Local Loft Episode 339

All along a original Chicagoland music odyssey...Local Loft pulls into Kankakee, with a return voyage to Punk Rock Tacos Central in Villa Park.

 

1. On what is a Shape-ing up to be another fulfilling journey of original Chicago area punk, metal, alternative rock & power pop, we first stop by the biggest summer festival in the Southlands. Merchant Street Music Fest brought Zion, Illinois biggest contribution to the mid 90s Grunge movement, Local H. All who saw the dynamic duo fronted by Scott Lucas, did certainly get it (the far from As Good As Dead sound that defined an era) and Scott kept the lyrics copacetic. Before Scott once again( as he first did 28 years ago) tried to get fans to like him better if he was Eddie Vedder, Alternative cosmic jam band Shaper mesmerized a packed audience on the Hill Stage with songs about the mentally paralyzing feeling of not getting a good night's sleep. I talk with singer/bassist Justin Williams and the other three who brought a live concert atmosphere, with no audience, to their full-length debut album, Live At Third City Sound.
2. After a 24-hour Saturday breather, I head Northwest to the second outdoor Punk Rock Tacos in Villa Park. The surroundings once again got crunchy and punchy. No fights broke out, but fists were raised high in the air as veteran blue collar Chicago punk trio Squared Off united a mass crowd with their songs supporting the weary working man and his quest for government and corporate respect for a job well done. Tony Michelles, Ryan Levitt, and Jose "Hoser" Villareal join me after their adrenalin rush set to talk about their support for the working man and their contribution to the local charity Punk Rock Saves Lives. Also, S.I.T.B. (Steve's In The Band) relive their beginning as the first Chicago band to ever play Punk Rock Tacos. 
3. 44 years ago, in July 1980, when Chicagofest was the premiere Summer festival in the city by the lake, M & R Rush sang of their support for the working man and pride for Chi-town. After The Loop FM 98 gave them a lot of airplay, the band  got a new life on The Kat 105.5 airwaves 13 years ago this week, with their first new album in three years, Alpha. Veteran guitarist & singer John Mc Farland and keyboardist. songwriter Carl Mosur joined me in The Kat studios, with new songs that go far beyond their longtime love for Rock N Roll Chicago. We rock back to it.
4. The original Chicago music soundtrack taking shape to rock all in cyberspace who hear it is:
5. Shaper-Task Paralysis
6.  Shaper-Perv Alert
7.  Local H-Bound For The Floor
8.   Shoes-Tomorrow Night
9.   Horace Pinker-Maybe Not Today
10.   S.I.T.B.- (Steve's In The Band) Ten
11.    Quantum-Punk Funk
12.  Squared Off-Agents Of Chaos
13.   Squared Off-Glory Days
14.    Acton's Dictum-Dollar Beers
15.    M & R Rush (John McFarland & Carl Mosur         interview in The Kat 105.5 studio-8/4/11)
16.     M & R Rush-Working To Pay The Man
17.      M & R Rush-Sometimes She Cries
18.      M & R Rush-A Different Breed Of Kat