Mike Zito
From his childhood in St. Louis to the global blues-rock circuit, Mike Zito has always kept it real. He began playing guitar at age five and by his late teens was a fixture on the St. Louis music scene. For Zito, honesty, authenticity, and integrity aren’t just part of the brand—they’re the foundation. “I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told Vintage Guitar. Zito is a powerhouse in modern blues rock. He’s an artist whose gritty guitar work, deeply human songwriting, and magnetic stage presence have made him a defining force in the genre. From smoke-filled bars in St. Louis to major festival stages around the world, he has built a career on emotional honesty, fearless playing, and an unshakable commitment to the song. In 2025, Zito claimed the Blues Music Award for Blues Rock Album of the Year with Life Is Hard, a deeply personal and sonically bold record that cements his place among the genre’s elite. The win followed his 2024 sweep, where he was honored with Blues Rock Album of the Year and Blues Rock Artist of the Year, reflecting both his creative output and his relentless touring schedule. A lifelong road warrior, Zito has spent decades sharpening his craft onstage, channeling the sounds of classic blues, rock, soul, and Americana into something unmistakably his own. His live shows are equal parts fire and heart: searing solos, powerhouse grooves, and storytelling that invites audiences straight into his world. Zito also plays a major role behind the scenes as a respected producer and co-founder of Gulf Coast Records, championing fellow artists and helping shape some of the most exciting new music in today’s blues landscape. Onstage and on record, Zito currently moves through three distinct but connected lanes. Under his own name, Mike Zito delivers the raw, personal, guitar-driven blues rock that fans across the world have come to love. He also co-leads Blood Brothers with Albert Castiglia, a high-energy, guitar-slinging band built on friendship, shared history, and a near-telepathic musical connection. Their chemistry has earned praise from some of the biggest names in blues: as Joe Bonamassa put it, “Mike and Albert have a special chemistry together when they plug in and play that few have. They finish each other’s sentences musically… Great tunes, great people, great hang!” Albert himself adds, “Mike is the hardest working man in show business and a force as a singer, guitarist, producer, and songwriter. There’s nothing the man can’t do. He’s also got a heart of gold, raising money for countless causes. He’s a credit to the blues rock genre!” And then there’s Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, a more theatrical, humor-driven extension of the Blood Brothers universe letting Zito and the band lean into joy, storytelling, and over-the-top rock ’n’ roll while staying anchored in the same serious musical fire. Whether he’s fronting his own band, locking in with Albert in Blood Brothers, or steering the wild heart of Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, Mike Zito is always chasing the same thing: real connection. The songs are honest, the guitar is loud, and the heart is wide open—and that’s exactly how he intends to keep it.
Summer Camp ’96 with The Tale Untold
Ghostlike
Giovannie and the Hired Guns
Since their inception in 2015, Giovannie and The Hired Guns have made a blockbuster career out of wildly defying expectations. With a visceral sound that merges alt-metal, Red Dirt country, Latin pop, Americana, and much more, the Stephenville, Texas-based five piece have ascended from playing local honky-tonks to taking the stage at major festivals and arenas across the country, drawing an ardent crowd ranging from cowboys to metalheads to skate punks. As they continue their colossal rise—a journey that’s included scoring a No. 1 radio hit with their smash single “Ramon Ayala” and winning the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Award for Best New Artist in Alternative & Rock—Giovannie and The Hired Guns now return with their new album Quitter: a body of work that pushes the boundaries with even more intensity, matching its explosive riVs and unforgettable hooks with the band’s most brutally honest songwriting to date. Produced by Johnny K (Megadeth, Sevendust, Plain White T’s), Quitter marks the fourth full length from Giovannie and The Hired Guns (frontman Giovannie Yanez, guitarists Carlos Villa and Jerrod Flusche, bassist/tuba player Alex Trejo, and drummer/pianist Milton Toles) and second LP since signing with Warner Music Nashville through a first-of-its-kind partnership with Warner Music Latina. While the band have always brought a powerful emotionality to their lyrics, the album embodies an unfiltered urgency that has much to do with Yanez’s processing a number of life-altering troubles in real-time, including the death of a close friend and his own relapse into addiction. The follow-up to 2022’s Tejano Punk Boyz, Quitter finds Giovannie and The Hired Guns doubling down on the freewheeling attitude they first embraced in their earliest days as a band, back when Yanez was working the counter at a nearby pawnshop. “From the beginning I told the guys not to worry about sounding too rock or too country on this record,” Yanez recalls. “We just went in there and had fun and didn’t let anything hold us back, and because of that the album shows the full range of what we can do as a band.” Immediately delivering on that promise, Quitter opens on the galvanizing rhythms and throat-shredding vocals of “Cheap Tequila”: a ferocious yet fun-loving track that speaks an unvarnished truth about their shared life experience. “I wrote that song thinking about us in our younger days, when we were all broke and working these mid-paying jobs,” says Yanez. Looking back on the making of Giovannie and The Hired Guns’ most personal album yet, Yanez reveals that Quitter helped to clarify his overall mission and vision for the band. “This record made me want to keep putting out songs that are fun and serious at the same time,” he says. “I want to show everyone that it’s okay to feel sad and out of place, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time—it’s all a part of being human. We just want to be real with our fans and let them know we’re all diVerent and a little oV-the-wall too. And when they come out to the shows, I try to make them feel like they’re just as much a part of the band as my guys are. We’re all connected, and without them we’d never be where we are now.”
Love In The Club
THIS PERFORMANCE IS AGES 18+ LOVE IN THE CLUB is the ultimate 2000s R&B and hip hop dance party. A night dedicated to the era of flip phones, iconic music videos, and unforgettable club anthems. From Usher to Missy Elliott to Akon, we’re bringing the most iconic club era and hits you grew up on back to the dance floor.
Jakob Nowell + Codefendants
The new project of Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell’s only son Jakob Nowell, Jakobs Castle is the sound of two worlds colliding in perfect union – the insouciant sounds of California’s past with the fresh mystery of internet underground culture. Recording under Epitaph Records, Jakobs Castle is old meets new. Beach meets the internet. 90’s Underground does Hyperpop. Imagine laying face up on the beach as waves of retro synth melodies wash over you like static, your body slowly dried by the heat of the emerging sun and skank guitars. It’s both pretty and gritty. Active since 2022, Jakobs Castle has toured the country with emerging young artists like Sitting on Stacy, legacy musicians Jason Devore and Slightly Stoopid, as well as G. Love & Special Sauce, Common Kings and Long Beach Allstars. Standout tracks from ENTER: THE CASTLE include “Time Traveler” and “Catch Me”. With the burden of purpose and expectation held proudly, Jakobs Castle and its enigmatic frontman seek to break all convention and usher in a new era of California music.
MIDWEST NICE SUMMER SLAM SHOWCASE
MIDWEST NICE SUMMER SLAM SHOWCASE
Punk Rock BBQ
Radolescents – Original members of legendary OC punk band the Adolescents play the iconic Blue Album — live, fast, and hard! 🦠 https://www.facebook.com/RADOLESCENTSBAND/ Mean Jeans – Mean Jeans is a high-energy, party-punk trio originally formed in Portland, Oregon in 2006. Known for their Ramones-inspired melodies, raucous live shows, and irreverent humor. https://meanjeans.bandcamp.com/ Toys That Kill […]
Nevertel
THE OTHERS EXPERIENCE VIP PACKAGE includes: One standing GA ticket with early entry to the floor Exclusive production Q&A with the band Professional photo opportunity with Nevertel A VIP exclusive Nevertel merchandise pack One exclusive propaganda poster autographed by Nevertel One commemorative laminate and lanyard Tour merchandise shopping opportunity before doors VIP check-in and priority lane into the venue before doors THE TRAVELER EXPERIENCE VIP PACKAGE includes: One standing GA ticket with early entry to the floor Professional photo opportunity with Nevertel A VIP exclusive Nevertel merchandise pack One exclusive propaganda poster autographed by Nevertel One commemorative laminate and lanyard VIP check-in and priority lane into the venue before doors Leading with an emphasis on quality in everything they do, Nevertel – Jeremy Michael (vocalist), Raul Lopez (rapper/guitarist/producer) and Alec Davis (guitarist) – have honed a distinctly modern genre-blending sound that fuses elements of hip-hop, nu-metal and alternative rock. Touting influences from established acts such as Linkin Park and Bring Me The Horizon, the group draws in listeners with riveting melodic choruses, hip-hop infused verses and bombastic EDM-style breakdowns. Even before they were Nevertel, they were just a bunch of childhood pals bonded by their shared love of music. “We’ve all been best friends since high school and have been in and out of bands together,” Jeremy explains. However, as often happens with school-aged friendships, they eventually drifted apart – until music intervened yet again. “It wasn’t until years later, after seeing Linkin Park at the 2014 Carnivores Tour, Raul called me and Alec about starting another band.” Though the trio is long past their high school days, they still bond over the interests they shared as kids. “What brought us together was our love for music and video games. We would play video games to stay close and keep in contact about the band. Music and gaming have been instrumental to our growth and bond as brothers.” Now, after two albums, two EPs, and a slew of singles out in the world, Nevertel has racked up over 60 million global streams to date (and over 900K a week) while fostering an online community of over 600K social media followers. A testament of their dedication to their craft and commitment to their fans, the band has performed at festivals like Welcome To Rockville, seen radio support from SiriusXM and earned recognition across all major DSPs, with a placement on Spotify’s All New Metal, Kickass Metal, and Hard Rock playlists. “Our mission is pretty simple: to make music that saves and inspires people to make great changes in their lives.” While they pour their hearts into their work, at the core of it all, they do it for the tight-knit group of childhood best friends they once were. “If we could inspire that same 13-year-old kid we once were to follow their dreams and chase their passions then I’d say our mission is being accomplished.”