Shank Hall

Sunny Sweeney, Claudia Hoyser

Today August 30, 20268:00pm $20.00

Following your instincts is not as easy as Sunny Sweeney makes it look. A patron saint of broken hearts on the mend, Sweeney comforts the rest of us by being honest with herself--and everybody else. She is her generation's sly country conscience, warm but stubborn, sad but funny, rowdy but thoughtful.

"I am so glad I've been able to get this far in this business and still hold my music values," Sweeney says. "Being independent has given me the freedom to do more of what I want."

For Sweeney, doing what she wants has meant crafting smart honky tonk for about two decades. "I really do love country music," she says. "For me, it's the stories and hooks." Her new album Rhinestone Requiem is a delectable testament to that love, brimming with achingly pretty melodies and grown-up storytelling. It's also an expertly assembled grab bag of the traditional song structures that have built country music, one three-quarter whirl at a time.

If anyone has the bona fides to be country music's loving, defiant standard-bearer, it's Sweeney. In addition to releasing 5 critically acclaimed albums since her 2006 debut Heartbreaker's Hall of Fame, she has become a trusted song curator and advocate for other artists as the host of her SiriusXM shows The Sunny Side of Life on Outlaw Country and Sunny Side Up on Willie's Roadhouse. Sweeney keeps adding new feathers to her signature hat: She and her longtime guitarist Harley Husbands produced Rhinestone Requiem and are working as producers on additional projects. "We both have very strong points and very strong opinions," Sweeney says of Husbands with a laugh. "But we work very well together."

Born in Houston and raised in East Texas, Sweeney made her home the road before settling down in the hills of Hendersonville, Tennessee, a couple of years ago. The release of Rhinestone Requiem represents another milestone. "This is the first time I've made a record when I don't have relationship problems," Sweeney says, smiling. "My last album, 'Married Alone,' was made right after my divorce. I've lived some life. Not all of it's been pretty. But I feel like that's what makes really good music."

Sweeney takes her calling as friend to the hurt and alone seriously--and Rhinestone Requiem shines because of it. Recorded at Tommy Detamore's Cherry Ridge Studio in Floresville, Texas, the album is a compelling snapshot of an artist who knows who she is and what she loves. "I really wanted this album to be a mixture of all the old styles of country music: Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn," Sweeney says, ticking off a list of some of her idols. "I make music for myself and hope other people like it."

Indeed, the specter of Lewis looms large from the jump, as the album kicks off with "Find It Where I Can," the sauntering, boozy warning shot recorded by The Killer, as well as other giants including Waylon Jennings. Sweeney discovered the song during a late-night YouTube deep dive into videos of Lewis and Mickey Gilley hammering away on dueling baby grands. "You know, they're cousins, and their grandmother taught them how to play piano--that's why their playing style is so similar!" Sweeney says, relishing the backstory. "And when I heard this song, I knew I had to record it. It's not like anything else I have, and it's just so fun to sing and play."

Jubilantly wry "Diamonds and Divorce Decrees" traces the ruins after a marriage ends, cataloging the pain but looking stubbornly toward happiness. Sweeney has been playing the song live, and has been struck by how strongly audiences have responded. "One night after we played it, a guy came up to the stage and said, 'I have three days until my divorce is final, and this song made me know everything is going to be fine,'" Sweeney says.

Written with dear friend and frequent collaborator Brennen Leigh, "Traveling On" is a superbly crafted heartbreaker showcasing the devastating power of Sweeney's voice. Written with Ben Chapman and Erin Enderlin, "Is Tonight the Night (I Make You a Memory)" starts off slow and sad, before speeding up into a bouncy, steel-laced shuffle worthy of The Mavericks. Another Enderlin and Sweeney collaboration with the addition of Gary Nicholson, "I Drink Well with Others" is a winking dancehall duster, while "As Long as There's a Honky Tonk"--written with Buddy Owens and Galen Griffin--is a swaggering, piano-soaked proclamation of independence.

One of only two album tracks Sweeney didn't have a hand in writing, "Last Hard Bible" nods to the whimsical grit of its writer and original recording artist, Kasey Chambers, as Sweeney steers the song firmly into saloon-worthy territory. Chambers and her brother, Nash, provide harmonies on Sweeney's track. When Sweeney joins Chambers for shows in the summer of 2025, it will mark a full-circle moment for Sweeney, who is a longtime fan of the Australian singer-songwriter.

With crying steel, "Waiting for a Reason to Stay" tearfully harnesses the potential of conversational songwriting. "I've always wondered what was wrong with me," Sweeney sings, opening the song with gut-wrenching directness. What follows is a meditation on the days after you've decided to go--but haven't left yet. "I've had records about the bad side of divorce," Sweeney says. "This is the light at the end of the tunnel." Written with Owens and Monty Holmes, album closer "Half Lit in 3/4 Time" is a masterclass in country songwriting, as line after line pays tribute to honky tonk's beloved instruments and golden standards. Featuring mournful fiddle, "Houston Belongs to Me" already sounds like a classic, as Sweeney's resilient narrator lays claim to a hot, complex city that she loves. "It's healing: You're taking ownership of where you are," Sweeney says.

It's an idea Sweeney has embraced in various ways throughout her career: Lean into who and what you are--and revel in the liberation that brings. Her fierce independence has allowed her to speak to us with the care of a trusted confidant who sees our hurts and is rooting for us. "I feel like that's what I grew up loving about music--I felt like I was their friend," Sweeney says. "I felt like they were talking--singing--to me."

U2Zoo

Friday September 11, 20268:00pm $15.00

U2Zoo is back! The Midwest's longest-running U2 tribute band has spent more than 20 years delivering a concert-caliber experience that captures the music, energy, and spirit of one of the most iconic rock bands of all time. A favorite at major festivals, premier venues, and select private events, the band's accomplishments include sharing stages with legendary artists such as Styx, Cheap Trick, Steve Winwood, Huey Lewis, Journey, Goo Goo Dolls, and Peter Frampton, along with many other nationally and internationally recognized touring acts--a distinction few tribute bands can claim. This isn't a costume party--it's about the music. Their musicianship, energy, and commitment to authenticity combine to recreate the power, emotion, and excitement of a live U2 concert experience. The proof is on the stage. For more than two decades, U2Zoo has built a loyal following by staying true to what matters most: the songs, the performance, and the unforgettable live experience that made U2 one of the greatest bands in rock history.

Mindy Smith, John Sieger

Saturday September 12, 20268:00pm $25 advance / $30 door

A good rule of thumb when going to a Mindy Smith concert, bring a hanky, a tissue or an extra sleeve. Your tear ducts don't know the difference between laughing tears and crying tears and you'll likely be doing both. "Humor is how I compensate for singing so many sad tunes back-to-back," says Smith.

Mindy Smith is a Long Island-born, Americana award winning, Dove nominated, Nashville based singer-songwriter with a clear and honest passion for Americana, jazz, pop, rock, blues, and folk. As a recording artist, she has sold over 750k albums and singles and amassed over 175 million streams to date. She has played some of the most prestigious festivals in the world including Cambridge Folk Festival, Maverick Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, MerleFest, Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, Bonnaroo and more. Smith has also appeared on The Grand Ole Opry over 20 times.

Her original songs have been recorded and released by the likes of Alison Krauss, Lee Ann Womack, Faith Hill and most recently Danny Burns ft Sam Bush. Mindy has performed with and toured alongside the likes of Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, John Prine (US AND UK Tour), Nickel Creek (US Tour), and Mary Chapin Carpenter (US Tour. Most recently, Smith was the featured vocalist on Kenny Chesney's charting single, "Better Boat". Says Chesney, "if you just close your eyes and listen to her voice -- I'm speaking for me --she brings calm, she brings a sense that it's all going to be all right. [T]o me, when I hear her voice, it's like an angel, her voice is so--what's the word?--'genreless.' It's bigger than all of us."

Christopher’s Project

Friday October 2, 20268:00pm FREE

Soulful jazz, R&B, pop, swing, and high-energy dance music, led by Christopher Pipkins, a three-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo and member of the Milwaukee Bucks Entertainment Team. Opened for legendary acts including The Temptations, George Benson, David Sanborn, The Supremes, and Jennifer Holiday.

Chris Housman, The Slow Harvest

Tuesday October 6, 20268:00pm $15.00

Chris Housman's musical journey began early, playing fiddle and singing country classics with his family band at a Wild West show geared towards tourists visiting Dodge City, Kansas, "The Cowboy Capital of the World." He grew up on a cattle farm 40 minutes outside of town, though that environment was never an easy fit for Chris, as he realized he was attracted to those real-life cowboys he grew up with. Now based in Nashville, Chris has since realized a dream that seemed impossible when he was a kid; he has a thriving country music career that fully incorporates his identity as a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. His debut album's title track, "Blueneck," earned praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Good Morning America, and The Tennessean, and scored him a nomination for GLAAD's Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist Award. This summer, Chris makes his Grand Ole Opry debut, further expanding his growing audience of more than 400k followers who recognize themselves in his clever, close-to-the-bone songwriting that captures our modern time in a way few current country artists dare.

Now, on his sophomore album, appropriately titled Dodge City, Chris recounts how he eventually found answers for all the thorny questions he was trying to avoid when he left that cow town. The opening title track captures the desperation of that initial escape. The rest of the album details the life Chris has lived in the years since as he's learned to walk tall and stand in his truth.

Panorama: A Tribute to The Cars

Saturday October 10, 20268:00pm $15 advance / $20 door

The Cars were the prototypical American new wave band. Known for their refreshing and clever songwriting in an era of bombastic art rock and mindless disco, The Cars were a unique blend of analog synthesizers, muted power chords, catchy choruses and muscular guitar heroics.

After regularly selling out their staple tribute show of The Cars' debut album, Milwaukee music stalwarts Mike Benign, Don Moore, Jack Rodee, Jack Rice and Nick Verban now fully recreate one of the best live performances of The Cars you'll find anywhere, each song given the energy and attitude they deserve.

From the massive hits that poured out of teenagers' radios such as "Just What I Needed," "You Might Think" and "Shake It Up" to the album track gems like "Night Spots," "Gimme Some Slack" and "I'm in Touch with Your World," Panorama brings every album to the stage.

These songs are so timeless that they are still used in film, television and advertising more than 40 years after their release.

Phoebe Cates would approve.

Will Dempsey, Gavin Hughes

Friday October 16, 20268:00pm $25.00

Will Dempsey didn't take the easy road to music. He took the responsible one. For almost 15 years, he worked in the chemical plant industry while the dream he'd carried since childhood sat quietly in the back of his mind. He thought he'd retire there.

Then a video of him and his son went viral. A dad and his kid, an unguarded moment that reached millions of people. He'd spent 15 years setting the dream aside -- turns out, the dream wasn't done with him.

The music comes straight out of real life. Alarm clocks and overtime. A love that costs you something. The pride and heartache of raising kids. The grief that doesn't follow a timeline. He writes about those things because he's lived them, not as metaphor, but as memory.

He'll tell you he's just a regular guy who took the long way to get here. And every mile of it ended up in the music.

Edgar Sandoval

Saturday October 17, 20265:00pm $12 advance / $15 door

Edgar Sandoval is living proof that bad decisions make great comedy.

Born and raised on the east side of Milwaukee, Edgar spent years as a television news anchor before realizing that reporting on other people's problems wasn't nearly as funny as talking about his own. Now an internationally touring stand-up comedian, he mines endless material from a 27-year marriage, four children, and the unique experience of being a second-generation Asian American.

Somehow, he's managed to stay married for nearly three decades, keep four kids alive, and convince audiences across the country to laugh at his questionable life choices. Edgar has headlined in Las Vegas and throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, and has opened on the road for Charlie Berens, Chris Kattan, April Macie, Liz Miele, Ryan Niemiller, Erica Rhodes, and many others.

You might have seen him perform at the Improv, The Laughing Tap or O'Donoghue's or back in the day at Kopp's, The Coffee Trader, Sentry on Downer and Oakland, or overnights on Channel 12.

Edgar Sandoval

Saturday October 17, 20268:30pm $12 advance / $15 door

Edgar Sandoval is living proof that bad decisions make great comedy.

Born and raised on the east side of Milwaukee, Edgar spent years as a television news anchor before realizing that reporting on other people's problems wasn't nearly as funny as talking about his own. Now an internationally touring stand-up comedian, he mines endless material from a 27-year marriage, four children, and the unique experience of being a second-generation Asian American.

Somehow, he's managed to stay married for nearly three decades, keep four kids alive, and convince audiences across the country to laugh at his questionable life choices. Edgar has headlined in Las Vegas and throughout Wisconsin and Illinois, and has opened on the road for Charlie Berens, Chris Kattan, April Macie, Liz Miele, Ryan Niemiller, Erica Rhodes, and many others.

You might have seen him perform at the Improv, The Laughing Tap or O'Donoghue's or back in the day at Kopp's, The Coffee Trader, Sentry on Downer and Oakland, or overnights on Channel 12.

Seth Walker

Tuesday October 20, 20268:00pm $20.00

Seth Walker is a revered modern Americana artist; a three dimensional talent combining a gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. Currently residing in Asheville after stints living in Nashville, New Orleans and Austin, he's used those experiences wisely, soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical lineage of these varied places.

With a bluesman's respect for roots and tradition, coupled with an appreciation for contemporary songwriting, Seth sublimely weaves a range of styles with warmth and grace. All Music declares, "Walker is deft and elegant, weaving together sounds and stories in a way that has a quiet, lasting impact," but perhaps Country Standard Time said it best: "If you subscribe to the Big Tent theory of Americana, then Seth Walker --with his blend of blues, gospel, pop, R&B, rock, and a dash country--just might be your poster boy." His latest album, Why The Worry, is out now.

Cash Box Kings

Friday October 23, 20268:00pm $20.00

The Cash Box Kings, according to Living Blues magazine, "are one of the best blues bands in the land." The group, co-led by real-deal Chicago blues vocalist and songwriter Oscar "Mr. 43rd Street" Wilson, and Madison, Wisconsin-based songwriter, harmonica giant and singer Joe Nosek, plays masterfully raw, unvarnished, old-school ensemble blues. Wilson's huge, emotive vocals and Nosek's blistering harmonica fuel their razor-sharp original songs and always incisive reinvention of obscure blues classics. AllMusic says The Cash Box Kings offer up "an enthusiastic celebration of Chicago blues in all of its electric forms...funny and smart...slow grooves and hyper-charged shuffles. The Cash Box Kings don't merely pay homage to the past, they bring tradition into the present [and deliver] a rollicking good time."

On their new Alligator Records album, Oscar's Motel (their third for the label and 11th overall), The Cash Box Kings bring contemporary authority and old-school authenticity to each of the album's 11 tracks. The band--featuring guitarist Billy Flynn, drummer Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, bassist John W. Lauler, and keyboardist Lee Kanehira--opens a door into the intoxicating spirit and sounds of 1950s and 1960s Chicago-based blues, and then they bring it all right up to the minute with Wilson and Nosek's original, instantly memorable songs.

For Oscar's Motel, recorded in Chicago and produced by Nosek, The Cash Box Kings made some significant decisions going into the studio. According to Nosek, "While we are never afraid to tackle any subject, we decided to put aside everyday problems and have a bit more fun. So, no songs about COVID and this time nothing too political. Our goal was to have Oscar's Motel be a celebration, an open invitation to leave your troubles behind and have a carefree, down-home, good time." One listen and it's clear the band succeeded. The opening two songs--the driving, cinematic title track (with lyrics so vivid you can just about smell the barbeque) and the funky Down On The South Side, are filled with real life characters ripped straight from Wilson's colorful past. Wilson says, "Such a glorious time. Growing up, there was a tavern on every corner with a band playing and music coming from front porches on every block."

From the wickedly good-natured I Can't Stand You (featuring sparring partners Wilson and vocalist Deitra Farr) to the pleading slow blues Trying So Hard to the rollicking Hot Little Mess, Wilson, Nosek and company break out one gloriously jubilant performance after another. In the funny-but-true tale, I Want What Chaz Has, famed bluesman John Nemeth (who's released 11 albums of his own) adds his soulful vocals. On the gospel-inflected, deeply moving Nobody Called It The Blues, the band digs deep in an uplifting performance memorializing and celebrating the long history and healing power of blues music. On the closing Ride Santa Ride, The Cash Box Kings give Chuck Berry and his reindeer a run for their Christmas money.

The history of The Cash Box Kings begins in Madison, Wisconsin where Nosek founded the band in 2001. Since 2007, his co-leader has been the charismatic, larger-than-life Chicago blues vocalist Oscar Wilson. Over 20 years apart in age and coming from vastly different backgrounds, the two form an unlikely pair, combining Wilson's indisputably authentic South Side Chicago blues vocals and gritty, street-smart songwriting chops with Nosek's storytelling vocals, dynamic harmonica and witty tunesmithing. According to Wilson, "The Cash Box Kings are a throwback to the golden age of blues with some kickin' fresh young blood. Joe is my best friend in the music world--the band is a marriage made in heaven for both of us." Says Nosek, "We have each other's backs. We're family."

In their first six years, The Cash Box Kings' top-notch musicianship and deep blues feeling won the band a large and loyal audience across the Midwest. Wilson joined the group in 2007, bringing with him an instantly commanding stage presence and an authoritative vocal style that gives fire-breathing power to the music. A captivating singer, born in Chicago with the blues in his blood and with an encyclopedic knowledge of almost every blues song known to man, Wilson is a natural-born entertainer and a perfect foil for Nosek and the band. Born in 1953 on Chicago's 43rd Street (aka "Muddy Waters Drive"), Wilson grew up in the company of many famous blues artists. Junior Wells, Elmore James, Big Smokey Smothers and close family friend David "Honeyboy" Edwards were all regulars at weekly Friday night fish fries/jam sessions at the Wilson home. Throughout his adulthood, Wilson held regular jobs but was always welcome sitting in with Chicago blues mainstays like Melvin Taylor and Johnny B. Moore. His vocal inspirations range from Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Albert King to Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter, but he mostly sings like Oscar Wilson. When he performs, The Chicago Tribune says, "Oscar Wilson brings a dominant, magisterial presence."

A self-described blues fanatic, Nosek, born in Wisconsin in 1974 and raised the Chicago suburbs, spent his youth soaking up as much blues music as he could hear, both live and on record. In his teens, he began sneaking into blues clubs to watch Junior Wells, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Sunnyland Slim and others. Nosek recalls, "Seeing those guys made a huge impression on me and propelled me into wanting to learn how to play the blues." He took up harmonica, quickly cultivating his own aggressive, fluid style. After moving to Madison in the early 1990s, he began sitting in with artists such as Clyde Stubblefield and Luther Allison. Finding like-minded musicians hell-bent on playing raw, rough-edged, hard-charging blues, Nosek formed The Cash Box Kings. They released their first album, Live! At The King Club, in 2003, instantly earning praise from critics and fans, and gaining a reputation as one of the hottest live bands on the circuit.

With ten previous releases to their credit and hundreds of live performances under their belts, The Cash Box Kings have won widespread acclaim throughout the blues world. Their Alligator Records debut, 2017's Royal Mint, was named among the Top Ten Blues Albums of the Year by MOJOmagazine. 2019's Hail To The Kings! continued the trend, with the band receiving three Blues Music Award nominations, praise from media including NPR, The Chicago Tribune, AllMusic.com, UK's MOJO and Blues & Rhythm, and radio airplay around the world. Living Blues said, "The Cash Box Kings will brighten any party and keep the dance floor crowded. The stand-out vocals of Oscar Wilson and revved-up harmonica of Joe Nosek prime the pump for the band."

The Cash Box Kings continue to play major festivals across the U.S. and Europe. They've blown away audiences at the Chicago Blues Festival, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, the Doheny Blues Festival, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Cincinnati Blues Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), the Moulin Blues Festival (Netherlands), the Lucerne Blues Festival (Switzerland), the Baltic Blues Festival (Germany) and the Edmonton Blues Festival (Canada). They have also performed in Belgium, France, Spain and Uruguay, building their worldwide audience one jaw-dropping show at a time.

No matter where The Cash Box Kings perform, they bring the music to fuel the party. Between Wilson's natural blues vocal power and Nosek's talent at wringing every last drop of emotion from his harmonica, The Cash Box Kings never fail to wow their longtime fans while earning new ones at every gig. Now, with tour dates scheduled throughout the year, The Cash Box Kings invite everyone to leave their worries at home and check into Oscar's Motel, where the music is always just getting started.

Amythyst Kiah, Buffalo Nichols

Tuesday November 10, 20268:00pm $20.00

On her new album Still + Bright, Tennessee-bred singer/songwriter Amythyst Kiah explores the vast expanse of her inner world: her deep-rooted affinity for Eastern philosophies and spiritual traditions, a near-mystical connection with the natural environment, the life lessons learned in her formative years as a self-described "anime-nerd mall goth," and much more. Produced by Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer) and recorded at his Nashville studio, Kiah's second full-length for Rounder Records merges her revelatory storytelling with a darkly cinematic twist on the rootsy alt-rock of her 2021 breakthrough Wary + Strange--an LP that landed on Rolling Stone's list of the 25 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2021 and drew acclaim from major outlets like Pitchfork. With its sonic palette encompassing everything from fuzzed-out guitars and industrial-leaning beats to gilded pedal steel and Kiah's exquisitely graceful banjo work, Still + Bright makes for a vital new addition to a body of work largely dedicated to exploring the struggle and joy of true self-discovery.

The latest turn in a dynamic career that's included joining Our Native Daughters (an all-women-of-color supergroup also featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell), Still + Bright emerged from a deliberate transformation of the songwriting process Kiah adopted after composing her first song on a Fender acoustic at age 13. To that end, the album marks her first time opening up her approach and working with co-writers, including punk legend Tim Armstrong, Sadler Vaden (a guitarist/vocalist for Jason Isbell's 400 Unit), and former Pentatonix member Avi Kaplan. Although her third LP is an undeniable departure from the anguished emotionality of its predecessor (an album informed by losing her mother to suicide at age 17), Kiah imparts each track with a hypnotic intensity born from boldly stating her convictions. Revealing her rare ability to spin her fascinations into songs uncovering essential truths about human nature, Still + Bright ultimately affirms her as an artist of both daring originality and uncompromising depth.

Welshly Arms, The Astronomers

Friday November 13, 20268:00pm $20.00

After dropping their anthemic single "Legendary" in 2017, the indie rock world was quickly introduced to Welshly Arms' penchant for unleashing larger-than-life alt-rock bangers and spine-tingling live performances. Their 2018 album No Place is Home has garnered over 375M total streams and provides a sensational musical journey that hits all the swaggery notes. Put simply, the band injects a powerful dose of emotion that continues to leave the Welshly Arms' faithful enamored.

Coming off a successful German festival tour in the summer of 2025, Welshly Arms returned to their native Cleveland, Ohio, and released two new singles - "Glorious" and "In Chills" - that mark a defining new chapter for the band. Shaped by reflection, momentum, and a renewed sense of purpose, the songs were recorded in a familiar home-base environment that allowed the group to explore both power and vulnerability without distraction. Together, the releases capture a band pushing forward with clarity and intention, balancing the grit and resilience that define their sound with a more stripped, emotionally exposed approach - signaling a clear and confident path ahead.

"With "In Chills," we wanted to step away from the grit and power of our usual sound and strip things back. A cleaner, more vulnerable production let the emotion sit closer to the surface - the performance feels exposed, almost fragile at times, which mirrors the uncertainty and tension in the lyrics," says Sam Getz [Lead, Singer, Guitar]. Regarding "Glorious," Getz adds, "We wrote "Glorious" because we needed a reminder that even in the hardest moments - when your head is down and you feel like giving up - there's still something inside worth fighting for."

Rave Jesus

Saturday November 21, 20268:00pm $20 advance / $25 door

What began as a prayer call for the music industry in 2018 has evolved into King Topher's latest project, Rave Jesus--a bold initiative blending faith and dance music. At its core, the project reflects Topher's desire to see God's presence permeate every corner of the music world.

Rave Jesus made waves last year with the release of a debut EP, garnering widespread acclaim and taking the stage at events both domestically and internationally. More than just an artist, Rave Jesus is a collaborative movement challenging the conventions of modern worship music by reimagining it through the lens of dance music.

With a decade-long solo career as a DJ, King Topher boasts impressive credentials, including over 200 million Spotify streams, tracks charting on the Billboard Dance Top 25 and U.S. Dance Radio Top 20, and support from global heavy weights like Diplo, John Summit, Chris Lake, Tiesto, and Kaskade. His music has reverberated across the world, earning play at renowned festivals such as Tomorrowland - the world's largest dance music festival.

Previously signed to Republic Records, Repopulate Mars, Hexagon, Atlantic, Interscope and Spinnin' records, 2025 brings a new chapter for Topher as he births his own label; True Royals, a joint venture with Sony Music.

The Last Waltz: 50th Anniversary Tribute

Saturday November 28, 20268:00pm $20 advance / $30 door

This production is a tribute to the original concert that happened 50 years ago this year, that made The Last Waltz a Thanksgiving tradition across the country. The all-star house band will feature members of PHUN and Mike & Friends, and will be directed by Mike Scieszinski himself, while both the Madison and Milwaukee music scenes are well represented by musicians participating in The Last Waltz at Shank Hall. Featuring many special guests throughout the night, attendees can expect the music of The Band, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Neil Young, Neil Diamond and more!

The iconic Last Waltz concert happened 50 years ago on Thanksgiving 1976, and was billed by Bill Graham as the final performance by The Band. The whole affair was recorded on video, and eventually made into a concert film by Martin Scorsese. This is a piece of American Music History that deserves to be celebrated, and a great way to work off that pumpkin pie! Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Jared James Nichols

Wednesday December 2, 20268:00pm $20.00

Jared James Nichols was a small town Wisconsin kid, hopping a fence with his caseless guitar to play alone for hours on the final stage Stevie Ray Vaughn ever graced.

Now he's a decade into a career that's taken him millions of miles around the planet and made him a peer and jamming buddy of guitar gods like Buddy Guy, Zakk Wylde, Slash and Joe Perry.

Nichols' new record Louder than Fate (Frontiers Music SRL), due June 5th, shows a more song-driven approach, with upfront vocals and harmonies injected into catchy choruses. Of course, Nichols made his name playing roots-based guitar rock, so he doesn't abandon big riffs and shredding leads.

Perhaps not coincidentally, since several songs were recorded at the Foo Fighters' Studio 606 in Los Angeles, Nichols went for more of a classic guitar rock feel, intertwined with jagged, evergreen choruses. It's not unlike early Foos or one of Nichols' heroes,. Guitarist Leslie West snarling about a "Mississippi Queen," which still appears on rock radio 55 years later.

Foos' keyboardist Rami Jaffee fits right in, with a guest spot on the record, on which Nichols' drummer, Ryan Rice plays Dave Grohl's slice-through-the-mix drum set. If the Foo Fighters aren't enough of a connection to Nichols' classic hard-but-catchy singalong rock, he played through amps belonging to Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, tapping into the vibe of the kings of 1970s Beatlesque power pop.

Nichols says it's about honoring the songs.

"That was a really conscious decision," Nichols says. "It's being able to say 'OK, cool. We have the riffs; we're not going to smash people over the head and have them go 'Enough is enough,' as I feel I've done a little of in the past. We were careful with the structure of 'How do we make these songs so the people can sing along but I can fulfill my crazy rock and roll guitar urges?'"

"We were so hyped up about being there," Nichols says, of Studio 606. "What we heard in there is the way you hear it on the record, which is amazing.

"Nichols was always laser-focused on becoming a guitar hero. From losing his scholarship from prestigious Berklee College of Music as a teenager for not conforming, to arriving in Hollywood in 2011 with no band and almost immediately winning a guitar competition at which his future manager was a judge (and told him to go find a band).

He spent much of the next decade as a regular in guitar magazines and playing with legends like Buddy Guy, Joe Bonnamassa, Billy Gibbons, and George Thorogood. Nichols is now mentioned alongside the greats, with a loyal worldwide fanbase big enough to carry a long career for which most musicians would sell their soul at the nearest crossroads.

But that's not enough. Nichols wants to evolve.

While the Nashville resident has made his power trio's reputation with hair-raising live performances, Nichols is also a gritty and expressive vocalist, with a voice he shaped into a weapon as powerful as his six-string skills.

It's only part of a dynamic package that's steadily grown since his first release, 2015's Old Glory & The Wild Revival. Nichols' musical evolution is most evident in the songwriting. He admits his early recordings featured songs in which big riffs and bigger, showy leads were the emphasis.

"What's cool with this record is this is the first time I ever took my time as a songwriter and we did not rush any aspect of it, working with people who have their eye on the prize of the song ," Nichols says. "It's a totally different vibe."

"Every record has another shade, it's been like cutting a little deeper into the fruit - It's like I know there's more down there and I'm just trying to reach for it."

Davina and the Vagabonds

Friday December 4, 20268:00pm $25.00

"Davina Sowers creates her own Americana mishmash -- a little Amy Winehouse-worthy neo-soul here, a little Great American Songbook-influenced songcraft there." Rolling Stone Magazine

"Davina and the Vagabonds combat heartache with sugar and sass." DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene with their high-energy live shows, level A musicianship, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Sowers' commanding stage presence. With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the band is converting audiences one show at a time, from Vancouver to Miami and across Europe.

Much like the music, the story spurns era, expectation, and classification. The often unbelievable, sometimes harrowing, and wholly inspiring journey of Davina Sowers gave birth to her eponymous band Davina and The Vagabonds in 2004. As the tale goes, she grew up in the economically depressed Allegheny town of Altoona, PA, which she now describes as "awesome in the industrial era, but horrible for high school." She was adopted by her much older stepfather when he was in his 80s; he passed away when she was just 13. Through him and his Edison phonograph, she first heard The Ink Spots, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong and Louis Prima, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and many others. "Great man. He was my angel and still is," she says.

On her own, she vividly recalls hours in front of the record player where she religiously spun Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Simon and Garfunkel records belonging to her folk singer mom.

To this day, Davina still refers to music as "my first and eternal love." Despite early dalliances with classical piano and guitar, she developed a heavy drug habit in high school, which morphed into heroin dependency, left her homeless, sent her in and out of jail, and brought on all manner of trouble. Kicking dope on the streets, she "got clean, started the band, and worked [her] ass off every day since."

Davina and the Vagabonds shine every time they play. To date, they've performed in forty-five states, twelve European countries, and two Canadian provinces. Not to mention, they've earned feverish acclaim from the Chicago Tribune, NPR, and more in addition to performing on BBC's international favorite late-night program Later... With Jools Holland and appearing on PBS's Bluegrass Underground.

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Adrian and Meredith

Friday December 11, 20268:00pm $20 advance / $25 door

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band has performed in 38 countries and 48 states. They have been featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, Living Blues, Elmore, donned the cover of Vintage Guitar Magazine, had #1 records on the Billboard Blues Charts, and have been nominated for three Blues Music Awards by the Blues Foundation in Memphis. The Indianapolis Star listed Reverend Peyton as one of the top 25 Hoosier musicians of all time.

Maybe you found the band because of virtuosic guitar playing? Maybe you came for the tent revival style live show? The reasons that brought you here could be extensive, but the reasons that keep bringing people back are HEART. Real, from the heart, music made by people who love music. The Sacramento Bee said, "It's a group with boundless stockpiles of heart to spare -- it cascades throughout every slip-n-slide vintage blues/soul ditty they tear through and croon in every show they play, and they always leave a little behind. The front porch is the church, the church is the dance hall and the dance hall is the river bank -- your knees will fail you by the time you figure it all out."

Often called, "the greatest front-porch blues band in the world" the Big Damn Band is led by Reverend Peyton, who is considered to be the premier finger pickers playing today. Rev has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David "Honeyboy" Edwards. Accompanied by Rev's wife, the washboard virtuoso, Washboard Breezy Peyton, and kept on time by the deep rhythms of Jacob "The Snakob" Powell, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band will leave you clapping, stomping, and singing along every handmade show across the world. Their latest record Dance Songs For Hard Times went #1 on the Billboard, iTunes and Sirius XM Blues Charts and was produced by Grammy winner Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton). The record is critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more.