Calendar

 
Fri, June 9th - Doors 9pm - Show 10pm - $20adv/$25doors - NIGHT 1!
The Joe Marcinek Band is an ever evolving mixture of original compositions and incredible musicians. Each show has a slightly different lineup and interpretation. The music is a blend of jazz and funk with a cerebral emphasis on groove and improvisation.
JESUS MOLINA: Colombian Jazz Pianist, Singer & Saxophonist was born in Sincelejo, Colombia in 1996. Molina started playing saxophone at the age of 12 and three years later, at the age of 15, he decided to change instrument and only focus on piano.In 2016, Molina received the prestigous Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation®️ awards the Juan Luis Guerra Scholarship which included a music education at renowned Berklee College of Music with all expenses paid. Today he is one of the rising stars on the international Jazz Scene playing in the most importants stages in the world.
Paul Bolger is the singer songwriter and co-founder of Chicago's own, Mr. Blotto. The band has played 3000 shows in 19 years fueled by these songs and this voice.
Sharay Reed is a Grammy Nominated bassist/writer (Cory Henry "Something To Say") and entrepreneur from Chicago, Illinois. He is a proficient player on the upright, electric, and synth bass, reads music fluently, and is a writer, arranger, and producer.
With over 200 live/studio albums listed to his credit, Calvin Rodgers has also recorded and toured with artist such as R.Kelly, Ramsey Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Dionne Warwick, Destiny's Child, Ronald Isley, Ernie Isley, Avant, Jonathan Butler, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Israel Houghton, Donald Lawrence, John P. Kee, Tommy Simms, Tamela Mann and many, many others.
Currently Pennal Johnson is the bassist for Lubriphonic (Rock, Funk, and Hard Soul Band) and currently touring the USA. When not touring he's doing clinics and studio sessions. Pennal's concept is simply to have FUN!!!
Southside Chicago Native Rick King has played drum set for KoKo Taylor, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, B.B. King and many more touring globally.A founding member of the funk-soul-jam band Lubriphonic, he played and produced five records with the band.These days Rick steps out from behind the drum set to front his own band on Vocals and Percussion.
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Sat, June 10th - Doors 9pm - Show 10pm - $20adv/$25doors - NIGHT 2!
The Joe Marcinek Band is an ever evolving mixture of original compositions and incredible musicians. Each show has a slightly different lineup and interpretation. The music is a blend of jazz and funk with a cerebral emphasis on groove and improvisation.
JESUS MOLINA: Colombian Jazz Pianist, Singer & Saxophonist was born in Sincelejo, Colombia in 1996. Molina started playing saxophone at the age of 12 and three years later, at the age of 15, he decided to change instrument and only focus on piano.In 2016, Molina received the prestigous Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation®️ awards the Juan Luis Guerra Scholarship which included a music education at renowned Berklee College of Music with all expenses paid. Today he is one of the rising stars on the international Jazz Scene playing in the most importants stages in the world.
Sharay Reed is a Grammy Nominated bassist/writer (Cory Henry "Something To Say") and entrepreneur from Chicago, Illinois. He is a proficient player on the upright, electric, and synth bass, reads music fluently, and is a writer, arranger, and producer.
With over 200 live/studio albums listed to his credit, Calvin Rodgers has also recorded and toured with artist such as R.Kelly, Ramsey Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Dionne Warwick, Destiny's Child, Ronald Isley, Ernie Isley, Avant, Jonathan Butler, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Israel Houghton, Donald Lawrence, John P. Kee, Tommy Simms, Tamela Mann and many, many others.
A virtuoso American blues guitarist from Chicago whose interpretation of the tradition embraces elements of jazz, rock, funk, and soul.
Currently Pennal Johnson is the bassist for Lubriphonic (Rock, Funk, and Hard Soul Band) and currently touring the USA. When not touring he's doing clinics and studio sessions. Pennal's concept is simply to have FUN!!!
Southside Chicago Native Rick King has played drum set for KoKo Taylor, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, B.B. King and many more touring globally.A founding member of the funk-soul-jam band Lubriphonic, he played and produced five records with the band.These days Rick steps out from behind the drum set to front his own band on Vocals and Percussion.
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Sun, June 11th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Thu, June 15 - 8pm - $25
Nineteen-year-old Brandon Niederauer, nicknamed “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing, is living proof that dreams really do come true. Having performed in some of the most legendary venues in America with many of the most prominent musicians of our time, the young guitarist, singer, and songwriter has already earned himself quite the reputation.It all started at eight years old, when Brandon watched the movie School of Rock. Already inspired by his father’s record collection, Brandon instantly realized he was destined to play guitar. From that moment on, his guitar rarely left his hands. Just four years later, Brandon was cast in the principal role of guitarist “Zack Mooneyham” in the Tony Award-nominated Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway production, School of Rock the Musical.Based in New York City, Brandon has had the opportunity to play with many of his musical idols. In recent years, he’s shared the stage with multiple members of the Allman Brothers Band, including Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Butch Trucks, and Oteil Burbridge, as well as a variety of other notable musicians, including Buddy Guy, Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga, Slash, Jon Batiste, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Dr. John, Gary Clark Jr., Col. Bruce Hampton, Eric Krasno, George Porter Jr., Robert Randolph, Karl Denson, Doug Wimbish, and John Popper. He has also performed with Tedeschi Trucks Band, The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey's McGee, The Revivalists, Dumpstaphunk, Blackberry Smoke, Galactic, and countless other bands.Since making his national television debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at just ten years old, Brandon has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America, and The View.In 2018, Brandon reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber, performing in January with Sarah Brightman at The Phantom of the Opera’s 30th Anniversary celebration, and in April alongside Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper, and John Legend in NBC’s live broadcast production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Brandon is currently featured in Spike Lee’s Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It, and performs concerts for audiences across the country and around the world.
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Sun, June 18th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Wed, June 21 - 7:30pm - $22.50adv/$25doors
OPEN
Explosive! Na Kozonga, the new album by Jupiter and his band Okwess is a blast of energy that bewitches the body and feeds the spirit. Since the beginning, the Rebel General and his fellow pyrotechnicians have been drawing the rhythms of the Congo out of obscurity to reveal their superpowers: the powers of rock and funk, ready for every kind of musical coupling and any kind of invitation! From Damon Albarn to Money Mark (Beastie Boys) via, on this new album, the samba of Rogê, the rap of Marcelo D2, the horns of New Orleans or the voice of the militant Chilean singer Ana Tijoux. Jupiter & Okwess have no fear of strange encounters, nor the craziest journeys. They’ve even managed to conquer Latin America, and are currently busy recreating the triangular trade, in sounds! No surprise from one who, on his first album, declared “Ich bin ein Congolese…The world is my land.” “We all have ancestors in Africa,” Jupiter reminds us, “and they also played music. And if Africa looks like a revolver, its trigger can be found…in the Congo!’ Ready, Steady, Go! Jupiter and his joyous pistoleros are giving us the go-ahead. A new world tour awaits them. It’s up to you to follow their incandescent star.
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Thu, June 22nd - 8pm - $10
Fri, June 23rd - 8pm - $20
Sat, June 24th - 7pm Doors - $20adv/$25doors
Welcome to the Block Party! We’re hosting a concert and dance party for Common Pantry, the oldest operating food pantry in Chicago and our new neighbor on Lincoln Ave.
Heidi and Karen met when their girls were in preschool together. They started guitar classes at the Old Town School and met for “play-play” dates–the daughters would run around and the moms would strum. In 2011, a nearby food pantry invited them to perform at their inaugural fundraiser. Around that time, Heidi overheard her daughter giggling about “rainbows, unicorns, and Things That Fly!” The band was born.Heidi SerwerHeidi is the brave one. Raised on tofu and roller disco, she fearlessly mines her emotional depths when songwriting. Heidi has released three solo albums: Stranger (2014), Let’s Talk Awhile (2018), and Palm Tree on the Drywall (2022).Karen SalmonKaren is the intense one. She loves cowboy coffee, 10-hour hikes, and writes lyrics in the bathroom (no interruptions). Karen released a solo EP in 2016 and her second one is due out Fall 2023.Christopher ElamChristopher is the other one. He plays five instruments and never stops composing. He is also a singer-songwriter, sound engineer, producer, and owner of Number Thirteen Studio. Christopher has self-produced three solo records.
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Sun, June 25th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Fri, June 30th - 8pm - $20adv/$25doors
Old Shoe is a five-piece Americana Folk Rock band based out of Chicago, Illinois. Made up of talented songwriters from across the country, hailing from as far away as Alaska, the band's compositions paint a diverse landscape of American life. Constantly playing throughout the midwest, their wealth of experience in the musical world never ceases to grow. Their performances will draw you in at the start and leave you panting on the dance floor by the end.Having recently released their second album, Let Yourself In, the band already has enough material for a third album that they play during their live shows. They cover Little Feat, Stevie Wonder and Warren Haynes to name a few. In the last year alone, Old Shoe played at Blottopia XII, Tall Tree Lakes Music & Camping Festival, Chicago Peace Fest and the Whippersnap Music & Arts Festival. They even hosted their own Shoe Fest, which featured Great American Taxi, Kyle Hollingsworth and Split Lip Rayfield.
Peach Jam is a collective of the best musicians Chicago has to offer celebrating the music of the legendary Allman Brothers Band. Formed in 2022, these players will transport you back in time to the Fillmore East and keep you moving all night. Peach Jam brings together members of Chicago mainstays Cornmeal, Terrapin Flyer, Old Shoe, and Helping Friendly Orchestra for a cosmic gumbo of hot jams, tight grooves, soaring vocal harmonies, and down-home blues that’ll make a believer out of any ABB fan. “People can you feel it? Love is everywhere!”
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Sun, July 2nd - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, July 2nd - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Sun, July 9th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Tue, Jul 11 - 7:30pm - $15
Comprised of some of Chicago's top musicians, 40,000 HEADMEN performs the hits and deep - cuts of British jamband TRAFFIC! Featuring Wavy Dave Burlingame, Scott Tipping ,John Reed, Packy Lundholm, Noah Plotkin, Marty Gierczyk, Ray Quinn and special guests.
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Sun, July 16th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, July 23rd - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, July 30th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Aug 6th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Aug 6th - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Fri, Aug 11th - 8pm - $15adv/$20doors
Dead Letter Office has dedicated themselves to faithfully reproducing the music and energy of a live R.E.M. show. Since 2014, they've been thrilling audiences throughout the U.S. & Canada, providing a show that's been sorely missed since R.E.M called it quits. Performing R.E.M.'s major hits, but also diving deep into their catalog to please the die-hard fans! The only R.E.M. tribute band to have members of R.E.M. perform with them (Mike Mills joining them on stage in Buffalo NY....and Peter Buck joining them on stage at Clusterfest in San Francisco!!).
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Sat, Aug 12 - 6pm - $10adv/$15doors - ALL AGES!
Sun, Aug 13th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Aug 20th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Wed, Aug 23rd - 7:30pm - $12adv/$15doors
CHIRP Radio’s Live Lit and Music series, ‘The First Time’, is unlike any storytelling show in Chicago. It pairs our six unique readers' personal stories about a first-time experience with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by our house band, The First Time Three, featuring Liam Davis, Gerald Dowd and Steve Frisbie. The band has played with musicians including Robbie Fulks, Nora O'Connor, Justin Roberts, Tributosaurus, Frisbie and more, and takes special care to perform unexpected song arrangements of said covers. It is hard to tell what the audience enjoys more: each story or each song. The show is a benefit for CHIRPRadio.org and is hosted by The Moth champion, Jenn Sodini. Featured readers include Andre Vasquez, Alderperson; Parker Molloy, Writer/Journalist; Adam Schulmerich, Comedian; Carrie Shemanski of Wolfman; Jitesh Jaggi, Storyteller and Kristi Turnbaugh, CHIRP DJ
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Sat, Aug 26th - 9pm - $20
Terrapin Flyer is a Chicago-based Grateful Dead inspired band that features a revolving cast of top performers in the jamband scene. The band often tours with former members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band and is one of the premier Grateful Dead inspired acts in the country. The band started as a Sunday Jam Night at the now defunct Boulevard Cafe in Logan Square. The band has grown into one of the top touring Grateful Dead bands in the country by performing with some of the top musicians in the Grateful Dead world. Because the band features a revolving cast of talent hundreds of notable musicians have crossed paths with Terrapin Flyer. To name all of the musicians who have performed with Terrapin Flyer would be an impossibly exhaustive task, but some include Bob Bralove from the Grateful Dead, Mark Karan from The Other Ones and Bob Weir’s Ratdog, Scott Guberman from Phil Lesh and Friends, Josh Olken from Terrapin Flyer with Melvin Seals & Tom Constanten, Dave Hebert from Melvin Seals JGB, Wavy Dave Burlingame from Cornmeal, Janis Wallin from Steve Kimock’s Crazy Engine and a whole host of tremendously talented musicians from across the country. .
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Sun, Aug 27th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Sept 3rd - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Sept 3rd - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Sun, Sept 10th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Sept 17th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Sept 24th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Oct 1st - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Oct 1st - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Sun, Oct 8th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Thu, Oct 12th - 8pm - $20
Sat, Oct 14 - 8pm - $15adv/$18doors
Giacomo Turra is an Italian musician born in 1997.Intrigued by the vinyls of his father, Giacomo started playing guitar at the age of 13, learning by jamming on his favorite artists like Stevie Wonder, George Benson and Herbie Hancock. In 2018, he started his solo musical project, exploring R&B, Funk and Jazz and releasing his first singles under the name JMT between 2019 and 2020. In March 2020, during the pandemic lockdown, Giacomo started posting video performances on his Instagram account, soon becoming an Artist for D'Angelico Guitars and gaining hundreds of thousands of followers. In July 2021, Giacomo released "The Groove Sessions", a compilation of Funk and R&B covers recorded with renowned musicians and singers from all over the world like Brandon "TAZ" Niederauer, Phoebe Katis, Jessica Burdeaux, George Collins and Augie Bello. On November 12th, 2021, Giacomo played his first international show at the Paradiso in Amsterdam for the Soul Live in front of 2500 people. In December 2021, Matteo Dallape on drums, Francesco Dallago on bass and Anna Pollinari on vocals and keys joined the project as part of the band for Giacomo Turra. On August 26th, Giacomo released his first original single “Get Into The Groove” with Vokall Records. The following day, Giacomo and his band played their debut show, opening for Joss Stone, Candy Dulfer and many more artists at the summer edition of the Soul Live Festival in the Netherlands, in front of 5000 people. On October 21st, Giacomo released his second original single "Sweet Life", in collaboration with Italian R&B singer Filippo Perbellini. In November 2022, Giacomo and his band went on their first headliner tour in Italy, with sold out shows in Milan, Bologna and Rome. In January 2023, Giacomo released his signature guitar pickup model with Italian company Mama Pickups. In February 2023, Giacomo announced the release of his signature Envelope Filter pedal in collaboration with Canadian brand SolidgoldFX. Later that month, Giacomo and his band played two sold out shows at The Zone in Tel Aviv, Israel. In March 2023, Giacomo opened for French artist Mezerg in front of 1000 people at Fabrique in Milan. Later that month, Giacomo Turra and his band announced a tour in May in the United States, with shows in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Philadelphia and Nashville.
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Sun, Oct 15th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Tue, Oct 17th - 8pm - $20adv/$25doors
It‘s an exciting time to listen to Cam Cole and follow his journey. From the streets of Camden inLondon his songs, his guitars, his Farmer footdrums and most importantly his followers have takenhim across the world.Shows in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, an Irish tour,two UKtoursand a Europe tour, a standoutperformance at Festival Vaiven in Mexico which gained him thousands of new fans at the other endof the world and most importantly his first 3-month USA tour where Cam sold out venues in cities hehad never been to before are all part of an incredible journey that only two years ago seemedimpossible.And now Cam is ready to unleash hiscoming3rdalbum as well as classic songs from his first tworecords on his biggest tour yet! Over35 dates all acrossthe USAand Canada this fallwill bringCamback to theregion in the world that has influenced his music like no other.Cam Cole–UnleashTour–USA& Canada 2023from September to December. Get your tickets nowatcamcole.com
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Sat, Oct 21st - 8pm - $22.50
The Mary Wallopers are a contemporary Irish folk musicgroup based in Dundalk, County Louth, consisting of brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy, and Sean McKenna.
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Sun, Oct 22nd - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Thu, Oct 26 - 7:30pm - $20 - ALL AGES
The Trouble Notes are a Berlin based trio, composed of violinist Bennet Cerven, guitarist Florian Eisenschmidt and percussionist Oliver Maguire. Describing themselves as ‘Indie-Gypsy fusion’, their music is characterised by emotionally driven, instrumental ballads reflecting pan-cultural influences and blending an eclectic fusion of traditions, to create a truly unique sound; representative of their extensive travels and consequent musical development. Their music is defined as ‘music from everywhere for everyone“. The group have achieved success and wide acclaim for past releases, with their previous EP Soundtracks from the Street reaching the Top 5 in USA iTunes charts for Latin & World Music, as well as garnering 60 million+ video views on publications including Grand Masquerade, Gypsy Train and Christoph. Their new single, Lose Your Ties, is an immersive, emotionally charged and thrilling piece of music, encapsulating a melting pot of influences. This track, as with their other releases, deliberately lacks lyrics to allow the listener to create their own vision of what transpires during each song, to allow people from any corner of the world to embark on a cultural and geographical expedition. The Trouble Notes tell us more about the single…“Lose Your Ties is our story. The song is about that little voice that pops into your head while you’re sitting in front of your computer at your desk job. The one that says ‘What are you doing with your life?’ We chose to follow that voice and it took us on this wild journey. Lose Your Ties is the first of many stories we are ready to tell.” Their new album Lose Your Ties, released in February 2018, showcases a development of their expressive, incredibly diverse sound, representing the start of a new, and exciting, musical journey.
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Sun, Oct 29th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Nov 5th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Nov 5th - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Wed, Nov 8th - 7:30pm - $25
The Expendables have proven anything but in their nearly 25-year career since starting out as a spirited party band in high school performing surf-rock covers for birthdays and family gatherings. A quarter-century later, elementary school buddies Raul Bianchi, Adam Peterson andGeoff Weers, along with bassist Ryan DeMars, who joined in 2000, have forged a unique sound born in the laid-back beach life in their hometown of Santa Cruz, CA. The Expendables’ infectious hybrid of ska, surf-rock, punk, reggae and metal can be heard in their latest streaming track, “Surfman Cometh,” a spaghetti-western meets “Pipeline” twang that could easily form the soundtrack to the latest Quentin Tarantino film. The song is the first release from the group’s new and improved Band Room, their longtime rehearsal space in a 1,100 square foot warehouse and former wine cellar on Coral Street, where Adam Patterson took charge of the final mix to great effect. The band’s previous studio album of original material, 2015’s Sand in the Sky, was followed by The Expendables’ second release featuring acoustic reworking of past material,Gone Raw, 2019’s follow-up to 2012’s Gone Soft. The Expendables continue woodshedding until they can get back out on the road. Their 2017 Moment EP, which debuted at #1 on theBillboard Reggae chart, showed the band starting to move into different musical directions, a set featuring collaborations with reggae crooner HIRIE, rapper Tech N9ne, Eric Rachmany, andMicah Peuschel
Bumpin Uglies knows all about hustle. The Maryland reggae rock band had spent more than adecade on the road, starting with local open mics and backyard parties and growing into roadwarriors, building an everexpanding audience with soldout shows in clubs and prime spots at festivals from coast to coast, on one national tour after another. Then the pandemic hit, andtouring shut down.After being in motion for so long, singer and lead guitarist Brandon Hardesty wasn’t about to sitstill, even if he couldn’t be out on tour. In fact, Bumpin Uglies never really stopped workingthey adapted. The group returned to playing backyard parties around Annapolis, where they’rebased, and added socially distanced concerts and fullband livestreams. In the fall of 2020, theyalso started releasing a new song every month as part of a project called the Never Ending Drop. “We felt like prospectors going out and trying to find gold it was just uncharted territory,” Hardesty says. “We had to figure out a way to make a living. That’s kind of what being a musician during Covid has felt like to me. You can do it, but you have to be bold.”Hardesty has been bold from the start. He was waiting tables when he started the band in hisearly 20s. With an ear for melodies and the determination to succeed, he poured his time andenergy into making Bumpin Uglies a success. For years, the band did just about everythingthemselves, from booking shows to releasing their own albums, building a sense of momentumalong the way that eventually became selfsustaining, and then Hardesty wasn’t waiting tablesanymore.No surprise, then, that a musician with his strong work ethic found a way to take maximumadvantage of the sudden surplus of time at home. For one thing, he got to hang out with histoddler son, and he and his wife welcomed a new baby. He also wrote a ton of songs. For thefirst time, Hardesty approached songwriting as a discipline, dedicating time to working on newmusic rather than waiting for inspiration to strike and then jotting down ideas in the back of theBumpin Uglies van on his way from one gig to the next.“I just woke up every morning and I made a pot of coffee, and I had this running list of ideas inmy phone for hooks and riffs and progressions,” he says. “I satdown every day and mademyself write a song, and 85 percent of them were pretty good. And it was awesome. I really,really enjoyed the process.”The result is the band’s eighth studio album, MidAtlantic Dub, which they recorded in 2021and plan to release this fall. After showing the breadth of Bumpin Uglies’ influences on theNever Ending Drop, from folk to classic country to hiphop,MidAtlantic Dubbrings the groupalso featuring Dave Wolf on bass and vocals, Ethan Lichtenberger on keyboards and TJHaslett on drumsback to the core of what they do.“It’s very groovefocused,” Hardesty says. “It’s very hooky, very vibey. It’s very accessible, butthere was no compromise on the storytelling or the lyricism.”In fact, Hardesty had a lot on his mindwhile working songs forMidAtlantic Dub. He hadrecently lost his own father while he was stepping into being a dad himself and letting go of thevestiges of childhood, all during the uncertainty of a global pandemic. It’s all there on “SlowBurn,” featuring Jacob Hemphill from SOJA. “Before the oak you got the sapling and the seed. Before you triumph you will swallow a defeat,” Hardesty sings over unhurried upstroke guitarsand a beat laid back into a deep pocket.“I was doing a lot of growing up during Covid,” he says. “It was very much like a survival thing,and when you’re in that kind of mode, it forces you to cut a lot of bullshit out of your life.”What’s left, in Hardesty’s songwriting as in his daily life, is what’s real, and what’s real standsasolid chance of connecting with an audience that appreciates openhearted lyrics paired with atight reggaerock vibe.“For me, it’s just all about honesty,” Hardesty says. “That’s what I listen for when I’m listeningto music. I want to feel like whatever the author’s saying is honest.”
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Sun, Nov 12th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Nov 19th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Nov 26th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Dec 3rd - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Dec 3rd - 8pm - NO COVER! - EVERY 1st SUNDAY!
free
Sun, Dec 10th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Dec 17th - 3pm - NO COVER! - EVERY SUNDAY!
free
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Dec 24th - 3pm - MERRY CHRISTMAS - SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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Sun, Dec 31st - 3pm - HAPPY NEW YEAR - SEE YOU IN 2024!
Honky Tonk Sundays! Join us for an afternoon with The Hoyle Brothers. They play every Sunday at 3pm.
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