Free tickets for the March 30th show. The nationally-touring group Badfish plays the greatest hits of California ska-punk band Sublime at the House of Blues. Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, Badfish has become one of the biggest tribute bands working today with their high-energy renditions of “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and other tunes by the late, great Bradley Nowell and his band. They play more than a hundred shows across America yearly, from the East Coast and the Midwest to Sublime’s home territory in Southern California and beyond.
Free tickets to the April 4th performance. Reggae pioneers Toots and the Maytals have been making music together for so long that they actually started playing before reggae even existed. The group, fronted by singer-guitarist Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, got its start playing ska and rocksteady — Jamaican music’s precursors to reggae. In fact, Toots and co. are frequently credited with coining the term “reggae” thanks to their 1968 single “Do the Reggay.” Massively influential singles like “Pressure Drop” and “Monkey Man” followed, cementing Toots and the Maytals’ place in the genre’s legend. In 2005, they won a Grammy for the album True Love, and received a nomination for 2008’s Light Your Light.
April 13th performance. Touring behind their brand-spanking new 2013 release Repeat After Me, Los Amigos Invisibles are more than ready to reveal their signature dance sound at the House of Blues Chicago. This Venezuelan pop band is famed for their blowing the roof off their live shows, which they’ve performed in more than 60 countries over the course of their amazing 20-year career. They’re also Latin Grammy winners for their ground-breaking 2009 crossover album Commercial and nabbed a nomination for Best Latin Pop Rock or Urban Album at the 2012 Grammys with their outtake EP Not So Commercial.
April 21st performance. Death to All is a musical tribute to legendary metal guitarist and frontman Chuck Schuldiner, featuring former members of Schuldiner’s band Death. Often referred to as “The Father of Death Metal,” Chuck Schuldiner was a major force in the history of metal, a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist who found success with the bands Death and Control Denied before succumbing to complications of brain cancer. Featuring Death’s amazing musicians as well as special guests, this concert at the House of Blues is in celebration of the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems. Also performing are prog-metal rockers Anciients.
April 26th performance. French band Dirtyphonics bring their North American tour to the House of Blues in Chicago. Putting together a gritty mixture of electro, drum and bass and dubstep, Dirtyphonics are best known for their remixes and collaborations with artists like Marilyn Manson and Skrillex. Now they’ve released their first full-length album, Irreverence and are touring the country in support of their first release. While their music makes a great listen at home, it’s best experienced in a club where you can dive right into the pure energy of Dirtyphonics’ genre-busting sound. You’ll be screaming “Dirty!” along with the crowd and dancing as hard as you can to the bass explosion that is Dirtyphonics. Opening for Dirtyphonics are DJ Dylan Eiland’s electronic dance project Le Castle Vania and L.A.-based house artist ETC! ETC!.