Join us for an evening previewing Sunflower Summit's upcoming album - "Keep On Hoping"! Enjoy this collection of politically charged music in an acoustic setting, sip on a yummy cocktail, and enjoy in the company of like minded people - people hoping and fighting to improve the world we live in today!

Sunflower Summit (she/they) is a queer Latinx Chicago based artist, writing and performing music that hits right in the feels! Blending pop, country, and folk, the group mixes each of their music tastes and experiences to tell a story of hope and community.  The band continues their mission with their upcoming album, “Keep on Hoping” - a collection of politically charged music - set to release June 26!  Made up of vocalist and writer Maria Requena, cellist Allison Hill, lap steel guitarist Jackie Walter, drummer Dan Munk, and guitarist Justin Merchan, the group creates intimate and cozy energy for every performance that any listener can connect with!

Kevan Eftekhari has been entertaining audiences and establishing himself as a fixture in the Chicago music community for nearly two decades. From piano bars, to weddings, and to corporate events, Kevan brings to life any occasion with his impressively massive repertoire of popular classics and hits from all ages and genres.

@kevanchicago 

http://kevaneftekhari.com/

Pictoria Vark is getting a better handle on living. The past few years have been a whirlwind forthe Chicago-based bassist and songwriter. Her incessant time on tour in the last few years ledto epiphanies, big and small, about how fleeting life is. The title of her second album, NothingSticks, states it plainly: that everything we try to hold onto - whether it's a relationship, amoment, a career, or a way of life - will come to an end. In confronting these hard truths over thecourse of ten songs, she finds gratitude, heartbreak, acceptance, and ultimately, the strength tolive life to its fullest.Pictoria Vark has been critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Forbes, and hasbeen seen sharing stages across the U.S. with La Dispute, Tegan and Sara, and Tommy Lefroy.

Laura Cai is a recording artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based out of Chicago.

As a singer, keyboardist, cellist, guitarist, and bassist, Laura has lent her range of talents to a variety of live and studio projects across diverse genres for more than a decade. She has worked as a studio musician, recording and arranging songs that have together amassed millions of streams. As a live musician, Laura has toured both domestically and internationally, playing in venues spanning from intimate coffee shops to sold-out theaters to arenas of thousands.

Laura has had songs placed with CBS and Walmart alongside Grammy-nominated producer Oh, Hush! and created viral videos with recording artist Alex Blue. She currently plays weekly at piano bars around the city as she continues to hone her skills as an up-and-coming producer, mixer, and masterer.

Mouna Tahar is a Canadian/American singer-songwriter and visual artist with North African roots. She received a bachelor's degree in classical music at the University of Toronto and studied flute under Nora Shulman. After several years of traveling and living around the world, she moved to Chicago in 2024. Mouna creates music that is nostalgic, romantic, and other-worldly, blending ethereal dream-pop with cinematic storytelling and folk, her songs explore ethics, morality, love, memory, faith, and the bittersweet ache of being human. She is especially inspired by old films, pressed flowers, and letters never sent.

Cody Palmer fronts the high-energy honky-tonk band Sparkle Carcass creating the sound he calls Dive Bar Country, while Downes leads Reilly Downes & The Acid Cowboys known for her raw storytelling and “small, but mighty” vocals. Married in real life, these two are in constant collaboration, regularly swapping side-musician duties to play in each other's full bands. Stripping away the loud electric setup for a rare acoustic duo set, they'll share the stage trading off lead vocals, and backing each other up for an intimate, unfiltered showcase of songs.

Singer-songwriter Caleb Jefson, best known as Marble Teeth, has always made music that sounds like it could fall apart at any second – that’s exactly why it matters. there was a huge crowd of people gathered in the street reads small, uneven, and at times uncomfortable. Yet, it’s one of the clearest statements from a project that has built a world on imperfection.

Five songs, acoustic at their core – this EP extends the small central Illinois artist’s commitment to small-scale intimacy while pulling harder on collage and interruption. Memory fragments, incidental noise, disjunction; it’s a continuation of the lofi folk lineage that runs through Phil Elverum’s The Glow Pt. 2 and the early Alex G. cassettes – but also belongs to the current ecosystem of Bandcamp folk that refuses polish as a matter of principle.

credit: https://uglyhug.com/2025/09/23/marble-teeth-finds-poetry-in-the-power-bill-album-review/

Smooth Rogers is the brainchild of Chicago-based musician, Zac Bron. Combining elements of psychedelic pop, dreamy alt-rock, and funk infused synth pop, Smooth Rogers takes you on a journey through lush soundscapes and danceable grooves.

Tall Tall Trees is the musical id of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Savino, a pioneer in the realm of experimental, DIY banjo music. Accompanied by his trusty Banjotron 6500, a highly customized, electrified banjo and effects pedal setup, Savino has wowed audiences since the 2009 debut of his self-titled album with his eclectic and innovative blend of psychedelic folk, rock and world music. His work seems to actively evade comfortable definition, upon first listen one will recognize the tenderness of Cat Stevens, the melancholy introspection of Elliott Smith, the anthemic psychedelia of Pink Floyd, and a deep abiding respect for Earl Scruggs. Savino often performs solo, showcasing his fleet-footed loop pedal mastery, as well as alongside long-time collaborator and fellow innovator, Kishi Bashi. He has recently collaborated with fellow psych-banjo maestro JD Pinkus of the Butthole Surfers, releasing Ponder Machine, a psychedelic banjo opus on the Shimmy Disc label. Tall Tall Trees latest release and 5th LP, Stick to the Mystical I, featuring a collaboration with Josiah Wolf of the band Why? is out now on Joyful Noise Recordings.

RSVP HERE: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/kicking-it-curbside-with-tall-tack-room-tickets/14918273?pl=thalia3

Hollow Bastion is a three-piece indie rock band from Chicago that teeters between a deep sincerity and utter unseriousness. What began as a solo project of Teagan Brey in her suburban bedroom has evolved over the years into a full band. Now part of Chicago’s vibrant DIY scene, Hollow Bastion includes fellow troublemakers Ruben Steiner (bass) and Michael Whalen (drums).  Their debut album, Waitin’ All Winter, is a fully DIY, self-recorded and self-produced release, the first from Hollow Bastion as a trio, opening the door to a fuller rock ’n’ roll sound. The band blends indie rock with folk textures and catchy hooks, drawing from a wide range of influences to create a sound entirely their own.

Rooted in Chicago’s vibrant music scene, The Front Desk is a six-piece band fusing funk, soul, rock, and jazz into a sound distinctly their own. Since forming in 2023, The Front Desk has built a reputation for shows that get people singing along while laying down playful, improvisational tunes.Configuration: we will have 5 people: bass, trombone, percussion, guitar, and lead vocals.

Midamerican Elevator is a harmony-driven indie-rock project formed in 2020, built around the long-standing collaboration of Paxton Long and Beni Yuzawa, who began singing together in 2013. The music is relaxed but intentional—folk-leaning indie rock that values melody, harmony, and space.

Olivia and the Lovers are a queer and trans cowboy band based in Chicago, working to increase visibility and safety for queer voices, bodies, and narratives in the country music scene. Taking inspiration both from classic American folk music and cowboy standards, Olivia Love writes music as a vehicle for vulnerability and reflections on queer love, loss, and healing.

The Metalliques materialize from Dimension Zero to present a sultry, surfy and cinematic act that would be equally at home in a David Lynch film or softcore Italian giallo.

Under his moniker Orillia, Andrew Marczak follows the long tradition of folk music's more progressive stewards, commanding audiences with his unique bracing tenor and skeletal arrangements. With 2 albums under his belt, he has toured across North America and Europe, and currently resides in Chicago with his partner and collaborator, Peach. His newest record, Fire-Weed, is out now on Far West Records. Orillia recently performed an Exclusive Mini-Concert for Sirius XM’s Outlaw Country Channel, and they have been featured on NPR's Great American Folk Show, Holler Country, The Chicago Tribune, and radio stations across the U.S., Canada, and Germany. They are working on their 3rd album...

René Avila band leader for a traditional Cuban Charanga band.  He has two ensembles, from a trio to a 9 piece band.  We have played for Chicago's Summerdance, Navy Pier's Beer Garden, Old Town School of Folk Music and various festivals throughout the city. Our ensembles play traditional Cuban from the golden ages of the 40's 50's and 60's still keeping the "Charanga" format.Charanga is a classical chamber ensemble that came out of Haiti, featuring the unique sound of the french flute and violins.  During the Haitian revolution of 1804, this sound migrated to eastern Cuba where it reached Santiago.  In the space of 120 years, the modern Charanga was born by adding elements of Africa, Spain, Haiti and Cuba transforming it into an electric mix of cultures and one of the worlds most exciting dance genres.