Bending Brains

Claudio is an LA based singer-songwriter/poet whose artistry blends the acoustic storytelling style of James Taylor or Jim Croce with the soulful vocal stylings of John Legend or Eddie Kendrick. Originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, Claudio relocated to Los Angeles in Spring 2018. Since then, he has kept busy touring the country 4 times while steadily releasing new music. Less than a year after arriving in Los Angeles, Claudio released his deeply conceptual debut album, “A Boy From Somewhere.” He also partnered with frequent collaborator Curtis Crump Jr. on a Christmas album titled, “Merry Little Christmas.” Claudio also released an EP, “Stuck In Somnia,” and nearly a dozen singles. He has headlined venues across the country including The Hotel Café, The Moroccan Lounge, The Hi-Hat, and The Duplex. Claudio is currently working on his second full length album, “Still Here,” which is set to be released in January 2023.

Dr. Marc Colomer, Ph.D. is a cognitive neuroscientist and musician. In his postdoc at the University of Chicago, he investigates children’s social understanding and conceptual development in the early stages of their life. He asks questions such as how racial and other social biases emerge, with the goal of informing which solutions can reduce early signs of discrimination. As a hobby, he plays the guitar and sings with TealTrap, a Chicago-based indie band. In his time in Barcelona, he also played with The Penguins and Cybee, a Catalan band with millions of streams in Spotify.

Charles is an educator, artist, designer, musician, and podcaster. He runs his creative business: Custom Crafted Design - where he does all things creative. In 2022, he received his BA in Art Education and BFA in Studio Art & Design from Saint Xavier University. He has a podcast: Inside the Artists Studio - where he interviews artists from all backgrounds. Charles has also designed and printed the DZ Fest shirts for 10 years. Link to his website: https://charleshenry.space

Trash plays in the world’s greatest and only country band of all time, Totally Cashed. When he’s not saving country music, he spends all his time tending to his horses and making delicious bagels for his friends, fans, and family. He’s also never told a lie. Catch Totally Cashed live at Schubas June 2nd for their release show

Mark Adkison is an Immigration Attorney and singer-songwriter in Chicago. 

A graduate of UIC Law School (formerly known as John Marshall), he has been working with his family at the Adkison Law Offices since 2006. He specializes in immigration law, and works on cases that include extraordinary ability visas, citizenship applications, marriage applications, consular applications, asylum applications, and more.   

Mark is also co-founder of the gypsy punk band, FUGU DUGU, where he plays guitar and sings with his violinist wife, Olya.  Fugu Dugu is finishing up their first album: “Lunatic Parade,” which is expected to be released in 2023.  Prior to Fugu Dugu, Mark played violin and guitar, and sang for Chicago-based groups such as comedy band Coco Cabana Club, the Carpathian Rock group, Pet Peeve, and country cover band, Senn Alan Band. 

Aaron Paulsen is a 20 year old content creator and musician. His content consists of comedic skits, in which he plays different characters, composes original music, as well as  incorporating his “one man band” style , in which multiple instruments are played at the same time. He first started making videos at 18 and has since then amassed over 350+ million views on all of his platforms.

Julia Hagen is a Chicago based painter with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She creates urban landscapes with a colorful twist, portraying the mood of the place in both a realistic and whimsical way. She often toes the line between representational and imaginative, but always prioritizes the glow that nostalgia leaves. 

Spencer McCreary is a York, Pennsylvania based singer-songwriter who has fronted and founded the bands ‘Cardinal Harbor’ and ‘Public Disco Porch’. The latter being the most current project with a 2022 LP release of ‘Have A Great Life’. Check out the band’s music at the link below: www.publicdiscoporch.com”

Eddie Hokinson (Manager D) and Matt Bauer (Manager Z) sit down to talk about 10 years of DZ Fest in Hickory Hills, IL. For 10 years Eddie and Matt helped to grow DZ Fest. They took on the responsibility that very few could do or even understand. They are saints amongst men.