[NEWS] December 21, 2008 - FGC's Rock Star Celebrity Death Match Fight Card Announced!
We are very proud to announce the fight card that will be presented at this year's Rock Star Celebrity Death Match on New Year's Eve at the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA. "May I have your attention please. In this corner…"
Throughout the evening, FGC will perform songs by some of music's biggest stars in head to head competition. The winner of each match will be decided by audience applause. Before the show begins, those in attendance will "place their bets" on the star they think will prevail in each match. Fans that accurately predict the most winners will have a chance to win tickets to the 2009 Summer Camp Music Festival!
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER
31st
REDSTONE ROOM
DAVENPORT, IA
129 Main Street •
563-326-1333
Doors at 8pm •
$10 advance •
Ages 19+
with Daphne Willis and Co. supporting
redstoneroom.com
[NEWS] December 1, 2008 - FGC New Year's Eve!
For
the second consecutive year, FGC will host a New Year's Eve celebration
at the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA. FGC will perform two extended
sets, and this year will feature what the band has called Rock Star
Celebrity Death Match. Throughout the evening, the band will perform
songs by some of music's biggest stars in head to head competition. Fans
that accurately predict the most winners will have a chance to win
tickets to the 2009 Summer Camp Music Festival. The "fight card"
will be announced publicly on the band's website in the weeks prior to
the show, and attendees will be encouraged to dress as the competitor
of their choice, or to otherwise express themselves in outlandish costume.
This will be an extravagant affair!
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER
31st
REDSTONE ROOM
DAVENPORT, IA
129 Main Street •
563-326-1333
Doors at 8pm •
$10 advance •
Ages 19+
with Daphne Willis and Co. supporting
redstoneroom.com
[NEWS] November 16, 2008 - Janis Jams with Fishman, Kang, Krasno
FGC's
own Janis Wallin flew down to Live Oak, FL this weekend to lend her bass
playing prowess to the Everyone Orchestra for the band's headlining
appearance at the Bear Creek Festival. Janis was joined by such
jam scene luminaries as Eric Krasno from Soulive and Lettuce, Michael
Kang from String Cheese Incident, and none other than Jon Fishman
from Phish. The word through the grapevine is that Janis wowed them
all with the depth and strength of her pocket, and as the photo above
suggests, yet another of the scene's biggest stars saw fit to seriously
consider, "What would Janis do?" Be on the look out in
the coming weeks for both audio and video from her set.
[NEWS] October 26, 2008 - Lotus Tour Wrap-Up
FGC just concluded a whirlwind trip through the western half of the Midwest, first hitting Iowa City, Des Moines, and then Lawrence, KS, where we joined good friends Cornmeal for a night at the Granada Theater. The band then headed up to Minneapolis to meet dance-rockers Lotus for a four-night run that also made stops in Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago. Every night was a blast on this trip, and the highlight had to be the sold out performance at the Park West in Chicago last Saturday night. FGC fans were out in full force at every tour stop, and we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for all the support. The band would also like to thank everyone in the Lotus camp for a great week…these guys are tearing it up, so check 'em out if you haven't already!
Up next, FGC will team up with Cornmeal again, this time for a Halloween blow out at the Canopy Club in Urbana, IL. After hitting Dekalb the following night, the band will head down to the Southeast for shows in Auburn and Birmingham, AL, Atlanta, GA, and Starkville, MS among others to be announced shortly.
More tour dates will follow, and fans can look for a big New Year's Eve announcement soon!
[NEWS] September 21, 2008 - Models and Metrics
Family
Groove Company is very proud to announce the upcoming release of the
band's fourth full-length album, Models and Metrics! Recorded
at Studio Chicago in the band's hometown, FGC has been hard at work on
Models and Metrics for most of 2008. The album's ten tracks deliver
high-energy rockers, touching moments of introspection, extraordinarily
tight ensemble playing, and profoundly engaging twists and turns, both
musically and lyrically. Coming on the heals of Live in Chicago,
FGC's first live album released earlier this year, Models and Metrics
represents another achievement in a very prolific period for the band.
Having just wrapped up a very busy summer hitting every major music festival
in the Midwest, FGC's touring schedule will continue to roll right into
the fall in support of the record. Please visit the tour
page for the latest updates.
Models and Metrics will be available everywhere on September 30. In the meantime, fans can get a preview of the new record and make an exclusive advance purchase at the new Models and Metrics website. For a limited time, online orders of the new album will include an immediate free digital download of all ten tracks!
FGC will also have a limited number of advance copies of Models and Metrics at this week's CD release parties in Madison (The Majestic Theatre), Urbana (The Canopy Club), and Davenport (The Redstone Room). Please visit the tour page for full details.
[NEWS] July 28, 2008 - FGC Rages at 10KLF, Janis Lays It Down For EO!
What a lovely weekend in northern Minnesota! FGC played a monstrous set to a huge crowd last Wednesday at the 10,000 Lakes Festival, and had a blast all weekend seeing great music and spending time with great friends. Janis brought her A-game to the Everyone Orchestra set on Friday, holding down the low end for the likes of Steve Kimock, Jason Hann, Michael Kang, and of course ring leader Matt Butler. Needless to say, she blew away everyone within earshot! (Sources overheard Mr. Kimock tell Janis that he "fell in love with her 100 times" during their set.)
Other highlights of the last couple weeks would have to include a pair of great nights in Wisconsin at the Majestic Theater in Madison, and the Miramar Theater in Milwaukee. Thanks very much to all the folks that came out to get down with us - especially those of you that hit up both nights! Thanks also to good friends Fat Maw Rooney for joining us for both shows. The band also had a terrific 4th of July weekend (three shows in two days) at Milwaukee's Summerfest, Des Moines' 80-35 Festival, and an official 80-35 after-party at People's.
Looking forward, the summer keeps rolling along with more festival appearances. First up, the band will visit new friends Cosmic Railroad at the Cosmic Railroad Family Gathering this weekend in Janesville, WI. Following a pair of club dates in Michigan, FGC journeys back up to Minnesota to see Fat Maw Rooney at FatFest. The month wraps up with the triumphant return of the Strip Mines Music Festival in Murphysboro, IL, where FGC will once again be playing two headlining sets.
A lot of great things coming up, including some VERY big news on the horizon…stay tuned for all the latest!
[NEWS] June 30, 2008 - Family Groove Company Nods to MSMW, Hancock with UM Keyboardist
From Jambands.com: Last Friday, recent New Groove Family Groove Company performed at Peoria, IL’s Universal Rhythm Assembly. Umphrey’s McGee keyboardist Joel Cummins was also in the house to headline the evening’s festivities with the North Indiana Allstars and joined Family Groove Company for a version of Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood's “Little Walter Rides Again.” The cover’s subsequent jam was highlighted by dueling organ and Rhodes solos by Cummins and FGC keyboardist Jordan Wilkow and also touched on the Herbie Hancock classic “Chameleon.” As previously reported, Cummins will appear with Kick the McGee in Grand Rapids, MI on July 2, while FGC will appear at Summerfest in Milwaukee on July 4.
[NEWS] June 20, 2008 - Summer's Here (and not a moment too soon)!!
At long last festival season is upon us, and FGC couldn't be happier bouncing around from fest to fest meeting great people, hearing great music, and having a lot of fun. The season kicked off on Memorial Day Weekend with another incredible Summer Camp, where FGC blew the roof off the red barn with a Thursday late night show, and followed that with a great afternoon set on Saturday. MC Ice was in the hizzouse for the late night set with a stellar rendition of eminem's "Without Me" (catch it on You Tube), and both sets proved to be big ones for the band. FGC's debut appearance at Wakarusa followed two weeks later, and with the Universal Rhythm Assembly (Peoria, IL) and Lazy River Music and Arts Festival (South Elgin, IL) right around the corner, the summer is clearly off to a fantastic start.
Looking forward, FGC will be hitting an impressive (and still growing) number of festivals throughout the summer, including 80/35 in Des Moines, IA, Camp Euforia in Lone Tree IA, Tabfest in Mendon OH, and of course one of our all time favorites, 10,000 Lakes in Detroit Lakes, MN. And that's just July! A handful of club and theater dates will be spread among the festival appearances, notably the Majestic Theater in Madison, WI (7/17) and the Miramar Theater in Milwaukee, WI (7/18), both with our good friends Fat Maw Rooney.
We hope everyone's summer has kicked off to a great start, and can't wait to see you all out there. As always, stay tuned to the official site for all the latest!
[NEWS] June 22, 2008 - FGC Added to Milwaukee's Summerfest!
We are very pleased to announce that FGC will return to Milwaukee's Summerfest on Friday July 4th, at 6:30pm on the Miller Stage. Summerfest is the latest addition to a list of FGC summer festival appearances that also includes 80/35, 10kLF, Strip Mines Music Festival, and Mulberry Mountain Harvest Fest, among many others.
[NEWS] 4/22/08 - Spring is Here, Festival Season Around the Corner!
FGC kicked off April with a blowout performance at Chicago's House of Blues with the incomparable Victor Wooten Band. Victor Wooten himself set the tone for the night by personally introducing the band and Janis in particular (whom he has dubbed the "Mistress of Groove"). FGC played a fantastic set to a huge crowd, and enjoyed a tremendous evening. We'd like to extend heartfelt thanks to Victor and his band, and to our good friends Jack Trifiro and Dave Welch for making us feel so welcome.
Last weekend saw the band debut to a huge crowd at Friends and Co. in Charleston, IL, followed by a great night at one of FGC's favorite spots, the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA. A killer set at the band's first festival of the year, Operation Adaptation, rounded out the weekend, and helped set tone for what is shaping up to be an incredible summer.
Speaking of which, FGC is pleased to once again confirm two appearances at this year's Summer Camp Festival. First up will be a late night set in the Red Barn on Thursday night, along with U-melt and Future Rock, followed by an outdoor set Saturday afternoon.
FGC also looks forward to a debut appearance at Wakarusa on June 6th, an appearance at the inaugural Lazy River Music and Arts Festival in South Elgin, IL, on June 29th, and everybody is thrilled to return to the 10,000 Lakes Festival on July 23rd.
It's been fantastic to get the first hints of warm weather…looking forward to enjoying the Spring, and can't wait for a fantastic Summer!
See you out there!
[NEWS] February 26, 2008 - Live in Chicago
Family Groove Company is proud to announce the release of Live in Chicago, recorded over two nights at Martyrs' in the band's hometown of Chicago last November. FGC's first full-length live release is perhaps the band's most thrilling recording to date, as for the first time the magic and excitement of a live FGC performance has been captured on an album in glowing sonic clarity.
Half of the album features previously unreleased material, including fan favorites like "Wrath of the Solids" and "We Could," while the other half showcases the first official recordings of FGC's live treatment of staples like "Byron's Got the Time" and "Ready Fire Aim."
"We really enjoy our time in recording studios," says keyboardist and lead singer Jordan Wilkow, "but I think that environment still feels foreign to us in many respects. Live in Chicago is the FGC that I know so well. This is what we've so enjoyed sharing with audiences all over the country for the last few years…this is the band at its most comfortable, doing what we do best." With Live in Chicago, Family Groove Company is thrilled to have a record that offers a taste of the extraordinary music experience that FGC fans have been enjoying live for several years now.
The band will be touring in support of Live in Chicago for the remainder of the winter and into the spring -- the new album is available for mail order or download on the website, or at any live show!
[NEWS] January 27, 2008 - Happy New Year!
2008 is well underway (off to a very cold start if you're up here in the Midwest with us), and it has already been a very busy year for FGC. The band has been off the road since New Year's Eve (click here for pics!), but everyone in the FGC family has been hard at work on a number of very exciting projects.
We are very excited to announce the upcoming release of FGC's first official full-length live CD, Live in Chicago. Material for the album was culled from the band's two-night stand at Martyrs' last November, and boasts the highest quality live audio (and some of the best playing) that FGC has ever made available. Half of the album features previously unreleased material, and the band is extremely excited to share it with you all. Further information on the album's release will come shortly, but fans can expect the album to be available next month.
After a brief break from the road, FGC's 2008 Winter Tour will begin on February 8th in Des Moines, IA supporting Dark Star Orchestra at the Val-Air Ballroom. From there, the band will head up to UW-Madison, with performances in Lafayette, IN, a frigid swing through Minnesota, and a two-night stand at WIU to follow later in the month. The beginning of March will find the band cruising through Kansas, Missouri, and southern Illinois - please check the tour page for complete details. Stay warm everyone, and we'll see you on the road!
