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Question of the day

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It’s Friday, so let’s lighten it up a bit today. We’ve done this before, but it was a while ago, so things may have changed.

Question: What’s your favorite local band? Tell us where the band is from and a bit about them.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:23 am

Comments

murph and the magictones

Comment by IrishPirate Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:26 am
10th IL Volunteer Cavalry Regiment Band…love their original Civil War music played on original instruments.

Comment by Siyotanka Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:26 am
I think it needs no explanation. Two words they appeared in a hotel scene in the “Blues Brothers”.

Comment by IrishPirate Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:26 am
The Debbie Ross Band (who, by the way, will be performing on Sept. 20th following the Recovery Walk from the Capitol to Lincoln Park!)

Just a little plug…

Comment by Erickson Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:28 am
The Javelinas are by far the best Illinois band. It includes guys from both sides of the great divide (I-80) boasting members from Paris, IL and Chicago. They’re a great example of what blues and classic rock and roll have to offer. Catch them in Champaign tonight at Memphis on Main.

Comment by TheMB Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:33 am
There’s a neat acoustic bluegrass band out of the Yorkville area called the Giving Tree Band; a bunch of green-living hippies. They recently recorded a record (or CD or whatever the kids call it these days) at the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center in Wisconsin, completely carbon-free. But the music is solid, too.
www.thegivingtreeband.com

Comment by Tony @ -30- Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:34 am
I would have to say “The Ivas John Band.”

They are a great blues band from Carbondale that are not only polished musicians, but also professionals to work with.

Also, most blues bands that are able to get regular work these days play the same old covers of Muddy, T-Bone, Little Walter, Willie Dixon ect, these guys play 80% originals.

Here’s my own little plug for them, there playing at the Hangar 9 on the strip in Carbondale homecoming Saturday, October the 11th with Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials.

Comment by Speaking At Will Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:38 am
Hello Dave, from Chicago.

And now… their name and my name are not related.

Comment by dave Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:40 am
My favorite is a one-man-band called Simply Rod. He is superb at blowing his own horn, occasionally will play heartstrings, can bang the reform drum while marching to his own beat with a special kind of vibe.

Comment by Captain Flume Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:54 am
The Greater DeKalb Footstomping Ensemble — “The Footstombers.” Guys who have been hanging around NIU for decades. I think a couple of them are music teachers. Great bar/beer band. Lot of covers plus funny originals. Very good musicians.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 11:59 am
Vance Kelly and the Backstreet Blues Band. Used to see them at the Old Checkerboard on 43d street every Thursday. Heck of a showman and a fantastic guitar player.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 12:01 pm
Rich,

I’m taking a quick break from coming up with my strategery on pay-to-play. Since you didn’t put a timeframe on the question, I’ll throw a few out there for the masses.

Cheap Trick

Naked Raygun

Poi Dog Pondering

Liquid Soul

Comment by Rep. John Fritchey Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 12:05 pm
They’re not around anymore, but Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows have to rank rank pretty high.

Comment by Deep South Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 12:40 pm
The Changes. Had mild success with a hit that was played on XRT in Chicago about a year ago, but a great band all-around.

Also, Joe Pug. He’s a carpenter in Chicago who is the new Bob Dylan. Srsly.

Comment by Bill S. Preston, Esq. Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:17 pm
Best local band would have to be Butch Ramalow. Also known as,”The One Man Band.” He can play a guitar behind his back without blinking an eye. He plays every Sunday at Buckheart Tavern in, well Buckheart.

Comment by You've been Ramalowed Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:33 pm
Dan Rvero Trio. Three guys that can make you actually feel the blues.

Comment by Springfield Sceptic Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:37 pm
Make that Dan Rivero

Comment by Springfield Sceptic Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:38 pm
Easy. The Ike Reilly Assassination. Mike (Ike) Reilly is from Libertyville, still lives there and is an incredible singer and songwriter. The IRA are top notch. Saw them at Schuba’s last year and they burned the building down. Ike also opened for the Pogues in March at the Riv.

Comment by paddyrollingstone Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:47 pm
I am pretty partial to OK GO! The drummer is from Illinois!

Comment by walkinmyshoes Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:49 pm
Elsinore

Comment by mormino Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 1:58 pm
This questions makes me wish I was more into the music scene. I wish I knew some up and coming R&B, hip-hop, blues, and jazz acts out there on the local scene.

Comment by Levois Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:09 pm
Current bands: Antidote. Playing popular rock and the only local band I know (we don’t get many of those in Fogotonia).

http://www.myspace.com/antidoteonline

I would aldos be remiss if I didn’t give a shout to my boy “Slammin’” Sammy Snodsmith and his band .

http://www.myspace.com/moneyshotrocks2

As for older bands that have gone by the wayside or whose prime has passed, Deep South mentioned a great one in Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows. Used to see them in Carbondale at Hanger 9. Slyder was a great, short-lived band in the early ’80s, hailing from the tiny burg of Sandoval. Bands like Faustus and Mama’s Pride were huge in the metro east area.

Comment by Fan of the Game Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:09 pm
“Deep South @ 12:40 pm:

“Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows have to rank rank pretty high.”

Great Choice, Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, what a great band!

Comment by Speaking At Will Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:10 pm
mc chris, an indy artist from Libertyville but now lives in NYC and works in Atlanta too. He does nerd core rap and voice acting.

Comment by Bathos Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:10 pm
I heart the Footstompers real well but my fave band here in DeKalb is Johnny & the Boomers with their “working class blues.” Lots of traditional stuff & some of the best harp I’ve ever heard.

http://johnnyandtheboomers.homestead.com/

Comment by yinn Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:43 pm
I’m with Deep South and Fan. Big Twist put on a great show; Carbondale was the spot! Another great blast from the past at The Hanger was Big Larry and The Code Blues.

Comment by Bob Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 2:58 pm
Sons of the Never Wrong.

A trio with really great, catchy albums. My wife and I saw them opening for another band at Old Town School of Folk on our first date after we got married. I would hear them from time to time on The Midnight Special when I lived in Chicago.

Comment by South Side Mike Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:02 pm
Bob

Great mention of Big Larry and Code Blue. Larry is still playing around Carbondale, even though his health is starting to fail him some.

Comment by Speaking At Will Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:07 pm
Smoking Popes are a solid suburban Chicago pop band. Couple great mid-90’s records and now making a comeback.

Comment by BigDog Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:12 pm
Check out the band Escape…and no, they are NOT a Journey tribute band! They are from the St. Louis ‘burbs and play some rock….check them out on MySpace!

Comment by Vote Quimby! Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:13 pm
Since I still consider Chicago home, Smashing Pumpkins, baby!

I’m interested in learning about Springfield bands…

Comment by Black Ivy Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:14 pm
those two guys from stella blue. at least they sound good to me when i’m there.

Comment by freelance editor Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:20 pm
Tom Irwin.

His music always seems new to me.

Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:25 pm
Depends on the line-up, but generally it is Slapping Henry Blue led by Tawl Paul. They play mostly covers — a killer version of Ring of Fire — but you probably wouldn’t recognize them. Bill Carter is probably the best guitarist in our region and I go to their monthly shows at PKs partially to steal as many licks as I can. Tawl Paul is an original to say the least. They aren’t your average music school wonder bread dorks that seem to get bands together in college towns and say they play “blues”. These guys have lived it and not by choice.

Comment by Devin Miller Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 3:44 pm
I loved Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Am too old to know the scene today.

Comment by Captain Flume Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 4:06 pm
Just one more thing, if you like supporting local music and are in the area, check out the Lower T jamboree Sat. Sep. 13 in Paris, IL. All proceeds go to D.O. It Edgar County, a charitable organization for persons fighting cancer, check it out at
www.myspace.com/lowertjamboree

Comment by TheMB Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 4:44 pm
Hip Pocket from Bloomington Normal - They’re Capable in…Blues, R and B, and Rock. Good good musicians. They also have cross aisle appeal and are good enough to have played inaugural bashes in D-C for incoming Clinton and Bush events.

Comment by Whence cometh a candidate Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 4:47 pm
Pork & the Havana Ducks. RIP, Jerry “Pork” Armstrong.

Comment by IDOT Engineer Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 8:00 pm
Gotta agree with the MB. The Javelinas rock. If you get a chance to see them, do so.
http://www.myspace.com/javelinas

Comment by That Guy Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 9:32 pm
for rock i’d say smoking popes originally from Elgin area, now in Chicago:
http://www.myspace.com/smokingpopes

jazz, deep blue organ trio in chicago:
http://deepblueorgantrio.com/

hip-hop, pugslee atomz or typical cats out of chicago:
http://www.myspace.com/typicalcatscrew
http://www.myspace.com/pugsleeatomz

Comment by jessica Friday, Sep 12, 08 @ 10:38 pm
Bottomless Pit is a quartet from Chicago that make some of the finest rock music in the world. (The two songwriters used to be in Silkworm before a vehicular assault killed their drummer and ended that band.) They are the only band I know of that can take the basslines from Joy Division songs and hooks from Creedence songs to make music that sounds both brand new and classic. Their new EP, entitled Congress, came out this summer.

The band has also played with Dianogah, a trio of two bassists and a drummer who just had their record release party at the Bottom Lounge last night. They are a lot of fun, and worth checking out. WBEZ ran a brief interview with them Thursday.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Saturday, Sep 13, 08 @ 10:14 am
Best local bands of all time are as follows:

1) Cryan’ Shames
2) Shadows of Knight
3) Ides of March
4) American Breed
5) Buckinghams
6) Cheap Trick (Rockford)
7) The Third Booth (Peoria)

That is all except for The Kind (1981’s “When You Rock b/w “Total Insanity”)

Comment by Hinsdale Saturday, Sep 13, 08 @ 3:30 pm
Slapstick, which came out of the Elgin punk scene, was great while it lasted. Smoking Popes are now the greatest local band, but I prefer their old hits to their new songs.

Comment by elgin Sunday, Sep 14, 08 @ 9:01 pm
The best band in Chicago is Dolly Varden, fronted by husband and wife team, Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen. They’re both phenomenal songwriters and singers. The band is sort of rootsy (Mark Balletto will pull out the slide guitar at least once every show), but not quite alt-country.

Check ‘em out at www.dollyvarden.com.

Comment by corvax Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 7:06 am