Shank Hall

Clark Beckham

Thursday July 30, 20268:00pm $20 advance / $25 door

Clark Beckham's talent is indisputable. It's as simple as that. Growing up just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, Clark discovered an undeniable love for music through church and later on as a street performer where his bluesy vocals could be heard throughout the streets of Music City. After graduating from Lee University, the multi-instrumentalist traded in the bustling streets of downtown Nashville for the bright lights of Hollywood. In 2015, Clark received his golden ticket for Season 14 of American Idol where he captivated millions across the globe and was voted the runner-up of the season. Clark's live performances dominated the top 10 most-viewed videos on American Idol's YouTube channel.

In 2018, Clark released his Year One EP, which debuted at #6 on iTunes' Alternative chart and #22 on Billboard's R&B Sales chart. Since then, Clark has performed with the famous Nashville Symphony, opened up for platinum-selling recording artists Jon Bellion and Allen Stone, and was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. Clark is currently gearing up to resume his tour to promote the release of his album, Light Year, which infuses elements of Soul/R&B with pop melodies. The latest release from the album, "Luckiest Man," is a lyrically beautiful, stripped down track with a deeply personal meaning.

Inspired by musical icons from Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles to Marvin Gaye and Al Greene, Clark combines his love of timeless Soul/R&B music with pop sounds and melodies to create a sound uniquely his own. From growing up singing in a gospel trio to performing on the streets of Broadway all the way to an illustrious stage in Hollywood, Clark has achieved a magnitude of success thus far. With a captivating and dynamic energy, complemented by his effortless vocal range, Clark's musical journey is just getting started.

Hickoids

Friday July 31, 20268:00pm $15.00

42 years into a jagged and checkered career Hickoids are pleased to announce the "Still Trippin'" summer 2026 tour. The Austin Music Hall of Fame inductees began their wild ride back in 1984 - playing a psylocybin fueled (sour) mashup of punk, hard country, glam and psychedelic rock while gaining a reputation as one of the foundational acts of the cowpunk genre. Four decades on - led by original vocalist and co-founder Jeff Smith (the other four members from the band's debut are all now deceased) alongside decade plus Hickoids Lance Farley (drums), Tom Trusnovic (bass), Cody Richardson (guitar) and relative newcomer at eight years Harvey McLaughlin (guitar and keyboards), the band continue to ply their trade delivering a singular, rowdy melange of Southern styles they refer to as "roadhouse punk" - at home on any stage and rendered with ample musical chops and showmanship. The upcoming tour will feature unique set lists each night called on the spot and culled from across the band's catalog alongside unreleased tunes and audience faves.

This will be the band's first excursion to the Upper Midwest in almost 35 years, and their first shows in the Canadian province of Ontario as well as several other cities along the way. Since reforming in the latter half of the 2000s the band has played north of 800 shows across half the United States (including Alaska), Canada and ten European countries at punk clubs, blues and country bars and festivals.

A Thousand Horses, The Revenirs

Saturday August 1, 20268:00pm $15.00

Not everyone understands what it's like to lose everything and piece your life back together. It is a universal fight for emotional survival, navigating the wreckage of broken relationships, wrestling with mental health, and finding the resilience to keep going. With their latest album, White Flag Down, Nashville's A Thousand Horses have paved that exact road with thunderous guitars and cinematic choruses.

Telling the most personal story the band has ever put to tape, the record explores divorce, recovery, and the journey of healing. Instead of pulling back into acoustic melancholy, the band turned the amplifiers up. Fusing their signature rock storytelling with 90s-inspired guitar anthems, tracks like "Dead Man Walking" and the Aaron Gillespie collaboration "Shadows" push the group deeper into modern rock territory while keeping their Southern grit intact.

To capture this sonic shift, frontman Michael Hobby, guitarist Bill Satcher, and bassist Graham DeLoach expanded their lineup to include drummer Nathan Sexton and guitarist Adam Browder. The result is a bold reinvention for the Platinum-certified band behind the global breakout hit "Smoke." Today, A Thousand Horses make the kind of music that reminds you exactly why rock still matters, loud, honest, and raw.

Ellis Bullard

Saturday August 29, 20268:00pm $20.00

In the wake of 2024's Honky Tonk Ain't Noise Pollution, Ellis Bullard has left no doubt that country music is still yearning for the true-blue honky-tonk experience he brings to the stage and studio. Listen to Bullard, and you're listening to a life of barnstorming, hard living, and layers of musical influences.

"I'm just a person, just a guy out there having a good time and trying to make sure other people are too," Bullard says. "I give my time to people, and I think that means a lot to them. I'm genuinely trying to forge relationships and have meaningful interactions with all the fans I meet on the road."

After sharing the stage with Texas mainstays like Shinyribs, Reckless Kelly, Randy Rogers and Cody Jinks, Bullard has come into his own, and these days finds himself headlining clubs and dance halls from coast to coast. For his part, Bullard knows he's on to something, and he's enjoying the ride.

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.

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.

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.

Nosferatu Undead

Tuesday October 27, 20268:00pm $25.00

This unique show features a live band performing an original immersive prog rock soundtrack for the 1922 classic silent horror Nosferatu, played in sync with the movie. Two additional screens provide onstage guest performances from some of the biggest names in classic and progressive rock.

The live band is joined by special video guests including Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Bumblefoot (Guns n' Roses) and Arthur Brown (Crazy World of Arthur Brown) throughout the show.

Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts

Friday October 30, 20268:00pm $20.00

Led by free-wheeling front man Miles Nielsen, The Rusted Hearts have been wowing audiences for years with the diversity of their sound, the tightness of their four-part harmonies, and the quality of their songcraft. Equally comfortable in a compact three-minute pop song and an epic ten-minute jam, the band has toured incessantly since their inception in 2011, amassing an army of hardcore followers that have dubbed themselves the Rusted Herd.

Their album OHBAHOY finds the band venturing into a sphere of Americana that feels both familiar and excitingly new. Tight drums, rich guitar tones, gorgeous woodwinds, and sweeping harmonies provide the perfect complements to Nielsen's immense storytelling gifts and impeccable vocals. The album's name comes from an imaginary friend Nielsen had growing up, a fitting reminder as we get older to hold tightly to the noble ideals of freedom and creativity that seem so natural to us as children.

Screamoween

Saturday October 31, 20268:00pm

Whether you're possessed, heartbroken, or just here to go feral, this is where you need to be. Bring your friends, bring your demons, and prepare to leave with no voice and zero regrets.

Costumes aren't optional, they're part of the ritual. Our judges are done with basic. We want DISTURBING, UNHINGED and straight-up nightmare fuel.

Enter if you dare.

DJs PLAYING THE BEST OF EMO / POP PUNK / METALCORE / NU METAL + MORE!

BEST 'FIT WINS VENUE VOUCHERS & PLUSHIES

Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials

Friday November 20, 20268:00pm $20.00

For nearly 40 years together, Blues Hall Of Famers Lil' Ed Williams and The Blues Imperials--bassist (and Ed's half brother) James "Pookie" Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton--have been delivering gloriously riotous, intensely emotional, wickedly playful Chicago blues to audiences around the world. Lil' Ed--like his musical forebearers, slide guitar masters J.B. Hutto (Ed's uncle), Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor--is among the giants of the genre. His celebratory slide work, deep blues string bending, fervent vocals and riveting original songs, all powered by The Blues Imperials' rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship, are as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. According to Guitar World, "The band is a snarling boogie-blues machine."

Born on April 8, 1955, on Chicago's tough West Side, Ed Williams, along with his half brother James "Pookie" Young, eagerly learned to play the blues from their legendary uncle, iconic bluesman J.B. Hutto. Hutto taught the youngsters how to feel the music and how to play from the heart. Ed was fascinated with J.B.'s slide, how it looked and the sounds it made. Ed and Pookie spent their teen years making music together, and in 1975 formed the first incarnation of The Blues Imperials. They soon played their first gig at Big Duke's Blue Flame club on the city's West Side, splitting the $6 take four ways. Over the next few years Ed and the band performed at every club in the neighborhood while still holding down day jobs. Ed worked ten hours a day as a buffer at the Red Carpet Car Wash. Pookie drove a school bus. Undaunted, the band played night after night, and eventually the word reached Alligator president Bruce Iglauer.

At the time, Iglauer was looking for local talent for The New Bluebloods, an anthology of some of Chicago's younger blues musicians. The band--never having seen a recording studio before--treated the studio like a club, playing live to all the people on the other side of the control room glass. After Ed quickly recorded his two rehearsed songs, there was still plenty of studio time left, so they just kept playing. After 10 songs were recorded, Iglauer offered the band a full album contract. The end result of the session was 30 songs cut in three hours with no overdubs and only one second take. Ten of those songs became the band's debut album, Roughhousin', released in September 1986.

The national press reacted with amazement to the blues world's new discovery. Feature stories ran in Spin, Musician, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune and dozens of other publications. The New York Times raved, "Raw-boned, old-fashioned Chicago blues has a new young master--Lil' Ed Williams."

But it wasn't until 1987, when guitarist Mike Garrett joined the band, and a year later, when Garrett recruited his Detroit hometown friend Kelly Littleton to play drums, that things really began to take off. Garrett's risk-taking rhythm guitar work and Littleton's unpredictable, old-school drumming were the perfect complement to Lil' Ed's and Pookie's rambunctious playing. With their 1989 album Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits, doors opened and audiences poured in. Through relentless touring, the group crystallized, becoming tighter with each performance, more adept in their abilities to read each other's musical moves. Their spontaneous and unpredictable live show became legendary among blues fans worldwide.

With each new release, the band's national and international stature continued to grow as their fan base continued to expand. Die-hard "Ed Head" Conan O'Brien brought the Lil' Ed before millions of television viewers on three separate occasions. In 2025, Ed appeared on PBS Television's Austin City Limits, bringing his natural Chicago blues to another enormous audience. The Washington Post called him, "a houserockin' Chicago slide guitar master."

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials have performed live all over the world, their show as visually captivating as their music is irresistible. They have played the Chicago Blues Festival multiple times, and have appeared at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival, The Tampa Bay Blues Festival, The San Diego Blues Festival and dozens of other festivals around the country. Satisfying worldwide demand, they have performed in Canada, Great Britain, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Japan, Australia, India, Turkey and Panama.

The group has won just about every award the blues world has to offer. They took home the Living Blues Award for Best Live Performer in 2011, 2012 and 2013. They won the prestigious Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year in both 2007 and 2009. In 2024, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials were inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame.

According to Iglauer (not just label owner and producer, but also among the band's biggest fans), "If you want to hear--and feel--raw, rough, red hot Chicago blues, full of true emotion, you need to experience Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials. With 38 years together, they deliver slide guitar-driven, hard-rocking, real deal blues like no other band on earth."

The R&B Cadets

Friday November 27, 20268:00pm $25.00

The R&B Cadets played their first gig shortly after New Year's in 1980 and their last in the summer of 1986. In that time they got a lot of folks out on the dance floor, playing a distinctive mix of of deep soul cuts from Paul Cebar's massive record collection and some sparkling originals, written by John Sieger, often in tandem with Michael Feldman, a friend and now longtime host of Public Radio's Whad'ya Know?

Splitting lead duties with Sieger and Cebar was the lovely chanteuse, Robin Pluer. Owner of one the lovelier voice heard in the midwest, Ms. Pluer was a dollop of sweetness at the top of the band's deep range. Rounding out the lineup was Mike Sieger, John's brother and vocal doppelganger, who played bass. Original drummer Cy Costabile, was later replaced by Bobby Schneider and the saxophonist Juli Wood was replaced by keyboard/sax man Bob Jennings.

In it's prime, the band had a large following in Milwaukee, where they were pretty much the house band at the late, lamented Century Hall. They travelled well too, with fans in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Madison and even New York where they played legendary clubs like CBGB's, The Knitting Factory and The Lone Star. Their only record, Top Happy, came out in 198-. It featured a song produced by Nick Lowe, a fan who had stumbled across them after playing a show in Milwaukee. The record got great reviews and could have been the start of even bigger things, but like many bands, people were pulling, and being pulled, in different directions.

The positive result of their breakup was two, then three very vital and entertaining acts. There was Semi-Twang, which concentrated on John's songs and did a record, Salty Tears for Warner Brothers that gathered more love than sales. John later moved to nashville and had many of his songs recorded by artist like Dwight Yoakam, Flaco Jimenez and The Bodeans.

Paul and Robin continued with the beefed up and ever-popular Milwaukeeans, releasing a record in the 1990s on Shenachie that got radio play around the country. That lineup stayed around until Robin bid adieu. Tired of touring and now married, she headed to New York for a while, before returning. She has carved out a special niche between soul, swing, standards and the French chanson that she loves, and is still performing today.

In 2009 Semi-Twang reunited and have released two CDs, both of which garnered raves. Paul has continued non-stop, his latest was out last year with his most recent moniker, Tomorrow Sound. The three headed beast has been in rehearsal, tightening up songs old and new. The crowd at their first reunion gig in many years was up and dancing at the first down beat, you probably will be too.

The R&B Cadets

Saturday November 28, 202612:00pm $25.00

The R&B Cadets played their first gig shortly after New Year's in 1980 and their last in the summer of 1986. In that time they got a lot of folks out on the dance floor, playing a distinctive mix of of deep soul cuts from Paul Cebar's massive record collection and some sparkling originals, written by John Sieger, often in tandem with Michael Feldman, a friend and now longtime host of Public Radio's Whad'ya Know?

Splitting lead duties with Sieger and Cebar was the lovely chanteuse, Robin Pluer. Owner of one the lovelier voice heard in the midwest, Ms. Pluer was a dollop of sweetness at the top of the band's deep range. Rounding out the lineup was Mike Sieger, John's brother and vocal doppelganger, who played bass. Original drummer Cy Costabile, was later replaced by Bobby Schneider and the saxophonist Juli Wood was replaced by keyboard/sax man Bob Jennings.

In it's prime, the band had a large following in Milwaukee, where they were pretty much the house band at the late, lamented Century Hall. They travelled well too, with fans in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Madison and even New York where they played legendary clubs like CBGB's, The Knitting Factory and The Lone Star. Their only record, Top Happy, came out in 198-. It featured a song produced by Nick Lowe, a fan who had stumbled across them after playing a show in Milwaukee. The record got great reviews and could have been the start of even bigger things, but like many bands, people were pulling, and being pulled, in different directions.

The positive result of their breakup was two, then three very vital and entertaining acts. There was Semi-Twang, which concentrated on John's songs and did a record, Salty Tears for Warner Brothers that gathered more love than sales. John later moved to nashville and had many of his songs recorded by artist like Dwight Yoakam, Flaco Jimenez and The Bodeans.

Paul and Robin continued with the beefed up and ever-popular Milwaukeeans, releasing a record in the 1990s on Shenachie that got radio play around the country. That lineup stayed around until Robin bid adieu. Tired of touring and now married, she headed to New York for a while, before returning. She has carved out a special niche between soul, swing, standards and the French chanson that she loves, and is still performing today.

In 2009 Semi-Twang reunited and have released two CDs, both of which garnered raves. Paul has continued non-stop, his latest was out last year with his most recent moniker, Tomorrow Sound. The three headed beast has been in rehearsal, tightening up songs old and new. The crowd at their first reunion gig in many years was up and dancing at the first down beat, you probably will be too.

The Steepwater Band

Thursday December 3, 20268:00pm $20.00

The Steepwater Band is an American rock and blues band known for their gritty, soulful sound, blending classic rock, blues, and roots influences with a modern edge. Formed in Chicago in 1998, the band has built a reputation for electrifying live performances and a deep catalog of dynamic, guitar-driven songs.

Anthony Gomes

Saturday December 5, 20268:00pm $35 advance / $40 door

With a guitar slung over his shoulder and the amps turned up full tilt, Anthony Gomes electrifies blues and rock at a 21st century crossroads of his own. The Canadian vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and producer wails with all the force of a hurricane in the Mississippi Delta and enough fret-burning fireworks to leave his strings in flames. Over the years, he's toppled the Billboard Blues Chart at #1, earned the endorsement of legends such as B.B. King, tallied tens of millions of streams, and packed shows on multiple continents. In April 2025, Anthony Gomes is back with his much- anticipated 14th studio album, Praise the Loud, set for release on Rat Pak Records.

"I've learned how to embrace my voice as a guitarist and as a singer," he states. "I understand who I am, and I use my strengths to my advantage. I have a blues soul and a rock 'n' roll heart. I love to jump back and forth between both with a modern day approach. When I play rock, it's got a little more dust on it."

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, he fell in love with music as a kid, listening to everyone from Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix to Jeff Beck and Eddie Van Halen. At 14 years old, Anthony gravitated to the guitar and his relationship with the instrument was born. After grinding it out, his chops caught the attention of B.B. King's bus driver at a jam night. Blown away, the driver introduced him to B.B. who invited him to open up a string of tour dates in 2005. Gaining invaluable knowledge from "The King," he went on to share the stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, Robert Plant, Joe Bonamassa, Heart, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and more. Along the way, his concert attendees have included Academy® Award winner Morgan Freeman, John Goodman, and Vince Vaughn as well as Eric Clapton, to name a few.

2022's High Voltage Blues vaulted to #1 on the iTunes Top Blues Albums Chart, #1 on Amazon Music's New Release Blues Chart and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart. It remained on the Billboard Blues chart for 58 consecutive weeks, landing on 'Billboard's Top 15 Blues Albums of the Year' for both 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, Total Guitar listed Gomes as 'One of the 100 Greatest Blues Guitarists of All Time' in 2024. Guitar World readers voted him one of "The 30 Best Blues Guitarists in the World Today" in 2019, and the publication noted, "Gomes is another power player who is at his best when his gear is in the scorched earth between blues and rock."

Anthony's latest release, 2025's Praise the Loud, delivers 12 fresh studio tracks that showcase Anthony's musical evolution while staying true to the no-holds-barred sound that has earned him a global fanbase.

Reflecting on the new album, Anthony shares, "On Praise the Loud, we pushed our musical boundaries in every direction. We wanted it to rock harder than anything we've done before, but at the same time, we wanted it to have a deeper, more soulful blues feel. When people ask me what I sound like, I say, 'If B.B. King was in AC/DC, that's what it would be'. That's Praise The Loud in a nutshell."

Gomes cites the track 'Rock & Roll Bluesman' as the thesis of the album. "My favorite line on the album comes from the song 'Rock & Roll Bluesman': 'I don't care if they love or hate us, gonna turn it up so they won't forget us.' That lyric captures the spirit of the album-- declaring that we're playing blues rock on our own terms, no matter what."

From the powerful rhythms of the album opener "Praise the Loud" to the ZZ Top-inspired groove of "Netflix & Chill," Anthony tackles a range of emotions and topics with his signature blend of layered harmonies, infectious rhythms, and blues-infused grooves. Tracks like "Meet My Maker," "Black Diamond Heavy," and "Electric Blues Crusade" highlight his ability to stretch his creative boundaries and expand his lyrical scope, while songs like "Love Song Gone Wrong" and "In the Name of the Blues" showcase his unmistakable blues guitar mastery. Produced by Peter Carson/Anthony Gomes and mixed by Chris Collier, Praise the Loud packs the punch and energy fans have come to expect from this world- class blues artist.

In the end, Anthony Gomes is just the kind of guitar hero we need for today.

"I still believe in a world of guitar heroes," he smiles. "I strive for a world where you don't have to be 19 years old to sell a lot of records and tickets and to make a statement. I'm one of those people who doesn't think rock, or the blues is dead. I'm looking for fresh ways to bring them together. I'm at the table rolling the dice all in the name of blues and rock 'n' roll. I know there's never been a more exciting time for music, and I'm here for the journey."