DEER TICK
18+ Standing Room Only Show Emotional Contracts, the latest full-length album from Deer Tick, catalogs all the existential casualties that accompany the passing of time, instilling each song with the irresistibly reckless spirit that’s defined the band for nearly two decades. Before heading into the studio with producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Spoon, Sleater-Kinney), the Providence-bred four-piece spent months working on demos in a perpetually flooded warehouse space in their hometown, enduring the busted heating system and massive holes in the roof as they carved out the album’s 10 raggedly eloquent tracks. Emotional Contracts fully echoes the unruly energy of its creation, ultimately making for a heavy-hearted yet wildly life-affirming portrait of growing older without losing heart. Deer Tick’s first new body of work since 2017’s simultaneously released Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, Emotional Contracts is their most collaborative to date, and sees all four members operating at their peak songcraft powers. The album came to life over an unusually lengthy period of time for the band, with each track based in playing around together and connected in the almost telepathic way that’s only possible after nearly 20 years. Well-rehearsed and overly prepared, Deer Tick embraced a decidedly more free-and-easy approach to the recording process at Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studios in Western New York. “We’ve had a habit of trying to maintain a strict control over everything in the studio, but this time we wanted to see what it would feel like to let go a bit,” says singer/guitarist John McCauley, whose bandmates include guitarist Ian O’Neil, drummer Dennis Ryan, and bassist Christopher Ryan. “We figured that the songs were strong enough to stand on their own two feet, so whatever we put them through would just make them stronger and take us in some new directions.” Dennis adds, “The fact that we’d spent so much time with these songs allowed us to be really free once we got into the studio. No one was overthinking anything, and because of that the album sounds like us in a way that we’d never captured to this extent before.” Featuring guest musicians like Steve Berlin of Los Lobos–and background vocals from singer/songwriters like Courtney Marie Andrews, Vanessa Carlton (who is also McCauley’s wife), Kam Franklin, Angela Miller, and Sheree Smith–Deer Tick’s ATO Records debut adds an even greater vitality to their feverish collection of timeless rock-and-roll.
ZoSo: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience
18+ Standing Room Only Show ZOSO Celebrates 28 Years as America’s Premier Led Zeppelin Tribute BandOver the 28 years and over 4500 shows since ZOSO came together as a group in the mid-‘90s, theseemingly tireless quartet has continued to earn its well-deserved reputation as being, in the words of TheL.A. Times, “head and shoulders above all other Led Zeppelin tributes.”ZOSO doesn’t cut corners on either the look or sound of Led Zeppelin. Instead, the band drawsliberally and meticulously from Led Zeppelin’s recorded live and studio output to present a vivid performancepicture of the classic live Zeppelin of 1968-1977. No wonder the St. Petersburg Times noted that, in additionto their virtuosity and spot-on visual presentation, ZOSO is also “the most exacting of all the Led Zeppelintributes.” The Chicago Sun-Times put it even more succinctly: “[ZOSO is] the closest to the original of anyLed Zeppelin tribute.”
Peach Jam: A Tribute to The Allman Brothers Band
This is a 18+ event with standing room only Peach Jam is a collective of some of the best musicians Chicago has to offer. Together they celebrate the music of the legendary Allman Brothers Band. Formed in 2022, these players will transport you back in time to the days of the Fillmore East. Peach Jam brings together members of Chicago mainstays such as Cornmeal, Terrapin Flyer, Old Shoe, and The Brooklyn Charmers for a cosmic gumbo of hot jams, tight grooves, soaring vocal harmonies, and down-home blues that will make a believer out of any ABB fan. “People can you feel it? Love is everywhere!
Shwayze w/ Sensamotion &Cloud9 Vibes
This is a 18+ event with standing room only Raised on the beaches of Southern California, Aaron Smith is a rapper, actor, musician, and father who became known to the world simply as Shwayze following a massive music breakout in 2008. The Malibu native released his debut album Buzzin’ that summer with singer producer Cisco Adler. The duo hit the road immediately on the Vans Warped Tour wearing skinny jeans, and singing about lost weekends in Hollywood, all while bringing the most legen dary parties with them wherever they went. Shwayze has since gone on to work with an array of producers and release several independent albums such as Shwayze Summer on his self-funded Feel Good Entertainment Music label. He continues reinventing his so und while staying true to the influences that brought him where he is today. The past decade has boasted an impressive resume including a top 10 album, Billboard chart topping singles including ‘Buzzin’ and ‘Corona & Lime,’ a rock – doc reality show on MTV , and a number of roles in feature films and major network television – all while living on the road much of the year touring the world. Shwayze continues to perform around the world and each year he finds new territories and fanbases to connect with.
Mac Sabbath’s 10 Year Anniversary Tour with special guests: Tejon Street Corner Thieves & Spaceman Bob
This is a 18+ event with standing room only Why do we care about a disturbed clown named Ronald Osborne? A clown who’s convinced he traveled through a wormhole in the time-space continuum from the 1970’s with a band of Monsanto mutants named Slayer MacCheeze, Grimalice and the Cat Burglar? Because they are here to save us from the disastrously decayed synthetic state of music and sustenance! THAT’S WHY! Mixing raucous comedy with borderline-horrific theatrics, the only thing more petrifying than the impending health problems resulting from years of overeating fast food is a MAC SABBATH show. The gruesome foursome was recently seen performing their song, “Sweet Beef,“ for the Prince Of Darkness™ himself, Ozzy Osbourne on the American idiot box. MAC SABBATH puts on a multimedia stage show complete with a smoking grill, laser-eyed clowns, bouncing burgers and many more magical surprises! Basically, everything a theatrical rock show consumer has been jonesing for.
Red Wanting Blue with JD Eicher
This is a 18+ event with standing room only Hailed as “Midwestern rock heroes” by American Songwriter, Red Wanting Blue has spent the better part of last three decades on the road, blazing their own unique trail through the American heartland as they built up a legion of lifelong fans through a relentless work ethic and raucous, life-affirming live show. Along the way, the band notched appearances everywhere from Letterman to NPR, garnered praise from the likes of Rolling Stone and Esquire, and climbed to #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, all while operating largely outside of the confines of the traditional music industry.Recorded in the band’s native Ohio and produced for the first time by the quintet itself, Red Wanting Blue’s latest album, Light It Up, marks the start of a distinctly new chapter for the indie rock stalwarts, one built on complete and total creative liberation. Equally gritty and uplifting, the collection is a larger-than-life ode to hope and perseverance, a celebration of the fire we carry within and the commitment that keeps us going even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The songs are all interconnected here, woven together through intros and outros and interludes that propel them through the dark of night, and the performances are as muscular as they are meticulous, fueled by addictive hooks and exhilarating instrumental work that shines on an even footing with frontman Scott Terry’s rich and magnetic vocals. More than any other record in the Red Wanting Blue catalog, Light It Up captures the spirit and the camaraderie of a band that’s built its entire career on the road, discovering (and rediscovering) itself one exultant, joyous, communal night at a time.Red Wanting Blue is:Scott Terry (Vocals, Tenor Guitar, Ukulele)Mark McCullough (Bass, Chapman Stick, Vocals)Greg Rahm (Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals)Eric Hall (Guitar, Lap Steel, Vocals)Dean Anshutz (Drums & Percussion)
Desmond Jones w/ Flexadecibel
This is a 18 and over event with standing room only Desmond Jones is a five-piece rock band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Their original music is centered around melodic guitar riffs, funky bass lines, groovy drumbeats, and a big ole’ pile of saxophone. Desmond Jones puts on exciting and high-energy shows with a high level of musicianship and skillful improvisation. Each show, set list, and song is different from night to night. The group takes influence from Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Mingus, Phish, The Band, and Led Zeppelin to name a few. Since 2012, the group has played 800+ shows across the country and has shared the stage with bands like Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Papadosio, Ripe, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, EOTO, Here Come the Mummies, Aqueous, Mungion, Dopapod, Nth Power, Kick the Cat, Joe Hertler, Eggy, and many more. Desmond Jones has released two EPs and four full length studio albums available on all major platforms. The band is touring in 2023 and hitting every diner along the way. – 2023 Performing artist, The Midwest House (SXSW) – 2022 “Best Original Band” Revue West MI (Best of the West) – 2019 “Album of the Year” Listener’s Choice WYCE Jammies (Hello, Helou)
Kalamazoo Academy Of Rock
This is an all ages event. Kalamazoo Academy of Rock is back at Bell’s! These youth bands have been wow-ing audiences for years – come on down for a show like no other! For more information about KAR visit www.kzoorock.com
Kalamazoo Academy Of Rock
This is an all ages event. Kalamazoo Academy of Rock is back at Bell’s! These youth bands have been wow-ing audiences for years – come on down for a show like no other! For more information about KAR visit www.kzoorock.com
The Dead Tongues
This is a 18+ event with standing room only After five months of not picking up an instrument, The Dead Tongues’ Ryan Gustafson wanted to get rid of everything that was tied to his identity as a musician. He even thought about changing his name. He was getting ready to throw out old notebooks packed with years of material but, for some reason, he decided to stop and go through them, just to see if there was anything worth saving. And sure enough, he found some images and lyrics, threads from former selves he didn’t want to lose. Thus was the catalyst for Dust, his fifth and best album as The Dead Tongues. Gustafson recorded Dust in nine days, the fastest he’d ever recorded anything. It was the fastest he’d ever written anything, too – in the past, writing a song would take months, but this time he somehow felt freer, and wanted to have fun. The record was recorded at Sylvan Esso’s studio, Betty’s, in the woods of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He built it out with help from a number of his musician friends – Joe Westerlund (Watchhouse, Megafaun, Califone) on drums, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) on mandolin, backing vocals from Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Molly Sarlé of Mountain Man, among others. Dust is meant to be listened to while taking a night drive, farflung and roving and existential. Somewhere between the expansiveness of American jamband and the banjo-centric folk songwriting of Gustafson’s Appalachia home. Gustafson explains the thematic throughline succinctly: “It’s this idea of uprooting and rebirth and cycles, and the past informing the future, and the future informing the past. There is no single story. Everything is connected.”
