"I wish they could all have their say, and world would change from day to day. No more worries nothing but laughs. Cause the kids on the street are the kids that you meet." (Kids On The Street-Angelic Upstarts Single released 1-26-81. Zonophone/EMI Records U.K.)

Whether they start young, in their teens or early 20's, or get a late start in their 40s, 50s or 60s. You'll meet the artists and bands whose original Chicagoland metal, punk, alternative rock and power pop music is heard from street to street, city to city all around the world. The bands will have their say, lyrically and musically.

Beginning an eclectic form of symphonic metal in their 20s, 34 years ago, Chicago Doom Metal band Avernus combine modern hardcore screamo, with progressive 70s hard rock. they once co headlined shows with Trouble at the legendary Thirsty Whale in 1996. Their second full length album, Grievances showcases the modern day grunting unclean vocal style of singer Rick McCoy with a sophisticated progressive and lengthy instrumental guitar and bass blend. I talk with guitarist and co-founder Erik Kikke.

Kankakee alternative rockers Carrying Torches give drummer Jon Paul Gray a chance to keep time through his vocal range. A debut as lead singer in a new single about departure. Certainly, a unique one for the four-piece Heartland Garage Rock band.

Tractor Boy plows their way into one of the only remaining underground Chicago rock radio stations for a live concert broadcast.

Before COVID stole the live music spotlight away from Wire In Berwyn, who couldn't stay open after being financially stricken during the pandemic, Skylight Cinema show brightly with a unique mix of old school progressive rock and modern pop punk. We rock back to their only appearance, and the last live show I would experience at the hip music venue south of the incomparable Fitzgeralds, six years ago this week.

Melt Mother Nature's dementia fueled ice and snow grip by getting a rocking hold of this hot mix of original Chicagoland music:

Avernus-Nemesis

Avernus-Return To Dust

Subcyst-A Broken Will Makes The Best Slaves

Carrying Torches-Gone

BlockChain Coalition-Get A Little Closer

John David Daily-Somewhere On The Other Side

Redneck Remedy-Face Of Madness (4-15-25 Local Loft Episode 376)

Tractor Boy-Carnage In Rantoul

Paperboy Riot-Joke

Skylight Cinema 9 from Wire In Berwyn 1-26-20 Local Loft Episode 118

Skylight Cinema-Don't Phase Me

Skylight Cinema-Turn Me Golden

"No chance of a rebirth, for the last rockers honors" (Last Rockers-Vice Squad first single. Released 1/20/81 Riot City Records U.K.)

Whether resurrected or just beginning, there's always a great chance of established and young original Chicagoland Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock, and Power Pop bands and artists being discovered worldwide with every listen to every episode of Local Loft.

The discovery is sometimes through a special benefit show. The Ed and Jan Kost Cancer Benefit Punk show at Tivoli Bowl in Downers Grove brought a great mix of veterans and beginners. Death in Memphis has been rocking fast and furious since 2014. Their name comes from veteran 80s punk rockers turned college radio staple band The Replacements. I won't give away the secret as to how a lyric in their biggest tribute tune was the basis of Death And Memphis' name. I talk with singer/guitarist Paul Garcia, guitarist Steve Custer, who moonlights for the last time as Steev Zero in Space Age Zeros, also headlining tonight, and drummer Elijah Garcia backstage at Tivoli.

A solid successful live show can lead to a disastrous after party. Tractor Boy found this out after a gig south of the huge college city, Champaign, on their new single.

A change of a rebirth of the illustrious metal band Central Disorder hasn't yet come, after nine years ago this week, when the Southwest Suburban four-man band, lead by Rob Peto, released their biggest album, Eradication, their full-length debut with a killer release show at Sullivan's Pub in Midlothian. We rock back to it.

From first chord to last rocking shred solo, the note-by-note soundtrack of original Chicagoland music consists of:

Death & Memphis-Your Own Worth

Death & Memphis-Solidarity

Space Age Zeros-Cheryl Scott (live at Tivoli Bowl, Downers Grove-1/10/26 The Ed & Jan Kost Cancer Benefit)

Tractor Boy-Carnage In Rantoul

Disrobe-TV Weakly

M & R Rush-Ya Don't Wanna Mess With A Hungry Bear

Sonic Motel-Crazy

Dissona-The Prodigal Son

Next To Eternity-Among The Waves

Central Disorder (Eradication CD release show, Sullivans Pub in Midlothian 1/20/19 Local Loft Episode 94)

Central Disorder-Consumed

Central Disorder-No Salvation

"If they ever come through. See this fight right through till the last round. Follow the man whose puttin' out the boss sound of King Rocker." (King Rocker-Generation X. Second single. Released 1/5/79 on Crysalis Records U.K.)

Follow every episode of the podcast that extensively follows the original Chicagoland area's Metal, Punk, Alternative Rock and Power Pop scene, and you will discover a band or artist with a BOSS sound.

Veteran Chicago rocker Danny Lynch has many followers who stuck with him through the almost four-decade run of his namesake band, Lynch. After they disbanded in 2019, Danny has moved on to two similar sounding, but radically different bands. Society of Hoodlums and Vacation Tree Killers. The first of which has former Lynch drummer Frank Pace. Danny talks with me about how both these new bands came together, and how his glowing image braved desert heat for the three dimensional music video of Society of Hoodlum's debut single, Mirage.

Fighting for the cause, Chicagoland Punk rockers unite for a special cancer benefit show, Saturday night at Tivoli bowl in Downers Grove. Death And Memphis hails from Chicago's North Side, and got thier name from one of the most legendary punk turned mainstream rock bands out of Minneapolis. Accept no Replacements (hint, hint).

Melissa Radice had an intimate, precocious singing style which blended well with the heavy, grinding raw guitar driven power metal of Threatening The Order. As Mother Nature unleashed a biting, frigid cold weather threat, headbangers rocked it away with extreme body heat as Threatening The Order faced stiff competition in a Sunday Battle Of The Bands at Reggie's Rock Club in the South Loop ten years ago this month.

Local Loft's maiden voyage of 2026 through the original Chicagoland music scene set sails with:

Society Of Hoodlums-Mirage

Society of Hoodlums-Freaks At The Ball

Lynch-Be There

Death And Memphis-Not Fade Away

The Run Around-Shots Fired

Maes-Schitzo

True Love Devil-Solitude

Threatening The Order (interview at Reggie's Rock Club 1/17/16 Local Loft Episode 17)

Threatening The Order-Soul inside

Threatening The Order Something To Prove