Duke Oursler is a country musician singer/songwriter out of Macomb, Illinois. He was born the son of an oil pumper on the Great Plains of Southwest, Kansas. Duke grew up in the windswept prairies of Finney County, KS hunting pheasants, prairie chickens, rattlesnakes, and jackrabbits along the dry bottom of the Arkansas river. It is these stories and experiences the fuel his songwriting. His thoughtful, tough, honest and direct lyrics speak to the experiences, virtue and aspirations of a midwestern life. His unique brand of American country music speaks to the hard working blue-collar life and often a critiques the notion of the “American Dream” by contrasting the economic and cultural tropes against unifying and spiritual stories of love, loss and family found on in rural America.
South of 80 is one of Chicago’s premier cover bands, with influences from Mumford and Sons, The Killers, Modest Mouse, Pearl Jam, The Dave Matthews Band,and many more. South of 80 is comprised of Chicago musicians with a long history in the local music scene.
Bear Down! Watch the game on the big screen at Carol's! Game Day Specials include: $15 Domestic Buckets $3 Bud Light and Miller Lite Bottles $8 Modelo and Corazon Shot $7 Bud Light and Jameson Shot $5 Fireball Shots and of course $4 Jell-O Shots
Strawdawg. Chicagoland’s answer to great Country Music/Classic Rock/Original Music. Featuring awesome Female and Male lead singers and an awesome band, Strawdawg will keep you dancing all night long and if you like to line dance, we are your answer to great line dance music. With some classic rock thrown in and some original music it’s time to get your boots on and grab your hat and Let’s Kick it Country Style.
Founded several years ago by Chicago Singer/Songwriter Edward William Ryan, The Simple Remedy has grown into one of the most reliable acts on the music scene.
Also featuring Singer/Songwriter Laura Patricia on Vocals, Michael Pentz on Lead Guitar, Mike Smith on Bass Guitar and Andy Wilmoth on Drums!
The band is a true melting pot of musical influences and keeps the audience guessing as they glide through multiple genres as well as their own original music during their live performances.
Tickets: $5
Ages: 21+
Howdy, y’all! Join us at Carol’s Pub for Chicago’s country-western-inspired drag show, "Y'all's Brunch," where all are welcome! Get ready to kick up your boots with sensational performances by Chicago's finest drag superstars. Hosted by the fabulous Coco Sho-Nell, Season 4 of Camp Wannakiki, and the delightful Mini Pearl Necklace, "The Jewel of the Cumberland Clam." Expect Entertainment, delicious food, refreshing drinks, laughter, and prizes, all at Carol’s Pub!
Reverie Stone plays songs that bring back great memories: country music from all decades, highlighted by stellar vocal harmonies. This special show will be enhanced by visiting all-star, veteran Carol's Pub musicians who will perform their favorite Christmas and holiday country tunes! Free merch too! Come out and Jingle-Lingle-Lang with us, y'all!
Regularly featured at the finest venues and festivals across Chicagoland and all the way to Nashville, Ginger Road has been Rockin’ This Country since 2013 with a contagious, high energy mix of modern and classic Country and Rock covers that will have you singing along and dancing in your boots. If your hankering for a huge dash of good old fashioned FUN that leaves everyone in a great mood, is time to Saddle Up and ride the Ginger Road!
"Diamondback has been a popular staple of the Chicago Country Music scene for quite some time. We bring our female fronted, multi-instrumentalist, tight harmonied party to clubs, private gatherings and festivals throughout the Midwest. We serve up a patented mix of Classic/Prime Country, Americana, Country Rock and New Country that’s guaranteed to have folks singing along and joining the party from the first song. Our extensive song list promises something for everyone.
Diamondback remains committed to bringing Classic Honky Tonk music to the urban masses!"
From small towns to the big city, the Trailer Park Twisters are ripping up all your favorite country tunes and laying waste to prefabricated homes in a 10-mile radius. Formed in 2008 by Paul Cicciarelli, the band features dynamic guitar playing complimented by swelling pedal steel and soaring vocals. From Johnny Cash to Miranda Lambert they’ve got it covered.
Tickets: $20 in Advance | $24 Day of Event
Ages: 18+
Ring in the New Year at Chicago's favorite honky tonk, Carol's Pub!
We're bringing our friends Joe Wortell in to ring in the New Year in style!
Country music has always been about the voice and the story. Well, Joe Wortell sure has the voice and he sure as hell has some stories. Hailing from the City of Chicago where he works at his family’s metal fabrication factory Joe cut his teeth in the bars and Honky Tonks playing the hell out of his songs about leather tanned mavericks, hard luck hussies, runaway cats, two stroke boat engines and accidental overdoses, all while mythologizing the easy life off some remote beach in Florida. The songs are earnest, the lyrics are at times hilarious, his band is smoking and his voice is unforgettable.
The Country Doctors founded their practice in 2001. They refer to themselves as an “alt-classic-neo-traditionalist-honkabilly band.” Their roots are in the heartfelt repertoire of country musicians who played and sang with a purity of emotion often lacking in the genre today, while at the same time embracing contemporary artists who share a similar approach to country music. They have great vocalists in the band and do lots of arranged harmonies. They also perform original songs written in the style of the folks who influenced their music, such as Hank Sr., Merle Haggard, George and Tammy, Loretta Lynn and so many more. Their musicians are top notch, with a great rhythm section and soloists. Most of all they like to have fun with their music and their audience.
Connor O'Shea, 20, an emerging talent in the folk and singer-songwriter scene, encapsulates the essence of heartfelt storytelling through his music. Enjoy some of your favorite covers with Connor’s new original music. Born and raised amidst the musical tapestry of Chicago, his upbringing was steeped in the rich cultural heritage of the city's diverse music scene. Influenced by the likes of John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, and Counting Crows, he discovered his passion for songwriting at a young age. Now based in Boston, Connor continues to refine his craft.
Gerdes hails from rural central Illinois, and is now on the journey of constant touring through a club circuit that’s growing from this populist form of rebellion against the current crop of pop country music, while searching for real ties to real things through heartfelt songs. He got his start playing and singing in his dad’s band, wrote his first song at age 11, and hasn’t looked back since.
Tickets: $15 in Advance | $20 Day of Show
Ages: 18+
Country singer Sam Grow is a small-town kid from Southern Maryland who’s been fortunate enough tocash in on big dreams thanks to hard work. Recently crossing more than 125 Million Spotify streams onhis music, Grow is showing no signs of slowing down as he prepares to release of his5th studio albumWinfieldin January 2025.
It began with his first studio full-length album, 2019’s Love and Whiskey which debuted at #1 on the iTunes chart and a lot has changed since then. He followed its success with his sophomore album This Town and the smash hit ‘Song About You’. Grow didn’t wait long to release his 3rd studio album and stepinto the role of full-time producer, releasing Manchesterin November of 2022 featuring ‘Without You’.
Named one of Billboard Magazine’s coveted “7 Country Acts To Watch” list, and touted by Music Rowasa sure-bet for future superstardom, Grow is showing no signs of a slowdown. Making his Grand Ole Oprydebut in November of 2021 and following that with a second appearance on that hallowed stage in2023.
Next Grow is embarking on his ‘Feels Like Drivin’Acoustic Tour’ crisscrossing the US from January to April of 2025. Confirmed dates include Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Oregon, California, Kansas, Nevada and many others.
Ben Chapman has a publishing deal with Hillary Lindsey’s Hang Your Hat Music, and artistsincludingFlatland Cavalry,Shelby Lynne,Muscadine Bloodline,and the Steel Woodshave cut hiscompositions,butthese days, he’s intently focused onhimself as an artist.Downbeat, theLaFayette, Ga., native’s new album,produced by Anderson East,finds him at his most confident inhis musical style—“this southern-funk jam-band country thing,”as he describes it.Chapman isalso thehost of Peach Jam, a recurring Nashville event that’s featured, among others, fellowGeorgians Brent Cobb and Channing Wilson, along with Hayes Carll, Lainey Wilson, Lukas Nelson,and more, since 2022.
Expansive artistry framed by relatable storytelling and warm sonics” (Earmilk) Vincent Mason has honed his craft for songwriting since grabbing a guitar just a few short years ago. Growing up right outside of Atlanta in Roswell, Georgia, he realized very early on how much he loved lyrics and quickly became fascinated with the art of writing a good song.
Fusing his influences like Parker McCollum and John Mayer, his southern country side blends perfectly with the singer-songwriter's pop sensibilities - creating a fresh new sound that’s becoming incredibly popular in the genre. Amassing over 120 million streams across platforms, the 24-year-old taps into his life experiences to curate a narrative true to country storytelling. His smash hit from his latest EP Can’t Just Be Me, “Hell is a Dance Floor” has been a huge breakout moment, garnering millions of streams. The song has received support from major editorial playlists, including Spotify’s Hot Country and Apple Music’s Country Risers, among many others. This summer, John Mayer included his latest release, “Heart Like This” on his Sirius XM show - speaking positively about hearing the track.
He toured alongside Parker McCollum, Ashley Cooke, and Niko Moon and has been direct support for Gavin Adcock’s entire summer and fall tours. This summer he was on the bill for several dates with Luke Bryan as well as a slot opening for Miranda Lambert. With more music on the way, this passionate writer and artist sets out to stay true to his influences and his story to deliver a powerful message through his music to his growing audience.
Waylon Wyatt is an 18-year-old Folk/Country artist born and raised in Hackett, Arkansas. Inspired by red-dirt contemporaries Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan, Waylon began writing songs at fifteen, workshopping them after long summer days spent working with his father on construction jobs. Waylon recently released his debut EP, Til The Sun Goes Down, now having received over 100M combined streams cross-platform. He is in the process of recording his second body of work, and is touring with artists such as Dwight Yoakam, Dylan Gossett, and Sam Barber throughout the rest of the year.
Tickets: $12 in Advance | $15 Day of Show
Ages: 18+
Texas Female Artist of the Decade and reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Bri Bagwell, is a force to be reckoned with on the Texas Country scene. Bri has seen her audience grow and diversify as she has progressed through the musical landscape. From her first full-length release, Banned from Santa Fe in 2011, to her 2022 release Corazón y Cabeza (Heart and Head) Bri has masterfully commanded the stage for over a decade with her rousingly fun live performances and trailblazing artistry while creating a loyal and passionate fan base.
Bri grew up in Las Cruces, NM but now lives in New Braunfels, TX. From the time she was writing poems in her childhood bedroom, to teaching herself how to play a dusty old piano, to getting her first taste of honky-tonk life singing in her twin brothers’ band at age 14, to playing her first solo show in college, Bri has integrated music into each stage of her life.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Austin Plaine is an independent singer/songwriter now residing in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow social medias for current updates on live dates & music releases
I don’t know where I could even begin…
I grew up thinking being a songwriter was only a pipe dream for a quiet midwest 90’s kid, until it quickly became a reality and just as quick, hit me square in the face...hard. Like a puck to the jaw. I had signed a record deal right out of college. I got dropped immediately after one album; the same album that includes the song "Never Come Back Again", which has garnered over 22,000,000 streams on Spotify alone, and was also featured on the hit tv show "Nashville". I had shot myself in the foot and lost a promising publishing deal shortly after moving to Nashville. I went on tour and went so deep in the red, I had to move back home for a time just to settle my debts. I distanced myself and questioned if I was cut out to make music a career. I lost confidence in myself, my writing, and the world. I sat alone for a long time.
But even in the darkest hour, a glimmer of light from the smallest flame can open the floodgates to something much brighter.
Canaan Cox is the definition of a triple threat - artist, actor and dancer. His music is a fusion of contemporary country, pop and a hint of rhythm and blues, which is no surprise as he grew up in a musical household. Originally from North Carolina, his father blasted Conway Twitty records while his mother toured the southeast with her band, and his seven sisters ensured he had a healthy dose of pop music. Cox went on to earn his BFA in Musical Theatre from Catawba College which allows him a unique musical perspective that influences everything he does today, from writing original music to his performance during live shows. Cox moved to Nashville in the fall of 2016, and began playing the downtown bars on Broadway.
During a chance encounter in 2021, Cox met radio and television personality Bobby Bones, who loved his hustle and invited Cox to appear on his show, reaching over 9.2 million listeners. His last single “As You Leave” (January 2022) received critical acclaim with marquee playlisting on Spotify including New Boots, Wild Country, Breakout Country, Next from Nashville, Apple’s New in Country, and was highlighted in Amazon’s Breakthrough Country playlist.
Following the outpouring of support he received on the Bobby Bones Show, his song was spotlighted on the Country Top 30. This momentum led Cox to a phenomenal year of streaming, seeing incredible 10x growth in 2022. His latest project “End Up In A Song” highlights his craft as a songwriter and sounds that blends his unique styles of music. In addition, Cox is currently touring internationally through the US and UK touring his album Let It Run
