Rockin' the Club

UCC IS BRINGING THE MUSIC TO YOU. GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE AWESOME BANDS FEATURED THIS YEAR AND DON’T MISS ALL THE AMAZING ONES COMING UP.

90s DAUGHTER

This band was recommended highly by many of our staff members and is Central Illinois’ #1 voted party band five years running. And though 90s Daughter got rained out at the Independence Day celebration, the songs they were able to perform did not disappoint. This ensemble isn’t your run of the mill patio band; this a full scale rock band, through and through. It’s an entirely different feel that gets everyone on their feet, including kids and adults alike. If you missed them at the Club, check out their website for upcoming shows. We have the best venue in town, so 90s Daughter are sure to be back!

CALEB COOK BAND

Next up, we had The Caleb Cook Band. With an homage to the good ol’ down south chicken pickin’ artists of the 70s, these guys brought out the country in all of us. Walking around the UCC patio that evening you had everything from Jeff Kurtz donning a cowboy hat just to see the band, to Mark Howard admitting that, even though he doesn’t like country music, these guys were, “pretty damn good!”. Proof that it’s all about the experience.

Listening to a song on the radio, you never really pick up the instrumental fill-ins and nuances that really bring a piece of music together. But when you can see a man with a fat grin across his face picking at a steel lap guitar you really get to see how it all connects. It’s like seeing Chef Noe cook your meal right in front of you; you finally know what that seasoning is that you tasted but could never quite put your finger on.

MANK & SASS

Mank & Sass got us off to a running start this summer. Sara Siders and Jared Manker delivered cool, funky renditions of famous songs in a way that perfectly complemented an evening of great food and cold drinks. When a group can creatively start a song like Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, having everyone guessing what’s coming and make it their own, you know you have something special. Interestingly enough, Sara Siders, though her father was a member of Champaign’s very own R.E.O. Speedwagon, never intended on getting into the music industry. She had a full ride softball scholarship to Purdue but a series of unfortunate knee injuries cut her sports career short. She never picked up a guitar until, while sitting at their apartment one day, her musically inclined roommate offered her a free guitar lesson. He taught her a few chords and a specific background melody to practice over the next few days. Little did she know that the melody she was perfecting was the rhythm guitar part to one of his songs that he would force her to perform with him at an open mic night that weekend. As an accomplished athlete she had no fear of the spotlight and fell in love with performance. Siders, the roommate and Manker later formed a group together called Upshot which would progress into the duo Mank & Sass. Their new album has been released on iTunes, Spotify and you can sample the songs on YouTube. We are very much looking forward to having Mank & Sass out again.

HEY JIMMY

Finally, a group that unfortunately couldn’t make our summer concert series, but has performed at the Club three times now—a personal favorite of Mrs. Khan’s—Chicago’s very own, Hey Jimmy. Coming on the scene back in 2008, the band has been a staple in the Illinois community for over a decade. Calling Chicago their home, but touring all over the country, from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, to Boston, Austin, Kansas City, Dallas, Denver and Orlando, they have cemented themselves as a premier party band. You may have had the pleasure of seeing them most recently at last year’s Holiday Party. With a range of covers from Sweet Caroline to The Harlem Shake, Whitney Houston to Elvis Presley, they had the banquet room absolutely pulsing with energy, and the dance floor was packed the entire night with members, guests and staff alike. It’s rare you find a band that can perform hits from every decade and genre so fluidly and keep everyone interested. They’ve been the life of the party here at UCC a few times now, with many more to come.

With the success of this summer’s concert series we can guarantee years of live entertainment to follow. By bringing music to the Club we can elevate our service to provide an escape, an experience. A real home away from home.