Wicked Drawl

A unique experience that criss-crosses through textures of country, folk & classical while hinting at the spirit of musical theater/cabaret. The group is led by composer/arranger, Keith Kusterer and is amplified by the genre-bending vocal stylings of Christina Pecce, sonorous upright bass slaps of Jeffrey Parker and Chicago’s own virtuoso gem of a pianist/composer, Casey Cross.

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The Fighting Side (Stl)

St. Louis honky-tonk rock ‘n’ roll outfit The Fighting Side is raising hell across the Midwest, and country music’s status quo better take notice. Frontman Brad Jackson lays it out plain: “We’ve all been at this a long time, just in different corners of the music world. Some of us came up on punk rock, some on bluegrass or metal, and I’m a traditional country guy with deep punk roots. It all matters.”That mix of backgrounds isn’t just for show, it’s what makes The Fighting Side’s sound hit different. Paul Johns’ walking bass lines roll like a runaway train under Jackson’s deep baritone growl, grounding the band somewhere between country and southern rock. But it doesn’t stop there. Merril Barden’s drums carry a punk and blues backbone while Seth Barnhart’s rhythms cut through it all like a honky-tonk switchblade. The result is something that’s got all the grit of country but refuses to stay inside the lines. It’s loud, it’s raw, and it sticks with you, just like a damn good song ought to.

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