The Insiders: A Tom Petty Tribute

Close your eyes and you won’t know the difference. Open them and you still might be fooled. The Insiders present the premier Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers experience. With 6 veteran musicians and decades of combined stage and touring experience, The Insiders are genuinely running down the dream.

It all starts with frontman Max Lockwood. “I grew up listening to Tom Petty. My mom would play the Greatest Hits record while she worked out. I’d sit at the top of the stairs and listen to those songs—it was my most requested CD as a young kid.” In high school, Lockwood’s band Big Dudee Roo started covering Petty songs at their frequent shows in West Michigan.  “Tom Petty was part of the great American landscape to me—a legend by the time I was musically conscious. We got a great crowd reaction with Petty tunes, and people frequently commented that I sounded a lot like him.”​

Nothing has changed with time. After the passing of Tom Petty in October of 2017, Lockwood organized the band by pulling together some of his favorite musicians for a benefit concert. After a sold-out show that raised thousands for a local domestic violence shelter The Insiders decided they wouldn’t back down. “We try to honor what Mr. Petty and the Heartbreakers have done for rock and roll each night. We’re fans of the music first and foremost. These songs are woven into the fabric of the American identity.” They’ve found no shortage of demand, selling out shows everywhere they go. Local Spins’ John Sinkevics had this to say: “The Insiders set the bar at a new level for Tom Petty tributes.”

The Insiders are based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently tour the Midwest and beyond. They are available for public and private functions.

Abby NormaL

Abby Normal is a cover band that comes from Indianapolis, Indiana. Originally, all four members grew up in the Northwest Indiana region and played in various bands. It was not until moving to Indy when they got together to start Abby Normal. With a wide variety of songs, there is something everyone will enjoy. The songs range from rock, classic rock, disco, funk, and even some new music on the radio today. The band consists of Corey Girnus on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. Along with her husband Ben Girnus who plays a rippin’ lead guitar. Steve Fields lays down the groove on drums and also has songs which he takes lead vocals on. Tony Nuzzo keeps the bass guitar steady and thumping throughout every song.

Chris Peters

Since 2012, Chris Peters has been building a reputation as a true visionary in the region's music scene. From playing shows and releasing music out of his hometown of Highland, Chris quickly built a devoted fanbase. As a current graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, this singer-songwriter is back with his band as he continues to draw crowds from far and wide, spreading musical light in every new destination with his catchy and heartwarming original songs.

CXPITAL

Cxpital is a three piece female-fronted Alternative Rock band from Northwest Indiana consisting of lead guitarist Tyler Maximoff, drummer Benji Grimler, and lead singer/bassist Lucie Ashmore who comes all the way from Greystones, Ireland. With their complex and fulfilling harmonies that are paired perfectly with their dreamy guitars and bouncy rhythms, Cxpital gives you an amazing listen that will guarantee to be an instant replay.

Apollo Selene

Apollo Selene is an American band that originated in Munster, Indiana in 2020.

Apollo Selene released their debut song & single “Times of Never” on December 17th, 2021, and their second song & single “Alive N Well” on April 8th, 2022. Apollo Selene’s original music can be found on all streaming platforms worldwide, such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, iTunes, and many more. The inspiration behind the band name “Apollo Selene” comes from Ancient Greek Mythology. “Apollo” being the Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, art, healing, and knowledge, and “Selene” being the Greek goddess of the moon. Apollo Selene plans to make music for years to come, to last generations beyond our own. To create something that will stand the test of time, which will positively impact society and humanity. Songs that will inspire joy and happiness, positivity and kindness. That’s what Apollo Selene is all about. And what better way to do that than with music. That’s what brought us all together. That’s what drives us to dig deeper and to continue to create music before our time here is done. Us people come n go, but the music never dies.

Special K

More info coming soon!

Ephraim Bugumba

Singer and songwriter Ephraim Bugumba illustrates the sounds of cultural traditions and soul through his music. Listen to the vibrant lyrics inspired by African rhythms & traditions of storytelling. Stories about love, struggle, and his place in the world; a nomadic refugee boy.

Andre Detti

More info coming soon!

George Porter featuring Joe Marcinek

New Orleans music royalty and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient 

George Porter Jr. founded The Meters in 1965 alongside Art Neville, Leo Nocentelli and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste. Known as one of the progenitors of funk with Sly & The Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, The Meters carved their own place in history with syncopated polyrhythms and grooves inherited from New Orleans’ deep African musical roots. Porter’s heavy pockets and fat notes created the rubbery bass lines behind anthems like “Cissy Strut” off the group’s self-titled 1969 debut — The Meters’ greatest commercial single that reached No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The Meters became the house band for Allen Toussaint’s recording label and studio in New Orleans, backing records for Dr. John, Paul McCartney, Lee Dorsey, Earl King, Robert Palmer and Patty Labelle’s No. 1 hit, “Lady Marmalade”. They toured with the Rolling Stones and influenced everyone from Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys. Porter’s rhythmic work with drummer Modeliste became the building block behind scores from hip-hop artists A Tribe Called Quest, Run DMC, N.W.A. and Queen Latifah, all of whom sampled The Meters.

The band broke up in 1977, after Toussaint claimed rights to the name, but reformed in the 1980s as the Funky Meters following an informal jam during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Porter went on to become a highly coveted session bassist. He notched studio sessions with David Byrne, Jimmy Buffet, Tori Amos and Taj Mahal; and live performances with John Scofield, Warren Haynes, members of the Grateful Dead and countless others.

Porter started his own long-term project, the Runnin’ Pardners, in 1990. The group’s studio releases include Funk This (2000) and Can’t Beat the Funk (2011), as well as live albums along the way. The current lineup features drummer Terrence “Groove Guardian” Houston, Michael Lemmler on keyboards and guitarist Chris Adkins.

In 2000, the original Meters lineup reunited for a one-night stand at the Warfield in San Francisco, and again in 2006 to headline Jazzfest in the wake of Katrina. The group sporadically performed as The Original Meters to elated crowds between 2012 and 2017. Art “Poppa Funk” Neville retired from performing in 2018 and passed away the following year. But the Meters’ music and their heritage of funk lives on in George Porter and his bandmates – past, present and future.

Caught on cline

What happens when a bouzouki, a trumpet, and RnB fuse together? You get Caught On Cline, also known as CoC; a lyrical thought-provoking blend of RnB/Soul, grooving Funk and thematic timbres of World Fusion. The message behind it all, is love thru unity and diversity. The group builds on classic themes borrowing from all the genres they seek and wish to explore, all while curating a sui generis perspective. Their 2021 Release “I.The Next Set” is more centered thru the lense of RnB and Soul, while still paying homage to the classic CoC ethos. The group plans to explore in all directions, but always keeping the same open message of love, acceptance, and consciousness.

rookie

Guitarists Christopher Devlin and Giovanni Marrari, drummer/vocalist Joe Bordenaro, bassist Barrett “Bear” Guzaldo, and keys player Justin Bell enjoy the everlasting spirit of yesterday’s pop and rock. With no singular songwriter at the helm, ROOKIE’s aesthetic is anchored by the contributions of each of its members, a testament to their status as veteran musicians in an increasingly influential independent musical ecosystem.

King hippie

More info coming soon!

ST. Joe Jack

St. Joe Jack is an eclectic culture of positive energy and excitement. Accompanied by his guitar, loop pedal, banjo, and several odd instruments Jack sets the stage to take you to a new world of emotion through music that keeps you dancing all night long. Everything from Stevie Wonder, Grateful Dead, and Louis Armstrong goes into his sound that makes it easy to join in the fun! In 2019 Jack played a tour at 100 breweries in 100 days, which now has brought him to a regional touring schedule playing everywhere from Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and even Canada!

laura jean thompson

More info coming soon!.