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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE…by Tom Lounges / Editor
REGION RUMBLE INFO!
Our first “Region Rumble” took place in 1998 and was actually called the “Celebrate Local Music Fest”. Showcasing Chicagoland artists at Star Plaza Theatre has been an annual Midwest BEAT tradition ever since.
The next “Midwest BEAT Region Rumble” at Merrillville, Indiana’s stellar Star Plaza Theatre will take place on Saturday, January 14, 2006.
With the official date now set, musical groups interested in playing at this annual gala, are invited to begin submitting their publicity kits/CD demos for consideration.
As always, only 8 bands will make the final line-up cut and play the gig, so be warned that the competition for the slots is very tough. Be sure to send a band/artist bio, a quality COLOR photo (for posters should you make the final line-up) and a studio quality CD recording of some of your original material.
All styles of original music is welcome, as we try to choose a variety of styles and genres for the bill, so as to represent the flavors of our region.
BANDS! Before you even bother sending off your materials, remember that EACH artist on the “Region Rumble” bill is required to pre-purchase and sell 65 tickets to this event. Most bands sell well in excess of that number, but we must set a minimum to make sure show costs for using the 3,400 seat venue are met.
Artists who do not feel they can draw at least 65 people to see them perform at this all ages concert event, are probably not ready to play a venue like Star Plaza Theatre and should not submit materials.
The two artists who sell the most tickets by show date, will win a variety of very cool assorted prizes from a plethora of sponsors. Past prizes have been radio and print ads, recording studio packages, professional photo sessions, etc. This year’s prize package is still to be determined, but will be comparable or better than past years.
Artists and bands who are still interested in playing after getting this far in my text, can check out more details about our annual Star Plaza Theatre Region Rumble on our web site: www.midwestbeat.com
Once online with us, click on “Region Rumble Information”. While there, you might also want to visit our online photo archives and browse through photos from our many past “Rumbles.”
B.C. RICH GUITAR GIVEAWAY
Music Lab gives Night Rock Radio listeners another chance to win a B.C. Rich axe during the month of “Zeptember”.
Tune me in every Sunday evening on the Night Rock show from 6-9pm on X-ROCK 103.9fm for your chance to win it.
ROCKIN’ WIT’ DA RAILCATS
I have been at many Railcat games representing X-ROCK 103.9 for the station-sponsored “Thirsty Thursdays” and have had the pleasure of meeting several folks connected with the ball club and the Steelyard Stadium.
I have hung out
with official “Thirsty Thursday” stadium band, Misbehavin’;
I am already looking forward to next summer and more of the same. Go Railcats!
A TWANGIN’ AND BANGIN’
Congrats to the outlaw country band, Smokewagon of Knox, IN.
The rough around
the edges Hoosier pickers took in top honors in the grand finals of the
regional round of the Indiana 105-sponsored “Colgate
Country Showdown”.
Kudos to all the finalists I had the pleasure of seeing perform as a judge on those grand finals. There is truly some fine country music talent right here in our backyard.
Shown in the photo here taken by Hegewisch Lisa of Midwest BEAT, are from left to right: Indiana 105 air staff – Laura Waluszko, Jeff Sanders, Steve Zana, Carmine Rasmussen, Indiana 105’s Kris Burbee and Midwest BEAT’s Tom Lounges.
BAND BITS...
• It grieves me to report that something very bad has happened to some very good people. Condolences to Mike and Becky Dykes of Crown Point. The Dykes family suffered a tragic loss last month, when their teenage daughter Amber was lost to them in an automobile accident on U.S. 30. Mike is a friend to many within the local music community as manager of regional southern-fried rock group, The Highway Band, who later this month will release their latest full length album, Nine Fine Wines.
• To balance the scales a bit, I am happy to share news that Nekole Perez, frontwoman/vocalist of local club band Autumn Dawn, gave birth on August 22 to new daughter, Emily Nicole Perez. The proud papa and husband is Autumn Dawn bassist Noe Perez (ex-Silent Knights). After a difficult delivery with some post-birth complications, both mother and daughter are now at home and doing well. Congratulations! Send ‘em congrats online at: www.autumndawn.net
• Chicago’s new rock ‘n’ roll wunderkinds – Fall Out Boy – are certified Video Stars! The hometown rockers – Patrick Stump (vocals/guitar), Pete Wentz (bass), Joe Trohman (guitar) and Andy Hurley (drums) – had the #1 most played video during the last week of August on both MTV and FUSE with its debut single and video, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”. Their video got 45 spins over seven days on MTV and 31 plays on FUSE. Fallout Boy have been on the road all summer, first with the WARPED Tour and then on their own. They head back on the road this month with the “Nintendo Fusion Tour,” which hits Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom on September 30th. More info: www.falloutboyrock.com
• Another Chi-town band doing well these days in the big leagues is Allister – Tim Rogner (vocals), Kyle Lewis (guitar), Scott Murphy (bass) and Mike Leveranz (drums) – who just finished mixing their third full length album, Before The Blackout.
• The new 14-song disc will hit record racks nationally on October 11 via Drive-Thru Records. It is the ten year old band’s first new release in over three years. Allister’s sophomore CD, Last Stop Suburbia, has sold 80,000 copies to date. The group also just completed shooting the video for the album’s first single, “A Lotta Nerve,” which was directed by Darren Doane. More info: www.allisterrock.com
Her name is Leslie Nuss and this talented singer/songwriter/guitarist is touting a new self-titled CD that is deservedly screaming for radio play on Hot Adult Contemporary stations. Nuss is a mid-Eighties graduate of Olympia Fields’ Rich Central High School, who now resides in Valparaiso, Indiana with her husband. Curious pop fans can find the disc –– her third full length release since 1998 – online at www.LeslieNuss.com – or at www.CDBaby.com
• Surviving a few line-up changes since relocating to Central Indiana, transplanted region ska band, Coinslot, have completed their new EP Smile Music is Dead. To hear some samples of the band’s new EP, point your web browser to: www.silexent.com or www.myspace.com/coinslot
• There is a new “Open Mic Night” in the area looking to help expose local music talent ages 21 and older. The weekly 8pm original music event is sponsored by Budwieser and hosted by local musician, Andrew Pittman. It officially kicked off last night and will run every Thursday evening at Zuni’s Lounge, 149 W. Commercial Ave., in Lowell. More information: (219) 696-3565.
• Bub and Samantha Pullins over at Cronies Charhouse & Gin Mill in Kouts will be hosting an October 1st benefit event to help medical expenses for local resident, Jimmy Cooper. The program will go from 5pm until the wee hours of the morning with performances by such bands as – Planetary Blues Band, Chester Brown, Funk Shoe, Shotgun Elvis, Chemical Lights, Bubba Chaos and others still being added at press time.
• Steve Rempis, vocalist/rhythm guitarist for retro cover band, Retropolitan, has left the group to concentrate on his original material. Rempis is currently searching for the perfect bass player to complete a new all original group, which features lead guitarist/vocalist Ben Girnus (ex-Plantaines); and drummer Eddie Renwald.
• After recently losing their rock steady drummer, Shane Samaniego, to the nationally touring Pearl Jam tribute act, Evenflow, the remaining members of Electric X are finally ready to carry on with new beat keeper to be, Dean Debone (formerly of The Merkins).
• Northwest Indiana’s Kamera have released a 14-song CD titled, X-Posure, that has been getting spins on X-ROCK 103.9’s Night Rock Radio program. Their sound is akin to Survivor, Boston, Night Ranger, etc. Good arena rock stuff. Catch Kamera on September 11 at Leroy’s Hot Stuff in Porter, at a benefit for Chesterton’s Billy Witte, who is battling cancer. More info: www.leroyshotstuff.com
• Generation Hex, is a new five-piece band based in Chicago’s southwest suburbs, featuring former members of the bands – My Sacrifice, Rumorz, and Final Faze. All five Gen Hex-ers are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists, giving them a wide songbook and expansive sound. More info at: www.generationhex.net
• Long time Chicago blues favorites The Siegel-Schwall Band celebrate the release of their first full studio album in 30 years. Released by Chicago’s Alligator Records, Flash Forward features 13 brand new songs and is already garnering praise from critics and fans. The Siegel-Schwall Band is a seminal Chi-town band who fused urban blues with folk during their first run 1964-1974. Today’s line-up includes original members – Corky Siegel (harmonica), Jim Schwall (guitar/vocals), Rollo Radford (bass) – along with legendary Chicago Chess Records session drummer Sam Lay, who also played skins with a very young Bob Dylan back in the mid-’60s.
THIS ‘N’ THAT...
• If any local rockers would like to be immortalized on video and be a part of rock ‘n’ roll history, they should plan to be at Star Plaza Theatre on November 19. The 8pm concert that night by the current incarnation of the Chicago-based band, STYX, will be taped on location for later broadcast by the national PBS series, “Soundstage.” There seems to be a bit of irony that the STYX taping comes a full two years after their ousted former lead singer/chief songwriter, Dennis DeYoung, was thusly honored with his own “Soundstage” episode. Guess “Soundstage” understood that the band’s best catalog songs and fan faves had been sprung from DeYoung’s pen.
‘Nuff said!
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Congratulations to Shaun Cavazos of Hammond! Shaun won the new
B.C. Rich guitar I gave away at the Lake County Fairgrounds
during “Beatle Night” with Louise Harrison and The
Liverpool Legends. The show sponsor was Radio One Communications
and the guitar sponsor was none other than Music Lab of Lansing, IL.
Since
this is our annual “How We Spent Our Summer Vacation” concert
photo issue, I thought I would expound on the theme and take this time
to say “Thanks” to The Gary-Southshore Railcats baseball
team for the great ball playing and good times they have afforded me.
tossed out the first pitch a few times;, shaken my booty with wild and
crazy team mascot Rusty The Railcat, and enjoyed plenty of ice
cold beer and ballpark red hots with an awful lot of station listeners
Thanks to the charming and delightful Utah native, Carmine
Rasmussen (of “American Idol”) for taking time to join us at
the judges table. What a sweetheart she was to all the fans who stopped
by our table to chat and gets autographs following the contest.
There is a new pop star in the region that fans have yet to
discover.