MEDIA OUTLET

FESTIVAL SELECT Press PHOTOS

Photo credit Jam Room Music Festival/Perry McLeod.

STEVE RAY LADSON

Artist Bio: Steve Ray plays accordion, spoons, and the harmonica. He has written, produced, and is currently traveling the world with 6-time Grammy Award winners and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners, The Blind Boys of Alabama. He also sings and plays with 4-time Grammy nominee Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Steve Ray has made appearances on the Don Imus TV show, CTV, BET, Canadian TV, Audio Tree TV, The Today Show, ABC’s The View, The Rachael Ray Show, AOL’s The Build, Paste Magazine, Salon TV, and many more.

When not touring or on the road, he dedicates most of his time to the farm riding horses and studio production. He is now setting out on his own musical journey, bringing his own genre to light entitled Blackgrass Brothercana.

Although his roots are quartet, he has set himself to be well-rounded in all genres of music including blues, R&B, hip-hop, country, and bluegrass. He is steadily traveling and working hard to do what he has set out to do, which is to “keep the blues, funk, pop, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll alive.

Photo credit: Provided by artist

Silkworm

Photo credit: Provided by artist

Founded in 1987, SILKWORM is a storied and beloved rock band, revered among many of those in the know. The band released nine richly distinctive, influential albums and “a bunch” of singles, EPs, and compilations over an eighteen-year period, as well as touring worldwide in North America, Europe, and Asia, notably playing every state in the continental USA except Delaware.

The group recently played together as a dual-guitar quartet for the first time in thirty years, at Steve Albini’s memorial in late July 2024. 

The experience was so rewarding that they began to discuss regrouping for some additional events…which led them to poking at the best possible options for doing so…

…which brings them to the Chop Shop, for their 3rd and final Chicago show of 2025 and perhaps ever (who knows).

JOEL R.L. PHELPS – guitar, vocals

ANDREW COHEN – guitar, vocals

TIMOTHY MIDYETT – bass, vocals

JEFFREY PANALL – drums

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