Photo courtesy of Cate Oxford

I’ve had a lot of moments where another person might have looked in from the outside and thought, ‘Well, he always knew! Look at that kid writing songs about nonsense even before learning how to talk!’ The relationship I’ve had with the Kai that wants to create has been stubborn, joyful and brazen. There have been many periods where I’ve been disconnected from him, and years when he felt completely lost, maybe gone.

I love writing songs and making music, playing piano and singing. For a long time, in a great portion of my adolescence and adult life, I had no idea how much I did love it. I grew up in a musical household with a film and TV composer father and piano teacher mother. Even though I was surrounded by sound and music, during middle school I became much more isolated in my house, estranged from my family, and I was often overpowered by the lethargy of that feeling, unable to write from an honest place.

Despite this, I had a great number of advantages; my house was filled with instruments, up the walls and down the stairs, and almost constant exposure to music from different periods and cultures I might never have discovered on my own. When I was a kid I would make up stories in the form of songs almost constantly. I was a big fan of High School Musical and sometimes I’d turn the TV on and select just the credits of Pirates of the Caribbean so that I could hear the theme song; a truly optimal accompaniment for lapping around the living room with a big stick, jumping off the couch and fighting imaginary skeletons.

I felt quite starkly that the atmosphere of playfulness in my house faded as I grew older. In this way, the moment I knew I wanted to make music was a rediscovery of an earlier knowing, of what Kai knew when he was a kid.

One of the most important moments in this rediscovery was when I was 11 years old at summer camp. We had a music class in the mornings, graciously taught by a brilliant jazz trumpet player named Brownman Ali. He described the roots of music, breaking it down into three distinct parts: melody, rhythm and harmony. His description remains to this day the way that I break down music when I’m teaching other people.

One day at lunch, the more musically-interested kids hung around his table. Eager to snack on the feast of musical coolness he provided, he gave us the ultimate treat. It was a video he found on YouTube: Jacob Collier’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing”. Digesting that video was a seminal event in the timeline that led to me making music.

At that age I had heard a lot of music, yet there was a part of me that heard Jacob’s tapestry of vocal harmonies weaving together, the depth and nuance and dynamics in all of it, and thought, ‘I didn’t know music could sound this cool.’ My next thought was, ‘I want to understand this.’

From that point onwards there was a little box in my brain that was open and eager to learn as much as I could and to listen just as closely. Beyond the pure sound of Jacob Collier’s music, a part of his energy reminds me of a kid so enthusiastic and excited, that he’s just on fire with joy as he’s creating. Seeing that energy actualized in such a beautiful way reminded me of the way I felt making songs as a kid. This was when I knew I wanted to make music.

Marty Grabstein is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd. His childhood consisted of primarily Marvel comics from the 1960s - specifically when they cost 12 cents. From 1992-2004, his hobby was collecting complete runs from that specific time period. Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men, Daredevil, Iron Man, The Avengers…

It should come as no surprise then that fans of Courage the Cowardly Dog can find the voice behind the beloved character at any given comic convention. His introduction to the convention circuit was nearly 10 years ago at New York’s Big Apple Comic Con. With his friend posing as an agent, he was able to secure a spot as a featured guest.

“I was blown away by the fact that people wanted to get my autograph and get a photo with me,” he said. “I couldn’t even wrap my head around it, the reality of that.”

He also got to share his first convention with two of his biggest heroes: Frank Miller and Stan Lee. Both comic book legends had been announced as guests of the 2017 Big Apple Comic Con, but unfortunately Lee had to cancel due to health issues. Grabstein was able to meet Miller, however, marking his first comic convention as a truly unforgettable experience.

As a college student, Bevin wrote a paper regarding abortion and the stand-your-ground law that still presides in 38 states. It was hard to believe that women have historically been unable to defend their own bodies yet using deadly force to defend one’s land is perfectly fine. This paper contributed to her philosophy degree, which contributed to how and what she writes songs about.

When her latest single “You Don’t Decide” was finished earlier in the year, there were an array of factors that led to its continued delay in release. However, its actual release couldn’t have been more perfectly timed.

The lyrics had always been in the back of her mind since the abominable decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Teaming up with friend and co-writer Todd Herfindal brought those lyrics to the forefront, with the concept of writing from a woman’s point of view. He asked her, “What do you want to say first?” and she replied with, “The first thing I want to say is, ‘I know you don’t want to hear from me.’”

“I wanted to write something about this as a direct message to government officials and people who did this,” she said. “As a female growing up in America, that’s how you always feel: it’s a privilege that they’re letting you be here. When you’re little you don’t really understand that, but then when you get older and you reflect, you have all these experiences that point to that notion.”

Autonomy has always been a right for men, but a privilege for women. The song and its accompanying cover art was made to represent all women. Reproductive justice is such an important aspect of “You Don’t Decide”, and after centuries of the narrative being controlled to blame women, it is important now more than ever to reclaim that narrative.

“We’re told it’s Eve’s fault, it’s Mary’s fault, it’s all of these women’s fault,” she said. “We aren’t the scapegoat to men’s mistakes.”

Writing and recording the song were empowering moments. For Bevin, songwriting is therapy. She wanted to extend that therapeutic feeling into the music video, which began as an open casting call for women who were fed up with the current climate. Anyone was invited to lip sync the song in whatever capacity they felt most connected to. Submissions ranged from the intimacy of a bedroom to the expanse of nature, expressing emotions of sadness, anger and the willingness to carry on.

She takes inspiration from similar artists expressing the same need to speak truth to power in their songwriting. Paris Paloma, Hayley Williams and Sofia Isella are just a few artists that are using their voices to defend basic human rights. Everyone has the right to thrive and flourish, but an environment that is saying otherwise must be acknowledged. One of her favorite quotes comes from Nina Simone, who said: "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."

Her songwriting may not always be considered the popular option. She may not always end up on the highest trending playlists. Bevin’s social activism is part of who she is as an artist, and to her that is the most important part.

“I feel like I am called to do this for whatever reason,” she said. “Sure, it would be easier for me to write pop songs for pop artists but I’m not emotionally called to do that. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I can choose who I am as an artist and what I write about. I’m very grateful, that is a blessing.”

Bigger Than You Think! Tour, Chicago 2025. View the full gallery here.

Nothing and everything has changed in the nearly 10 years since Jess Bowen semi-jokingly offered to drum for 3OH!3 during their 2016 Warped Tour run. A few weeks out on the road with the music duo turned into some East Coast dates on a Good Charlotte tour, another Warped Tour appearance for every 2018 show and two overseas performances at Air Force bases. After a handful of years, they reunited for the Bigger Than You Think! Tour alongside Simple Plan, Bowling For Soup and LØLØ.

3OH!3 still prefers just one full day of rehearsal, but Bowen was given the setlist well in advance to run through on her own time. Although it can be muscle memory to play these songs, she admits that she still gets nervous. It had been quite some time since she last played them, so walking into rehearsal as prepared as possible was incredibly important to her.

The setlist started with a song off their second album, Want. “PunkBitch” includes nearly two minutes at the end of the track that Bowen describes as the most challenging.

“It’s two minutes, maybe, of me playing these 16th notes on the hat and it’s fast so by the end of that I’m dead,” she said. “Thank god it’s first in the set so that I get that out of the way. The whole set is very high energy, so I’m definitely tired by the end of the show.”

3OH!3’s latest single, “Slushie”, was just as well-received as their biggest hits, but “Don’t Trust Me” was on an entirely different level. Bowen’s favorite part of the set was hearing the crowd respond to, “I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him” by screaming it back as loud as they could. It was a great moment of nostalgia that a certain generation seems to chase the older they get.

“It takes me back too,” she said. “We’re all here at a Simple Plan concert. We’re all still screaming “I’m Just A Kid” so clearly we don’t want to grow up.”

Playing each night of the Bigger Than You Think! Tour had her thinking back to her high school days, where she listened to bands like Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup on repeat while dreaming about touring with them. Now they are her peers and friends, making these moments everything she dreamed about and more.

When Bowen first played for 3OH!3, it was her introduction to the electronic drum pad. It was a popular alternative at the time to sample any percussion setup using the pad, but these days it is simpler to work them into the backing track. She sees the pros and cons of electronic drum pads, as not using one eliminates the chances of something potentially not working, however she has been toying with the idea of using one as The Summer Set tour their new album, Meet Me At The Record Store.

One song in particular, “Gloria”, samples one of Bowen’s favorite songs. “She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals has a distinct sound created by taking the head off of a snare drum and using a wooden ruler as a drumstick. Engineer David Z worked his magic for the final sound heard on the track, and Bowen knew it would make a great addition to layer on top of her drum parts.

The singles leading up to the release of Meet Me At The Record Store ranged from what felt most like The Summer Set’s sound to the ones they were most looking forward to having fans hear.

“The album is very eclectic,” Bowen said. “There’s a little bit of everything on there, but as far as our band and what we feel like represents us the best, as the first opening song, ‘I Don’t Wanna Party' is just a jam.”

The way the song came together holds a special place in her heart, and it was the song they were most excited about releasing. The same holds true for their second single, “ADIDIAS”. The moment the demo started to form, they knew it was going to be a single.

Getting their fans involved in the lead-up to the album release was crucial, so they decided to up their social media game. Catching onto trends and coming up with a cohesive brand led them to release a ballad, “What I’m Made Of”, as well as poll their audience to see which single would be released next. Spoiler alert: it was a tie between the two choices, “Flowers” or “Algorithm & Blues”… and they were going to release both anyway.

Seeing Jess Bowen pop up behind the drum kit of any band is the equivalent of hitting the jackpot. These songs are just as nostalgic for her as they are for the audience. It is a guarantee that each song is played to its full potential, and will get the crowd hyped for whatever happens next.

Setting the scene: Music has always played an important part in my life. My father, who was born in the 40s, grew up on the magic of big orchestral show tunes and moody jazz standards which definitely kickstarted his life-long love of music. From a young age he was quite the audiophile, collecting tons of records across a variety of genres. Needless to say by the time I came into the picture many decades later, I reaped the benefits of this obsession. “Oldies” were the sonic wallpaper of my childhood; the Rat Pack, Ella and Etta, sock-hop, early rock ‘n’ roll, Motown… I ate it all up. It was clear that melody sparked my imagination in a way nothing else could and that a thoughtful or catchy lyric found its way straight to my heart. Still to this day, I am surprised when an obscure song from the 50s pops up and, like a cheery exorcism, it all comes spilling out of me from who knows where.

As a young kid I spent an unhealthy amount of time in my basement choreographing dances and belting the lyrics out to the big pop sensations of the time (Celine Dion, Spice Girls, Whitney Houston). This time alone (or with my younger brother, sorry Paul!) jumping around on the cream carpet eating Handi-Snacks crackers and cheese dip definitely emboldened the performer inside of me.

I always loved singing and being a big ham but never really thought about how those things might manifest later in life, if at all. It wasn’t until high school, when I was going through an intense 80s/punk-rock phase where I really started playing guitar and attempting to write my own songs. I played drums in a The Go-Go's cover band for like three minutes, so most of my early songs were angsty teen rip-offs of “We Got the Beat” or “Head Over Heels”.

Truthfully, acting was the thing that called to me most at the time and I ended up going to theatre school, where I got to log lots of stage time (ham it up even more!) and run around in a leotard doing jazz progressions to Prince. It was great! But making music wasn’t really on my radar…

So! The moment I knew I wanted to make music came later. After a few detours, moves and life experiences, I realized that the dream I was chasing wasn’t my dream after all, and that fundamentally I didn’t feel creatively satisfied or flexible enough to jam myself into the tiny box that acting seemed to be offering me at the time. Blah, blah, blah…

But this disenchantment led me to an important realization. The source bringing me constant excitement and inspiration in my life was obviously MUSIC! Like a dependable umbrella, through various highs and lows, music had always been there; generously offering me shelter from the rain and safety from ominous storms ahead. A portable comfort blanket jammed into my back pocket and blaring through my headphones, new and old melodies wrapped me up in reassurance, allowing me to get lost in my imagination just like I did as a kid spinning around my basement to The Bodyguard soundtrack on repeat. THIS IS THE MOMENT I KNEW I WANTED TO MAKE MUSIC.

I started writing songs, plonking them out on the guitar and recording them very scrappily by myself at home. I loved the process, even though I was learning as I went and kind of sucked (Expert in Shakespeare, novice in GarageBand). I felt more free and connected to my creative side than I had in many years. It was thrilling! And still is to this day. The puzzle of working out a song has become essential to my life and recording music with friends has been a true gift that I am infinitely grateful for. It’s never too late to pivot, dream a new dream and ham it up in a different way!

Comedy sketches, circus acts, cartoons, games and more entertained a live studio audience and national television viewers for decades as Bozo the Clown became a household name. Although Joey D’Auria was the second actor to portray the clown on the Chicago series, he was the unmistakable face for fans of the Millennial generation.

During his career at Capitol Records, businessman Alan W. Livingston was assigned to create a children’s record library. It was there that he created Bozo the Clown, a mascot designed for read-along book sets. The idea was the first of its kind, allowing children to read along to the words and pictures of a book while listening to it. After the creative rights of Bozo the Clown were purchased by Larry Harmon, however, the character became “The World’s Most Famous Clown”.

The Bozo Show aired on WGN Chicago from 1960-2001, with other iterations of the show airing on various television stations in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Grand Rapids. The Chicago franchise was the most popular and successful locally produced children's program in the history of television. The live hour-long show aired weekdays featuring actor Bob Bell as their first Bozo the Clown. He would receive his first Emmy for WGN’s Bozo’s Circus in 1970 and retire in 1984.

An extensive search for the next Bozo the Clown brought forth actor and writer Joey D’Auria. He would go on to play Bozo, as well as become the head writer of The Bozo Show, until the show’s cancellation in 2001.

Photo courtesy of Robert Georgeff

I came from a very athletic family on my mom’s side. My grandpa played in the Canadian Football League and my uncle played professional hockey. My mom was also a natural athlete and I was too; I did inherit that from them. When I was in elementary school, I would win the city championships for track and field every year. I won the athletic award at my graduation. Even with all that athletic ability, music has always been my true passion. I grew up loving Michael Jackson and I would dance like him, wear one glove and I even had the red “Thriller” jacket. My dad was a drummer - not a professional one - but he was a good player.

My dad got me my first real drum kit for Christmas when I was 8 years old but his kits were always around before that. When I got good enough to play along to songs, I would put headphones on and play to Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and eventually Nirvana and Rage. I was never into super technical music. I always loved catchy songs or music with a certain swagger and attitude.

Music has always been in the forefront of my thoughts. From a young age I was drawn to musicians for their fashion and attitudes. I got obsessed with Beastie Boys when I was young and they still have a huge influence on my style; their music never gets old to me. It always puts me in a good mood.

I guess what I’m trying to say is there was a lot of push for me to become an athlete, and until I won my first Juno with my band July Talk, I’m pretty sure my whole family thought I was wasting my time and messing up my life. But music has always been in me and it’s definitely my passion.

I am more hungry than ever to make music. I sometimes have to stop myself from working on songs because it’s honestly all I want to do other than hang out with my daughter. I love it!!!!

In a collection of essays by writer and journalist Joan Didion, its title, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, was inspired by the W.B. Yeats poem, “The Second Coming”. The poem describes a vision of the second coming of Christ, with the final two verses stating:

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

The preface of Didion’s book spoke to musician and alt-comic Will Wood in a way he didn’t quite expect. When he announced his 2023 album, In Case I Die, as his final release, his plan was to separate the artist from the human. It turned into a two year hiatus and a comeback featuring his most scripted performance to date.

His solo performances typically featured theatrical and comedic elements, but Slouching Towards Branson was far more structured than anything he had done before. It is more than a concert film or a comedy special, but a project filled with semi-fictional storytelling and beloved songs from across his discography. The show explores Wood’s experiences during his creative hiatus through a comedic yet occasionally dramatic lens, touching on personal revelations and absurd encounters, exploring themes of belief, morality and living through cultural upheaval.

“It was the biggest and arguably most important tour of my life, and when it was a few months out I realized I owed it to myself and the audience to give everyone my biggest and most concerted effort,” he said.

On his journey to rediscover who Will Wood the human was, he realized that the fictionalized version of himself that his audience knew needed to be eliminated. It was important that he express himself in a way that distances him from the way he had previously been perceived.

“You’ll never reach the people you’re meant to reach if you try to sustain the interest of people you aren’t,” he said. “Not that I’m going out of my way to push back, more that I’m working hard to push forward. Become more and more myself.”

From an artistic point of view, Slouching Towards Branson shares messages of forgiveness, acceptance, and the value of letting go and letting life live you. A crucial element of getting those messages across involved Wood’s frequent collaborator, Jake Feldman. His vision has brought to life music videos for “White Noise” and “Sex Drugs Rock n Roll”, and his dedication to the craft is exactly what Wood needed when it came to filming this tour.

Filming Slouching Towards Branson was always the plan, but releasing it was another idea altogether. Wood knew that there was a chance the show would not be well received. That worry was felt in a major way when he dealt with poorly behaved audiences that disrupted the show by shouting over him, pounding their fists against their tables or placing objects on the stage.

A few disrespectful people did not stop the majority of shows being a “wonderfully fulfilling, intimate experience.” Wood’s plan to move away from his fictionalized self worked.

“The most rewarding moments were when I was able to pause on the more emotional lines in the show and really feel the silent potential energy coming off the audience,” he said. “Big laughs are always fun, and when a particularly opinionated joke gets applause is rewarding, but knowing I hit something deeper is an incredible experience. I am an energy vampire.”

In the preface of Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Didion writes, “I had been paralyzed by the conviction that writing was an irrelevant act, that the world as I understood it no longer existed. If I were ever to be able to work again, it’d be necessary for me to come to terms with disorder.” Will Wood has come to terms with his life as an artist. Will there be another time in his life where stepping away is the key to finding himself again? Maybe. He recognized that it is part of the journey, and with an authentic Will Wood at the center of the stage, anything can happen.

Photo courtesy of Dana Gorab

Hey, Mario here from Take It Or Leave It, and I want to tell you guys about the time I was overwhelmed with emotions from seeing Goldfinger at Starland Ballroom.

It’s fair to say that I cannot hear Goldfinger’s “Superman” by them and not immediately think of dropping into the warehouse in Tony Hawk Pro Skater. I always make it a point to see them when they come to town and this time was no different. It was late June and for my 21st birthday, a few friends and I decided to head to Sayreville, N.J. to see Goldfinger while they made their way east from California. At the time, I was in a band playing similar music (we loved covering “Spokesman”) and all I could think about while standing in the pit was being on that stage one day.

About halfway through the set, lead vocalist John Feldmann put his guitar down and started singling out people wearing yellow or gold to come up on stage with him. Luckily for me, I was donning my bright yellow Pikachu shirt and was summoned to the stage. Now, my buddy Dylan and I have been going to shows for years and he knows the look I give him when I want to crowd surf. As soon as we made eye contact, I was immediately six feet in the air flying forward. Eventually I surfed through the surge of people flocking to the stage and just had a blast dancing and screaming my lungs out.

As the song was coming to an end, security started pulling folks to the sides of the stage to get them out of the way. The house lights were on and you could tell the staff at Starland Ballroom wanted to get that stage cleared as soon as possible. I happened to be stuck in the middle of the group, so after a few left down the side of the stage, I found myself standing next to John Feldmann. He gestured out to the crowd and mouthed “do it” to me, with a stage diving gesture. He took a step off the box he was standing on at the edge of the stage and gave me the all-clear to take a dive.

I’ve been to a lot of shows and I’ve watched plenty of mistakes from inexperienced crowd surfers, so I knew to lock eyes with a few people in the crowd to catch me. Guess who was right up front waiting for me? Yup, Dylan. He grabbed three random dudes next to him and everybody put their arms out to catch me.

It felt like I fell for an eternity and a millisecond all at once. Not only did I finally get to go on stage at Starland Ballroom, but I got to join Goldfinger up there too?! Plus, I got the seal of approval from John Feldmann for a stage dive?! I was so overwhelmed the rest of the night that I don’t even think I slept when we got home. And the cherry on top, they weren’t even the headliner! Not only did Big D And The Kids Table open for them, but Reel Big Fish closed out the show. It was one of those nights I will remember forever and I chase that high every time I step on stage to perform my own music now.