2016 has been an incredibly successful year for Fun DMC. We’ve had the honor of playing multiple weddings, traveled all over, made a lot of new friends and fans along the way, and share the stage with some of the most talented musicians in the area. That said, for the last month, the entire band had been anticipating this past weekend. Of course, we were looking forward to each of the three shows on the calendar but in addition, to the long-awaited time off that would follow. If I’m being completely transparent, by the time December rolled around, most of the band found themselves in dire need of a vacation. All four vocalists were struggling with some variation of throat issues at any given point and Talon was still recovering from a shoulder injury. As we progressed through our triple header, one thing became eminently clear: we were going to have to work to pull this off.

In December 2014, Fun DMC partnered with Toys for Tots and The Curve Inn for the first time in what would come to be known as Christmas at the Curve. Our first year we invited The Shunpikers and After Sunset to join us on the stage. Year two brought along the likes of The Mix and Big Daddy Jasper. This past Thursday night, Fun DMC shared the stage with an up and coming band that is really catching fire at the moment, Smashtag, as well as Central Illinois’ premiere country act Lick Creek Country Band. Looking back over the last three years, I can truly say it has been nothing short of an honor to share the stage and collaborate with some of the most talented musicians in this area. While it goes without saying with respect to their talent, where these groups have really shined is in their willingness to give of themselves for the cause of children at Christmas.

The evening kicked off with Dane Vincent and Smashtag erupting into a high energy performance of one of the most unique set lists I’ve witnessed in recent memory. From Modest Mouse to The Killers to Coldplay, Smashtag’s guitar and keyboard rock brought The Curve Inn to life and made many new fans in the process. One of the highlights for me was Fun DMC being able to join the band on stage for their performance of “All These Things That I’ve Done” and acting as a mini-choir during the anthemic refrain of, “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier.” The band further leveled all expectations when they closed out with “S.O.B.“, one of the most singable songs to come out this year by Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night Sweats. With Rateliff’s signature vocal styling, that’s a song only the bravest of vocalists would attempt and Mr. Vincent pulled it off splendidly.

As tradition goes, Fun DMC took to the stage for the middle section of the evening. It was during this set that I could really start to feel my voice give out but more on that later. As always, the crowd at The Curve is one of my favorites to play for and the energy level was soaring. Albert and Katey ended our set with the always impressive synchro dancing during “Gangnam Busters” and we closed up shop to make way for Lick Creek.

As Central Illinois goes, the market is flooded with aspiring country artists. That said, it takes a lot to not only set the bar for excellence but in the case of Lance, Maddie, and company, to soar right past it. Anyone who knows country music can tell you that it’s all about tone; the vocal tone, the guitar tone, the stage presence tone. Without a doubt when you are at a Lick Creek show, whether they are playing a bar down the street, a festival tent, or a grand stand, you are in the presence of musical greatness. Lance and Maddie’s vocal delivery is nothing short of solid country gold and it’s often so well done you often forget you are watching a local band. Ryan and Wes are undoubtedly one of the most inspiring duos of guitar players I have ever seen, each with their own respective style. Country bass players aren’t often given the credit they are due often because of the supposed simplicity of the genre. However, there is nothing simple about the tidal wave of low end that Matt Wedel supplies for the rhythm section of Lick Creek. If you want proof, watch his walk the solo on “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” Finally, if you haven’t seen Brandon Drew behind the kit, you haven’t seen one of the most high energy drummers around. Like an Oklahoma twister, he mercilessly attacks the cymbals and shells with equal parts violence and finesse. We could not have been more honored to have partnered up with these guys for the third time this year and looking forward to doing it again soon.

For the third year in a row, Fun DMC and The Curve Inn worked together to bring toys and Christmas to children in Central Illinois. We are grateful to Ami, Ray, Rick, The Curve Staff, and Sgt, Thomas Altevogt for once again going above and beyond the call.

Friday night found the band returning to one of our favorite south side venues, Mowie’s Cue. The night began with Chad Kamerad setting up a camera before the load in to capture exactly what goes into setting up a Fun DMC stage. Please check out our recently posted time lapse video to see the results. Mowie’s is always a great time with many new faces and of course, familiar ones as well. Nick Weaver has long been a supporter of the band since our early days and we love playing at The Cue. About half way through set two, I looked over to my left and had to blink a moment and a noticed a large, furry creature coming out of the kitchen. So as not to spoil the magic of the moment I’ll just say this: I’m pretty sure Chewbacca was at our show on Friday night.

As mentioned earlier, I was struggling vocally and this was the first time I could remember needing to ask my band mates to carry me for a few songs. Essentially, all of my high range was gone and there was no sign of it coming back. Probably due in part to so many consecutive weeks without a break and the recent cold front that has settled over us. Suffice it to say, we made it through the four hour extravaganza but not without a few casualties along the way. By the time the band closed the door on the trailer, Aaron and Albert were starting to feel the effects of the added vocal duties. And we still had one more show.

To be continued!