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The Madcats crew is thrilled to bring you this October 2026 edition of the Last Sunday of the Month Blues Jam. We are delivering a "Scary Good" lineup with this "Frightful" version of David Levit's Million Dollar Blues BandHouse Band: 6:30-7:30 pm
Jammers: 7:45-10:15 pm
House Band: 10:25-10:45 pm
Backline supplied. Bring your axe, sticks, and best Blues tunes to jam with your combo!
We welcome back Tom Holland, AKA, "The Red Baron" back with us. Tom is well known for fronting his own band, Tom Holland and The Shuffle Kings. Years on the road with Blues legends such as John Primer (Muddy Waters last guitar player), Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, and most recently, James Cotton, have made Tom Holland one of the highest in demand Blues artists on the scene today.
Tom played on both of James Cotton’s Grammy Nominated releases, Giant, and Cotton Mouth Man, both on Alligator Records. In 2013 Tom took the band back into the studio, recording No Fluff, Just the Stuff, on his own E Natchel Records imprint, which garnered rave reviews. Tom was also inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. With over 24 years of stage experience under his belt, Tom Holland is, without a doubt one of the finest purveyors of classic Chicago Blues guitar styles.
He has shared the stage with James Cotton, Mighty Joe Young, Eddy Clearwater, Hound Dog Taylor, Buddy Guy, Johnny ‘Big Moose’ Walker, Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers, and Willie Dixon.
Tom Holland ended up with a last minute conflict so we are so very happy that Sean McKee is jumping in the band.
Our special guest artist is the exceptional Joey Acopiado. He is a student of the wide scope of contemporary music. From Rock to R&B, Acopiado covers it all, handcrafting each song with a clear respect and admiration for his musical heroes. However, this drive to nod his head to the golden-ages-gone-by of many genres has never impeded Acopiado on his mission to write things refreshingly unique.
A deep lover of the blues … from the Chicago urban-blues stylings of artists like Paul Butterfield to more southern-fried guitar greats like Freddie King, Acopiado breathes energy into his music with a style of lead guitar playing that is infectiously expressive. In 2022, the Joey Acopiado Band is a string of musicians unlike any other, featuring the contributions of Dylan Barnett (second guitarist), Alex Garrin (bass), and Evan Hill (drums). When you see a show, you’ll witness this impressive outfit switch starkly from melodic indie ballads to hard-hitting blues-rock with ease.
Joey is a songwriter and guitarist based in greater Chicago. Influenced by the likes of notable rock legends from the 20th century i.e. Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Steely Dan - Acopiado writes with a clear admiration for the past: incorporating crunchy, bluesy electric guitar sounds into a style of composition that nods equally to the pop music of today. Acopiado's songwriting style is shimmery, up-tempo, and lyrical, usually performed, quite fortunately, with a band of extremely talented musicians.
More recently he played with a custom band at Fitzgeralds in late March and then his band in April. He has also been known to grace the stages of Buddy Guy’s, Rosa’s Lounge, and The Kingston Mines. He even did a feature performance in Sean McKee’s ongoing series “Sean’s Guitar Lounge. Currently, his “bombastic” four-piece is based in Chicago, Illinois — and you can catch them gigging all throughout the city and suburbs.
Geoffrey Lowe joins us on bass. He is a bass player in demand for sure. He heads out to Key West on vacation and plays 9 gigs in 7 days. Spotted most Thursdays holding down the bass position at the Shanahan’s Pro Jam. You'll catch him in the studio with so many artists, most recently Michael Mason and Randy McAllister for upcoming releases. He’s well known for his work with Chicago’s very own Pistol Pete and a few others. While he crushes his parts in the Blues realm, his capabilities go far beyond into Jazz, Funk, Soul, Classical, Reggae, and so much more. He's never sitting still as he is jobbing all over Northern Illinois......ok maybe he takes time off to canoe too.
Drummer Dave Levit Drummer Dave Levit is seen with different acts throughout the area including The Glenn Davis Band, Al Spears's Hurricane Project, The Downtown Charlie Brown Band, and occasionally holding down the drum throne for BB & The Honey, The Windy City Rev Ups, The New Colony Six, Roger That!, Caesar Salad, Vintage Vinyl, The Danny Baron Band, The Chicago Blues Super Session, and more.
Some of the past artists you may have seen him with are: Sammy Fender, Ivy Ford, JB Ritchie, Darren Jay and the Delta Souls, Fifty-One Lincoln, The Zach Avery Band, Allister Perea, and The Mustangs. He is also an instructor offering lessons to select students as well. Some exciting new projects are always in the works. You will certainly hear about them as they break out.
Tom Holland - Guitar & Vocals
Joey Acopiado - Guitar & Vocals
Geoffrey Lowe - Bass
Hosted by:
David Levit - Drums, Promo, Off-Handed Comments, Life Changing Announcements, Spiffy Fedoras.
This is another dynamite formation of David Levit's Million Dollar Blues Band! This remains the best Blues Jam you could ever dream of. Come and join the Madcats crew and let's welcome the Million Dollar Blues Band to the stage!
Keep your eyes on these events as we have a lineup of special guests in the coming months that will make your head spin. Want to know more? Ask Dave at the Jam!
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Event venue
Madcats, 117 W Slade St, Palatine, IL 60067-0414, United States
Tickets
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