21+ | 7pm Doors, 8pm Show
Formed in the Spring of 2012, Chicago’s Woodrow Hart & the Haymaker bring 78-rpm into the modern age. With simple instrumentation—guitar and resonator, fiddle, trumpet, piano, upright bass, and trap kit—the self-proclaimed “dirty old-time band” and its five multi-instrumentalists craft an honest, rowdy sound that is at once both old and new. A unique mélange of pre-electric country, blues and folk, with hints of early jazz and imbued with the spirit of Chicago punk rock, the band reinvents American musical tradition while holding fast to the integrity of each genre and its artists to create a sound that is distinctly genuine, distinctly Southern, distinctly restless, and all its own.
Nathan Xander’s heart-worn alt-country recalls the sincerity and experimentation of songwriters from the ‘60s and ‘70s while remaining firmly grounded in modern day realities. His sixth album, French Creek Flood, is an acutely perceptive look at life’s transitional moments, capturing Xander and his band amid pivotal changes—a new lineup, Xander’s quitting alcohol, and the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere. With musical sensibilities inspired by latter day Nick Lowe, Tom T. Hall, and Paul Westerberg, Xander sorts through loss and evolving identity as he stands on the threshold of a new era in his own career.
