Join us for The Iguanas and The Belvederes on Saturday, June 16 at FitzGerald's. Tickets are $15. Purchase tickets online
here. Doors open at 7:00PM and the show begins at 9:00PM. This show is 21+.
THE IGUANAS: Taking their cues from all of the above influences and then some, Juarez, the band's first studio album since 2012’s Sin to Sin, redefines the notion of Americana, crossing cultures, styles, eras...and even languages. It's as if Rue Bourbon, Muscle Shoals and Plaza México were all within earshot of each other and The Iguanas were the musical conduit between them. Based out of New Orleans for the past couple of decades save for a short, Katrina imposed exile in Austin the members of the Iguanas have (collectively or individually) played or recorded with everyone from Charlie Rich, Alex Chilton, and Willie DeVille to Emmylou Harris, Allen Toussaint, and Pretty Lights.
Their two decade ride has taken them all over the map musically and geographically, yet the inescapable patina of their hometown infuses every note they play. Through eight studio albums, countless tours and Jazz Fest appearances, and a flood that did its best to take their adopted city with it, it's a testament to the band's endurance that the same four guys that started playing in the early 1990s are still together. Joe Cabral is philosophical about the band's persistence in the face of challenges that would have felled indeed have felled lesser bands. “First of all, this is all we know how to do; we're musicians. But more than that,” he continues, “we respect the power of the band as an entity, and each individual in the band steps up to play his part. When it's good, that's really what it's all about.”
Rod Hodges agrees. “I don't want to get all heady and mystical about this, but it's not really an outward reward we're looking for. We all enjoy playing music, we all get along, and finding a group of people who can say that after all this time is a rare thing.”
THE BELVEDERES: Raised on a healthy diet of Garage Rock, Power-Pop, Roots, Red-Hot Rockabilly, Honky-Tonk and Soul – John Michael Ford (lead vocals, guitar), Joe Alonzo (drums, vocals) and Tyler Kock (bass guitar, vocals) came together during the early months of 2011 and presented a simple, clear-cut mission statement: Make people feel good. And when presented with such a task, we believe there's nothing quite like Rock & Roll music. We also firmly believe that if you're gonna do this work, you’d better do it right and give the audience MORE than what they paid for. Spring of 2015 saw the addition of Joe Nocchi on guitar, whose song-savvy sensibilities have proven invaluable to the group.
In 2015, The Belvederes second full length CD, "Beggar's Heart" brought in rave reviews. "...as good as any rock n roll/Americana you'll find today" says Rich Wagner, owner of Rediscover Records, one of Chicago-land's most unanimously beloved record outlets. The subsequent CD release show at FitzGerald's in Berwyn caught the attention of WGN's Wendy Snyder, who had great things to say about the band and the set on her midday show, "Bill and Wendy".
Dynamic playing, tight harmonies, dance floor-friendly energy and lots of love are what you can expect to experience at a Belvederes show. So get in on this rockin' dance party! Ya won't be sorry!