Juniper Mays came together in the early part of 2007. Formed by friends pursuing musical interests all across the spectrum, the guys would perform together when they were coincidentally at the same bars, parties or festivals and instruments were close at hand. Focused around the original songs and singing of Robert McHugh, lead by the powerful and defined guitar playing of Erik Smith and held down by the rhythm section of Kyle Hendrix on drums and Dan Schmelzer on bass guitar, the spontaneous chemistry began to be requested by other acts to share the stage. Playing many shows under different names and never knowing what was going to happen, Juniper Mays was born from sheer momentum. Drawing from Rock’n’Roll roots and infusing folk, bluegrass, alt-country, Irish, and a touch of reggae and jazz, Juniper Mays is becoming known for their consistently energizing, fun live shows always peppered with moments of pure improvisation. The band is constantly evolving and growing, never complacent and always headed for the next song and show.
FGC's got two hometown area shows this weekend! Friday is an all ages extravaganza at the House Cafe in Dekalb, and Saturday is a hometown throwdown at the Abbey Pub in Chicago (Ages 18+). Fans that attend both shows can pick up a FREE FGC album of their choice at Saturday's show (just grab the Free Album Coupon at the House Cafe and redeem it at the Abbey Pub)!
In other news, FGC is also excited to announce that the band will be celebrating New Year's Eve 2009 at the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA. Our third New Year's in a row at this incredible venue, we will once again be pulling out all the stops! Stay tuned for more information on this year's theme, advance tickets, and other details.
And finally, don't forget to check out the band's new Video Blog, a weekly series featuring a behind the scenes look at FGC performances and touring. Check out the YouTube playlist for the last few editions, and stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!
FGC's got a great weekend coming up! On Saturday, we open up for Umphrey's McGee on the Riverfront Stage in Peoria (FGC @ 7pm), and Sunday, we head over to the Riverview Music and Arts Festival in South Elgin (FGC @ 6pm). The Riverview Fest goes on all weekend, and Sunday's lineup features FGC, as well as The Everyone Orchestra (with Michael Kang from SCI, Brendan and Andy from Umphrey's, Jordan and Janis from FGC, Allie from Cornmeal, and many more!). Visit www.riverviewmusicfest.com for full lineup and tickets!
Looking beyond, FGC's fall schedule thus far hits tons of our favorite Midwest spots, kicking off with the annual Halloween Masquerade Ball at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, where FGC will be sporting the musical costume of Green Day!
10/17 - Halloween Masquerade Ball, Chillicothe, IL (All Ages) 10/23 - Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA (Ages 21+) 10/29 - Miramar Theater, Milwaukee, WI (All Ages) 10/31 - City Nights Theater, Springfield, IL (Ages 21+) 11/6 - The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL (All Ages) 11/7 - The Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL (Ages 18+) 11/9 - WIU, Macomb, IL (All Ages) 11/13 - Canopy Club, Urbana, IL (Ages 18+) 11/14 - Yacht Club, Iowa City, IA (Ages 19+)
FGC’s only Chicago appearance of the summer is coming up on Friday July 17th at the Abbey Pub. This will be an Ages 18+ show with special supporting acts: Lobster Newberg and The Rubblebucket Orchestra. This Hometown Throwdown is a show not to be missed…hope to see you there!!
In the meantime, check out all three of our Summer Camp Festival sets on the Live Music Archive for free stream/download! Visit our MySpace blog for the links.
We also want to invite our Myspace friends to connect with us on Facebook. Click the links for the FGC Group and FGC Page, both great ways to stay in touch with the band and link up with other fans.
Hey there – Just stopping by with a quick reminder about this Saturday’s show at the Park West, our only hometown performance of the Winter/Spring in fact! The night begins with an opening set from Land of Atlantis, followed by co-headlining sets from FGC and Hot Buttered Rum (FGC plays first!). Hope to see you there!
FGC’s got some exciting hometown area shows coming up. First up is a co-bill with Kyle Hollingsworth from String Cheese Incident at the Canopy Club in Urbana on April 10. On April 11, we headline the House Café in Dekalb, home to some legendary past FGC shows! Down the road on May 2, FGC returns to the beautiful Park West Theater in Chicago for a co-bill with Hot Buttered Rum. More info about all Spring shows at www.familygrooveco.com/tour.
And don’t forget to get your tickets to Summer Camp Festival, where FGC will be performing multiple sets including a special late-night appearance paying tribute to The Big Lebowski!www.summercampfestival.com.
Just stopping by to invite you to our annual post-Thanksgiving show, next Friday 11/28 at the Clearwater Theater in West Dundee IL (NW Chicago suburbs). Come on out and groove off some of that turkey!
In other news, we’re pleased to announce a NEW YEAR’S SHOW at the REDSTONE ROOM in DAVENPORT, IA, where our extended sets will feature “Rock Star Celebrity Death Match” with chances to win tickets to Summer Camp Festival! More info at www. familygrooveco. com.
Stay warm and have a great start to your holiday season!
We’re back with a quick heads up about a couple more local shows this weekend. On Friday October 31, FGC celebrates Halloween at the Canopy Club in Urbana, paying tribute to the movie, Top Gun. And Saturday, we head over to the House Café in Dekalb for an intimate all ages headlining show.
Sounding good guys. I meet you guys up in Woodstock a few months ago. Thanks a lot for taking the time to check out my music. My debut album "Newspaper Ads" coming out this Winter! Till next time. Have a good one. Peace
Hey there – FGC is proud to announce the release of our latest studio album, Models and Metrics, and topping it off is a 4-night run with Lotus next week, culminating with a show at Chicago’s Park West Theater!