose music blends introspection, raw emotion, and sharp lyricism. Drawing from personal growth, identity, and lived experience, his sound balances soulful production with honest storytelling. Whether performing or creating, Waine brings a grounded, reflective energy that connects deeply with listeners Armanii Day hails from the Chicago land area Giving an energy not found anywhere else, Armanii expresses herself through eclectic, soulful sounds, lyricism that’s easy to relate to, and even humorous, with a sprinkle of wordplay that’ll make you have to rewind. You’ll find yourself being able to understand where the complicated, but optimistic Armanii Day is coming from with every word. Armanii is seasoned in her artistry and a force that shouldn’t be reckoned with. Armanii was raised around music junkies who instilled Jazz, House, and Neo Soul into her very diverse ear. You can hear those influences seeping through Armanii’s Sound.