Chicago based Gayun Cannon is a self-produced, multi-instrumentalist singer who turns every song into a raw, emotional journey. Whether she’s diving into love or unpacking her own life experiences, her music is designed to make listeners feel. Fusing hypnotic melodies with the rich cultural influence of her Chinese and Black heritage—plus inspiration pulled from sounds around the globe—Gayun refuses to be boxed into any one genre.

Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Soraya and Luciya Sullivan developed their love for bluegrass music at a young age, when they began guitar and banjo lessons at ages eight and six. Now teens living in the Chicago area, The Sullivan Sisters have performed at national venues such as MerleFest, FallGrass by Planet Bluegrass, and The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum ROMPtober festival. They have performed at numerous Chicago area venues, including a sold-out show headlining at Evanston SPACE, Park West, and kicking off the inaugural Evanston Folk Fest in 2024. Luciya is the 2023 Rockygrass Banjo Competition winner, second place winner in the 2024 Galax Fiddlers Convention Banjo Contest, and is a Deering sponsored artist. Soraya won third place in the Flatpicking Guitar Contest at Rockygrass 2023, and is currently studying American Roots Music at Berklee College of Music.

Brandon Good is a Chicago artist with a penchant for Country music. Nodding to a wide range of notable genre influences, he brings in rock n’ roll, soul, singer-songwriter, and blues into his songwriting, all while remaining true to the dance hall and honky-tonk heritage he loves. 

Brandon is no stranger to life on the road, having spent a decade playing with celebrated Chicago Celtic Punk outfit Flatfoot 56. During his time with the band they toured internationally and even charted on Billboard’s Heat Seekers chart. 

After moving to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Brandon wrote and recorded his first solo EP, breaking into the Country scene with the release of “The Anvil” and the subsequent, stripped down, two-track EP titled “The Spitzer Sessions”. 

With fervor and fire licks, Brandon then returned to the studio to begin recording his first full length record, “Restless”, which is set to release spring of 25’. 

After hosting several highly respected residencies and Booking himself and other touring bands countless shows in his home base of Chicago he’s revving up to start touring nationally and bring his songs and style to a town near you.

Hannah Frey plays folk rock for lovers and sweeties. She feels like the luckiest girl in Chicago and hopes it rubs off on you with each listen. You can stream her new album, Lucky Girl, everywhere, but especially in the car with the windows down for maximum Chicago summer enjoyment.

SAVE THE DATE! Our resident drag queen is returning to Tack Room for The Wanda Ball. Come celebrate pride 🌈 with us on Friday, June 6! Wanda will be on the keys singing tunes from Lady Gaga and other queens 👑from 8pm-10pm.

No cover, just walk on in and get ready for a good time!

Sara Jean Stevens is an Americana singer-songwriter whose lush, haunting songs draw from country, folk, and roadhouse grit. Her latest EP Lovesick, recorded live in Mississippi with Matt Patton (Drive-By Truckers), channels memory, heartbreak, and homecoming with raw honesty and pedal steel shimmer.

Links:

www.sarajeanstevens.com

https://linktr.ee/sarajeanstevens

www.instagram.com/sarajeanstevens

Photo by Chris Nightengale

Pride Month is just around the corner, so we are excited to annouce that this June we will be hosting Patch-Making with Pride! It is so important to acknowledge and celebrate queer people, and be vocal in your support of our irrevocable rights.

Make patches to show your support however you choose and come celebrate some queer, crafty community with us. 

Tickets: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/pride-patch-making-with-lovergirl-tack-room-tickets/14448973?pl=thalia3

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.

Zach, a rising star in the world of jazz trumpet, calls Chicago, IL home. His musical journey skyrocketed when he finished his first global tour alongside five-time Grammy Award winner Michael Bublé in 2023, entertaining audiences in arenas and stadiums worldwide. With an impressive discography of 13 albums with a debut album released in June of 2024, Zach's trumpet has lent its brilliance to esteemed ensembles such as Knower (Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi), the Buddy Rich Big Band, Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra, and the Blueshift Big Band.

From the iconic Madison Square Garden to the vibrant streets of São Paulo's Allianz Parque, Zach's trumpet has echoed across diverse landscapes, captivating audiences with soulful melodies. Closer to home, he's a fixture at established jazz venues throughout the Midwest, including The Green Mill, Café Coda, The Chatterbox and Andy's Jazz Club playing alongside esteemed musicians such as Matt Ulery, Thaddeus Tukes, Meghan Stagl, Marlene Rosenberg, Camila Mennitte and many more.​

Zach's musical prowess extends beyond solo performances; his ensembles have graced stages at renowned festivals such as the Riverfront Jazz Festival, where they opened for jazz legend Dave Liebman in 2017. Headlining events like the Bull Falls Jazz Festival and the Taste of Bloomington Festival further solidify his place in the jazz scene.

In addition to previously leading his own bands, including the "Crossroads Quintet" and "Omnos Quartet," Zach collaborates as a sideman with the popular hip-hop/jazz-fusion outfit "Clint Breeze and the Groove." A graduate of UW-Stevens Point and Indiana University, Zach's musical journey continues to evolve, resonating with audiences worldwide.

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. 

The stage has always been home for Liam Taylor. At the young age of 5, he spent most of his time acting in plays and musicals. After years of performing other people’s work, Taylor decided, as a queer man growing up in the South, it was time to tell his own stories. In his short career, he has worked with many artists including Johnathon McReynolds, Erykah Badu, Woody Goss of Vulfpeck, and many more. Since releasing music in 2022, he has performed at many of the city's acclaimed festivals, including Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, and Market Days, and has headlined shows in New York, Dallas, and in different parts of Europe. After a string of viral videos in 2023, he received a shoutout from Ariana Grande, recognizing his powerhouse vocal ability. 

In 2024, he began releasing a string of singles from his first album, 26 missed calls, getting 300K+ streams across all platforms. He intends to create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals across the globe through his unique, energetic and eclectic pop music. This is merely the beginning for Taylor, so don't miss out on an opportunity to see him in Chicago!

The Anacleto duo is lead by drummer/percussionist and composer Alex Santilli. The Chicago native is the current percussionist for major soul giants "Thee Sacred Souls" as well as playing in a plethora of Chicago groups and collectives. Ranging from jazz to the free/avant garde to Afro Cuban, Brazilian music and contemporary groove,beat and soul music. The self proclaimed Ethnomusicologist has traveled all over doing fieldwork , in search of the rhythms/songs that bind humanity. His music and performances are a complete reflection of this with a rotating cast of incredible musicians, the music stays current and always moving forward while still grounded in the classics. He has taken the artist name "Anacleto" (named after his grandfather) and has released and is currently releasing more music under the name " The Adventures of Anacleto" a mix of compositions/productions and improvisations. 

Matthew Coglianese is an upright and electric bassist in Chicago who has been performing professionally for the past 10 years. An integral part of his musical identity is his love for a wide variety of genres from swing to classical, hip hop to Latin jazz, funk to bluegrass, and everything in between. 

Since he is proficient on both the electric and upright bass, Matthew finds himself spread throughout many of the rich musical cultures that are embedded in the Chicago music scene. His most prominent project is the blues-soaked soul-funk powerhouse known as Zoofunkyou, which has been an integral part of the city’s music scene for the past 10 years.

In his group known as the Cogs Trio, the ensemble explores creative and improvisatory soundscapes built around standard tunes with a rotating lineup of some of the city's finest musicians. While this context honors the lineage of improvisatory music, it also pushes the envelope and sonic boundaries by allowing each player to fully express their own voice in each composition while allowing the group to go wherever the moment takes them. This iteration of the group features Nathan Reider on saxophone and Grayson Nye on Piano. 

Megan Esther is a Chicago born and based, Texas raised singer-songwriter known for their clever lyrics, political perspective, vocal prowess and blues rock americana sound. Megan can be found leading The Megan Esther Band and performing frequently in the Chicago local music scene. You can listen to Megan Esther’s debut single “How Its Gotta Be” on all streaming platforms.

Jillie is a regular at some of Chicago's best piano bars including Zebra Lounge, Redhead Piano Bar, The Tack Room, and Sluggers, performing an all request, sing-a-long show. Jillie is also a singer/songwriter and has released two EPs and many singles. Her song “Travel On” was selected as a finalist in the worldwide songwriting contest Song of the Year in 2007 and her song "Another Lonely Christmas" was a finalist in 2022. Her music has also been licensed for television. Her song "Dizzy in Love" was featured in season 6 of "Love Is Blind." Check out her music on spotify/itunes/amazon/bandcamp

Over the past 20 years, Rachel Swain has captivated audiences across genres with her powerful voice and rich songwriting. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, later moving to Houston, she developed a passion for music from a young age; Swain frequently watched her parents perform in various nightclubs around Houston. After her family relocated to Chicago where she is still based, she began to cut her teeth as a performer and songwriter, learning to play the fiddle, guitar, and bass and playing in projects from indie rock to 60s French pop. Her work has been named Performer Magazine’s April 2014 Vinyl of the Month, was featured by Fred Mills of Spin and Blurt Magazine on Blurt Online, and made Walt Falconer’s of The Falcon’s Nest, Top-10 Records of 2014 list.

Raised on rodeo and rock and roll, her musical influences span country, bluegrass, Americana, and soul. Swain's music is honest, soulful, and steeped in her Texas roots. Soaring melodies are complimented by her bold and dynamic vocals, with themes that speak to a range of human experience, including loss, love, and redemption. Listeners will notice nods to new and classic country in her eclectic and nuanced music. She performs solo and with her band, The Swains. Her highly anticipated debut solo releases are due out early 2025.

Join us 5/1 at Tack Room to create your own Botanical Wall Art! Create a one-of-a-kind framed piece to hang on your wall or give as a Mother's Day gift. Moms always welcome at Lovergirl events.

Tickets: https://www.ticketweb.com/event/may-flowers-with-lovergirl-creates-tack-room-tickets/14360873?pl=thalia3

Purchase tickets here!

Show & Tell for Grown-Ups was created to bring nerds together, in-person, to get excited and learn about each other’s interests. It's like a tiktok rabbit hole, but live and in-person!

Join Show & Tell for Grown-Ups at the first floor cocktail bar in Thalia Hall, Tack Room! Grab something at the bar, and then get ready to have fun & learn something.

Show & Tell for Grown-Ups is a platform to showcase niche interests and knowledge. Join us to have fun, learn something, & make friends!

Presenters sign up online to share 5-minutes on something they think is cool. We’ve had presentations on everything from Examining the Fluid Dynamics of Dogs Shaking Dry or The Evolution of the Romantic Languages to The Anatomy of a Hoagie. We’ve heard about people’s hobbies like dice games, playing the harmonica, and ghost hunting.

If it’s a subject you know a lot about & you’re excited to share, we’re here to listen and learn.

The flow of the show:

• Presenters get 5-minutes to tell us why something is cool.

• We open up for 3-4 minutes of Q&A with the audience.

• Other audience participation parts sprinkled in: Animal Fact, This Week in History, & Where Did That Phrase Come From?

We are an introvert friendly show. Forced participation is not our jam. If you want to contribute, please know that we very much want to hear from you. If you’d rather blend & just enjoy, we’re stoked you are spending the night with us.

You wanna bring something to Show & Tell?

Signup for your 5-minute slot to show & tell: https://forms.office.com/r/gfMRYyRR7p

For $5 off your ticket, RSVP with Pie: https://getpie.at/iReRKTBg

Pie is a local Chicago meetup app that is focused on reducing social isolation by showing what plans your friends are going to and supporting event creators building cool stuff.

To learn more about the show, follow us on Instagram @tellmewhyitscool_show or check our website www.tellmewhyshow.com.

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.

Megan Hozick is an indie rock singer-songwriter specializing in high-energy tunes with creative, humorous, and compelling lyrics. Catchy melodies, powerhouse vocals, and clever words come together to create her unique style that's a little bit folk, a little bit punk rock, and a whole lotta heart!!

Wanda is Chicago's dark-sided, piano-playing drag queen. She has performed in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and all around the UK as a solo act and as part of the drag theatre group SADHAUS, which she co-founded. You can usually find her enchanting audiences at Tack Room or leading a ghost tour downtown. She has also led art tours at the Art Institute, and if you're lucky she will bust out her accordion! Find Wanda on Instagram at @wandachicago.