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.
The Delivery Boy, Eric Solitude, Mahal Slick
The Delivery Boy is an alternative artist based in Chicago who’s work is heavily inspired by life in the Midwest, 90s rock, and the more abstract sonics of hip-hop. You put Shoegaze, Coming of Age, Alternative, Rock, Indie, and hints of R&B through a blender; you get Eric Solitude. Through strength and weakness, there’s a carry on of hope and determination that follows suit in the world of Eric Solitude. An observer of everything he lives and sees. An embodiment of what worlds colliding creates.You can hear the conviction of somebody resilient. You can feel identity finding its placement yet, questioning what feels like could be set in stone. Eric Solitude pushes into the discomfort of the unknown, while tracing the steps he’s memorized for safety. Mahal Slick shows have a welcoming and high energy feeling/sound. With music ranging from boombap hiphop, pop rap, and indie singing, we bring a chill vibe that the crowd can enjoy.
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.
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!
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
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!
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Dead Sugar, Mel Senese, After Dawn
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.
Big Chemical, Disaster Kid, Growing Boys
Big Chemical is a twangy indie rock band formed in Ann Arbor and currently based in Chicago. They take inspiration from The Band, Dear Nora, and The Replacements to bring a complex and high energy performance. Chicago Nostalgia rock trio Disaster Kid finds reflection at the core of their music. Packed together by vivid detail and passionate melodies, their cathartic indie rock sound is lined with lyrical storytelling which puts an emphasis to the mysticism in the mundane. Growing Boys, a folk and alt band, is the brainchild of two best friends whose harmonies are as tight as their bond.
King Sans, Pudding, Braince
Gothic noisepunk from the shadows of Chicago:Always putting on a show to remember, as King Sans, Iz and Jake deliver chaotic energy with melancholic lulls, to create a night as dynamic as each day itself. Secret agents by day, whistleblowers by night. Enter the viscous and demented world of Pudding. They got synths, slap bass, a virtual horn section… and they’re wearing sunglasses. When they’re not mingling with extraterrestrial hippies, dodging teleporting mall cops, or honking horns on the information superhighway, Pudding is on the move. And they have the documents to prove it Braince- Scuzzy, fuzzy funtime boyz. We build stripped-down, bass-driven rippers special-made for going fast when you’ve been thinking too hard.