Q101 The Alternative
Q101 (formerly on Chicago radio @ 101.1 FM) The Alternative - Chicago's New Rock Alternative - Everything Alternative - Chicago's Alternative - Gen X - Generation X
Adam Carolla was a hit in Joliet at the Rialto Square Theatre. It was a packed house, people were drinking and laughing and WINNING.
Adam Carolla did about 90 minutes on stage and stuck around afterward to meet Q101′s meet and greet winners.
Ace also ventured into the lobby where hundreds of fans lined up to say hello and get a picture and authograph.
Carolla probably spent a good hour or more shaking hands and signing books for his loyal fans in Joliet.
Thanks to all the Q101 fans who came out and made this an awesome show! If you weren’t there, you missed hundreds of dollars in give aways ranging from Visa gift cards, to iTunes gift cards, Q101 Shirts and one lucky fan walked away with a brand new iPod from Q101!
Listen to Matt & Mike’s interview with Adam and subscribe to the Q101 Podcast Feed!
(left to right: Mike Noonan, Andrew Henderson, Adam Carolla, Matt Dubiel, Brian Jones)
Fans interested in attending a live taping of the Adam Carolla Podcast in Chicago in 2013, should join the Q101 Club today for email updates on the latest Q101 sponsored shows.
Thanks to everyone who came out!
Q101 radio veteran, WCKG alum, and Guinness World Record holder Adam Carolla calls Q101 and talks Trump, Arsenio, Welfare, Comedy, and drops some knowledge for success.
See Adam on stage 10-12-12 at 8pm in Joliet. Get your tickets for the Rialto Show here.
He spent years talking to us about our love, drug, and parental problems on LoveLine with Dr. Drew. Now he holds the record for the biggest podcast in the WORLD. Adam Carolla is coming to Chicagoland to make you laugh…if you let him.
Join Q101 for a night of laughs, drinks and good times in Joliet!
Q101 Presents Adam Carolla at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet October 12th. The Rialto is an intimate venue and tickets will go fast!
BUY TICKETS NOW CLICK HERE
You can alway win tickets from Q101. Join the Q101 Club now.
Check out Adam’s TV spot (He’s in the Guinness Book? For real?!)
AdamCarollaV1 from Moonstep Productions on Vimeo.
Independent Arts and Music Festival, otherwise known as I AM Fest recently took over the House the Blues to bring a full night of Chicago’s finest. Among the impressive lineup, which included The Studs, The Giving Moon, The Underlined, The Alaya Conscious, A Friend Called Fire, Board of Governors, Leah Druzinsky, Workout Music, and The Energy Commission, were hometown favorites Cobalt & the Hired Guns performing their contagious blend of Americana and punk rock.
I recently had a chance to talk to Cobalt & the Hired Guns guitarist, vocalist, and harmonica player, Tomlinson Fort, about the group, making music, and sweet home Chicago. Check out the full interview and all of the show details you’ll need, below.
Your latest album, Everybody Wins!, was released just over two months ago, how has the response to the new record been in Chicago and on the road?
Playing the songs live, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, which is great. Everything that we’ve heard people say, and all of the press that we’ve gotten has been really positive. I haven’t heard anyone review it and say, “Oh, I wish that they’d done this”, or “this seems like a miss-step”. That’s really encouraging because we tried a lot of new things.
It was very much a growth record for us. We’d never incorporated horns to the extent that we did on this record. There’s a four piece horn section on almost every song on the record. We incorporated a string section and there are way more keyboards then there were before. Having all those options, having all that flexibility, that’s kind of what the idea was with Cobalt & the Hired Guns. It feels like we’re coming into our own in terms of sound and development and possibilities of where to take that. Can you talk a little bit about how Everybody Wins! came to be and how the writing and recording process goes for you guys?
Jesse, Mike, and myself are all songwriters, and so one of the things that we’ve always tried to do is encourage each other and our growth and support other members of the band when they’re writing new material. A lot of thought and energy went into the making of that record, and it’s a piece of recording that feels as though it recreates the energy and enthusiasm of our live shows. That’s a really important thing for us. I really feel honest delivery of emotional content is at the core of what we do and it’s the most important thing to me as a songwriter.
Originally, we started making the record in our basement and doing it ourselves, and that was a great process and a huge learning process for us. It really helped us learn to make decisions and dream about, “What sounds do I want here, and how do I get that?” Learning to think creatively in the studio was a really important process. Then we started working with Sean O’Keefe, who is really a master of his craft. He’s really terrific and helped push us in a lot of really great ways. He helped with a number of difficult decisions like, “Which way are we going to go with this?” or running into roadblocks like, “How do we get around that?” Sometimes it’s like, “Why don’t you just come back and take another run at it tomorrow?”
Each of us writes songs, and we’ll bring in a song that basically consists of lyrics, chords, and a melody. As we rehearse that song and arrange it, it changes drastically. Often, I come in with songs that are kind of slow and Jessie, who comes from a punk background with his drumming, will just speed that thing right up and it’s better. “You Left Your Sweater…” is maybe the biggest example of that. When I came in it was about as slow as it is at the end of the song. I was playing it like that and Jessie was like, “Dude, this is a happy song that you’re singing like it’s a depressing song. We can’t have that”. That’s true because there’s a lot of love and a lot of happiness and a lot of joy in what we do. There’s a lot of hope. Even in the songs that deal with difficult things or hard things, there’s still hope that’s worth clinging to. You seem to have a fairly free-form lineup on the stage. Is it just a trio on the record or do musicians sit in and play those additional parts?
There are three core members of Cobalt & the Hired Guns, but part of the reason that we called it Cobalt & the Hired Guns was that we knew we’d be working with a lot of other people and we like having the artistic input of those people. It’s not like they just show up and we give them a chart and say, here’s what you’re going to be playing. We choose those people very selectively because we’re saying to each other, “I think that you, as a player, have not just the skill-set, but the decision-making skills. Your decisions about what to play, where, are right for what we’re doing”.
Brian Neibuhr plays trumpet, and he helped write a lot of the horn parts and was very helpful at coming up with stuff. Before we played our Metro show in June, I turned to him and I was like, “Hey, you’ve got to write a horn part for the end of this song because I think we’re going to play it last and we can’t play a song last that doesn’t have the horns – it will be underwhelming. I know that on the record there isn’t a horn part, but you need to write one now”. It’s through process of elimination and there’s a really big process of trying things out and experimenting with things. It’s really when collectively, we all can feel it gel, like when it starts to feel like a Cobalt & the Hired Guns song. That’s the thing that everybody feels, and when they don’t, we’re always revisiting stuff. I think that really helps to keep it interesting and to keep it fresh for us. Even old songs get reworked and it helps keep us enthusiastic.
That was pretty much the recording process, and the preparation for the recording process was just as important. We made our first batch of songs and we did three songs with Sean O’Keefe, and we just realized that it was on a whole nother level. It was another ballpark. It was going from high school baseball or college baseball to the major leagues. The degree of polish that was on there, and the extent to which it was produced but not over produced. He let us stay true to who we were and maintain our sound, but he really did a good job of pushing that to its maximum potential.
Is there anything happening right now in the Chicago music scene that you’re particularly excited about?
We’re playing at the I AM Fest at the House of Blues this Saturday. That’s going to be really cool. There’s A Friend Called Fire, and Board of Governors, and the lineup is really strong. The people that we’ve been working with are really friendly. Right now, we’ve still got a few discount $17 tickets left, which is great because it’s going to be $22 at the door. It’s ten bands, and it’s a lot of really good bands that were put together very selectively, which is nice. They’re not all the same genre, but I don’t think that that’s really important in a music festival anymore. You look at something like Lollapalooza, Coachella, Pitchfork, any of the big music festivals, and there’s always four or five or more genres that are happening at the same time.
I think that there are very few people who are like, “I only listen to punk/hardcore”. They listen to punk/hardcore, but they’re also into dance/indie/pop. They love the new Lady Gaga record but they also love Sufjan Stevens and Steely Dan is their favorite band of all time. (laughs) I think that that’s cool, that diverse taste, and it’s something that works in favor of Cobalt & the Hired Guns. We’re a band that is diverse, not every song sounds like the last song before it.
What’s up next for Cobalt & the Hired Guns?
Well, it looks likely that we’re going to be playing a show at Hard Rock Cafe this fall, probably in October, and I’m really excited for that. I don’t know if that’s totally confirmed yet, but it should be October 27th, if it comes through. I think that we’re going to be looking to go back out on the road again soon. Try to book some college dates and keep touring. We’ve got this new record that we’re really proud of and I think that the thing for us is to just find people to hear it. Find people to listen and come out to the shows.
I really want to ride this as far as it can go. I really want to build as much momentum as we can and then use it. I really have high hopes and a lot of ambition for where I think we can go with this record and with this thing that we’re trying to do. I want to do it until I’m completely out of energy for it. We just came back from tour and a little piece of my soul dies every time we come off the road. I’m one of those of people that was built for this. I love being on tour. I love sitting in a van for eight hours a day – it’s a weird kind of love. That’s what I want to do. Now that we’re done with the road, I want to focus on more shows and get back on the road.
You can grab a copy of Everybody Wins! online from CDBaby, Bandcamp, and the iTunes music store.
Be sure to get over to the House of Blues (329 N Dearborn) by 3:00 PM on Saturday for the start of the fest. I AM Fest is all ages, and you can save yourself five bucks by picking up tickets online for just $17.00.
Cobalt & the Hired Guns Official | Facebook | Twitter | Bandcamp
Wicker Park Festival hit the corner of Milwaukee and North avenues Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29. Chicago’s known for busing national talent in and out of its city limits each summer for big name festivals like Lollapalooza and Pitchfork but if up-and-coming local acts are what you’re after WPF might be your best bet.
Local 101 combed the lineup and chatted with some of the Chicago-based musicians from this year’s Wicker Park Fest:
Saturday, July 28, artists:
Kill Hannah – Longtime Chicago faves bring their alt-rocking, electronic-infused cuts to the Center Stage on Saturday to close out the first night of WPF. Q&A with vocalist Mat Devine: What’s your favorite festival food? Ribs. I realize that kills any hope I have of sounding sexy, but it’s true. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Our song “Welcome to Chicago MF” goes ballistic every time. It’s a tribute to the city and considering it’s never actually been released it’s pretty amazing how it’s become a live cult favorite. Set time: 8:45 p.m., Center Stage
YAWN - Psych rock with a drummer who’s not afraid to go heavy on the toms. It’s whimsical. It’s catchy. It’s definitely worth checking out. Q&A with vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist Adam Gil: Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? I’m sure there are good memories somewhere but all the festival drunkenness has washed them away. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? A Lollapalooza after party at the Empty Bottle on August 3 with Bear In Heaven. Our new EP Happy Tears… it’s free! Show/parties at our loft! More FeelTrip artists coming out with releases. Set time: 5:30 p.m., South Stage
Big Science - A bit jazzy. A little psychadelic. A lot of rocking. A big musical science experiment gone so right. Q&A with bassist Jason Richards: What’s your favorite festival food? As a band, we’re 75% vegan so it’s kinda tough to work out. I wish we could just say ribs. I remember what they taste like. They’re good. Let’s say ribs! Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? Two years ago we played really early in the day on the Cap’n Jazz stage. We got to see them and Mission Of Burma. That was great. Set time: 4:30 p.m., South Stage
Magic Box - Rock ‘n roll with a soft, melodic edge brought to you by veteran duo Ed Anderson and Scott Kipping. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Scott Tipping: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? Live music and beer. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? Yes! Seeing Glossary a few years ago. I had never heard of them before, their set was amazing. Set time: 4:15 p.m., Center Stage
Archie Powell and the Exports play the South Stage Saturday, July 28, at 3:30 p.m.
Archie Powell and the Exports – By mixing pop rock jams with the slightest hint of grunge, Archie and co. prove that rocking out and having fun are really one and the same. Q&A with Archie: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? It’s a great opportunity to get really weird for an hour and be recognized for it. What’s your favorite festival food? What’s that place that does the mystery meat made out of all the farm animals at once? Because that’s the best one. Set time: 3:30 p.m., South Stage
Pet Lions - Indie rock to the core. Bouncy, blissful tracks. The perfect soundtrack for a summery Saturday afternoon street fest adventure. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Karl Ostby: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? The lineups seem to be getting better every year. We’re stoked to play a street fest with The Drums, Cursive, Joe Pug, Yawn, Tristen, etc. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Like most bands, we probably like debuting new material more than anything. New songs just sound so different on stage than in a practice space, so it’s almost cathartic to hear that for the first time. Set time: 3 p.m., Center Stage
Rollo Tomasi - Perhaps the heaviest band playing this weekend’s fest, it’s only a matter of time before Rollo’s aggravated guitar breakdowns and driving rhythms will get your head bobbing. Q&A with guitarist/vocalist Neil Sandler: What’s your favorite festival food? Beer. Yes, beer is a food. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? In 2009, Jeff [Larsen, bassist/vocalist] and I got to see John Reis’s band, The Night Marchers, play a great show. What made it even better is that we went to see Obits play at Empty Bottle later that night. Obits contain Rick Froberg, the other half of the magical duo that created Hot Snakes and Drive Like Jehu, two of our all time favorite bands. Set time: 2:30 p.m., North Stage
Perfect Kiss - Their dark synth swells and electronic beats will bring you right back to the glory days of ’80s new wave. Get yo’ dance on. Q&A with bassist Ray Mora: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Right now I would say “One Kiss” from our new EP Alarms. It was fun writing it, it all came together and now we love playing it out live. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? We are getting ready to shoot our first music video, so that’s really exciting. Also just starting to play out a lot more, in and out of the city. Our fans will have plenty of opportunities to check us out this summer and I’m hoping to see familiar along with new lovely faces out there. Set time: 2 p.m., Center Stage
Mike Musikanto - Musikanto isn’t breaking the singer/songwriter mold, but his rich tenor and dreamy guitar lines are setting the bar for the genre much higher. Q&A with Mike: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The best thing about Chicago festivals is the love people show for their neighborhood. It’s one big block party. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should your fans be excited for? Fans in Chicago can see me at Chicago’s new City Winery with Suzanne Vega in September. It will be a stripped down acoustic show. Set time: 1 p.m., Center Stage Sunday, July 29, artists:
The Steepwater Band - Nitty, gritty, dirty and delicious blues rock. Q&A with singer/guitarist Jeff Massey: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The opportunity to play music in front of a diverse group of music fans. Chicago is one of the greatest cities for live music and festivals are a great way for bands of different genres to converge on the same stage. Aside from your performance at the fest what else should fans be excited for? They should be excited that we are playing Fitzgerald’s on Friday August 10th! [Shameless plug] Set time: 7 p.m., Center Stage
Fort Frances - Enough pop sensibility for a fun listen and enough musical poise for some serious respect. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist David McMillin: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? A long list of great bands for under $10. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Currently, it’s our cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince classic, “Summertime.” Set time: 5:30 p.m., South Stage
Lasers & Fast & Shit - Sure to get the afternoon energy surging this Sunday, Lasers should fill your punk quota for this festival outing. Traditional melodies meet spastic breakdowns a la Death From Above 1979. Oh, yeah, and they bring their own light show. Q&A with vocalist Joe Carsello: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? Songs are like cats. It’s hard to pick your favorite as they are all cute in their own right. Aside from your performance at the fest, what should fans be excited for? Rain! For heaven’s sake, PRAY FOR RAIN!!!
Will Phalen play the Center Stage Sunday, July 29, at 4:15 p.m.
Will Phalen and the Stereo Addicts - Expect to hear plenty of brooding, folk rock tunes off Phalen’s debut solo album–the Chicago-themed and aptly titled Holy Ghost Gold Coast. Q&A with Will: What’s your favorite festival food? Cevapcici! I discovered them at Do Division a couple years ago and then realized they’re actually at a bunch of Chicago’s street festivals. It’s a meat pattie made of lamb, beef and pork. They grill it up, put it in a pita and cover it with a delicious sweet red pepper sauce and onions. I love it. I think it’s a take on a Balkan dish. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? I don’t know if I have a favorite. All my songs are like children to me. But I’m really excited to be playing a bunch of new material with my brand new band! We’ve also got a special cover song in store. I’m not going to say which one, so folks will have to come out to hear it. Set time: 4:15 p.m., Center Stage
Derek Nelson and the Musicians - It’s almost unfair how eerily beautiful Nelson and his band sound on their debut record Riders of the Tide. Unfair to anyone who won’t be seeing the folk rockers live this weekend that is. Q&A with Derek: What’s your favorite festival food? I was always fond of funnel cakes growing up. Now that I’m older, I’m wondering how they’re made. Ribs are still the best festival food. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should fans be looking forward to? From the festival side, they should definitely check out our friends The Shams Band and Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts — and of course, Joe Pug, Tristen and all the other great bands. More than anything, they should be excited to live in a city that consistently has great things like this to do. Set time: 3:30 p.m., South Stage
Soft Speaker – Don’t let the name deceive you. This gang of wholesome garage rockers can make some serious noise. Q&A with drummer Joe Daley and guitarist/organist/vocalist Paul Foreman: What’s your favorite festival food? Fried Twinkie with powdered sugar or the ham ‘n oil sandwich. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? This is our first year at Wicker Park Fest. Do Division and Green Music Festival were a gas! Set time: 3:30 p.m., North Stage
The Shams Band plays the South Stage Sunday, July 29, at 2:30 p.m.
The Shams Band – The Shams pay tribute to the sounds of middle America via a musical amalgamation of soul-infused folk rock at it’s finest. Q&A with guitarist/vocalist Donnie Biggins: What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? “Cold City”–our song to Chicago. Lyrics are here. Aside from your performance at the fest, what else should fans be looking forward to? Our new record, Cold City. We released it on July 9th. We’ve received some very positive responses from our friends and fans, and we are very proud of the record. We will also be closing out our Schubas July Residency on Monday, July 30th with Archie Powell & The Exports and Young Hines. It is a party not to miss! Set time: 2:30 p.m., South Stage
Midwest Hype – The forecast for Sunday is 85-degrees and sunny. Um, yeah, you’re gonna need a litte reggae and ska in your life. Q&A with drummer Max Kepler: What’s the best thing about Chicago street festivals? The best thing about Chicago street festivals is that they happen all over the city all summer and each one has it’s own character and vibe. Wicker Park Fest always has a young crowd and a great vibe. I have been enjoying myself there for a few years. Any good memories from Wicker Park Fest in years past? I have several good memories of Wicker Park Fest. However, I really enjoyed watching Company of Thieves perform last year after a few sangrias. Set time: 2:30 p.m., Center Stage
The Kickback – Between the bluesy guitar tones, catchy choruses and raspy croon of singer Billy Yost, these guys would sound right at home playing second stage to acts like the Kings of Leon. Q&A with vocalist/guitarist Billy Yost: What’s the best thing about Chicago street fests? Getting to play them this year. Last year you may have seen us at intersections with “Let Us Play Your Festival, God Bless” signs. We made $11 but didn’t score any fests. What’s your favorite song to play at Chicago shows? “Little Teach” because we encourage a healthy debate between festival patrons regarding the public vs. charter school issue. But only for 30-seconds between songs. And rebuttals must be in the form of dance battles. Set time: 2:30 p.m., North Stage
Kill Hannah is rockin’ The The Montrose Room In Rosemont, Friday, July 27th at 8:30. Doors open at 8p.
Get your tickets: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=4653035 This is likely to sell out and soon!
If you haven’t made it out to a show at this amazing and intimate venue, you need to reserve your ticket now and come on out with us! It’s easy to get too, a totally cool change of pace from the other venues in the area, and you can never go wrong with a casino down the street! We had some great times with Local H and Lucky Boys Confusion there earlier this year and we’re pleased to be part of this show with one Chicago’s best-loved bands!
PS: Montrose Room is located inside the Hotel Intercontinental. Naturally, they have some pretty sweet room deals. Check out more at http://montroseroom.com/
It’s 4 p.m. on a Saturday in July. The heat is peaking somewhere upward of ninety degrees and the asphalt backdrop isn’t helping. Still, every stop along the seminal Warped Tour schedule is a chance for up and coming bands like poppy quintet Stepdad to grow their fan bases.
However, Stepdad’s stop in Chicago wasn’t too foreign. Though they now call Grand Rapids, MI home, Stepdad got their start on Chicago’s south side. Now, several years later, they’ve embarked on the yearly Warped Tour, fondly know as “punk rock summer camp” and are happy to see some familiar faces along the way.
Local 101 caught up with the band on their (air conditioned) bus following their performance on July 7 to chat about their past, present and future….and also to eat some cookies. Listen to the full interview below.
Stepdad’s debut full length album Wildlife Pop is out now. Check out their track entitled “Jungles” below.
Though the weather has finally started to cool off, it’s still the midst of summer. You need beach music. You need back porch music. You need music to party to. You need music to chillax to. We’ve got it for you. Remember to comment on what you like so we know, and share this page too to support the local scene! See those Facebook buttons at the bottom of the page? Yep, those…Thanks in advance! ROCK!)
Any Kind – With the addition of an electric edge, Any Kind put a great new spin on folk rock and prove the genre is more than a bunch of bearded, old hippies with acoustic guitars. You like? You’ll like: Elliott Smith, Spoon, Radiohead, Neil Young If your band was a drink, what would it be: “If we were a drink it would be weird pop.” – Dan Duszynski, writing, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Download Any Kind’s self-titled album for free…right now. It’s free music. What’s stopping you?
The 92s – The melodies are poppy. The production style is grungy. The musicianship is a real treat. You like? You’ll like: Manchester Orchestra, Wilco, Butch Walker, Weezer If your band was a drink, what would it be: “If we were a beverage we would be Dr. Pepper because we try to mix in as many flavors as possible into our sound.” – Dan Durley, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Check out The 92s at Taste of Chicago this weekend! They play on the Bud Light Stage at 5:20 on Sunday, July 15th. Check out their first EP Don’t Bury Me and keep your eyes peeled for their new record coming out this September.
About the Mess – About the Mess do pop punk anthems so well that at first listen you’ll feel like you already have a thousand memories tied to each track. You like? You’ll like: Off With Their Heads, The Lawrence Arms, The Methadones, The Descendents If your band was a drink, what would it be: “Whiskey…neat.” – Joe Mizzi, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Keep an eye out for some upcoming tour dates but in the mean time pick up About the Mess’s 7″ split record with Detroit-based band Seized Up at Reckless Records, Bucket o’ Blood, Gramophone Records or right here.
Live in Chicago? Have a band? Submit your tunes on our “Local 101″ page.
Since Q101 has rebooted our Local 101 presence over the past six months, we’re pleased to have been contacted by hundreds of awesome Chicago musicians. It’s about time we put those inquiries to use!
We’re combing through our submissions and giving you three new local bands to jam out to every week. Really, who doesn’t love a good threesome? In fact, it’s our considered opinion that aside from the much balleyhooed “death trilogy,” almost every simple pleasure in life comes in a set of three. Except eggrolls. That bugs us.
This week, in honor of the holiday, we’re giving you some good, old-fashioned Americana rock. If you like what you hear, please comment and let us know!
Vaudevileins – Falling somewhere in between oldschool emo and arena rock, this sassy, suit-wearing four piece combines classic Midwestern guitar melodies with soaring choruses. You like? You’ll like: Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Jawbox If your band was a drink, what would it be: “Vaudevileins would be a Two Brothers Domaine Dupage and a shot of Michael Collins Irish whiskey (substitute with Powers if necessary).” — Jeff Julian, guitar and vox Mark it on your calendar: Vaudevileins new EP SWP drops July 17 but you can hear some of the new tunes tonight (July 5) at Grandbar. Cuddle Riot – Punk rock with enough sun-kissed West Coast influence to pass a summer day with. You like? You’ll like: Naked Raygun, Weezer, Bad Religion If your band was a drink, what would it be: “If we were a beverage it would be PBR with a shot of Crown Royal.” — Joanne Spyridakos, manager Mark it on your calendar: Today, tomorrow, ASAP, whenever. “Like” CR’s Facebook page and keep an eye out for updates regarding their first release. William Steffey – Born and bred with a true sense of middle America rock…with a slightly twangy Southern touch…and some synth. It works, trust me. You like? You’ll like: (Later-era) Thomas Dolby, The Smiths, New Order, Everything But The Girl If your music was a drink, what would it be: “Good whiskey. Complex and intoxicating.” — Steffey Mark it on your calendar: On Saturday, August 4th at 9pm Steffey is holding a release party for his two-DVD set “The Silver Collection” which features 160 of his songs and 16 music videos. It’s all going down at Lizards Liquid Lounge at 3058 W. Irving Park Road. All guests will receive a free copy of my “Romance of the Spaceways” compact disc. Live in Chicago? Have a band? Submit your tunes on our “Local 101″ page.
Somewhere along the way, punk rock lost face. Somewhere in between The Clash and Green Day, Minor Threat and The Get Up Kids, NOFX and Rise Against, Henry Rollins, Tom Delonge and Pete Wentz, the genre lost it’s definitive sound. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“Punk” has become a multi-faceted term and sometimes when you combine the many hats that it wears you wind up with one hell of a headpiece. Chicago sports a long history of essential punk bands and our contemporary wave of locals continues to keep our city’s scene on par.
Bully in the Hallway might not produce the most traditional of punk music, but the influences that those traditions have on this Chicago five-piece is undeniable. True to the genre’s evolution, Bully combines a multitude of sounds that gives them both a sophisticated and fun-loving sound.
Local 101 caught up with Bully in the Hallway at a recent show at the Fireside Bowl. We chatted about their varied list of influences, trip to South By Southwest festival earlier this year and rocking in Chicago. View the entire interview in the video below.
Listen to and download Bully in the Hallway’s Crooks and their Castles
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