LAT is a veritable powerhouse of Texas music, featuring frontman Troy Austin on vocals, and well known Texas musicians Jeff Scroggins(Constant Seas), Daniel Hines (Four Mile Mule, Bad Haskells) and Tim Manders (Four Mile Mule, Buck Jones, I the Jury).

The debut album, Jim, is a radio friendly nod to the timeless sounds of the Byrds and Allman Brothers, and an artful ode to critical darlings Wilco and Ryan Adams. Or, to put it in other terms, “it’s modern country music that understands that gloss is useless… the songwriting… would be right at home in heavy rotation on CMT.” (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

In 2009 LAT went into the studio with the legendary Robin Hood Brians (ZZ Top) at the mixing board. A year later they would emerge with Jim, a truly unique answer for the emerging Texas country scene…Eleven songs that braid together the blue collar ethic of Son Volt, the radio friendly harmonies of the Eagles and the earthy attitude of Ryan Bingham.

But you don’t really know “Jim” until you meet him in person at a LAT show… where the guitars crackle to life and the harmonies surround the audience. And it is live that Left Arm Tan becomes more than just a band…they become an approachable friend to the audience, but with a compelling vibe, purpose and swagger. It’s a rock show with pearl snap shirts. And when you’re done soaking up the authentic vibe, you can roll down your window and drive home knowing that yet again the circle is unbroken.

Since its inception in 2005, The Big Motif has been an evolving musical expression with roots in blues, jazz, reggae, psychedelic, funk, and rock.  Recognized as youth prodigy’s early on, the band has matured and developed into strong songwriters with a unique flair.  Founding members Tony Pacello(guitar/vocals) and Hunter Roberts(bass/vocals) are both in their early 20’s and are expanding the sound of the band as 2012 moves forward.

The Big Motif released its debut CD in 2010 to positive reviews at both press and radio, and then followed up in 2011 with a more straight ahead rock oriented release entitled “Does it Weigh Heavy.”  Both releases have garnered critical praise along the way and the band has played over 200 shows since the release of its debut.  Frank Gutch Jr, from RockandReprise.net puts it like this: “The Big Motif, a band that if I didn’t know better I would swear formed just to prove to me that what I’ve been saying all these years— that music really is timeless— is true. It’s like they picked my brain for a handful of my best musical moments and put them all together in a new package.”

http://www.thebigmotif.com

Useful Jenkins plays over 100 shows a year and they love traveling the Festival Express. “The dirty path is better than the hard concrete.” Useful continues to offer their close knit and loyal fan base an innovative, unforgettable experience every show. Live shows are always high energy and exciting, while sending conscious messages to their crowds, and with their catchy harmony driven songs, you’ll be singing the tunes for days.

Useful radiates an unexplainable Minnesota nice, mid-west family vibe, and is sure to throw a front porch ho-down!! From good ol’ cleaning around the house music to late night dirt kickin debaucheries, Useful Jenkins will have you dancing like nobody is watching!!!

http://www.usefuljenkins.com/

Doors at Nine,No Cover 100% free

With Talia Keys on Drums, Guitar, Mandolin and Vocals, James Trevino on Bass, Jimmy Rockstar on Guitar, Matt Pizza on Percussion, and Spencer Kellogg on Saxophone, it is surely to be a diverse and highly energetic show. “Talia seems to me to be a reincarnate of Janis Joplin and the more I think about it the band sounded a lot like a modern version of The Holding Company” says Lewis Cooper, professional music photographer. Andrew Roy of Slug Magazine puts it right, “the band works so hard and plays so often that you’d probably need to put effort into missing Marinade these days, and that’d be wasted effort for sure.” Finally Austen Diamond from City Weekly comments, “With Keys at the helm, playing drums and letting her pipes soar to epic heights, Marinade is tight….The audience is like “Mmmmm,” because their sound’s scintillating, multi-flavored kick—with its spicy funk, salty blues, savory reggae and chill jazz—is finger-lickin’ good.”

http://www.marinademusic.com

Doors at Nine,No Cover 100% free

Great American Taxi marks its sixth year as one of the best-known headliners on the Americana music scene with a new release, Paradise Lost, produced by critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Todd Snider. The band also enlisted master folk musicians Tim O’Brien, Barry Sless, and Elizabeth Cook to tackle songs about working class, blue-collar issues while maintaining Taxi’s signature upbeat, country-, bluegrass-, rock-infused, Americana-without-borders feel.

Confronting current issues like mountaintop removal, nuclear energy, poor economic conditions, or a soldier returning from war isn’t unfamiliar territory for the band. “I believe in the power of music and songs that can generate the energy to do something,” explains Great American Taxi’s singer/guitarist/mandolinist Vince Herman. “Politics should be in music; everything’s politics, especially music. Songwriting can draw attention to appropriate issues of our times.”

“Taxi’s latest release has shed the jamming and gone for the throat with focused song writing and tight musical arrangements,” adds keyboardists/singer and album executive producer Chad Staehly. “The album combines ‘folky’ elements with straight ahead bluegrass that was propelled by Tim O’Brien playing fiddle, banjo and mandolin on several numbers mixed with equal parts rock ’n’ roll — think early-’70s country-rock Rolling Stones.”

Taxi has been performing many dates over the past couple of years as backup band for folk songster and storyteller Todd Snider so it’s no surprise to see Snider’s name crop up on the production credits. He makes an appearance on lead vocals, harp and some back-up vocals.

With Paradise Lost, Great American Taxi remain inspired by roots rockers like The Band, The Jayhawks, Gram Parsons, and New Riders of the Purple Sage, wearing these influences on their collective sleeve but carving out new territory along the way both lyrically and musically.

The band crafted a batch of 12 songs that follow a script of sorts, focusing on America in the new millennium. The theme started to develop in 2010 when they spent time in Nashville. Later that year, while on tour with Snider in Denver, lightning struck: Snider and the band decided to work together to create Taxi’s third album, which was to explore what “paradise lost” means to all of us, individually and collectively. Paradise Lost takes on issues such as loss of childhood, loss of innocence, lost loved ones — even the loss of the record industry.

The release wraps up a trilogy, the band realized while working on Paradise. Their three albums loosely sketch out three periods in American history. People came to this country to carve out their Streets of Gold (GAT’s first release in 2007), got caught up in a bunch of Reckless Habits and have ended up with a sense of Paradise Lost.

The lead track on the album, “Poor House,” came to them in a peculiar way while the band was playing in Oklahoma City. They received a call from their songwriting friend Benny Galloway (Yonder Mountain String Band), who had no idea that GAT was in Oklahoma. By coincidence, he called to say he was driving through Woody Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah, OK, knowing that the Taxi boys were big Guthrie fans. Galloway showed up about an hour before the show and ran “Poor House” by them as a potential song they could play together that night. Galloway obliged the band’s desire to include the track and dropped off a demo version weeks later while all were back home in Colorado.

When work began on Paradise Lost, Snider wanted the lyrics first before anything else. All five band-members contributed. Snider helped them edit and whittle down the catalog of songs to about fifteen tunes before they shored up the music and headed for East Nashville in April of 2011. There they arrived at Eric McConnell’s house (where Snider cut his acclaimed release East Nashville Skyline and where Jack White produced Loretta Lynn’s Grammy-award winning release Van Lear Rose).

Staehly recalls, “The house definitely has a certain vibe to it, maybe it’s all the old analog gear or McConnell’s approach, but this new album from Taxi hearkens to the sounds of both of those albums. It’s a bit raw with all kinds of warmth and vibe to it that helps bring home these workingman songs. Paradise Lost has an everyman’s aesthetic to it that evokes a reminder of how things ought to be for those in search of the elusive American Dream.”

Great American Taxi’s sophomore effort, Reckless Habits (2010), garnered critical attention on the Americana music scene, topped at #12 on the Americana Music Association’s radio chart; it remained in the top 25 for more than two months. Habits sat atop the Colorado radio chart for more than two months and remained in the top 25 for more than a year. Reckless Habits found the band moving, “confidently between touching base on their first generation influences and building songs with unmistakably individual presence,” noted the Boulder Weekly.

Taxi has spent the last six years touring America non-stop, and their astute observations on the American condition resound with a truth and values ethos that all can relate to. After all, these guys have seen a lot, having played more than 750 shows in their short history together and traveling close to 500,000 miles in that time, spreading a brand of music that they affectionately refer to as “Americana without borders.”

The 12 tracks on Paradise Lost include a couple of reflective ballads, a sing-along or two, and some rockers that will make you want to get up and shake your money-maker. Great American Taxi, along with their friend and producer Todd Snider, deliver a collection of what Staehly calls “electric folk music for our times.” Paradise Lost is an ode to the American Dream, often times forsaken but always there to be rediscovered.

http://www.greatamericantaxi.com/

Doors at Nine,tickets $8 advance and $10 at the door.WhiteWater Ramble opens the show

Self-described as “High-Octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass”, WhiteWater Ramble uses a simple recipe to craft it’s sound – bluegrass instrumentation, add drums, and a boundary-less approach to grassing-up everything from disco house grooves to roots Americana. The Colorado-bred quintet combines the elements of Mandolin, Fiddle, Acoustic Guitar, Upright Bass, Drums and Vocals to explore the musical boundaries of multiple genres to fuel their own mixture of original music and innovative cover song interpretations. Whether playing an intimate encore, acoustic and unplugged in the crowd, or surfing on top of the upright bass, WhiteWater Ramble delivers a powerful and memorable live performance.

The result? A blend of hip hop, electronica, and jam that truly shows off the artistry of the live remix. Keys N Krates collage raw samples and twist them with live instrumentation, creating a unique party sound. With two live off-the-floor mixtapes under their belt, the outfit is set to release their first EP, The Blackout. The multi-genre EP blends clever sample collaging, epic synths, big bass, and funky drum grooves into a sonically unified collection of songs.

KNK has been featured in such publications as URB, Fader, and Antenna magazine. They have toured with and played alongside artists including Pretty Lights, Lotus, Skrillex, Girl Talk, Kid Cudi, Metric, Timbaland, Zed’s Dead and more. In 2011/12, the band broke out on the festival scene, playing Ultra Music Festival, Camp Bisco, Electric Forest, North Coast, Moe’s Summer Camp, Re-Generation and Blues Fest. After producing distinctive remixes of songs by artists such as MGMT, Jay Z, Bassnectar, Diplo, Drake, and Florence + The Machine, Keys N Krates were commissioned to create official remixes for Lotus, Lyrics Born, and OK GO.

To really grasp what Tune, Matisse, and Jr. Flo bring to the stage, you have to see it up close. Their shows are filled with high-energy sets that are made to be witnessed live. The guys continue to craft and grow their sound and style, exposing audiences worldwide to the Keys N Krates experience.

http://www.keysnkrates.com/

Roster’s most recent studio album, Through Space and Time, is an exercise in precision and energy, revealing a polished, perfected version of their former selves. The band has come a long way from the jazz-infused reggae-folk sound showcased on their debut album, though their more recent material is still based firmly in their roots even as they reinvent and re-energize old favorites. With frequent guest Steve Molitz (Particle; Phil Lesh and Friends) on keyboards, the album combines the technical precision and complex meters of prog with incredible musicianship and an unmatched passion for creating, weaving together a stunning, musically cohesive wave of sound that inspires and uplifts.

With their 2011 release, Live at the Cabooze Vol. II, the band takes the energy of their recent studio album and turns it up to eleven, showing emphatically that all of their touring experience has forged them into an even tighter, more confident, more focused band than we heard on previous live albums—to the obvious appreciation of the 700 fans that fought their way through a blizzard that pummeled Minneapolis that blustery December evening in 2010. Roster McCabe is a band that knows how to connect and inspire, and their fans clearly will not be denied.

And, in the truest sense, the fans have brought the band to where it is today; Through Space and Time was funded by donations through Kickstarter. The band’s appreciation for the incredible support they have received throughout the years naturally lead them to gravitate towards the Free Music philosophy, believing strongly that creativity and innovation—like most things in life—are meant to be shared and enjoyed. To that effect, and with deepest gratitude, Roster McCabe has made their full four–album discography available to everyone for free download.

Longtime fans of the band may recall a deep cut on Roster McCabe’s first record in which the band fixes their gaze firmly on the future with the words “Take me up higher than I’ve ever been before”—words which, looking back now, could not have been more prescient. Through their love, generous donations, and endless support, Roster McCabe’s dedicated fans have done just that, propelling the band to newer and greater heights—and the band shows no signs of stopping.

http://www.rostermccabe.com/

Tickets just $6 advance $8 at the door

In 2010 they switched their Line up again adding Lead Guitarist and Vocalist Mike Miller from The Easy Riders another great Peoria Band that Plays shows all over as well , and new drummer Joel Ingles who is a power player and has taken the boys in new directions and quickly becoming one of the favorite members  Joel’s last show after a 2 year run was New Years Eve 12/31/11 ,which was Art of ILL’s own Hotel Extravaganza”New Years Ball” and was sold out !!!closing out 2011.They Replaced are old guitarist and drummer from Brainchild Jake and Pony, who were in Fusion from 2004 -2009

Who is Art of ILL Fusion anyway??????????????
—————————————————————–
/////// Daniel   A.K.A. “Dee Mill”  GUITAR /////////
Dee is the primary song writer and vocalist in this project. He is a self taught musician that plays multiple instruments and has been playing in a National touring band since 1996 with his first project called Squib Potential. He is deff is the crafty veteran of the group . He has been doing it since 2004 with this band which has become his heart and soul . He also runs the promotion company which books ARt of ILL Fusion called Fusedwell Promotions Presents.  They also throw several shows throughout the midwest, and occasionally any other part of the  country.  The Pride and joy for Fusedwell and Art of ILL is the Putnam County Music and Art Fair which they throw every year and is a 4 day Music fest that will be in it’s 4th year this year .

/////////// James  A.K.A.  “J P” , “Lil J”  “James Paul from the Heights ya’ll”  BASS //////////////
James has been the longest running member of Fusion besides Dee, with 2 stints with the band as the second Bassist in 2005 after leaving the band Brainchild to persue this project full time . He left in 2008 and came back in 2009 for personal reasons and has taken the band to new heights everytime he has been “the guy” thumpin the funk and the roots rock reggae  bass lines that are sometimes hard to pull off!  He is also self taught but has taught himself form some of the greats including  Victor Wooten, James Jamerson,  Oteil Bourbage, and Aston “Family Man” Barret to name a few .  Watch James during a solo and you quickly see why he is the man ! He holds the groove down everyday of his life !!!

///////////// Brian  A.K.A.   ” Railey”, “Rails”  PERCUSSION/////////////////////////

Brian and Dee played in their first group together in 1996 -2000 and he moved away for some years but as soon as he returned to Illinois, he was added to the group around 2007 on percussion.   He not only plays an eccentric style of Latin, Funk, Tribal and Reggae, but he also sings like a little bird. He Has several songs in the Fusion cover songbook that they can pull out including The Dead , Neil Young, The Band ,Lynyrd Skynyrd and ,  just recently “Black Crowes”  He is one of the hardest working members of the band too, often goin beyond the call of duty to get this or that strait for the band so they can be on point !!

//////////////////// Mike   A.K.A.   “Chief” , Mi Mill”  GUITAR///////////////////////////

Mike , While a little younger then the other 3, he is not behind in his extensive knowledge of roots music .  He has quickly become one of the MVP’s of the project every night . He started out by helping the band on the road in 2007 – 2008 teching and and then they would call him up each night and he also filled in for some big shows which Jake couldnt make. It just  made sense when it was time to replace Jake who wanted to concentrate full time on Brainchild .  He has been Rockin his brand of Soul, Slide Guitar, and Jerry Garcia licks since 2010 full time and has adapted it his  to his own style, and tone which is rarley immulated !!! He lives everyday inondated in music. When not touring with Fusion, he tours in his project, The Easy Riders, where he is  the front man and lead guitarist.  They have quickly come through the ranks in the Midwest Jamband community as well!!Although Jake(Brainchild) was hard to replace Mike, is one of the best guitarists this band has ever had !!!
///////////////// Nick   A.K.A.   “The Kid”    DRUMS ////////////////////////////////////
The newest member , on drums,  just joined the band at the begining of 2012!! He is also the youngest . Having just turned 21 he is, not to be cliche, but an old soul .  He can talk music history for hours, especially drummers. He Is currenty studying Jazz performance and Classical as well. He his working his way through school while touring with both Fusion and The Easy Riders with Mike .  This young dude has serious chops. The band is very excited to get it started with him leading the grooves with this newest incarnation of the band!!!!!!!

http://www.artofillfusion.com/

Doors at Nine,one free keg of tasty PBR tapped when they open.Tickets just $5 bucks

Supreme Action League is a product of Denver’s burgeoning EDM scene. Founded by writer/ producer Cody Wille (Signal Path, Electric Skychurch), the band of self-proclaimed “intergalactic cyber monks with spunk” is rounded out by vocalist / percussionist Anthony Fugate, and MC Marc Brawley. Fugate, a master of computer animation, also brings a quirky and alluring video element to the band’s mixed bag of super powers, producing videos for singles like “Disco Thunder” and a full visual experience at Supreme Action League’s live show

http://soundcloud.com/thesupremeactionleague

Free after the comedy show,comedy starts at 8

Doors at 7:30 show about 8,tickets just $5 bucks.Live music from the Supreme Action League after the comedy