September 10, 2020
ALTSO All Stars - Chicago will be joining us at this year's live-streamed Rocktoberfest concert! Register, for free, to rock with them on October 21, 2021.
----
Every year across the world our Rocktoberfest musicians Rock For Good to raise awareness - and critical funds - for our CoolKids. From now until October 22nd, we'll be highlighting the musicians who will be rocking virtually with us at this year's Rocktoberfest.
First up - ALTSO All Stars from Chicago featuring Ray McKenzie, Jen Justice Juscovics, Cat Lai, and Dean Cassara.
How did ALTSO All Stars Chicago get involved with ALTSO?
We first got involved at the last BB Kings benefit - over 10 years now. We were a band playing in Chicago as The Jen Justice Band and then Chicago Rock Exchange, but to consolidate our efforts we changed the name to ALTSO All Stars. We still play in Chicago as Chicago Rock Exchange. It means so much to us to be able to play music and support our favorite cause.
What is your favorite song to perform?
Our favorite song to perform is probably Don’t Stop Believing (by Journey)!
A classic song. Do you have any bands that you emulate or channel in your performances?
We love The Pretenders, U2, Deep Purple, Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Beyonce, and many more classic rock and pop bands.
Performing at ALTSO's first Rocktoberfest-Chicago event in 2012.
Does the band have any pre-Rocktoberfest (or post-Rocktoberfest) band rituals?
Yes, we huddle together and talk about why we are here. Why are we playing the gig. We talk about the CoolKids and we focus on doing the best show we can for them!
What is your favorite venue to perform at?
We love the Hard Rock! In Chicago it would be City Winery for sure.
What is ALTSO All Stars Chicago's favorite ALTSO performance memory?
My favorite memory is when we played the song from the Broadway musical Rent at Buddy Guys in Chicago as part of the Tribeca Flashpoint College benefit. A close second would be playing Where the Streets Have No Name (by U2) at Capitale in NYC - over 5 years ago now!
How is ALTSO All Stars Chicago preparing for this year's virtual Rocktoberfest?
We are selecting songs, learning our parts and figuring out the best way to create the best performance for the event. We will most likely do a combination of mash up videos and live performances.
