Originally from Oak Park, IL, The Shams Band landed on the Chicago music scene in late 2008 with a breakout performance at the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival at the Congress Theatre. They hit the ground running, immediately plowing their way into the fields of fans and critics alike. Since then they've played regularly at venues around the city including stops at Taste of Chicago and the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market where they garnered an audience with the mayor himself.
Ever-active participants in the local music community, TSB guitarist/songwriter Donnie Biggins began the Chicago Roots Collective in 2009, a collaborative venture that showcases local music at venues throughout the city. The Shams Band will be performing at the Logan Square Auditorium as part of The Square Affair, a multi-band bill sponsored by businesses in the neighborhood. In the days leading up to The Square Affair, we talked with Donnie about the band's upcoming album, burning LeBron James jerseys, and why your first stop on the way to a bar should always be your fridge.
LSD: What has the band been up to this summer?
Donnie Biggins: Finishing our album Champange. It is our first full length and we took our time with it. We are very happy with the finished product. A CD release party is in the works for the Fall. We played Ribfest, Taste of Chicago and played for Mayor Daley at the 1st Farmer's Market of the summer at Daley Plaza in May. It was a great time and great publicity being able to play out in public in our fine city. We also took a mini tour with friend and fellow musician, Rachele Eve. We traveled to Grand Rapids, MI, Livonia, MI and Akron, OH. This was right after the Lebron announcement. Lot's of burning jersey's in Akron.
LSD: Is all of the band from the Midwest? What was everybody doing before the formation of The Shams Band?
DB: We are all from Oak Park, IL. There are five members; Doug Hill, Brian Patterson, Paul Gulyas, Ben White, and myself. Brian, Ben, Paul and I were all good friends since we were 13. Some of us even knew each other in elementary school. Doug came into the picture after college. I knew of him from some cousins. He is our Poppa in the group and keeps our young minds level-headed. This is the first band I have ever been a part of.
LSD: Does the band hold down 'day jobs'? What do you guys do to supplement income when you aren't playing with the band? I get up at noon and...
DB: Doug is a high school teacher. I substitute teach at the same high school. I do independent booking through my production company called "Harmonica Dunn." I also do odd jobs for elderly woman (i.e. clean gutters, garages, paint, etc.). Paul delivers organic food from Fresh Pick's (every employee I have met from there is a musician). Brian is a freelance graphic designer. And Ben is a teacher's assistant at a school for children with autism.
We'd like to quit our day jobs and fully dedicate our lives to music. The goal: how do we pay that rent? And oh yea... um health insurance? It isn't a flattering life in this country to be a musician. Most people think we don't do anything and are lazy hippies. I spend atleast 6 hours a day in band related work. Emailing people and scheduling meetings with other musicians takes up my nights.
LSD: How did you guys come to be involved with The Square Affair?
DB: I first met Jon Drake at The Two Way Lounge. We began talking about putting a show together. He got Grape Juice Productions involved and I brought Derek Nelson into the mix. We have been meeting once a week since April. Crazy to think about all the time we have put in to put on a show with 4 local Logan Square acts. It is our project and one we hope to catch on for a bigger outdoor event next summer.
LSD: Does the band reside in the Logan Square?
DB: Yes, we literally live one block from the Auditorium. We are going to walk our gear there for the load in.
LSD: When you're needing a drink and your in the neighborhood, what's the first stop? Unless of course the band doesn't drink, in which case this interview is over. Just kidding...but not really.
DB: Well first I grab a beer from my fridge for the walk over. I have 2 spots I always go to. Originally, it was the Two Way Lounge. I feel very comfortable in that place. You get all walks of life in there, and that is a major attraction. My new favorite spot is the Rocking Horse. Thursday nights they have $3 craft brews. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me. The staff that works there is local and are very welcoming.
LSD: Can you tell me a little bit about the Chicago Roots Collective?
DB: The Chicago Roots Collective stems from an idea I had Spring of 2009. We participated in the 2008 Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival (our first gig ever in Chicago). After that, I wanted to put together a set of shows for the summer that were Pre-CBB Festival shows. What ended up happening was I met a group of 10 bands and we started putting on successful shows that have 3-4 bands a night. We work together on promotion, we share gear, and we have always had successful nights, some might argue the best local nights of any bands out of Chicago in a long time. For example, we had a show at Double Door in April and drew 530 people between 4 bands. That is near capacity (600) and a sellout. Our next big collaborative adventure is November 5th and 6th at Elbo Room. We booked the whole weekend and plan on selling out the entire weekend.
Currently I book the Chicago Roots Collective Showcase at Lincoln Hall. Once Lincoln Hall opened, it was a perfect chance to get our collective in there and provide local bands the opportunity to play such a fantastic venue. August 25th will be my 6th show there. I try to have a CRC band involved as much as I can, but the goal is simply to get the most hard working Chicago bands on bills together.
LSD: You guys are getting ready to release your new album, Champagne. When can we expect it to hit the streets?
DB: It is being pressed and mastered. We are working out the date of the actual release still. Want to make sure it is thoughtfully planned. If you'd like to review it before it is out, we will be more than willing to get you a copy.
LSD: That would be great! Can you describe the recording process? Overdubbing? Live takes with the full band?
DB: Our tracks started with live takes concentrating on getting the drums recorded. We worked with Mitchell Cepaitis of Kilo Studios to perfect the drums. Mitch is also Mixing and Mastering our final recordings. The rest of the recordings took place in our studio in Logan Square. The process is long, long, long. Next time we record, we are going to schedule out 2 weeks and do it all right then. We already have the songs ready for our second album, so expect another one soon.
LSD: Are there any plans to tour on the release of Champagne? What else does the band have in store for the near future?
DB: Touring is a definite. I would like to start touring 2-3 times a month. Summer time next year is going to be huge for us. We hope to take part in more Chicago festivals and to also hit the road for the majority of the summer.
LSD: You've got seven and a half words to sell the Square Affair, let people know why they should come out...go!
DB: Local, live, drunk, party, neighbors, and handsome faces.
That's actually eight words, but nobody's counting.
