Sat, Oct 25 - 9pm - $10

MIDWEST is an Americana/Folk 'n' Roll band from Chicago. Songwriter/lead vocalist/guitarist, Nicolette Fendon, began MIDWEST following the break up of her 10 year romantic and music partnership with Adam Gramling (Stealth Like A Canoe/Tiger Cry). The songs reminisce heartbreak hangovers and cradle the listener with whiskey-soaked lullabies; music born out of cornfields, cold winters and rust belt love letters. The sound is heavily inspired by Americana, Singer/Songwriter, and Motown music, with influences that can be traced from Patsy Cline and Ryan Adams, to Heartless Bastards and The Lone Bellow, the sound remains uniquely northern backwoods. Employing violin, upright bass, keys, harmonica and pared-down percussion, the songs are built around the foundation of sweet, swelling 2 and 3-part vocal harmonies and driven by the aching heartbeat of the bass. The energy created is electric, heart-pulling and captivating -- you can't help but stomp your feet along with them.

 Jared Rabin is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, and producer from Chicago. He started learning at age five from his grandfather, who was then first chair violinist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He traveled the world playing violin as a kid. He later taught himself to play guitar and mandolin, and became interested in a wide array of musical styles. He spent two years in LA for college before moving back to Chicago to play professionally.  Jared has spent the last decade pursuing music from all angles. His range has taken him from the violin section of The Chicago Civic Orchestra to the guitar chair in The DePaul Jazz Ensemble. He has long been a mainstay at many Chicago rock clubs. He toured the US with instrumental progressive rock group, The Hue. He has produced commercial music, appears on a slew of records, and can be seen performing frequently in Chicago and across the US with a variety of projects.  Jared's debut solo record, "Something Left to Say" was released in September of 2015 to critical acclaim, and reached #15 on the Roots Music Report Americana Radio charts after receiving nationwide airplay. Jared produced the record and played nearly all the instruments himself. He toured across the country in support throughout 2016. American Songwriter Magazine called the record, "An Americana masterpiece." The title track won First Place (Folk) in the 2016 USA Songwriting Competition. 

 Letter to Memphis formed in 2011 when vocalist Devon Cahill and guitarist Gene Starks came together to create clever, honest, and relatable songs in the hopes of getting hearts beating, toes tapping, and wheels spinning. With time they have continued to find their sound with acoustic guitar and ukulele driven original indie pop songs with roots in blues, folk, and soul. Filling out the band are classically trained musicians Paul Niehaus IV on upright bass and Sarah Velasquez on violin and soaring harmonies. The band recently released their first full length album entitled "Phases" worldwide.

 Sarah Holtschlag’s songs are an uppercut as much as a french kiss. From fightin and truckin songs to woebegone lullabies about forget-you-not low-flying birds, her sounds charm as well as haunt, tilt as well as persuade.  In the growing up times, Sarah lived in the foothills of factory towers in mid-Michigan. There she learnt to play the singing saw (a 26″ stainless steel blade from ace hardware). -Ferris Dayton, Chicago music critic.  Sarah Holtschlag: musical saw, vocals, guitar.  Benjamin Miranda: percussion.  Chad Harrington: bass.  Josh Lerner:harmony, guitar