MINKA, 4×4 Animal Style, C.H.E.F., King Sans
Well, there’s really no way to fully capture the experiences and sounds of Philly-born band, MINKA. But if you want to let your imagination run wild: Let’s pretend some scientists got in the lab and crossed Bowie with Prince, and then sprinkled in some Talking Heads. King Sans – Chicago’s gothic noisepunk duo. Imagine two feral rats scurrying around you in the shadows of an alley. They’ll shriek and run, but then sing you a lullaby. 4×4 Animal Style is an Alternative Soul-Art Rock band from Chicago. Their sound ranges from an explosion of fast, loud, time bending tracks to soulful, gentle ballads. They got their start in the DIY Central Illinois College scene, playing living rooms, backyards and basements. It was here that they refined their bombastic stage presence and showmanship. They have since moved back home to Chicago, and have played a variety of the popular venues in the city. Their latest EP, Movement & Form, was released April 2025. C.H.E.F. brings a jam-centric groove to the table by mixing elements of psychedelia, funk, and indie-rock to hit all your sonic taste-buds. Come kick it late-night with a Cuppla Homies Emitting Frequencies
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.
The Living Head, King Sans, When the Wall Breaks Down
Named after an infamous, clandestine doomsday cult from the 1960s, The Living Head is an apocalyptic post-punk band from Chicago, IL. Spontaneous, shapeshifting, ever-evolving improvised music from Chicago. Imagine two feral rats scurrying around you in the shadows of an alley. They’ll shriek and run, but then sing you a lullaby.
Gen-X Joplin, Moon Goons, A Mammoth Task
Moon Goons is Indianapolis’ premier goblin-core psych-prog act. Known for playing songs about worms, wizards, and ghosts. Always on time for dinner. FFO: King Gizzard, Primus, BTBAM, Osees A Mammoth Task – Chicago’s angriest prog-punk Gen-X Joplin is cheeky heavy proggy mathcore
Model Cars, Kweelag, T. Maguire, Philadelphia Eagles
Model Cars Model Cars is an Indie Rock band from Chicago Illinois that expresses different shades of grief and angst from slow emotional melodies to upbeat garage rock riffs. T. Maguire is a five-piece post-hardcore band from Chicago. Kweelag is 3-piece fuzzed out Dark Souls rock.
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.
$50k Check, BAUGS, Heirloom Locket
50k Check is a Chicago band that blends 70s post-punk, 60s psychedelic pop, and a noisy indie rock that gives every song its own unique vibe. On their first album, songs build from pin-drop quiet to all-encompassing layers of sound, others peel a song, layer by layer, to reveal their essence. Behind Kelly Torch’s soaring vocals, the band sways between melody and fuzz, groove and trance, dance and lounge. 50K Check is Kelly Torch on vocals, Mason Payne on guitar, Kisira Hill on bass, Karl El Sokhn on drums and David Green on keys. BAUGS brings a distinct brand of toe-tapping dark pop through lush synthesizers L, spacey vocals, and the more-than-occasional harp.
HAUS OF *** PRESENTS: THE GREATEST SH*W ON EARTH
HAUS OF *** PRESENTS: THE GREATEST SH*W ON EARTH TIX $13 ADV/$15 DOS SEND IN THE CLOWNS HAUS OF *** is b*ck for THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH—- your money back if you disagree!* *jk it’s 13 dollars no refunds. Come to Cole’s THIS JANUARY 10th for LIONS, TIGERS, BEARS, TWINKS, DRAG QUEENS, AND MORE!!!! starring your resident cast: KEROSENE TRUE ROMANCE SPINE RICKY RUFF DEMME ONYX DELTA BADHAND DEAR JAMIE And TIP KITTEN GEORGIA RISING
Cheap 52, Makeout Palace, Cowboy Neal
Cheap 52 is a Philadelphia-based DIY power pop/alternative rock band known for infectious riffs, high-energy live shows, and a “garagy” sound. They released their album Vermont in 2024 and are active in the local basement/house show scene. The band, formed around 2017, features members including Michael and Buster. Makeout Palace makes music for people to dance to, laugh to, cry to, and kiss to (not necessarily in that order) Cowboy Neal is an energetic six-piece band from Chicago, IL. Bringing frenetic, diverse performances, you’ll hear music inspired by The Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Pom Poko, and black midi. Cowboy Neal has performed at many venues in the city: Bookclub, Beat Kitchen, Subterranean, the Burlington, and more! Come and dance with Cowboy Neal!
.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