This publication and myself as a journalist, has always championed the original music scene here in the Chicagoland region.
I am very proud of the turn out we had at last month’s “6th Annual Region Rumble,” our yearly showcase of ten promising original area artists. The ten bands who took part in this year’s event did a remarkable job presenting their music and drawing fans to hear it. More than 1,700 tickets were sold for the day long, all ages rock fest, which set a new “Region Rumble” attendance record. Kudos to those of you –– Midwest BEAT readers, Night Rock listeners, and local music fans in general –– who turned out to support these bands and the great regional music scene we have. By showing such numbers are there to support it, we are showing Northwest Indiana and South Side club owners something most city clubs have known for some time –– original music matters and will be supported by the public. Look for a “Region Rumble” pictorial in our March edition. In this edition of Midwest BEAT, we are recognizing some of the rising young rockers from Chicagoland who are proudly representing Chicagoland in the eyes of the world –– Sunday Runners, Fallout Boy, OKGO, and The Academy Is... These vibrant young groups are just the tip of the iceberg of a new batch of loud and proud regional artists who have picked up the torch from those who have come before them. And yes...there have been many, many artists who have roared out of this area and on to greatness. In an upcoming issue, Midwest BEAT will feature a series of mini-profiles on some of the wonderful “Women Who Rock Chicago” as well. Before reading about the latest batch of area rockers to make the grade and go for the glory, I think it is important to pause and reflect upon just how much rich musical history our area has, and what we have contributed to popular music. Though it rarely gets recognized as such, Chicagoland is a major music hub. It has contributed countless bands to the national scene since the dawn of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s. While Chicago always gets its just props for blues music, our region is always overshadowed by Los Angeles or New York when it comes to rock music. That’s not only a shame, but an injustice, because this region has spawned an array of major stars and major chart-toppers during every decade of the rock era, beginning with Gary, Indiana’s mid-’50s doo-wop vocal group, The Spaniels (“Goodnight Sweetheart”). In the 1960s, we gave the world –– The Buckinghams, The Ides Of March, The Cryan’ Shames, The Mauds, The New Colony Six, The Shadows Of Night (lead guitarist Jerry McGeorge was a 1963 Highland High graduate), Michigan City’s Rivieras (“California Sun”), The Impressions, Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, The Rotary Connection (featuring Minnie Ripperton), Curtis Mayfield, to name but a few. In the 1970s, Chicagoland was the breeding ground for such arena-packing groups as –– Styx, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jackson Five, and The Chi-Lites; along with such major names of the era as The Flock, Heartsfield, Rufus (featuring Chaka Kahn), Pezband, The Hounds, Shoes, The Boyzz, Skafish, Steve Goodman, John Prine, Bill Quateman, and others. Survivor kicked off the 1980s representing the Windy City with their number one radio/chart hit, “Eye Of The Tiger”, leading the way for other Chicago-based major label artists like Off Broadway, Richard Marx, South Holland’s John Hunter (his Top 40 hit, “Tragedy”, landed him on “American Bandstand”), Enuff Z’Nuff and house music pioneer, Frankie Knuckles. One of the biggest global bands of the 1990s, The Smashing Pumpkins, were a product of the region; as were Ministry, Veruca Salt, Urge Overkill, Liz Phair, Wilco, Material Issue, Disturbed, Loudmouth, Soil, Michael McDermott and MEST. Chicago remained a hot bed of talent into the new millennium thanks in no small part to the now red hot Chevelle, who revved out of nearby Gurnee, and the rise of reigning emo kings, The Alkaline Trio. Add to that, the rising Chicago rap scene and rhyming mic handlers like Twista, Common and Kayne West. Currently, Chicagoland has spawned bands like Fall Out Boy, OK GO, The Academy Is..., The Redwalls, Sunday Runners and countless “bubbling under” artists who one day soon may be household names. We are happy to be able to profile these artists in this issue and hopefully turn our readers on enough to journey out to clubs to see the wealth of fresh, young original music talent that is there awaiting them. Bands... please re-read this article when discouragement sets in and know that you need NOT buy into the hype, that one must to go to Los Angeles or New York to make it big. Just look at the nearest CD rack and you are likely to see an artist or artists who have called Chicagoland home that would beg to differ. The Chicago sound will long be around! Our region has a proud musical past and a rich legacy which looks likely to continue. So keep those guitars a blazin’ and those dreams alive! Rock On! Tom Lounges spins Region Rock on his Night Rock radio Show every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on X-ROCK 103.9
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