WINDY CITY REV UPS
"Chicago style rhythm & blues fused with FULL THROTTLE guitar-driven rock n' roll, 100% GUARANTEED ALL AGES FUN"
"One OF THE MOST HARD-HITTING blues rock BANDS ON THE CHICAGO MUSIC SCENE & 2024 Chicago Blues Challenge DUO winner"
"ON-STAGE THEY ARE FUELED BY THE BAND'S GIFTED SONGWRITER AND TRIPLE THREAT FRONTMAN ON Vocals, Guitar & Harmonica"
BAND DESCRIPTION & BIO
Description: The "Windy City Rev Ups" music captures the classic sound of Chicago-style R&B fused with soulful harmonica and revved-up, guitar-driven rock n' roll. Their live performances are far beyond ordinary and well-suited for music lovers of all generations. They perform original songs, classic rock anthems, popular blues standards, and R&B hits that are guaranteed to get rock clubs rocking, blues joints smoking and dance floors hopping. The Windy City Rev Ups have friends, fans and listeners in Chicago and all around the world. Years of headlining performances at top entertainment venues and popular music festivals have made the Windy City Rev Ups one of the most entertaining bands on the Chicago modern music scene today!
Bio: The band has been performing together for over 20 years. They are based in downtown Chicago and have performed 1000's of live shows, over 750 since 2012. Their first big break was when they were featured as up-and-coming musicians at the 21st Anniversary Chicago Blues Festival, the largest free blues festival in the world. Since 2008 they have released 10 live, studio, and acoustic albums; 8 of these releases can be heard worldwide streaming on every major online music platform including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and CD Baby. Over the years they have won numerous music awards including the 2024 Chicago Blues Challenge "Best Duo", Chicago's "Best R&B Band", "Best Blues Band" and "Best Local CD Release". In 2009 they began performing their type of upbeat rock n' blues music monthly at the internationally known House of Blues in Chicago. In 2017 the band toured Ireland headlining at the 21st Annual Danny Boy Jazz & Blues Festival, Northern Ireland's largest 3-day music festival. Since 2018, bandleader Rich "Rev" has toured solo in Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Iceland and Portugal. Cited by fans and music publications as "the next generation of rock n' blues bands, a new breed of rhythm and blues musicians and one of the most in-demand harmonica fueled band's on the Chicago music scene today" they have helped redefine today's modern blues-rock genre.
DISCOgraphy
The Windy City Rev Ups are a Hitmaker Promotions indie recording artist. Download the Windy City Rev Ups music today and add them to your favorite playlist!
- Live in Chicago (2008)
- Swing Out Chicago (2008)
- Rev It Up (2009) - Promo
- Live & Acoustic Vol. 1 (2011)
- Live & Acoustic Vol. 2 (2011) - Promo
- The R&B Sessions (2011)
- Rockin' at the Lake House (2012)
- Live in Chicago II (2019)
- Live at the Machine Shop (2020)
- In Motion (2021)
WCRU - CD COVERS
2025 MESSAGE FROM THE BAND
2021 - we released our 10th album "In Motion", please listen to our music online today and add it to your Spotify & Apple playlists. 2022 - the orginal line up came back together and performed all over Chicagoland, more than 70 live shows. 2023 - we added new musicians to the band's line up and started performing new cover songs. Just for fun we've added some old school Country and Motown tunes to our song list. We also started performing regularly as a duo and started featuring newly penned original songs that we hope to record soon. Ask us to perform - Raised by Wolves, The Golden Years and After All The Things Are Gone and a country tune called Best That I Can. Early in the year "Rev" performed overseas in Portugal - that was fun! 2024 - we started performing at select country music formated venues including the iconic honky tonk "Carol's Pub" as a country western rock & dance band performing old school country western hits and brand new originals as "Windy City Rev & The Hootenanny Band". This was an exciting year, Rich performed two shows in Iceland, and the band had a blast showcased as an all original band at the notorious "Reggie's Rock Room"! In addition to performing at casino's and Craft Beer & BBQ festivals, the band is now appearing regularly at a new venue called "Briny Swine Chicago" in Lincoln Park, IL. 2025 - Look for several new EP music releases and a Rich solo trip to performing in Hong Kong & Japan!
2024 WINNER "CHICAGO BLUES CHALLENGE" - The Windy City Rev Ups won The Chicago Blues Challenge, sponsored by Windy City Blues Society as a "Duet" featured at Buddy Guy's Legend's. Rev & George traveled to Memphis, TN to compete in the International Blues Challenge, sponsored by The Blues Foundation in January 2025. The duo was featured on the King Biscuit Time radio show, performing live on KFFA 103.1 FM/1360 AM at the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Arkansas. They visited all the popular sites and met many new friends & fans, Memphis is a music city! IBC BIO - The Windy City Rev Ups sound transcends generational boundaries by fusing Chicago-style R&B with soulful harmonica and guitar-driven rock n' roll. Their repertoire features original songs. With two decades of collaboration, the band has established itself performing thousands of live shows including the Chicago Blues Festival, House of Blues residency and headlining Ireland's Danny Boy Jazz & Blues Festival. Their discography showcases 8 titles streaming worldwide with bandleader Rich Rev undertaking solo international tours to reinforce the band's status as a modern blues-rock innovator.
STREAMING WORLDWIDE - Our music is now streaming worldwide in over 53 countries!
IMPORTANT - Don't forget to check our tour schedule regularly. It changes from week to week ... remember the official tour date schedule is always on our website, not Facebook and not on a venues web page.
THANK YOU - We appreciate our fans that attend the shows and download our music! We are thankful for the kind words you share with us at every show!
SOCIAL MEDIA, STREAMING & fan club
- iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music & CD Baby - Downloads & streaming
- YouTube - 100's of videos, unreleased songs
- Instagram - Band updates, new video clips & photos, instant messaging
- Facebook - Tour dates, special events, last minute schedule changes
JOIN OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE - All performances are posted and "confirmed" on our Facebook page. Check us out daily on Instagram. Our YouTube videos are updated monthly. Since 2019, we've been streaming worldwide. Add us to your favorite playlist. Rock with us, listen to us and follow us!
ITUNES, CD BABY & YOU TUBE
ON STAGE AT THE FORGE BEER & BBQ FESTIVAL
ON STAGE AT THE
CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL
SPOTIFY, APPLE & MORE
ON STAGE AT HOB CHICAGO WITH MIKE WHEELER
HEADING TO A VENUE NEAR YOU
The Windy City Rev Ups perform all over Chicago!
- Released 10 albums; 100's of videos and 8 albums streaming worldwide on every major website including Spotify, AppleMusic, YouTube, and more!
- Voted as one of Chicago's "Best R&B Bands," "Best Blues Bands" and have a "Best Local CD Release."
- Performances include "singer songwriter" original songs, classic rock anthems, popular blues standards, and R&B hits!
- 20 years on the road performing 50 to 100 live shows annually in thousands of popular music venues!
- Active on the Chicago downtown and suburban music scene, featured over 700's times at the House of Blues Chicago in the last 10 years.
- Performaces all over the USA and overseas in Ireland, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Iceland and Portugal.
- Milestone performances at Chicago Blues Festival, Taste of Chicago, Danny Boy Jazz & Blues Festival in N. Ireland and many more concert series!
- Shared the stage with the Charlie Daniels Band, Marshall Tucker Band, The Outlaws, Wishbone Ash, Night Hawks, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, and many more Chicago area popular musicians!
Don't miss out, go to a show!
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SPONSOR - OCEAN EYES SUNGLASSES
Since 2008, the Windy City Rev Ups have been proudly sponsored by Ocean Eyes Sunglasses.
WINDY CITY "REV"
ROCK N' ROLL 80'S
PERFORMING MONTHLY AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO SINCE 2009
IPPERFORMING AT BUB CITY, JOE'S ON WEED ST. & JOE'S LIVE SINCE 2015
2017 HEADLINING AT THE DANNY BOY JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL, N. IRELAND
2018 INTERNATIONAL CHICAGO BLUES GUITARIST AND HARMONICA PLAYER HONG KONG, CHINA
2018 PERFORMING AT THE WANCH IN HONG KONG, CHINA. FEATURED MUSICIAN ON "WALL OF FAME"
2022 BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL - HIGHWOOD, IL
2022 FITZGERALD'S - CHICAGO, IL
2022 MUSKY FESTIVAL - CHICAGO, IL
2023 MUSKY FESTIVAL - CHICAGO, IL
WINDY CITY REV UPS "DUO"
2023 HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO
PERFORMING IN ALBUFEIRA, PORTUGAL 2023
WINDY CITY REV &
THE HOOTENANY BAND
DEBUTED AT SIDEOUTS IN 2023, HEADLINING ON NIKO'S CONCERT STAGE & ICONIC CAROL'S PUB IN 2024
2024 CAROL'S PUB
2024 REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
2024 REGGIE'S ROCK ROOM
2024 THE CHICAGO BLUES CHALLENGE "DUET" WINNER
LIVE AT BUDDY GUY'S LEGEND'S
2025 HOUSE OF BLUES CHICAGO BAND