It’s Time for a PIQNIQ

Zach Florek | Posted on March 12, 2019

The date and lineup for Chicagoland’s alternative music fest have been released, and the price is well worth it!

IT’S TIME!!!

PIQNIQ is finally upon us, and from the looks of the lineup, it’s going to be one of the best PIQNIQ’s to date. For those who don’t know, PIQNIQ is the yearly music festival presented by 101.1 WKQX. This year, it takes place on Saturday, June 15th at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, IL. In years past, the music festival has hosted a whole bunch of bands like Twenty One Pilots, AWOLNATION, The 1975, Bush, Garbage, Linkin Park and many others! What’s especially cool about the festival is the price, which starts at $20 for lawn seats. You’re seeing that right. Twenty. Dollars. You can’t usually see most concerts for that price, let alone an entire festival with ten bands!

And as I said above, this years’ lineup looks especially awesome! So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the lineup.

The Lumineers

Hailing from Denver, this folk indie/folk rock band got its start in 2005 finding small gigs in New York City and got their big break in 2012. Ever since then, members Wesley Schultz (lead vocals/guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums/percussion) have been wowing concert-goers with their stripped back sound very reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. You might recognize them from their massive hit singles Ho Hey, Ophelia, Angela, and Cleopatra. To date, the Lumineers have released two full-length albums.

Young the Giant

Calling Irvine, California home, rock group Young the Giant got their start in 2004, releasing their first full-length album in 2010. Members include Sameer Gadhia (lead vocals), Jacob Tilley (guitar), Eric Cannata (guitar), Payam Doostzadeh (bass guitar), and Françios Comtois (drums). To date, they have released four LP’s and are well known for their singles Cough Syrup, My Body, It’s About Time, Something to Believe In, and Superposition.

Catfish and the Bottlemen

Hailing from Llandudno, Wales, indie group Catfish and the Bottlemen got their start in 2007. The band, whose members include Van McCann (vocals), Benji Blakeway (bass guitar), Robert Hall (drums), and Johnny Bond (guitar), first got international traction with the release of their single Kathleen in 2014. Since then, they have released 2 LP’s with another one, The Balance, on the way this year. Aside from Kathleen, you might know them from other hit singles like Soundcheck, 7, and Twice.

Tom Morello

If you have followed the alternative and rock scene for a while, then you might immediately recognize this artist. Tom Morello has been around for a while, having been a part of/founding member of Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, The Nightwatchman, Prophets of Rage (still currently a part of), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as well as many others. Being well known for his wicked guitar skills has taken him many places, as he has even been listed as the 40th greatest guitarist by magazine Rolling Stone. Most recently, he released a solo album called The Atlas Underground which features a whole number of artists from Portugal. the Man to members of Wu-Tang Clan.

AJR

Forming in 2005, brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met (AJR) have been around for a while but really got their jump-start to the big times in 2013 with their first single I’m Ready featuring a very familiar phrase from the sponge himself, SpongeBob SquarePants. The brothers are known for their electric indie-pop style, meaning they are able to easily appease a wide range of musical tastes, which partly leads to their success. To date, they have released two LP’s and have a third on the way (Neotheater is releasing on April 26, 2019) and besides I’m Ready they are well known for their hits like Weak, Sober Up, and Burn the House Down.

Blue October

Easily the most senior of the lineup, Blue October formed in 1993 in Houston, Texas with current members consisting of Justin Furstenfeld (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Ryan Delahoussaye (violin/mandolin/keyboard), Jeremy Furstenfeld (drums/percussion), Matt Noveskey (bass guitar) and Will Knaak (lead guitar). They are most well known for their smash hits Hate Me and Into the Ocean from their 2006 album, Foiled.To date, they have released nine studio albums, most recently 2018’s I Hope You’re Happy.

The Strumbellas

Hailing from Toronto, the six-piece indie rock/folk band The Strumbellas formed in 2008 consisting of members Simon Ward, David Ritter, Jon Hembrey, Isabel Ritchie, Darryl James, and Jeremy Drury. They made a big splash in 2016 with their platinum-selling smash single, Spirits. The success of their single ended up giving them an opportunity to expose their name and do an international tour through 2016 and 2017. To date, they have released three LP’s and have a fourth one, Rattlesnake, coming out later this March.

The Glorious Sons

Forming in 2011 in Kingston, Ontario, the Canadian rock band, The Glorious Sons, consists of members Brett Emmons, Jay Emmons, Chris Koster, Adam Paquette, and Chris Huot. They have released two LP’s to date and have been an absolute smash in Canada, with each and every one of their singles to date charting high or even topping their Rock charts. Lately, they have made some traction with their most recent album Young Beauties and Fools and the album singles Everything is Alright and Sawed Off Shotgun (S.O.S.).

SHAED

SHAED (pronounced “shade”) are an electro-pop trio hailing from D.C. The members include Chelsea Lee (lead vocals) and twins Max and Spencer Ernst. You probably most recognize them from their single Trampoline off their EP Melt as it was featured on an Apple AirMac commercial. What’s interesting is that SHAED used to be known as The Walking Sticks until about 2016. To date, the trio has released two EP’s under both names.

Friday Pilots Club

The most local of the lineup, having formed here in Chicago just a few years ago, Friday Pilots Club are also the least well known of the bunch. But don’t let that fool you, as they are a force to be reckoned with. Members Caleb Hiltunen (lead vocals) and Drew Polovick (lead guitar) have drawn the influence for their hard and heavy sound from bands like Nothing but Thieves, Bring Me the Horizon, Royal Blood, Highly Suspect and even The Strokes. Stream Glory, their most recent release on Spotify or wherever digitally available!

Let’s Recap It All

That was a ton of information in kind of a quick bit of reading, so let me give you all a recap!

WHEN: June 15th, 2019 at 1 pm

WHERE: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park IL

WHO: The Lumineers, Young the Giant, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Tom Morello, AJR, Blue October, The Strumbellas, The Glorious Sons, SHAED, Friday Pilots Club

HOW MUCH: Tickets start at $20!

WHERE CAN I GET TICKETS: https://concerts1.livenation.com/event/0400566701EE4D01

Pre-sale password is: ILOVEBEAR

I really hope to see you all there as I am absolutely going! If you do end up going, please look for a guy in a banana suit….because that’s gonna be me (no matter how sweltering hot it could be).

Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate it! To keep up with what’s going on in my life and whatnot (like radio shows that might be coming VERY soon), go and follow me at the following:

Twitter: @the_Nin_erZ

Instagram: zflorek

Facebook: Zachary Florek