Zmick is a progressive/live improvisational band that was born in the heart of Urbana, Illinois. Their music encompasses elements of jazz, progressive rock, reggae, electronica, funk, metal, Latin and world music. When asked what they sound like, the members describe their music as "Sexy prog rock with a jazz mentality". Zmick writes music with the intent of bringing people together and giving them an opportunity to dance, sing, laugh and bond with other music lovers. It's about building a community where live music appreciators can come together and have a good time.

DAVE SPECTER - Delmark Recordings

Blues guitarist, bandleader and producer Dave Specter has earned an international reputation as one of the premier young talents on the Chicago blues scene. Since 1985 Specter has performed regularly at top Chicago and U.S. nightclubs, festivals and concert halls in addition to international appearances in Brazil, Israel, Spain, England, Holland, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mexico and Canada.

Before forming his own band in 1989, Specter toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe behind such blues greats as Son Seals, The Legendary Blues Band, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Lay and Steve Freund. Specter has also performed and recorded with such blues and jazz artists as Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmy Johnson, Jack McDuff, Johnny Adams, Snooky Pryor, Kim Wilson, Tad Robinson, John Primer, Johnny Littlejohn, B.B. Odom, Mighty Joe Young, Valerie Wellington, Magic Slim, Lonnie Brooks, Willie Kent, Ronnie Earl, Eric Alexander, Otis Clay, Floyd McDaniel, Pinetop Perkins and Sunnyland Slim.

Among Dave Specter's critically acclaimed recordings, his 1991 release Bluebird Blues reached the #1 spot on both the Living Blues national radio charts and the Tower Records blues charts. Blues Access magazine called his CD, Left Turn on Blue, "an absolutely gorgeous blend of vintage blues and jazz." Specter also appears on compilation CDs with artists such as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Junior Wells.

In its June 2000 issue, Illinois Entertainer named Dave Specter's "Blueplicity" album as one of the top 10 blues albums of the last decade by "young blues artists" (under 50). Specter's guitar playing can also be heard on national TV and radio commercials for Kraft Foods and Northwest Airlines. Dave has recently been featured in Guitar Player and Downbeat magazines and has been a 5 time Critic's Choice in The Chicago Reader. He has also been interviewed on both NPR and BBC radio.

Featuring special guest

JIM BUKIET - Harmonica and Vocals (Tampa, FL)
Vocalist/harmonicist and Chicago native Jim Bukiet has paid his dues in the blues, R&B, and rock 'n' roll over the past few decades. His interest in music was fueled in the 1960s by the rhythmic sounds emanating from Chicago rock 'n' roll and R&B radio during those years. In the early 70's he began playing harmonica, slowly mastering the intricacies of blues harp, influenced by Little Walter, Junior Wells, Paul Butterfield, and Corky Siegel. Under the moniker Cicero Slim (inspired by the blue collar Chicago suburb where he grew up) he sat in with blues artists Luther Allison, Fenton Robinson, and Lonnie Brooks, and opened shows for Albert King, Son Seals, and Mighty Joe Young.

Bukiet's musical career hit high gear in the late '70s when he formed Cicero Slim And The WWIII Blues Band in Springfield, Illinois, featuring two guitarists and a pair of saxophonists along with the leader's harp. The band toured the Midwest, playing the college circuit along with central Illinois and Chicago clubs and festivals, including ChicagoFest. In 1979, he participated in the "Blues In The Schools" program with Fenton Robinson who had taken up temporary residency in Illinois' capital city. Playing with several bands in the '80's, Bukiet played for a few months with guitarist and Delmark recording artist Dave Specter in the group Prisoners Of The Blues. In the '90s, Bukiet led his own outfit named The Kingpins.

Now based in Tampa, Bukiet has played with The BackBreakers, Larry Garner, Tomcat Blake, and The Accelerators. His enthusiasm for the blues and his impressive vocal and instrumental skills are clearly inspired by the Sunshine State.

We're very happy to have Jim as a special guest, playing Harmonica and singing vocals with his old friend, Dave Specter

With opening support from:

David Kav - Acoustic Performance

David Kav has been singing for as long as he can remember. Watching his aunt play guitar as a kid (who learned from his father...whom David has never met,) he was intrigued by the seemingly intimidating instrument. Well, of course, as fate would have it, David would follow his (what once seemed like an) infatuation for music by listening to his mother's record collection of Journey, Boston, Neil Young, Chicago records which led to very basic piano lessons which led to clarinet lessons.

In 8th grade, David received an acoustic guitar as a graduation present. Little did the family know that the guitar would be a permanent fixture in his life.

This led to talent showcases, two rock bands (Comatose and All Things Considered,) a side project (Kampus Project,) and "a partridge in a pear tree" (aka David's debut CD "Look Into My Eyes" - just released last year in 2007.) His newest CD is entitled "Better You Here Than Alone", with songs like Muse, Two Avenues, etc. Definitely on the rise, be sure to catch David open up the night with his acoustic brilliance.

Gothenburg, Sweden is a hotbed of diverse and escalating musical talent. From the mighty Soundtrack of Our Lives to idiosyncratic songsmiths José González and Jens Lekman, through to the unpredictable pop styles from the likes of Love is All and Audrey, not to mention the infamous black metal scene, Gothenburg now boasts the dynamic, organically soulful pop sounds of Little Dragon.

Featuring radiant vocalist Yukimi Nagano and her close high school friends Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrick Källgren (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), Little Dragon stepped into the spotlight with the release of their first double A-side single on Peacefrog (home to José and Findlay Brown), ‘Twice’/’Test’. A former Rough Trade ‘Single of the Week’ and “universally hailed as a masterpiece of free thinking soul†, according to One Week To Live.
Born and raised in Gothenburg to a Japanese father and American mother, Yukimi says, “I grew up listening to American folk because of my Mom, but I’ve always had an affinity for R’n’B.†Meanwhile, keyboardist Håkan spent his childhood in the deepest, darkest woods of Smaland before moving to Gothenburg, hearing a lot of Swedish folk music, later getting into electronic and synth music. Erik grew up hearing early hiphop and jazz. “From time to time we have had to get side jobs,†Yukimi sighs, “but we’d rather stay broke, so we can concentrate on the band.†Their true vocation can be in no doubt based on this divine debut offering.
Yukimi has sung with Sweden’s electronica-jazz outfit Koop, and both Yukimi and Erik play live with José González. Erik also drums with Peps Perrson, a legendary Swedish blues/reggae artist. “We had an admiration for each other musically, and way before we defined ourselves as a band we were making music and hanging out,†Yukimi explains. “It’s like a family, and the band is our big passion. Little Dragon reminds you that when you're really creating music, it's like building a ship that will travel in a direction previously inconceivable†.

However, what unites these disparate influences is an undeniable swing and lightness of touch, braced with bass heaviness, borne from the intuitive connection between the band members that epitomises Little Dragon’s music. Unwilling to stick to definitions or reasons for why Little Dragon is what it is, Yukimi offers effusive and illustrative impressions, which is as good a way as any to understand this very special band.

Maybe Little Dragon is a city,†she muses. Blue traffic-lights, fast food-signs, neon, love, loneliness, technology – a city reflected in the middle of a vast ocean. The music juxtaposes tradition and intense knowledge of musical tools, with destruction, invention... blazing a new trail. I like to think of our music as dreamy, but not always in a pleasant way. Some songs are emotional and some more free and naive.â€
Yukimi’s emergence as a significant voice is confirmed by ‘Twice’ – the opening gambit for the debut and breathtaking in its simplicity, a minor-key piano ballad with understated yet richly effective strings blooming amid deft cosmic swirls. Yukimi delivers a poised but dramatically beautiful tale of regret. “The simple piano was so moody,†she says “I guess it fits perfectly with my confused state at that time.â€

Testa feels like zephyr on a summer’s day. Locked down by wondrous echo chamber effects this gem bubbles along with a solid b-line and leftfield twists and charms that make it seem flawlessly new. “I wrote lyrics and melodies with only drums before we added any other instruments,†Yukimi notes. “I found the drums very inspiring, and I like using a different process to write.â€

That same airiness is evident throughout the album, from highlight and future single ‘Constant Surprises’, which is mostly built from hi-hats and bubbling bass and reminds us of unique and fresh sounding soul that seems to have all but disappeared of late, while Yukimi’s delicious vocal skips and glides atop, and on ‘Recommendation’ the sunshiny syncopation matches the bounce of Yukimi’s singing.
‘Forever’ brings in more of the keyboard atmospherics and moody bass that Mad Professor would be proud to call his own, the perfect foil for a more reflective and emotional lyrical leaning. ‘After The Rain’ is all short clipped struts, and lets Yukimi run wild, moving into the quietly psychedelic, keyboard-driven yearning and wonder of ‘Place To Belong’, while ‘Wink’ suggests a lurking undercurrent of cavernous nightclub funk and flirtation. “When she winks at you / you feel your legs shake / you blow a kiss back / and time stops†. A far less smutty euro Millie Jackson, if you will.

The album is marvellously book ended by the drifting percussion and electronic dynamics of ‘Scribbled Paper’, showcasing another wonderful vocal performance – “I went looking for a trace of something that you left†.
Little Dragon take tired musical traces and styles, give them a shot in the arm to leave us with something fresh and positive.

It is a debut full of subtle touches, capturing fleeting emotional moments, twinned with gnawingly memorable pop flourishes and hooks. Oh, and it reminds us of endless summer possibilities!

Founded in the fall of 2008 as a Thursday night side project at McDunna's in Chicago, the Liquid Beat Allstars took an amorphous personality with a constantly changing lineup and an expansive inquiry into sound and space. With the unwavering message of groove and improvisation, the project quickly evolved into more than just a Thursday night experiment. It seemed as if the dynamic was cosmically aligned, as each of the current members took their first steps into the realm of The Liquid Beat.

Now, after just a short time, The Liquid Beat has established a presence in Chicago as a hard-hitting electro-funk band that thrives on groove and improvisation and will undoubtedly leave you wanting more show after show.

Ott was doomed to be a teenager in the cultural wasteland that was the mid-1980's provincial England. After a brief period wandering aimlessly through the hairsprayed deserts of New Romanticism and poodle-rock he found refuge in the warm, inviting sounds of Scientist, King Tubby, LKJ, and Prince Far-I and the effortless grace of European experimentalists Neu! and Kraftwerk. Here he stayed until he felt it was safe to pop his head up again.

The end of the 1980's brought with it a cultural and musical revolution and Ott headed to London to immerse himself in the new energy. Initially unimpressed by the frantic, unmusical clatterings of acid house and "rave" he discovered a new wave of artists who apparently shared his love of organic dub and pristine electronics. Artists such as The Orb, Dub Syndicate, FSOL and African Head Charge. These were people who were unafraid to combine bass-heavy rhythm, abstract soundscape and timeless melody into a huge, ever-shifting sonic universe which reflected perfectly the spirit of hope and positivity which prevailed.

It was at this point that Ott found his first work as an engineer in several studios around North London. Working obsessively, 18 hours a day, seven days a week for the next ten years, Ott began developing the skills which would see him go on to work with many of those who created the sounds which inspired him in the first place - Brian Eno, The Orb, Youth, African Head Charge, Steve Hillage, and On-U-Sound.

After spending the 1990's freelancing around London as a studio engineer and producer, Ott celebrated the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st by giving it all up and moving to a remote cottage in South West England to be alone with his cats and his studio. With a vague plan to create the perfect soundtrack to an outdoor English festival he embarked on a series of sonic experiments, drawing heavily on the classic dub sounds from Jamaica and hypnotic electronic pulse from Germany which had provided such a refuge during the 1980's. A period of intense creativity followed, during which a great many tracks were created and then stashed away on tapes, seemingly never to see the light of day.

In the meantime, Ott hatched a plan to remix half a dozen or so classic Hallucinogen trance tracks and release them as dub mixes - slower, fatter and more chillout friendly. In 2002 the album "Hallucinogen in Dub" was released via Twisted Records to universal acclaim.

Buoyed by the success of "Hallucinogen in Dub", the following year Ott gathered together and released his earlier sonic experiments as the album "Blumenkraft" which was also very well received and which attracted a great many listeners around the world.

The next few years passed in a whirl of gigs, remixes [Shpongle, Entheogenic, Tripswitch] and collaborative projects - "Umberloid" with friend and multi-instrumentalist Chris Barker, and "Gargoyles" with Simon Posford [Hallucinogen, Shpongle]. During this time Ott travelled the world, got married, welcomed his daughter Daisy to the world and wrote his third album "Skylon" - which was released on Twisted Records in early 2008.

He recently settled on the Mediterranean coast of Spain with his wife and daughter and is currently working on several projects - an "Umberloid" album with Chris Barker for Interchill Records, an album with singer/multi-instrumentalist Naked Nick [ID Spiral] and a new Ott album - all of which should be ready for release in late 2008 or early 2009.

Tables: The Chicago Outfit (Roller Derby), Scale Model Guitars

"The Drop" presented by The Hip Hop Project, Radio One Chicago, ENE & The Chicago Music Project

The Drop is an industry night for the music scene. We invite local artists such as designers, photographers, etc... looking to get their name and business out to bands.

DJs from WLUW 88.7 (Loyola) will also be on hand collecting CDs from bands to play on air. Please come by and meet the DJs. It''''s an easy way to get your music on the radio!

Think of a hibachi chef flipping a raw egg high in the air with the spatula. While in the air, he manages to successively chop fresh veggies and slice his meats with precision with plenty of time to turn his spatula up to the air and perfectly catch the egg shell on its edge while the whites and yolk splash perfectly onto the skillet. There a lot of tasks involved within short pockets of time, but each piece fits precisely together into an energetic crowd-pleasing performance. Coordination is everything. Categorization be damned, the Madison-based five piece, Steez, consisting of Matt Williams (keyboards/synthesizers/accordion), Steve Neary (guitar and vocals), Rob Bessert (drums), Chris Sell (bass), and Andrzej Benkowski (saxophone, oboe, and violin) is -- in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions -- a funk band, a jamband, a fusion band, a disco-fanged multi-beast, and a basket case. Churning out their self-described Creepfunk, a high energy, danceable variety of funk -- one uniquely laced with electronic and improvisational sensibilities – Steez has garnered a loyal following throughout the Midwest, winning contests to perform at both the 2008 Summer Camp and Rothbury Festival and performing to capacity crowds at rapidly growing venues .

For nearly 10 years Terrapin Flyer has toured througout the region with such legends as Vince Welnick and Tom Constanten former keyboardists of the Grateful Dead; and Melvin Seals former organist with the Jerry Garcia Band. On August 14th, 2009 Terrapin Flyer returns with yet another icon of the music world, Bob Bralove to the Kinetic Playground.

After an 8 year tenure with Stevie Wonder, Bralove was the MIDI wizard, producer and co-writer of songs for the last 8 years of the Grateful Dead. Bralove is especially well known for his performing and designing with the Grateful Dead during the mind-bending, avant-garde Drums and Space segments of their live shows. Bralove was the only unofficial performing member of the Grateful Dead, you did not see him performing at the shows, but you heard him as the “man behind the curtain†during Drums and Space segments. His work is prominently featured on the Grateful Dead’s Infrared Roses album.

After the death of Jerry Garcia and subsequent demise of the Grateful Dead, Bralove performed across the United States and Japan in a number of bands with Grateful Dead alumnus in various bands such as Dose Hermanos and the Psychedelic Keyboard Trio. Also a prolific artist, he has exhibited his artwork at various galleries around the country.

On August 14th expect to see Bralove and Terrapin Flyer performing the songs and style of later era Grateful Dead with a lengthy exploration into the psychedelic in Drums and Space segments.