With all the diverse musical influences and genres that are streaming out of the left coast, down South and back East, growing up in the Midwest can sometimes be a little overwhelming. When it comes right down to it, except for the dynamic music scene prevalent in Chicago, there really hasn’t been an identifiable Midwest rock sound – until now.

For over 25 years, ZZ Top has been playing rock & roll with various shades of blues for fans around the world – sometimes, with raw street-corner passion and sometimes with the polished licks that modern technology can provide. Over the years, the only rule has been that there are no rules. Whichever direction the trio heads has been governed by its collective gut, rather than some sort of organized master plan. Drawing from mean rhythms, Rhythmeen is full of tough, funky grooves and gritty electric guitar stylings – music derived from the earthy blues of Elmore James and the forward-thinking adventurous grindings of Jimi Hendrix. Call it modern barroom music; ZZ Top mixes traditional sensibilities with the raw power and energy of a band that is still (or just now?) hitting its stride. It was from these humble beginnings that ZZ Top are able to do what they do best – play their own interpretation of this art form that some cal funk or Texas blues and yet others simply refer to as good ol’ rock & roll. No matter how you classify it, the rough and tumble nature of Rhythmeen is evident from the first guitar blast serving as a useful reminder that this little ol’ band from Texas can still produce a mighty large sound.

311 is one of the most explosive and experimental up-and-coming bands in the rock world today. Fusing hard rock with funk, rap and reggae, the band has created quite a potent musical cocktail. Growing up in the Midwest – Nebraska to be exact, where the East meets the West – has proven to some extent to be the perfect breeding ground for the sound of 311, as well as their many dimensions.

One of the most explosive and experimental bands in the rock world today, 311 fuse hard rock with funk, rap and reggae to create their own personal and very potent musical cocktail. Blending razor-sharp musicianship with such a diverse mixture of musical styles, 311 exhibit quite an aggressive attitude, both musically and politically. Drawing on a grassroots fan base that incorporates many different lifestyles and view points has helped catapult the band to Platinum record status and a #1 song at Alternative radio.