Thu, Nov 6 - 7pm - $15

There’s nothing more rock’n’roll than breaking rules and Sami Grisafe has been doing that her entire life.The talented singer-songwriter and all-star athlete for women’s football has managed to succeed in twoof her life’s passions, music and sports. It’s been said she’s got the voice of Melissa Etheridge and thearm of Joe Montana…and if you’ve ever heard Sami Grisafe sing or watched her quarterback, you wouldmost likely agree. Sami’s newest single, “All-Un-American” is a patriotic anthem that begs the question about whowe want to be as Americans. Inspired by the current political climate and tragic eventsthat threaten to divide us, the lyrics promote the idea that we are “one nation, indivisible,where nobody shall be invisible.” The song is produced by Colin Wolfe (Michael Jackson, TLC,Madonna, NWA) and Evan Ryan. Inspired by musicians like Janis Joplin, Dave Grohl, and the Counting Crows, Grisafe’s music hasa folk-rock feel with provocative lyrics, often incorporating additional styles such as funk, bluesand reggae. She earned six Grammy pre-nominations for her 2012 album ATLANTIS, and in2013 received the Chicago Music Award for “Best Rock Entertainer.” As a proud member of the LGBTQ community, Grisafe supports numerous LGBTQ organizationsthrough her performances. She was named of the ‘10 Chicago Lesbians To Look Out For’ in 2012by the L Stop and her football retirement was ranked #1 in the Windy City Times Top 10 ChicagoLGBT Sports Moments of 2014. In 2014, she wrote and performed a song, “Brand New FairyTale,” in support of marriage equality for the March on Springfield at the state capitol in Illinois.She went on to produce a studio version of the song and a music video, releasing it on the dayof the historical Supreme Court ruling.

 GRACEFULLY by Award-Winning nationally touring artist, Eric Himan, brings the songwriter/acoustic guitarist to a brand new place: the piano bench.  After releasing and selling his music (over 40,000 cds sold independently) through his record label, Thumbcrown Records, licensing original music to MTV, E!, and heavy rotation on satellite radio (SiriusXM’s The Coffeehouse), Eric delivers his latest, GRACEFULLY, his most ambitious album to date. Well known for writing and performing on the acoustic guitar, GRACEFULLY is the first full album written and recorded with Eric on piano. A horn section, a new element in his recordings, was brought in and arranged by saxophonist, Ryan Tedder, with Dave Johnson on trumpet. This album has one last feature: the album was fully funded through his listeners via the crowd-sourcing website, PledgeMusic. Eric was able to bring in some heavy hitters such as drummer, Brandon Holder (current drummer for Leon Russell) and bassist Matt Hayes (Jacob Fred Jazz Odessey, Wayne Newton) thanks to the support of his many generous listeners. This album was recorded in Eric’s hometown of Tulsa, OK by Rockwell Ripperger (of the platinum selling band, Stephen Speaks) and Brandon Holder, mixed by Ripperger, and mastered by the grammy-award winning Chris Bellman (Alanis Morissette, Ani DiFranco, Katy Perry) at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles, CA.  A collection of songs gathered throughout the past three years, GRACEFULLY holds elements of pop, soul, rock, R&B, and even a bit of a latin feel with its entrance, RED HOT TEARS. WAITING FOR THUNDER inspired by the story of Malala Yousafzai, the 14 year old Pakistani student who was shot by the Taliban for promoting girls’ education, brings the rock genre into light on GRACEFULLY. Other highlights of the album are the gospel tinged, HOW CAN YOU SLEEP?, bringing back the horn section for a swinging tale of love on its way out, the pop-driven-perfect-for-a-sunday-morning, EVERYTHING TO YOU, and the title track, GRACEFULLY, a tribute to Eric’s grandmother, Grace, who raised Eric with his grandfather and father. Grace who passed away last Fall at the age of 97, led a full life of motherhood, a careers in photography, and at one time, a colorist for DC Comics in the 1930′s. Smiling from the cover art of this new record, Grace gives the stamp of approval for the grandson she encouraged artistically as Eric puts it ” to live life like you taught me, GRACEFULLY”.