IPO Chicago 2019
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Artists From Chicago
Almond & Olive – Comprised of Chicago-based singer-songwriters Natalie Alms and Ollie Davidson, Almond & Olive creates inspiring songs that span the folk and Americana genres, while also incorporating Alms’ timeless vocals and the duo’s distinct songwriting. Together their voices lay down a solid base and tone, funneling you into succinct chorus melodies that build into a crescendo of rich and powerful harmonies. The end result of each song is satisfying and expressive, weaving together themes of love, fear, hope and loss. Check out their debut album, Standing At The Precipice, and their IPO showcase to see and hear for yourself!
Troy Anderson – Catchy power pop/rock n’ roll wonder boy Troy Anderson brings it back to basics: His Frankfort album features guitars that alternate from jangly to crisp and simple upbeat melodies and hooks that bore themselves into your brain, supported by an unrelenting backbeat. What pop fan could ask for more?!
Arwin – A Chicago indie pop band who are back together after a “brief” ten-year hiatus, their quirky melodies and boy-girl harmonies sound just as fresh today as they did during the first decade of the 21st century! We can’t wait to see and hear what new musical delights they’ll create!
The Artist Formerly Known As Vince Band – A fun new old school band whose latest record, On Display, is an actual record…on spiffy colored 12” vinyl no less! Glitter glam garage all the way, baby!
Athanor – Chicago, early ‘70s. Greg Herriges is obsessed with Lennon, 12-string guitars and far-out psychedelic sounds. Rick Vittenson is a Beach Boys-Hollies-Who fanatic who writes for Crawdaddy! Magazine. Both had previously played in several garage-college bands during the ‘60s. Combining their mutual love for sixties music, Athanor was born. Their music features impressive songwriting & musicianship, a collision of Beatlesque harmony vocals, Rickenbacker & Guild 12-string guitars, occasional fuzz-wah leads, Fender Rhodes, studio effects…Psychedelic proto-power pop highly recommended to anyone into Lazy Smoke, Badfinger, Only Ones, Emitt Rhodes, Rockin’ Horse, Creme Soda.…you get the picture…and if you’re still reading, we suspect you will also really dig them!
The Band Calderisi – Led by singer/songwriter/musician/music teacher, Tony Calderisi, who was first brought to IPO’s attention by none other than Mike G. of The Valley Downs and Magnaphonic (see below), and has previously played the festival under his Tony Calderisi Band and Telstar monikers, The Band Calderisi specializes in warm Americana-inflected power pop. Their latest album, Songs for the Years Gone By, is 11 pop rock songs consisting of heavy handed guitars and drums with sweet harmony laden vocals.
Beyond – f their debut single “I’ll Make It By” is anything to judge by, Beyond is well on their way to being a new-found favorite of many a power pop and indie pop fans alike. Hooks galore, Beatle-esque melodies, and bouncy indie pop vocal inflections…we can’t wait to hear how good their IPO showcase will be!
The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club – Drawing from a diverse array of musical styles, The Bishop’s Daredevil Stunt Club’s latest disc, cheekily named Don’t Buy This Record, has a bit of something for everyone. Song arrangements are the product of technique, style and innovation with great attention to detail in the areas of tone, rhythm, harmony and song structure. The band’s instrumentation is largely guitar-based but includes a wide range of other instruments, such as keys, trumpet, synth, harmonica, percussion instruments and even occasionally a theremin or ukulele, to craft unique sounds, moods and tones. The result is a mix of indie rock, power pop new wave, and dance club R&B that is truly infectious!
Blameless Lake – Essentially the outlet for the songwriting talents of main man Matt Wilke, Blameless Lake’s songs are written to work in both full band and solo acoustic settings with a sound that can vary from guitar-based power pop similar to The Replacements, Elvis Costello, and The Who to duet-oriented alt-country similar to Neko Case and Patsy Cline when Wilke is accompanied by his wife Ruth. Blameless Lake released not one, but two, EPs in the same year (2017), both of which are available from their bandcamp page and other fine music streaming services. Fans of the aforementioned artists should check them out!
Michael Steven Cohen – Known to many an IPO audience as one of the main men of The Abbeys and The Pop Dollys, both of which have long been staples at IPO Chicago, Cohen stepped out last year for his first time at IPO as a solo performer, and we’re thrilled to have him back again this year! He’s amassed an impressive repertoire of some of the most melodic, incredible, memorable love songs from the mid-20th century. Expect him to pull out some jazz and pop standards, big band stuff with just his voice & guitar, and to tell a little story about the song (when there is one)!
Collectors – Hailing from Chicago and led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Michael Mazza, they have been described as “expertly crafted Brit inflected indie rock”. With a vast array of classic British influences ranging from the ‘60s British Invasion to Blur to the Buzzcocks, Mazza’s songs are known to contain very catchy and memorable hooks and the band is known for its energetic live performances. Their brand new record, Future Tense, is taking a bit longer than expected to complete, but will be well worth the wait…watch for it!
Christopher Elam – A singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist currently putting the finishing touches on his third solo record. Past bands include Plains, Shelley Miller, and the Nashville Wreckers. His folky style and silky voice may remind one of Elliot Smith if he was part of the Canterbury scene in the early ‘70s! Check out his recent Notes From The Borderline album and his IPO showcase to hear for yourself!
Enuff Z’nuff – We’re thrilled to welcome these guys back to IPO after more than a decade! They’re among the best power pop bands ever, and what’s more, their CDs just keep getting better and better! Their latest release, Diamond Boy, is a bit of a return to their harder side, but make no mistake-it’s still as melodic as you want, and bursting with sweet vocal harmonies. And when it comes to putting on a great rock show with the potential to change the world – or at least lift the spirits of everyone in the audience, these guys are the real deal! South Side, baby!
Freetoed – They bring to the stage over ten years of playing music together around Chicago. With roots influenced by the likes of Wilco and Badly Drawn Boy, their songs climb and fall, peeling back and layering on both the melodic and dissonant. While these qualities are better emphasized nowhere else than at their live show, longtime fans and new converts alike will also want to check out their latest EP, Bubble Psychology//2//Elliptical Perimeters!
Gal Gun – Understated complexity topped off by instantly accessible melodies make Gal Gun stand out from the crowded Chicago garage-rock scene. Drawing heavy influences from ‘90s behemoths like Weezer and Blur while balancing a softer sound influenced by Belle & Sebastian and The Shins, their sound is equal parts familiar and refreshing. The band’s music and lyrics hope to strike a chord between triumph and heartbreak, emulating the Mancunian bands of the ‘80s in their ability to hide a world-weary pessimism amidst a full pop stride and have fun doing it! Their debut full length album, Special Music of Emotion, was released last year on local music label, Dumpster Tapes, and would be right at home in the collection of many a fan of fuzzy rock hooks, clever chord changes, and sweet vocal harmonies!
The Jay Goeppner Band – He’s performed in over 15 countries, and has sung with Roger Daltrey, Dave Matthews and Cheap Trick, but local rocker Jay Goeppner is perhaps best known for his love of The Beatles. In fact, if you live in Chicago, you may have heard him on the Johnny B or Kevin Matthews radio shows as a Beatle Brother! You are therefore in for a real treat as he combines his penchant for penning Beatle-esque melodies with his considerable chops performing with the aforementioned power pop legends, and steps out as the leader of his own kick-ass band doing his own original material!
The Injured Parties – One of the many bands led by the inimitable Larry O. Dean, a Chicago-based singer, songwriter, guitarist, band-leader, poet, journalist, educator, existentialist, and raconteur (and all-around great guy!) who has appeared at nearly every IPO Chicago in one guise or another. With rich three-part harmonies, chugging electric guitar, deft rhythms and Dean’s “songs and sardonica” approach to composition, The Injured Parties’ music draws inspiration from the melody and verve of vintage Kinks, the squonk of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse, the blissful feedback of The Velvet Underground, the psychedelic twang of The Byrds, and the hard-edged pop of The Posies. They’re preparing to record a second full-length album which we can hardly wait to hear!
King Mixer – Local powerpop stalwart Eric Howell is back again with his latest project, and we at IPO are glad to have him! Howell’s music has always felt the long shadow of the British Invasion, Motown, and the twang of Americana, which is now blended with the sunny ‘70s of Laurel Canyon and the pangs of Irish melancholy. The debut King Mixer CD, Hang On, heaped up some rave reviews for its sound that has been called “equal parts Paul McCartney and Paul Simon backed by R.E.M” (Audities Powerpop Fanzine). Check it out now!
Kontrolled Kaos – A young quartet from Hinsdale, Kontrolled Kaos play a blend of pop and alternative rock rooted in the classic hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a modern twist that keeps them fresh and new.
Magnaphonic – IPO is thrilled to host a special reunion show by these guys and gal, who last played IPO as Magnaphonic in 2004!! The band features Mike Galassini (92 Degrees [aka The Violet Time]), and Marianne Shimkus, who were also the leaders of The Valley Downs. They burst onto the local scene near the turn of the century with a cache of beautiful songs and enchanting live performances, and took their show the road to virtually every IPO we did in the early 2000’s, including Liverpool! They charmed crowds wherever they went, so we’re excited that they’ve returned to do it again!
The Mixture – Blending the raw power of early rhythm ‘n blues with tomorrow’s space-age stomp rock, The Mixture brings a unique vision of high energy rock n’ roll to the world! Their 2017 debut album, The Perfect Relationship, features P.P. Arnold (legendary mod/soul singer), Lenny Kaye (The Patti Smith Group/”Nuggets” fame), Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene/Paul Weller), and Paul Mertens (wind instruments and string arrangements of the Brian Wilson Band). Come to their IPO showcase to see and hear why they are quickly making a name for themselves as Chicago’s favorite psychedelic-soul garage trio!
Drew Neely & The Heroes – Neely has long been a Chicago favorite for his quirky brand of power pop with folk-pop-styled story-teller lyrics, punk pop sensibilities, and sticky hooks. With his current band, The Heroes, he takes his penchant for intelligent lyrics and catchy melody to a whole ‘nother level! They’ve put out two EPs in the past few months and are working on a full length LP. Their latest EP, This Could Be You, vol 1, is a tuneful preview of more power pop goodness due out soon!
Scott Niekelski (of Go Time) – A prolific songwriter who has recently been playing both solo – as he will at this year’s IPO – and with his band, Niekelski’s tunes trend toward power pop with a hard-edged groove. Go Time’s latest EP, Midway, will appeal to fans of artists such as Frisbie, Guided By Voices, and The Clash, to name just a few! They’re working on a 4th full-length album, so watch for it!
Andrew Robert Palmer – He’s a home-grown solo pop/punk artist with a penchant for quirky chord changes and grunge pop choruses. Fans of artists from Drew Neely (see above) to Blink 182 to Nirvana will enjoy his recent EP, Emo Supremo!. His latest EP, Brushsticks, will also appeal to fans of classic jazz and folk! Quite the eclectic entertainer!
Pelicans and Their Allies – A nerdy playfulness is the backbone of Pelicans and Their Allies’ music. The duo of Robert Higgs and Dayana Yochim produce smart, quirky indie pop that crosses varied terrains, from pretty and subtly melancholic to full of big drums and pop hooks. To continue expanding their sound, Yochim often combs through thrift stores in search of musical oddities. A multitude of instruments – violin, glockenspiel, melodica, various toy organs and keyboards, electric guitars, and percussion – can be heard in each song on their self-titled EP. One of the most charming new bands we’ve heard in quite a while, they’ve recently relocated from Atlanta to Chicago, and we can’t wait to see them live at IPO in their new hometown!
The Pickpockets – The band’s debut, By The Time We’re Through, contains thirteen tracks where distinctive vocals relate indelible narratives while guitars alternately dignify and rub dirt on the agreeable melodies. The band’s sound is influenced by British and American post-punk and indie music of the ’80s and ’90s, and over the last several years the foursome has displayed its devout allegiance to tunefulness through its vigorous live shows – so be sure to catch their IPO showcase!
Steve Ramone & The Pensioners – Ramone is a midwest born and bred singer songwriter with a love for all kinds of sounds, and who proudly proclaims on his Soundcloud page that a three minute pop song with a great hook really does the trick…a sentiment with which we at IPO could not agree more, and which is clearly evident on the band’s Snowballs In The Summer EP! The band also features Chip Z’Nuff of E’Nuff Z’Nuff (see above), so you know they’re going to rock!
Reaction – Active in the Chicago scene throughout the ‘80s, Reaction put out several demos and sparked some major label interest, but alas broke up without ever releasing their songs…Luckily for us, they remained friends and have not only reformed and put out their original material, but have also followed it up with not one, but two additional CDs of new songs! Their latest release, Edison Park, will appeal to fans of ‘80s college radio rock and Britpop as well as modern fans of modern indie rock – think REM and Echo & The Bunnymen meet Interpol and Arctic Monkeys!
The Red Moons – An alternative rock/grunge trio who have shared the stage with bands such as Local H, Mac Sabbath, and Galactic Empire, and make their IPO debut this year! Their songs “Lunacy” & “Here’s the Scam” have both been Homegrown Hits on Chicago/Milwaukee’s 95 WIIL Rock and their song “Sink or Swim” has charted on The Kayak Big 25. They can also be heard on Chicago’s 101 WKQX and many other rock/alternative stations around the world. Their third album “Eat Your Own,” is available now, and will appeal to fans of Pearl Jam or Jimmy Eat World.
The Red Wigglers – A quirky art-pop-rock combo with horns! Fans of artists such as The B52’s, The Talking Heads, or Chicago indie-popsters (and IPO veterans!) Beatnik Turtle should check out their ultra-entertaining live show at IPO!
Rollo Time – The describe themselves as just a bunch of guys who’ve played music together over the years, who finally got together and recorded a bunch of songs. Said songs can be heard on their latest CD, Victims of the Crown, and will rock you out in the classic power pop tradition. Think Mathew Sweet, Cheap Trick, Guided By Voices and XTC all rolled into one, and you get the picture! A new album is in the works!
Celia Rose – An indie-pop / folk-rock singer/songwriter with a hint of alt country and Haitian grooves just for kicks. Rose has spent much of her musical career performing and inspiring youth and women outside the US – in places as varied as Haiti, Israel, France, Rwanda, and Canada. Wherever she goes, she brings her indie-folk-pop style, while also diving deep into the musical traditions of the countries she visits. The result is a wild, often exotic, and always unique musical blend, showcasing the diversity of our world and the stories that bind us together, and has earned her songs placement in TV shows on 13 different networks. Her latest album, Zig Zag, will appeal to fans of artists as varied as Sara Bareilles and Dolly Parton.
Tom Schraeder – “Over the past decade, Chicago singer/songwriter Tom Schraeder has released an astonishing 22 albums of original material, under his own name and any number of others, constantly moving forward to the next challenge. Proving himself equally adept at roots-inflected folk, jangly alt-country, boozy Americana, eerie lo-fi home recordings, lush ambient soundscapes and even Beck-esque forays into hip hop and electronica…Schraeder’s 23rd release is 23 tracks representing every phase of his musical identity, clocking in at an hour and (of course) 23 minutes, a not-so-subtle homage to a hometown hero: Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. True to tongue-in-cheek form, the name of this career-spanning retrospective is Schraedest Hits” (Evan Jones Thorne). With so much material to choose from, there’s no telling what we might get at his IPO showcase, but we’re sure it will be entertaining!!
Rob Schulz Band – IPO audiences may recognize Schulz as one of the main men behind Swinger, but he’s also put out a couple of fine CD’s under his own name. Influences from The Kinks to The Beach Boys to Elvis Costello abound, but he brings his own unique personality and sensibilities to the fore. His work displays a wealth of hook-packed classic power pop that is earnest, tuneful, sincere, dynamic and accessible. His latest album, Something to Believe In, an exciting 13 song collection of older material that never really got its due, was recorded with Brad Jones at Alex The Great Studios in Nashville, and was well worth the wait!
Vee Sonnets – The Sonnets were (and are) much loved for their trademark glitter glam power pop sound, and even took the show on the road to join us for IPO Liverpool one year! It’s been a while since they last played IPO, but we’re honored to have their leader, Vee Sonnets himself, back for a special solo performance, which we’re sure will still really rock!
The Spindles – The Chicago-based Spindles feature original melodic power pop and classic covers. Their 2018 release, Past and Present, mixed and mastered by Grammy-Award Winner Blaise Barton, ranked #12 on Goldmine Magazine‘s Top 30 Power Pop albums of 2018, #4 on Pop Rock Record’s Must Have Top 20 Power Pop albums of 2018, and #38 on David Bash’s Top 125 Best Power Pop Albums of 2018! “The Spindles Are Here To Bring Power Pop (Back) To The People!” (Goldmine Magazine)
Catherine Tecktiel – IPO audiences may remember Tecktiel as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of Magatha Trysty, but she’s also a fine singer/songwriter in her own right! Her piano-driven melodic style is a mix of folk and indie pop, and her vocals have been compared to Aimee Mann and Chrissie Hynde, so fans of those artists should come check her out!
Thrift Store Halo – An American indie power pop band, who got their start in the mid-‘90s and are back with a vengeance after a nearly 20 year hiatus! Their recent EP, Pop Rocket, is six “[c]atchy tunes that fit well within the classic power pop template used by bands such as Cheap Trick, Fountains of Wayne and early Tom Petty…” (Richard Rossi, Power Pop News), and sounds remarkably fresh; like a new band hell-bent on putting the POWER back in power pop, consistent with their Midwestern power pop roots! Their newest EP, Consolation Prize Fighter, is due out next month…watch for it!
Too Much Saturn – Classic Midwest power pop served up with loads of crunchy hooks, soaring harmonies, big drums, 12-string bass, swirling keyboards and a liberal mix of crunchy, ambient and jangly guitars. Fans of artists from Cheap Trick to The Gin Blossoms to Fountains of Wayne should sit up and take notice of these guys! Check out their Moving Forward Sideways CD and their latest single, Blame Game!
Treeshakers – Rooted in Chicago’s school of Power Pop, in the tradition of Pezband, Cheap Trick, Shoes, and Material Issue, Treeshakers stay true to their Power Pop roots with 3-chord songs about the love found and love lost experiences of the everyday soul. From there, the group branches out and refine their sound, combining it with hard-driven dual-guitars to create what only can be described as Massive Power Pop. Come check them out!
The Unswept – Charlie and Ryan O’Brien relocated from sunny Sheffield, UK to a small but tiny apartment in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, where they write and record power pop tunes. With their hook laden songs featuring cowbell, handclaps, and sibling harmonies, we think they fit right in with Chicago’s power pop heritage! Their latest EP, Fake It, is a spiffy stereo/mono combo! Fans of Teenage Fanclub, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys will really dig these guys!
Van Go – Chrome plated guitar pop-rock is the name of that tune from this foursome. Richard Milne of WXRT-Radio has cited Van Go as “one of the best bands in Chicago….great songs, great performances, great vocals….” They promise to keep rocking and performing at their highest level until they can rock no more, and their latest album, Everyone Loves You When You’re Gone, certainly delivers: memorable melodies, raggedy guitar sounds, sing-along choruses, and hooks so big you can hang an entire side of beef on them! We can’t wait to see and hear these guys rock IPO again!
Mike Vanderbilt & The Suburban Garage Sound – Vanderbilt has graced many an IPO stage from Chicago to LA as the leader of the super-fun power pop/punk band, The Romeros, who have sadly called it a day. But main man Mike is still going strong with his latest project that blends his pop-punk heritage with a slice of alt-country which has been compared to the likes of Nick Lowe, Rhett Miller, Ryan Adams, and Paul Westerberg.
Waiflike – Main man Rich Miller (who has graced the IPO stage both solo and with band, as he will this year) writes moody music that is catchy and clever and lyrics that are both interesting and intense, as can be heard on Waiflike’s debut CD, Fifty Pence Piece of Mind. Their sound will appeal to fans of The Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, and classic Chicago area power pop. The new Waiflike rhythm section is an amazing band called Right Rongly, and the material they’ve worked up together really rocks!
Mark Watson – Otherwise known as the leader of the Mark Watson Band, whose now classic coulda…shoulda…woulda… CD earned rave reviews and international airplay for its modern pop rock sound, full of hooky choruses, big guitars, smart lyrics and a heaping helping of harmonies. They’re back in the studio with a new line up and some new music, featuring bigger guitars and more bite while retaining all the tunefulness of their previous work. Watson and Band have treated us to a sample of their new material for the last few years at IPO Chicago, and we can’t wait to hear some more this year!
The Webstirs – A truly great band whose latest CD, So Long, was hailed by Not Lame as “one of 2009’s more exciting indie powerpop releases.” “It`s chock full of sunny harmonies and Beatles riffs thrown under a metallic shower of fuzz.” (The Chicagoist) But wait…there’s more…their 1994 debut album has been re-discovered, re-mastered, and re-imagined…with super-deluxe extra tracks, and cheekily titled The Webstirs Re-Present Smirk. If you like ELO, Jellyfish, and Cheap Trick, and The Beach Boys, and don’t yet own these CDs, you will want to seek them out, along with the Webstirs’ latest release, Now You’ve Really Done It!
Aaron Williams – Emerging from the studio (where he and the band have been writing and recording with Grammy producer Johnny K), they come to IPO armed with new songs that carry infusions of classic, indie, and punk rock melded into an original sound they are proud to share with the world. Check out the slew of singles they’ve put out in the last few years, and you’ll be hooked!
Phil Yates & The Affiliates – Yates is an indie power pop artist formerly based out of Burlington, VT, who now makes his home in Chicago, and Vermont’s loss is definitely Chicago’s gain! With his hooky sound that’s “too folky for the rockers and too rocky for the folkers,” Phil has played with artists such as The Mountain Goats, The Babies, Cave Singers, Holly Golightly, and Mary Prankster.
Young Distractions – An alternative garage power trio who combine power pop hooks, passionate (and ironic) punk pop vocals, and just a touch of twang to rock their way into your heart! Their latest release, The Radiation EP, sounds like your ex still has all your favorite records: All your Husker Du and Replacements records; all your Ramones and Sam Cooke records, leaving you with no recourse but to grab your guitar and write a killer song!
U.S. Artists From Outside of Chicago
BingBong – Formed around their love for late-‘70s and early-‘80s guitar rock, BingBong strive to revive the verve and the energetic power pop of that time, and have quickly become one of Madison, WI’s hottest live acts. It is also BingBong’s good fortune to have two main songwriters with complementary but diverse writing styles: Pam Barrett is steeped in the “storyteller” tradition, writing songs that are visually evocative with characters & plots that come alive. Danny Hicks, through both his hook-laden guitar riffs and hard-hitting lyrics, is intensely, energetically, mood driven. Both have a knack for creating bright, shimmering melodies. Their debut album, Pop Restoration, is a testament to the band’s philosophy that pop can, and should, ROCK! (Now that’s a sentiment with which we whole-heartedly agree!)
Douglas & Tucker – The latest project by one of the main men of the venerable Illinois band, Einstein’s Sister, whose Humble Creatures CD has been described as “Like early Elvis Costello taking tea with Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook, while Lennon and McCartney fuss over the scones in the kitchen.” (CD Baby). Douglas & Tucker picks up right where Einstein’s Sister left off!
I Am Spartacus – Ben Peeples and Brady Ridings, a duo from Greenbriar, TN, pen punk rock your mother will like! With harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys and melodies that dance off the tongue like raindrops on rooftops, once captured, your ears will be sentenced to a lifetime of pure pop rock euphoria without parole. Lock me up!
The Jeremy Band – The eponymous band led by one of the most genuine, nicest people on the pop scene, as well as one of the most prolific pop artists around. His gentle, John Lennon-influenced pop is as spiritual as it is melodic, and you can hear this for yourself on all of his CDs. This Kalamazoo resident and his band can stake their rightful place in the IPO Hall Of Fame!
Leisure McCorkle – We’re always grateful when this gentleman makes his way to IPO (several of them!) all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina! Fans of Joe Jackson and Graham Parker will love his sturdy rock ‘n roll, as he possesses a voice so strong that he really doesn’t need a microphone! Check out his classic CD, Jet Set Baby, and his latest disc, 5000 Light Years Beyond The Speed Of Sound, and you’ll know what I’m talkin’ about!
Rainy Day Crush – With songs that are too catchy to be “indie” and too honest to be “pop,” Rainy Day Crush inhabit the wasteland between genres, much as they inhabit the space between Chicago and Milwaukee. They take their craft seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and are constantly evolving. Check out their latest EP, I’m Still Alive, and their IPO showcase!
Johnny Stanec – A singer/songwriter from Youngstown, OH, who has been releasing records under his own name, as well as with his band First In Space, since 2006. His new record, Things Were Better, When, features a classic straightforward rock n’ roll sound that fans of hooks and harmonies (aka IPO audiences!) will love!
International Artists
Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold – She sings like Benatar, plays like Jett and has a penchant for writing ‘90s-inspired anthems. Acclaimed one of the Top Ten indie talents across Canada and the Number One local band in their hometown, Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold have quickly established a reputation for equally writing catchy songs and compelling audiences. Expect a high energy rock n’ roll experience reminiscent of “all that we remember being great about the ‘90s.” (Pittsburgh Music Magazine)
Dave Rave & Hailee Rose – The venerable Mr. Dave Rave began popping very powerfully indeed a near quarter century ago as part of the legendary Canadian bands Teenage Head and The Shakers, has often been referred to as “The Canadian Nick Lowe,” and is now an inductee in the Canadian Indie Music Hall of Fame!! (Congratulations, Dave!!) A recent CD, Live With What You Know was nominated for a Grammy, as was one of its songs, “Anne Marie.” His new album, Adventureland, is “… [j]am-packed with the melodic, catchy pop rock that Dave’s best known for, this ferocious recording captures the rambunctious, boundless energy he always displays on stage.” (Hamilton Blues Lovers). From 2010 to 2014 he played 50 IPO festivals in a row (yes, you read that right), and he still plays many of them…and we look forward to many more. Miss Hailee Rose has been his protégé and backup singer for the past few years, but is also a gifted songwriter and quite the dynamic performer in her own right. The songs on her debut CD, Introducing Hailee Rose, range in style from power pop to soul to blues and the power of her voice will blow you away! They’ve teamed up for a special combined set at IPO Chicago that you will not want to miss!
