Live music at the Roscoe Fall Festival

Five bands will be performing at the 111th Roscoe Fall Festival September 10-12.

The 80's Hit List

The 80's Hit List, appearing Friday night 6:00 – 10:00 p.m, is a particularly local band. Lead guitarist Craig Sterkeson is a Roscoe resident and business owner. Jaime Cross, who handles most of the lead vocals, also works in Roscoe. As the name implies, the band has a "huge variety of 80's hits" in its repertoire, says Craig, "from Madonna to Bon Jovi, Tina Turner, Scandal, Belinda Carlisle, Autograph, Prince, Tears for Fears, Loverboy, Cher, Flock of Seagulls, etc." Craig says, "We love playing Fall Festival because even kids can partake along with parents. Always a blast."

Unplug the Rock (UTR)

Dan Tritten and Ben Medina

Dan Tritten is one of the organizers of Unplug the Rock (UTR), an association of over 40 acoustic artists around the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin areas. In addition to Kevin & Greg, Dan Tritten and Ben Medina are representing UTR at the Roscoe Fall Festival on Saturday, sometime between 12:00 – 3:30 p.m. Dan and Ben have been performing both together and separately with various projects in the Stateline area for over 10 years. Ben says their combined performances with UTR has been growing in popularity over the past two years, with performances that "combine oldies, classic rock, and 80’s hits with a spin, all while adding harmonies and attitude." When Ben refers to attitude, this might be the kind of attitude he has in mind: Dan has been known to use his acoustic guitar to transform disco from the Bee Gees into hard rock, then to cover both Joan Baez and Judas Priest in a single song. They have been seen and enjoyed in Roscoe at Louie's Tap House.

Kevin & Greg

Associated with Unplug the Rock (UTR), Kevin & Greg will be singing on Saturday, sometime between 12:00 – 3:30 p.m. Surprisingly, the band actually consists of two talented teenage girls, both of whom, unsurprisingly, have braces. However, prepare to be surprised by their powerful singing and professional stage presence. Besides their original songs, the sisters have covered Taylor Swift, Theory of A Deadman, Maren Morris, ZZ Ward, and Maria McKee. A crowd favorite is their acoustic version of 4 Non Blondes What's Up. Sisters Kelsey and Grace Schultz have been performing as Kevin & Greg over the past two years and have developed a dedicated following.

The story behind the band's name: as a child, Kelsey got nicknamed Kevin after a character in the 2009 Pixar movie Up. Then Grace wanted a nickname too, so she became Greg. Kelsey jokes they've been singing "from the womb."

Kevin & Greg take modern and classic hits and give them a new life with their powerhouse vocals (especially Kevin/Kelsey, a soulful alto, but Greg/Grace is no slacker either) and tight harmonies (particularly Greg/Grace, who plays the acoustic guitar, but Kevin/Kelsey knows how to step back). Kevin & Greg are also accomplished songwriters. Kevin & Greg’s latest single, Big Stars, is part of the collection UTR Volume Two, which can be found on all major streaming outlets (Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, and Apple).  Some of the venues where they've performed: Crazy Times Pub & Grub and Neighbors Bar & Grill, and north of the border, Pig Iron Pub in Beloit, the Anchor in Edgerton, and Pettit's Lakeview Campground and Bar in Milton.

Minimal

Minimal, a non-acoustic Rockford trio playing 6:00 -10:00 p.m. on Saturday, is artistically complex, despite their name. Their playlist includes songs from Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Black Sabbath, but also from Post Malone, Justin Bieber, and Breaking Benjamin. Bassist and vocalist Greg DeCarlo said, "We are a true variety band." They have won at least 15 awards from the Rockford Area Music Industry organization (RAMI), including Best New Act in 2015. The band was recently featured at Rockton River Market on July 28. Zach DeCarlo, the lead singer, also plays drums. He told Good Day Stateline, "If Robert Plant sang for Maroon 5, that's probably what we sound like."Greg and Zach asked Leanne Leonard (vocals and guitar) to join their band when they saw she was going to beat them in a talent contest. Sponsored by Lena Brewing Company, the band has played in many venues over the years, including Onyx Bar and Grill, Fozzy's. Stockyard Rock Burger Bar, and Rascal's Bar & Grill.

The OGMC

The OGMC, who will help close out the Fall Festival, 3:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, is a varied blend of musicians that have influences from a diverse set of musical genres. Together, The OGMC takes classic top 40 hits from the 60’s through the 90’s and adds an edge and attitude that is truly unique. The OGMC is known for bringing on guest musicians (Kevin & Greg, for example, but sometimes even fans from the audience) which further adds to the unique blend of style. The OGMC has been a local Stateline favorite for over three years. Members include Dan Tritten (note the beard) and Ben Medina (there is some overlap here), as well as Eddie Glass, Miss Shannon King, and Bryce "Bruce" Strunk.

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