Pretoria x Social Cig

21+

$15 in advance // $17 at the door

Pretoria is a five-piece independent rock band founded in Grand Rapids, MI by high school friends Josh Bilisko, Rob Gullett, and Ben DeWitt in early 2018, releasing the now-archived Pretoria EP. The group briefly featured Evelyn Timmis as a guitarist and singer, ultimately parting ways later in 2019. Talented multi-instrumentalist Matt Burdick then joined as a guitar and synth player.

During these early days, the group released works such as "," the band's EP, and highly-praised, music-festival-winning single “.” Propelled by this success, Pretoria continued writing and releasing indie rock and pop oriented songs like "," "," and "" - making all sorts of friends as well as a name for themselves in the Midwest.

Having weathered the effects of COVID-19, the band returned in full force in 2021 with the addition of Matt Pavlock on guitar. Together, over the next two years, the group would release a cover of "" by Neil Young, , a two-sided single "," "," and their full-length debut album

With the 2024 on the horizon, the band began planning a move from Grand Rapids to Chicago, IL. They kept excitement flowing with new indie-pop flare singles and the latter of which was supported by friend and producer Jake Rye at Social Recording Company. They partnered with Sparta Distribution and bid farewell to Grand Rapids at longtime beloved venue The Pyramid Scheme and re-established in Chicago. The conclusion of 2024's liveshows was where Pretoria would bid loving farewells to Josh Bilisko and Matt Pavlock as they embarked in new careers. Together, the newly Chicago-based group would carry the torch, aiming for 2025 to be its biggest year yet.

Full of endearing personalities, Pretoria is exactly the sort of DIY music scene gem you want to catch live and meet after the show.

Born & brewed in Wisconsin, Social Cig is the 'Indie-Skate-Rock' music project of Parker Schultz. Consisting of contagious authenticity, cheery live shows, and cultivating an original story with an attitude of gratitude, Social Cig is creating full-circle moments. Leafing through global music scenes with an ambitious DIY approach and writing songs that capture a genuine outlook from a modern-day Midwest cowboy, Social Cig has become a well-rounded grassroots venture.

A Social Cig song sorts the ordinaries of boyhood; a lyrical short story woven together by playful strength and catchy grips in the feel-good realm of indie rock. Throughout a college degree, circa 2018, Parker shyly unveiled his defenseless GarageBand demos to his friends over hand-packed cigarettes on a Milwaukee duplex balcony. This collection of 12 hobby-songs unknowingly became his debut album, ‘Prettier in Person'. After waves of encouraging chats by supportive peers, Parker would migrate to a soggy practice space 3 floors below his bedroom (the basement) and create his live band with a rotating cast of friends, Social Cig.

Sketching a memoir and gardening an actively verdant fan base on & offline, Social Cig continues to expand its landscape by sharing the stage with acts such as Wet Leg, PREP, M.A.G.S., Noah Kahan, Lime Cordiale, Arlo Parks, Windser, Motherfolk, Kainalu, Dizzy, Miloe, Ax and the Hatchetmen, Landon Conrath, Motel Breakfast, Michael Cera Palin, and Lowertown.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Broadway, 1272 Broadway, Brooklyn, United States