June 23
Monster Truck~7pm
Monster Truck seamlessly integrates influences from grunge and punk era greats with alt-sounding vintage rock. Recently earning the coveted ‘Breakthrough Group of the Year’ award at Canada’s prestigious Juno Awards, Monster Truck is quickly burning their brand into the rock ‘n’ roll landscape. Before the band begins their tour with Alice in Chains this summer, they’re making a stop at District. Don’t miss it!
June 29
Dueling Pianos~8pm
Featuring Dario Radio, the best Chicago has to offer!
Dario Radio has a complete array of music selections. So even the most ridiculous requests will be attempted… and who knows, we might hand the mic over to you!
http://www.darioradio.com/
July 5th
Unity The Band~10pm
Unity…the Band is an award-winning original roots reggae group based in Appleton, WI. Their intense touring schedule of varied venues around the Midwest has honed an interactive outdoor stage show with positive party vibes and the knack for drawing club crowds into the irie groove.
They treat fans to old roots Reggae favs, along with original music blending influences of rock, roots, blues and reggae into their own unique sound. Fronted with Fiji Born island-smooth energetic confidence by Kai “Pita” Katobalavu on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, the band’s talents include the Nashville-experience flavored bass lines of Jason “Red” Brown, Ryan Peerenboom laid-back guitar riffs and vocals, the cool intensity of Jeremy “Chunk” Schroetter’s keyboards ,congo’s and voice, driven by the steady ease of Kelvin Ayres behind the drum set.
July 19
Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts w/ Robert Jon & The Wreck~ 10pm
Let it snap, let it roll, hand claps, drums crash,, tele-tones and solos.
Somewhere between a bar and the recording studio, Miles Nielsen’s stirs up his own pop rock brand
of Beatles-eque Cosmic Americana. Pop rock arrangements and sunny melodies tucked between a long lost country folk steel guitar floating through speakers around crashing drums, bouncing bass lines and smooth as butter keys. Born in Rockford, IL, home of Cheap Trick and ‘Symbol’, power pop DNA runs through the veins of his songs and performances. 13 years spent playing bars, clubs and theaters, Miles has played and performed as vocalist / lead guitarist in many midwestern bands from past to present, “Harmony Riley”, “HMS”, and most recently, as a member in the Appleton, WI via Rockford ensemble, “Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons” – as well as his own band when time permits as “Miles Nielsen & Friends.”. Aside from opening for acts such as Medeski, Martin & Wood
, to Cake, to Moe, he also co-owns a recording studio in Rockford, IL, FUSE, that has served as the recording home to Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons. He has worked with many artists such as Augie Meyers, Lonnie Brooks, Gabriel Reed, Cheap Trick, and The Good Year Pimps. From writing and performing his own tunes to recording and performing on other artists songs, Miles Nielsen continues to help carry out that very rare rock n’ roll torch that only few can claim out loud, “that sound?… it came from the midwest.”
Southern California natives, Robert Jon & the Wreck, began their musical journey together in February 2011. Within 6 months the band had not only embarked on a national tour, but also released their debut album, Fire Started. This full-length effort, which is blues-heavy with moments of soft country, tempered by down-beat driven classic rock nuance, earned them a nod from the 2012 Orange County Music Awards in the category of “Best Blues,” as well as a spot in the finals for that year’s “Best Live Band.”
Fueled by this success, the Wreck took the road again in the summer of 2012, drumming up fans from Seattle to Boston to South Carolina and everywhere in between, delivering performances emblazoned by passion and dripping with a rawness that’s impossible to fake. Simply put, it is difficult to ignore when these five musicians take the stage. Little wonder they have made an impact on audiences across the country, where they have played a run of sold-out shows and proudly shared bills with talent the likes of Walk the Moon and Rival Sons.
They returned to the studio in early 2013 to record their sophomore project, which was produced by Warren Huart (The Fray, Aerosmith), engineered by Philip Allen (Adele), and mastered by Robert Vosgien (Smashing Pumpkins, No Doubt) at Swing House Studios in Hollywood. This new, and even edgier material has simply added more fuel to the fire that Robert Jon & the Wreck ignite while performing. Audiences all over Orange County and Los Angeles have crammed venues, salivating over a band that is determined to not miss the mark. This sharpshooter like mentality was fully recognized when Robert Jon & the Wreck won the title of “Best Live Band” at the 2013 Orange County Music Awards, along with nominations in the categories of “Best Rock,” and “Best Blues
July 27
Dueling Pianos
Featuring Dario Radio, the best Chicago has to offer!
Dario Radio has a complete array of music selections. So even the most ridiculous requests will be attempted… and who knows, we might hand the mic over to you!
http://www.darioradio.com/
August 3
Mike and Joe~10pm
Mike and Joe is a really good modern rock cover band based out of Chicago. It’s kind of as simple as that. “Kind of,” except for the fact that the band is widely regarded by it’s peers as one of the very best sounding cover bands in the entire nation. It’s impressive.
But what makes an average listener walk away thinking, “That was really good.” “I liked that a lot.” ” I want to see that again.” The answer is the best possible one; and that is quality. This is a living, breathing, organic “band’s band.” No backing tracks or pre-programmed instruments are used. No sounds rolling off a computer somewhere. Just four of the most solid and passionate musicians playing . . . as one . . . with the gift of delivering a concert experience while simultaneously compelling their audience to dance and sing along. Its rock, it’s fun, and it’s quality. The guitarists utilize their acoustic guitars deftly in a way that most cover acts don’t touch. Add 4 part harmony and a smashmouth drummer who hits for real, and you have delightful versatility. And the set list? It’s a smile inducing mix of rock-pop songs from the 90s and 2000s…with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
Mike and Joe mix, match, and perfect hand selected hits and timeless favorites. They bring down the house with today’s hottest hits while rocking favorite childhood jams. Mike and Joe are not just your normal cover band, they’re a true BAND that plays covers.
August 15
Keith Anderson W/ Back Country Roads and Sundy Best~7pm
Keith Anderson is a country artist from Miami, Oklahoma. The single “Pickin’ Wildflowers” was both his debut release and the lead-off track from his first album ”Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll”. “Three Chord Country” produced a total of four hit singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and was certified gold. His second album, ”C’mon!”, was also met with great success, earning Anderson his first Top 5 Country hit with the track “I Still Miss You”.
In addition to his own material, Anderson co-wrote Big & Rich’s single “Lost in This Moment”, a Number One hit on the country music charts in mid-2007. He also served as a co-writer of the hit song “Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)”, a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones, released in late 2001.
Back Country Roads is one of the Midwest’s hottest country bands, playing mostly new country, a few older classics, and even a few songs from other genres made to fit their unique sound. Back Country Roads, aka “BCR” was created in 2009, when Mary Noren and Kyle Miller began singing Karaokee together. They soon added mutual friend Brian Miller on guitar. They played for a while as an acoustic 3-piece band for local bars. After receiving great feedback on their sound, they decided that the band should expand in numbers. They then added Dave Miller on bass guitar, Jarred Klotz on drums, Dan Alfrey on keys and Hanna Mathey on fiddle and most recently John Von Arx on guitar. BCR never fails to give the audience a unique and entertaining show. Their vocal blend and musicianship is what sets them apart from the rest. BCR has opened for acts such as Danny Gokey, Phil Vassar, Darryl Worley and David Lee Murphy. They have also played at Country Thunder Wisconsin in 2010 and 2011. BCR hopes to continue their success in expanding to other areas of Illinois and even other states. They are hitting the recording studio during their time off to record their first cd. If you’re looking for a good time, and want to see some great entertainers and musicians, come check out Back Country Roads.
Front porch melodies and song lyrics grown out of the rocky topsoil of Eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains intertwine Sundy Best’s roots in every song they sing. They are storytellers and balladeers. They are crowd rockers and party starters. The band’s visceral sound and incredible live shows have gained them a loyal following of dedicated fans from the hills and hollers of Appalachia, all the way to the bustling one way streets under downtown city lights across the south. There are mountains in their music- valleys of love lost and missing home, peaks of rowdy Saturday nights chasing Kentucky women, and the journey in between. With influences ranging from country, bluegrass, rock, soul, and rhythm and blues, the duo produces music that, at times, is hard to classify. That’s just fine by Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson. No need for a radio template, just the strum of guitar strings, bass and snare, life lyrics, and the family, friends, and fans that make it all worth it. Every song is a reminder that they have not forgotten where they came from. So put some Kentucky Bourbon in a mason jar, walk barefoot on cool grass, play Sundy Best loud and dance until your roots show.