Leah Morris is a forester drone pilot, artist, reiki healer, permaculture gardener, and dear friend. A lifelong traveler, Leah weaves together her passions for adventure, art, health, innovation, and environmental restoration into a life of purpose and beauty. Her mission to plant one million trees is well underway, with over 1,000 trees and 100,00…

Mike Altergott is a multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, mechanical engineer, and math/science educator. You can catch him playing shows around town with Chicago bands Space Gators, Middle Sister, Doc, Obliger, and Pub League. His new solo musical project called Winter Mako just did a DZ Session with Ben, word on the street is that some videos ar…

Shlomo Franklin is an American singer/songwriter born on a small cow farm in upstate New York. Raised off the cultural grid, without music, television, or radio, his songs are strongly influenced by his cult-like religious upbringing. Shlomo released his debut album in 2019 which was produced by Grammy Award winner C Lanzbom and was followed by a d…

Dr. Shannon Switzer is the Director of the Sensaphonics Musicians’ Hearing Clinic in Chicago and is a featured audiologist in the MusiCares x Tuned partnership. A native Vermonter, she completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Vermont and then moved to Chicagoland to earn her Doctorate of Audiology from Northwestern University. She pro…

Matt Muffin is the lead singer and guitarist for Chicago Thrashers Lollygagger as well as being a professional amp tech with 10 years experience.By bendingbrains

Otruta is a Ukrainian musician from Kyiv, Ukraine. He is a student at Columbia College Chicago studying audio production and music. Otruta produces music and performs as a DJ all over the world. He has put on a music festival in Kyiv, Ukraine and hopes to do more with music and education in Ukraine.By bendingbrains

Beverly Rage (she/her in drag, he/him out of drag) is the singer, guitarist, and songwriter in Chicago’s all-original drag fronted punk rock band Bev Rage & the Drinks. Bev has been a musician for over two decades, nearly half of that fronting BR&TD, and a drag artist for 15 years. As a lifelong queer activist, Bev uses music as a way to empower fo…

Mary Rose Gonzales, known as "Beef," is a Filipino American drummer from Chicago, making waves in the punk and garage rock scenes for over a decade. She currently plays with Bev Rage & The Drinks and will be reuniting with Mystery Actions for a special show at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas in May 2025. When she’s not behind the drums, she works a …

Stephanie Robertson is a comedian from Chicago. You can find her producing and hosting a weekly showcase at The Vixen in McHenry, IL or at Zanies Comedy Club producing and hosting Roast Battle Chicago. Her most recent credits include opening for Rosebud Baker, Liz Koplitz, and Taylor Williamson.By bendingbrains

Lillian Wong is a local Chicago musician who started her bass journey during the pandemic in 2020. She has a musical background from playing violin and oboe as a child, and always had dreams of playing music. She began learning bass by watching videos on Youtube, and soon began posting her own covers online. In September of 2021, Lillian answered a…

Katherrin is a first-generation American, multimedia visual artist from Chicago. Through paintings, sculptures, photographs, murals, and linocuts, she explores her Mexican-Argentine roots, colorful facets of everyday life, and philosophical concepts. She is motivated to create in hopes of portraying underrepresented perspectives, inspiring empathy,…

Emma Kleidon is a piano technician who services instruments all around the Chicagoland area. On top of acoustic piano work, she also runs her own repair shop focusing on vintage electro-mechanical keyboards. You may have seen her online documenting rare and unusual instruments, along with the repair guides she posts on YouTube under Analog Emma. Wh…

Alex Santilli is a drummer-percussionist/composer/producer who is Thee Sacred Souls touring percussionist and Drummer/Member of local Chicago group Late Nite Laundry. He also plays with countless artists here in Chicago in a wide variety of styles and genres. He is also a composer and producer of his own solo music under the name “the adventures of…

“We’re Matt and Jess and we’re the co-founders and primary runners of Brain Graffiti, an independent DIY music zine that covers the current state of independent music across the country.”By bendingbrains

Roy McGrath is a Chicago based tenor saxophonist and multi-woodwind instrumentalist, composer and bandleader. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and educated in Boston, New Orleans and Chicago, Roy brings to bear these diverse influences in his playing and composing. In addition to leading and recording his own ensembles, he is a member of se…

CHNNLL is a Chicago-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. a.k.a. Chris Davidson tempers emotional subject matter with bold melodies, coating raw truths in hummable hooks. Check out his music and up coming shows. https://www.chnnll.com/By bendingbrains

Adalia Powell-Boehne is a singer-songwriter composer living in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is 1/4 of the band KNOTTS. When she’s not performing she’s driving her kids around or writing in her journal.By bendingbrains

I made a name for myself in Chicago media (WKQX, WGN, WLUP, WXRT) and a career for myself in the digital and marketing spaces. On the journalism/broadcasting front, I've earned multiple Lisagor awards in Chicago, as well as a national Edward R. Murrow award. As a podcaster, my long-running "Car Con Carne" podcast was named "Best Music Podcast, 2022…

Shelby Pollard is the founder and Black Bobbin, a company that works with and constructs guitars, amp, effects pedals, and more. Shelby is a multi-discipline artist from Chicago that specializes in product and portrait photography. www.blackbobbin.comBy bendingbrains

“I don’t think I’ve listened to a band that had a genre distinct unto themselves. Even crazier is that every song on Robot Heart Throb’s first album is almost completely unique”- Pacific Ridge Records. Jared casts Saxophone solos with explosive ADHD, lucious flute-playing sings in midwest Emo style. Heart-on-your sleeve lyrics spin stories with hip…

Dan Stewart is an independent filmmaker and musician based in Chicago, IL. His directorial debut feature film 'Local Band' will begin its festival run in 2024.By bendingbrains

Seth Engel is recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and music instructor living and working in Chicago. Over the last decade, he has toured nationally and internationally. He has engineered a continually-growing volume of music for both nationally recognized and local artists. In 2013, he received a BA in Music from Columbia College Chicago. H…

Will Stephan is a Chicago born Skateboarder and founder of Sapient Skateboards. Will builds skateboards from scratch and gives skateboarding lessons at Sapient Skateboards. Will also puts on Skateboarding events around Chicago. www.sapientskateboards.comBy bendingbrains

Introducing Friday James, a gifted songwriter originating from Nashville, Tennessee. Relocating to Chicago in November of 2021, Friday swiftly immersed herself in the local music scene, enthralling audiences with her mesmerizing performances. Her artistic essence is centered around a profound appreciation for lyricism and poetic depth, artfully wea…

Sean Neumann is a musician and sports reporter from Chicago, Illinois. He’s currently on tour with his band Ratboys. As a reporter, Sean works for People Magazine, GQ, and other entertainment magazines. seanneumann.us has any info you might need!By bendingbrains

The Eastern and Western halves of Washington can seem like two different states; one dry and pastoral, the other overcast and lush. Rob Joynes is a singer-songwriter who's music captures these two contrasting landscapes. Raised on the East side of the Cascade Mountain Range, Joynes often invokes his home town of Spokane directly in his lyrics. Pair…

Julien Fontaine is french-canadian percussionist, drum teacher and now certified public accountant from Montréal. Firstly a passionate music lover and compulsive record buyer, he went on completing an interpretation jazz drumming diploma in Québec before making a complete change of path into obtaining a CPA licence. Music, arts and business are now…

Joe Gaspar is the owner and founder of 2 Bici Bicycle shop in Willow Springs, IL.By bendingbrains

Hannah Bess Ross is a Chicago based illustrator and writer. She lives in a little house with a blue door and an orange cat, but dreams of the woods and the waves of rocky seas far, far away. She likes telling stories about everyday magical things like bugs and stars. She also loves puppets, folk art, and silly word-play. Hannah mostly makes art for…

Karen is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Chicago. She is tirelessly curious about all forms of creative expression, and her work includes illustration, sculpting, print making, video editing, songwriting, and sewing. Her tenure in the Production Art space has also provided her with a deep appreciation for graphic design. Primarily, she works w…

My first memory is of hitting everything in sight at 2 years old. From playing in the church from the age of 5 to performing with the Percussion Scholarship Group, (PSG), starting in 4th grade, I have had many valuable experiences and lessons that have brought me to where I am today. Directed by Patricia Dash, percussionist with the Chicago Symphon…

Molly Compton is a singer-songwriter, visual artist, amateur baker and founder & resident bleeding heart at Ur Mom Records. She thinks everyone deserves a good mom and everyone can be a good mom.By bendingbrains

Introducing Friday James, a gifted songwriter originating from Nashville, Tennessee. Relocating to Chicago in November of 2021, Friday swiftly immersed herself in the local music scene, enthralling audiences with her mesmerizing performances. Her artistic essence is centered around a profound appreciation for lyricism and poetic depth, artfully wea…

Alec Koukol is an Omaha-born, now Nashville-native. The multi-instrumentalist and songwriter is involved in many projects within Music City, but his primary operation is Safari Room, Koukol’s indie rock outfit that began in 2018. Five years into the band, Safari Room has released two eps and two full-length albums, ‘Look Me Up When You Get There’ (…

Julia Danielle is an up-and-coming vocalist, arranger, educator, and composer based in the heart of the vibrant jazz scene of Chicago. As the 2022 International Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition Winner, part of Julia's prize was performing alongside The Tierney Sutton Band at the renowned Blues Alley Jazz Club in Washington D.C. and since then…

Clare Bollnow is a 26 year old artist living and working in Chicago. She started painting in 2019, never having gone to art school, she began with watercolor and eventually branched out; she works with oil paint, spray paint, watercolor and pigment dye among other mediums together on large-scale material. Clare finds inspiration in the human form a…

Iyana Brown-Bey is an alternative, neo-soulful musician, who uses her voice to shed light and to uplift. She aims to create music for those who often feel that they are only apart of the background. Iyana believes that “being human is to reflect and to feel, to express and to create with self and others.” And her goal is to build a unified communit…

Claudio is an LA based singer-songwriter/poet whose artistry blends the acoustic storytelling style of James Taylor or Jim Croce with the soulful vocal stylings of John Legend or Eddie Kendrick. Originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, Claudio relocated to Los Angeles in Spring 2018. Since then, he has kept busy touring the country 4 times while steadil…

Dr. Marc Colomer, Ph.D. is a cognitive neuroscientist and musician. In his postdoc at the University of Chicago, he investigates children’s social understanding and conceptual development in the early stages of their life. He asks questions such as how racial and other social biases emerge, with the goal of informing which solutions can reduce earl…

Charles is an educator, artist, designer, musician, and podcaster. He runs his creative business: Custom Crafted Design - where he does all things creative. In 2022, he received his BA in Art Education and BFA in Studio Art & Design from Saint Xavier University. He has a podcast: Inside the Artists Studio - where he interviews artists from all back…

Trash plays in the world’s greatest and only country band of all time, Totally Cashed. When he’s not saving country music, he spends all his time tending to his horses and making delicious bagels for his friends, fans, and family. He’s also never told a lie. Catch Totally Cashed live at Schubas June 2nd for their release show…

Mark Adkison is an Immigration Attorney and singer-songwriter in Chicago. A graduate of UIC Law School (formerly known as John Marshall), he has been working with his family at the Adkison Law Offices since 2006. He specializes in immigration law, and works on cases that include extraordinary ability visas, citizenship applications, marriage applic…

Aaron Paulsen is a 20 year old content creator and musician. His content consists of comedic skits, in which he plays different characters, composes original music, as well as incorporating his “one man band” style , in which multiple instruments are played at the same time. He first started making videos at 18 and has since then amassed over 350+ …

Julia Hagen is a Chicago based painter with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She creates urban landscapes with a colorful twist, portraying the mood of the place in both a realistic and whimsical way. She often toes the line between representational and imaginative, but always prioritizes the glow that nostalgia leaves.…

Spencer McCreary is a York, Pennsylvania based singer-songwriter who has fronted and founded the bands ‘Cardinal Harbor’ and ‘Public Disco Porch’. The latter being the most current project with a 2022 LP release of ‘Have A Great Life’. Check out the band’s music at the link below: www.publicdiscoporch.com”…

Eddie Hokinson (Manager D) and Matt Bauer (Manager Z) sit down to talk about 10 years of DZ Fest in Hickory Hills, IL. For 10 years Eddie and Matt helped to grow DZ Fest. They took on the responsibility that very few could do or even understand. They are saints amongst men.By bendingbrains

Richard Reed Parry is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, best known as a core member of the Grammy Award-winning indie rock band Arcade Fire, where he plays a wide variety of instruments, often switching between guitar, double bass, drums, celesta, keyboards, and accordion. His new collaborative album "Heart and Breath: Rhythm an…

Priya Shah is triggering social consciousness to challenge barriers and empower communities from the inside out. As a Chicago creative and entrepreneur, she has built a network of artists and collaborators dedicated to igniting social awareness and change through art and imagination. Shah began volunteering in developing countries at a young age, w…

Megan Myrie (Domeríe) is a creative entrepreneur from Chicago. She likes to use her creative abilities to support and shine light on other people’s creative abilities. This is especially true for her design company MGD LLC, in which she creates brands for creators. Her pursuit of music and modeling is more personal, however, she hopes to be a sourc…

Aspen Noah may be a mental health technician from the north suburbs of Chicago but when he is done working long exhausting 16 hours shifts he transforms into a well talented, extremely creative music artist/songwriter. Aspen began writing music at the tender young age of 12, performing with the likes of Soulja Boy, Yung Jeezy, Young Money, Mike Pos…