December 5, 2003: FGC is named Band of the Month at StartaRevolution.com!

FGC would like to thank Ted at www.startarevolution.com for naming FGC as Band of the Month for December. This website is a great resource for music news, reviews, interviews, downloads, and much more, and FGC couldn't be more honored to be included amongst its pages. Check out the great site here: www.startarevolution.com

In other news, we are gearing up for our last show of 2003 tomorrow night at Puffers. Don't miss it!

November 25, 2003: FGC's Second Annual Thanksgiving Charity Benefit!

We are very excited to announce that Family Groove Company will be hosting their second annual Thanksgiving Charity Benefit at the Wooden Nickel in Highwood, IL, on Thanksgiving night. The concert will again benefit the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and the band is very optimistic about surpassing last year's mark of over $700 raised to help hungry families in Chicago. FGC has some special surprises in mind to mark the occasion, and fans will not want to miss this special night in the Wooden Nickel's quaint, intimate setting. There will be no formal cover charge for the evening; the band is simply asking folks to give what they can at the door, and all proceeds will donated to charity. Come down and dance off that Thanksgiving dinner with FGC on what is sure to be a memorable night!

October 29, 2003: FGC Halloween Party this weekend!

Hopefully by now, most of you know that Family Groove Company will be throwing a Big Lebowski Halloween party in Iowa City on 10/31. The event will take place at Mondo's Downtown, and the band is tremendously excited about what is in store for the evening. A very special (and rather eclectic) set of cover songs has been prepared, and fans can expect some extremely entertaining surprises and mystery guests. Folks within driving distance of Iowa City will definitely want to consider making FGC part of their Halloween plans! In addition to the festivities planned for the 31st, the band will also be performing in Rock Island on 10/30, and Des Moines on 11/1. Check the gigs page for details.

The band is also excited to announce that shortly after returning from their Halloween weekend tour, FGC will be performing at the Double Door in Chicago with their friends Phix. FGC and Phix met last summer when the two bands played together at the Double Diamond in Aspen, Colorado. Everybody got along really well, and FGC is very happy to be sharing a stage with them here in Chicago. If you haven't heard already, Phix is a fantastic Phish cover band that is on par with Chicago's Dark Star Orchestra with respect to their attention to detail and remarkably accurate presentation of Phish's material. Recent packed shows at Chicago's House of Blues have helped confirm the band's popularity in the area, and anyone that hasn't seen them yet definitely ought to check them out. The show is on November 4th; doors open at 8pm, FGC's on at 9pm, and Phix will follow around 10pm. Again, for more details check the gigs page.

The rest of November is shaping up to be pretty busy for Family Groove Company. After a brief trip through Michigan (which will include the band's first show in Kalamazoo), FGC will return to share the stage at The Keg in Evanston with some new friends, The Boatbuilders. That show will be followed by a trip through Missouri and another stop in Iowa City (we just love it there). Rounding out the month will be FGC's Second Annual Thanksgiving Charity Event, which will again be held at the Wooden Nickel in Highwood, IL. Details for the Thanksgiving show are still being sorted out, but last year's show was a blast, so be sure to check the website often for the latest updates.

Happy Halloween everybody! See ya at the shows!

October 13, 2003 Halloween Run announced!

Family Groove Company is excited to announce three very special shows over Halloween weekend that will take place in Rock Island, IL (10/30), Iowa City, IA (10/31), and Des Moines, IA (11/1). More details about this event will follow shortly, but suffice to say that fans will not want to miss these performances - the band has many surprises currently in the works, including some special guests, and some exciting, never-before-heard material. Check the website often for all the latest!

September 20, 2003: Greetings from the eastern seaboard, Fall Tour is here!

Boy are we overdue for a news update! The band just wrapped up a very busy August that included a summer tour through Colorado boasting 15 shows in 16 days, a 5 night residency at the Double Diamond in Aspen, CO (opening for the likes of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Phix), and a live radio performance in Ft. Collins. In addition to the Colorado dates, the band had the pleasure of visiting towns like Columbia, MO, Macomb, IL, and Rock Island IL. The tour was capped off by an exciting performance at the House of Blues Hotel in Chicago on 8/30.

FGC didn't have much time to rest upon completion of their summer tour dates, though - after a successful show at the Boulevard Café in Chicago, and a brief four day tour through Des Moines, Iowa City, and Urbana (where they performed in the Iron Post's First Annual Funkfest), on 9/17 Family Groove Company set off on the band's first trip to the east coast. Highlights of this tour will include the band's debut appearance in the Big Apple at the famous Tobacco Road, a headlining performance at the storied Nectar's in Burlington, VT, several live radio appearances, and to cap off the trip, a great slot in the Falldown Festival in Muncie, Indiana. The tour will amount to over a dozen shows in eight states, and FGC is thrilled to have the opportunity to bring their sound to so many new ears.

In other exciting news, FGC is pleased to report that Reachin' and several of the band's live recordings are currently receiving air time on over 100 different radio stations across the country! Many of the stations accept song requests via email, and quite a few may be heard online. Click here for a list of the appropriate email addresses and further info.

Last but not least, the band would like to let all the Mattias fans out there know that he is currently featured in this month's issue of DRUM! Magazine. The cover story this month profiles drummers in the jamband world, and our own Mattias can be found along side noted skin slappers from Phish, Widespread Panic, Umphrey's McGee, Particle, RAQ and more. FGC hopes to hold an autograph signing event featuring Mattias (who now answers only to "Beat Master") in the near future - so far, no one has been able to get ahold of his publicist.

July 1, 2003: Summer's Here!

Not really sure what happened to spring, but we're not freezing our butts off while loading gear, so we'll take it!

The summer touring schedule is starting to pick up for FGC, and the band is thrilled to be so busy. Last week's Crosstown Classic was a huge success, and it was great to see so many people out at the shows (particularly those of you that made it to both!) Many thanks to our friends, Family of Souls, for making the Heartland Café show happen, and to Vic, Al and the whole crew at Puffer's for making our stop in Bridgeport such a blast. Double encore at the Puffer's gig! - Thanks for such a strong showing of support.

The next two weekends the band will be hitting the road, with stops in Columbia, Des Moines for a Fourth of July Gov't Mule after party, Iowa City, St. Louis, and Rock Island's Summerfest. Locally, FGC's got big shows planned with New York's Cerulean City at The Keg in Evanston, and hometown favorites Buddha's Belly at the Wise Fools Pub. Later in August the band will be journeying down to Tennessee and Kentucky (more shows to be added to that leg, so stay tuned), and a trip back out to Colorado will round out the summer. Lots of dates will be announced shortly, so be sure to check the website often for the most up to date news. Enjoy the weather everybody! Stay cool, and we'll see ya at the shows!

May 12, 2003: Summer Tour Dates Are Rollin' In!

Summer's on its way in, and FGC can't wait to get the summer shows rolling! The band will be getting things started with a bang at the lovely Madison Theater in Peoria where we'll be supporting The Station, from Springfield, on May 30th. June 27th-28th will find Family Groove Company in Chicago for a special North Side/South Side weekend with shows at the Heartland Café and Puffers that will give us an opportunity to bring FGC's grooves from Rogers Park all the way down to Bridgeport. Come down for both nights of music and show the city that Cubs fans and Sox fans can get along (go Cubs!).

Additional exciting upcoming events include a Fourth of July party with our friends, Hyde Park, in Des Moines, a big show at Iowa City's Green Room following Charlie Hunter's set at the Iowa City Jazzfest, and an appearance at Rock Island's Summerfest. Family Groove Company is also looking forward to a return trip through Missouri that will include stops in St. Louis and Columbia.

In other news, live CDs featuring shows from the band's recent Spring Tour through Colorado are scheduled to be made available at upcoming shows, and be sure to check out the recently renovated music page for mp3 downloads from both the studio and live performances.

Many more shows and several special events are currently being negotiated - check the website often for all the up to date info. See ya at the shows!

Happy Birthday Mattias!

April 21, 2003: Good To Be Back in Chi-town!

Having completed the Colorado leg of Spring Tour 2003 last week, FGC has returned to Chicago for a weekend of rest and relaxation. The trip was a huge success, with highlights that include killer shows in Dillon and Grand Junction (Jordan's birthday show), an end-of-the-season blowout slopeside at Snowmass, and some great exposure at an ear-opening showcase in Denver. Special thanks to our friends, Swivel Hips Smith for their support, and thanks to our new friends at the Dillon Pub (you're the best Steve!), Tim in Aspen, Damian and Glenn in Snowmass, and Jay in Denver for taking such good care of us. FGC absolutely can not wait to get back to Colorado.

Click here to check out some great photos from Colorado and the rest of FGC's spring tour.

Summer Tour Already?
That's right, the wheels are in motion for this year's summer tour…should be a big one! No confirmed bookings to report just yet, but the tour will be announced soon. In the meantime, you can still catch FGC on the final leg of their Spring Tour during which they'll be hitting Chicago, St. Louis, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois.

April 2, 2003: Spring Tour '03 Underway!

On Thursday, March 27th, FGC set off for the first night of their 2003 spring tour. Quite a few accomplished drinkers were on the scene at the Rock Island Brewing Company for some generous drink specials and an equally generous helping of good tunes from FGC. Fantastic shows in Des Moines and Iowa City followed, and the Colorado leg of the tour will begin on April 2nd. Several big shows have been added to the schedule since the last update, including stops in Louisville at Druid's Arms, and in Denver for a great showcase at Sancho's Broken Arrow. Later in the month, you can expect to see FGC making stops at some great clubs in Illinois (including The Keg in Evanston, The Busted Prop in Ottawa, and Puffer's on Chicago's south side) as well as a quick trip through the University of Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. As always, many more shows are in the process of being confirmed, so be sure to check the website often for the latest news.

Big thanks to all those that have come out to see us so far (and a special hello to Sue and Nate in Iowa City - hope to see you guys later this month!)…the band's looking forward to reaching new audiences and making new friends in Colorado in the coming weeks - see you at the shows!

In Other News…
Be sure to check out the lyrics page for the words to four new Family Groove Company songs: Like I Said, The Scoop, I Can't Tell You, and My First Protest Song (or: Hey Guys, I'm Not Too Sure About This).

We've posted some new reviews on the reviews page, including both an album review and a live show review! Click here to check 'em out!

February 26, 2003: Family Groove Company announces confirmed dates for Spring Tour 2003!

The band is very pleased to announce the following dates for this year's Spring Tour. This ambitious trip will be taking the band out to beautiful Colorado for a two week trek through the mountains…the band is thrilled to have the opportunity to reach so many new audiences, and will eagerly be setting off on this trip just one week after closing out their Winter Tour. Additional dates are still in the planning stages, so be sure to check the website often and we'll keep you posted as they are confirmed. See you at the shows!

Spring Tour 2003 Confirmed Dates:

3/27/03 - Rock Island Brewing Company, Rock Island, IL
3/28/03 - Court Ave. Brewing Company, Des Moines, IA
3/29/03 - The Green Room, Iowa City, IA
4/01/03 - Ancient Mariner, Manitou Springs, CO
4/02/03 - Utopia Cafe, Colorado Springs, CO
4/03/03 - The Nutty Irishman, Boulder, CO
4/05/03 - Cactus Jack's, Evergreen, CO
4/06/03 - Lake Dillon Pub, Dillon, CO
4/09/03 - Black Nugget, Carbondale, CO
4/10/03 - Black Nugget, Carbondale, CO
4/12/03 - Grottos, Aspen, CO
4/13/03 - The Cirque Cafe, Snowmass, CO

February 11, 2003: A Great Weekend for FGC!

So once again your humble keyboardist is saying hello from the band. We wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone that came out for our shows this past weekend. In particular, the shows in Iowa City and Macomb were a blast! Many thanks to Sue and Nate in Iowa City for their hard work and support - you guys really made that Green Room show a special one for us…we can't wait to see you guys again! Click here to see some pictures of us making funny faces at the Iowa City show. We also want to thank our new friend Krista in Macomb - we had a record setting night for our email list thanks to you!

This weekend we're happy to be back in Chicago with a Valentine's Day show at the Chopin Theater in conjunction with Roadworks Productions and a performance of their latest work, Eloise and Ray. Then on the 15th we're heading down to the south side for two long sets at Puffer's. March is shaping up to be a very busy month with nine shows in as many different cities in four states, with a few more in the planning stages. And finally, we're thrilled that the first half of April will find us in beautiful Colorado for what looks like will be a whole boatload of gigs.

We're working hard, and having a fantastic time…looking forward to seeing you all again soon!

February 7, 2003: No Rest For the Weary!

With only one week's rest upon returning from a couple great shows in Michigan to close out winter tour 2003, Family Groove Company will be packing up and heading back on the road to start the band's spring tour. March 27th will mark day one of the tour when the band rolls in to Rock Island, IL to headline the Rock Island Brewing Company. FGC will then be heading out to the lovely mountains of Colorado (with a few stops along the way) and is quite excited about gigs in cities like Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Carbondale and Aspen just to name a few. Stay tuned for confirmed dates and times as they become available…see you at the shows!

January 27, 2003: A Belated Happy New Year!

Holy Smokes! Is it January 27th already?! The site is no doubt due for a news update! Hopefully our steady visitors will take some solace in the fact that the lack of activity on our news page is a direct result of tremendous activity in other departments. Several new tunes, a very aggressive touring schedule, and big plans for bringing FGC's sound to still more cities have been keeping the band quite busy. We've recently announced the second leg of our winter tour…the band's looking forward to great shows in Iowa City, Western Illinois University, a big show in Chicago at the Wise Fool's Pub, and much more. We can also confirm a return trip to Michigan during this year's winter travels - keep checking the gigs page for the exact dates and venue info. It's been awfully cold (a far cry from the palm trees of good ole L.A.) but the band has been staying warm and working hard - come check out FGC in a town near you and let the toasty grooves warm you up!