Jan 2, 2013
Have you checked out The Greenville Tavern yet? This new pub played host to Mr. Blotto's New Year's Eve gig. The band ripped through classics by Dylan, The Dead, Allman Brothers and J.J. Cale and rang in 2013 with one of Paul's trademark raps out of Kool and The Gang's "Jungle Boogie".Here's the audio (...
Nov 15, 2012
Every summer, interesting festivals overtake the music landscape in and around Chicago. While the festival calendar dries up after Labor Day, leave it to the area's best venues to make our holidays seem like mini-festivals of their own. And with Thanksgiving more of a homecoming style occasion, the program leans delightfully local.We've...
Nov 15, 2012
I'm trying something different for this contest to make it easier than ever to win these tickets. I've created a short entry form on this page. All you need to do is fill out your email address and which of two shows you are interested in attending:Mr Blotto and Chicago Zappa Collective...
Oct 23, 2012
Halloween is on a Wednesday this year, and apparently that means six full days of Halloween musical goodness in Chicago. While the bulk of the "costume" shows will take place on the prior weekend and, of course Halloween night itself, there's even a few heavy-hitting shows in the "days between" that serious music fans have...
Aug 22, 2012
Bob Borchardt makes documentary films and has featured the music of Chicago band Mr. Blotto in a few of them. His other passion is farming; he owns a certified organic vegetable farm in Southwest Wisconsin, Harvest Moon Farms, with a mission to provide the best fresh produce to retail and restaurants.Unfortunately, his crop has...
Jul 30, 2012
A new venue and a new vibe with for the long running Midwest festival, but the same Blotto and the 12th encore album, this time one that was "due": the Allman Brothers Band Eat A Peach. Here are the setlists (via mr.blotto.net)Friday, July 27, 2012Set One: Gettin' It On, Any Kinda Lover, One...
Jun 25, 2012
Update 7/26: Schedule Info Added!Expect a mix of the familiar with some out-of-leftfield choices for supporting artists at the 2012 installment of Blottopia.Bluegrass is keyword for daytime portion of the festival. As previously reported, Grateful String Band will provide Saturday entertainment, and they will be joined by the exciting Chicago jamgrass band Leadfoot and more...
Jun 25, 2012
We've creeped past the solstice marker and are entering the heart of festival season in the Midwest. The oddest trend for 2012 seems to be festivals moving locations, which no less than five of the fests that we are tracking declaring a new home this year. Here's our roundup of the most intriguing camping and / or...
Jun 11, 2012
It appears that many people are finding this page when searching for information on 2013 Blottopia festival (Blottopia 14). Our post on that topic is here.Original PostSo it's seems like the biggest trend in Chicago area jam-focused festivals is finding new locations. The latest festival, is Blottopia, whose hosts Mr. Blotto are leaving Elgin's Vasa Park...
Jun 1, 2012
Naperville Ribfest has always been about the classic rock dinosaurs and this year is no different with ZZ Top, Joe Walsh and Steve Miller Band scheduled to appear at the 2012 festival. But this year, the fest adds a bit of jam to the festivities.The reunited Leftover Salmon will make their first Chicago area appearance...