News Archive
09/16/07 - Hello again, friends! So far this month, we've been having a GREAT time, and hope you have as well. Labor Day weekend brought us up to beautiful Lake Geneva, WI. The South of Disorder Bar (part of Hemingway's Port of Call) is a beautiful new club that just opened this summer. Lots of people made the long drive up to LG to party with us, and we thank you!! It was an excellent time, and we made many new friends and fans up there. THANK YOU to everyone that came out to see us!! Looking forward to getting back there next year during summer season for sure! The following weekend we played our first official outdoor show at Darien Fest!! Although we played a tough afternoon time slot, we gave the crowd a healthy dose of the Pure Rock & Roll Magic, and everyone had an excellent time! Many thanks to Julio, Clare, and the entire Darien Chamber for having us out, and to our friends and family that came out to support us. Special shout out to Dave M....you rock, bro! Rounding out this installment was an extremely fun show at TRIO in Palos Heights. This club, which has only been open since late July, is guaranteed to become a VERY popular local hot spot, and we were very glad to be a part of its early success!! The show was BIG fun, and we gave the VERY receptive crowd a healthy dose of ROCK! Saw a lot of familiar faces and made many more new friends!! We will definitely be back there again soon...keep your eyes on the schedule. Be sure to check out this club too...it rocks!! We want to send out a MAJOR shout to our crew, Mike and Art, for the continually excellent job they do with making us look and sound our best! GenHeX is blessed to have the BEST crew, friends, fans, and supporters out there, and we appreciate you all more than you know. YOU are the ones that make what we do so much fun, and we never forget that!! Coming up.....Mark your calenders for Friday, September 28th!! We're throwing a DOUBLE BIRTHDAY BASH AT BOURBON!!! That's right, both Steady Eddie and Jimisix will be marking b-days, and you're ALL invited!! This will actually be our first non-benefit performance at Bourbon Street, and we're looking forward to a HELL of a night! We'll be joined by Pete Reno on keyboards, and we'll be pulling out a greatest hits show like you won't believe!! SEE YOU THERE! Until next time.....
8/28/07 - What a month!!! A crazy private party, a killer southside show, a VERY successful benefit show, and a great time in the western 'burbs!! Our August started off with a special show to celebrate our good friend George's 50th birthday. We had the place rocking for almost two hours straight!! The next night we were out at Murphy's, joined by our good friend Pete Reno on keyboards. We gave the very receptive crowd a healthy taste of the Pure Rock & Roll Magic, and they jammed with us ALL NIGHT LONG! We were proud to perform at the "Duane's Goal for Brooke" benefit at 115 Bourbon Street. The night was a HUGE success, raised a lot of money, and we made MANY new friends and fans. To polish off the month, we made a little road trip out to J.D. Muggs in Addison, where we gave them yet another night to remember, debuting new songs and welcoming many old and new friends alike. So, with a good month of momentum going, we head into September, which will find us: making our first visit to Lake Geneva; performing our first festival appearance this year; and celebrating not one, but TWO band birthdays at our show on September 28th at 115 Bourbon Street!!! Check the schedule, and come out to party with us.....thank you for your interest and support!!!!
8/02/07 - BREAKING NEWS!!! GenHeX will be performing at Darien Fest on Saturday, September 8th from 2:30-4:30 PM. Come out and join us for our festival debut!!!
07/18/07 - Where to begin this installment???? So much has happened in the last three weeks, it's almost hard to quantify. First things first....the show at Papa T's ROCKED!!! Even though we were working against Oakfest AND the Def Leppard/Styx/Foreigner concert, the crowd was rockin' and the dance floor was packed all night long!! Thanks to Randy, Paul, and the entire staff of Papa T's for making us feel SO welcome, and for putting together such an AWESOME room! Big Mark did a GREAT job on the sound, and our own Road Manager Mike Kerrigan kicked ASS with the light show. BIG props to all our old friends and new ones for coming out to party with us. We'll be returning to Papa T's on Friday, October 26th. Can't wait!!
July brought us one of our nicest surprises....GenHeX was picked as the July, 2007 "Featured Band of the Month" on chicagosrock.com!!! Many thanks to Mario Salazar and his staff for this very cool acknowledgement, the awesome video trailer he put together, and for the NEW GenHeX logo, which will be appearing soon on new HeXWear. Stop by their site and check out our interview and the trailer. Also be sure to check out our new clips video, as well as our full versions of "Somewhere in America" and "Ice Cream Man" on Youtube.com.
Last but CERTAINLY not least was our first "two-state double header" this past Saturday, July 14th. We started off the day playing a GREAT show at the Rocks Lounge of the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, IN. What an excellent reception we received on our debut visit!!! The lounge area was packed, as was the area surrounding it as far as the eye could see. They piped the show throughout the casino complex, and people were dancing and bopping to the Pure Rock and Roll Magic in every direction!! As if that wasn't enough, we hopped on the tollway and headed backfor our headline show at Lot 4 in Chicago Ridge, IL. Sharing the stage that night was the GREAT area band Bullet Called Life, who put on another killer set! We took the stage about 11:30PM, and rocked them HARD until closing!! HUGE thanks and props to everyone that came out to party with us. We made a TON of new HeX'ed fans, saw lots of familiar faces and a few blasts from the past, too!!!
We'll be taking a few weeks off for some well-earned vacation time, and to put together some more new material. Wishing you all the best, and we look forward to seeing you out partying with us in Mokena at Murphy's on Saturday, August 11th!!! As always, thanks for making this so much FUN!!!
06/25/07 - Warrenville was the city, Hot Shots was the venue, and GenHeX was the locomotive that roared through town!! Being one of our favorite venues out West, we always expect a great time at Hot Shots, and this past Saturday's show was no exception. People were out dancing from the FIRST SONG, and kept it up all night long!!! Ron, Ralph, and the staff of the bar treat us very well, and they certainly know how to throw a party!!! MANY thanks to all our old and new friends that came out to party with us, including our good friend Mario Salazar from Chicagosrock.com. We were joined once again by Pete Reno on keyboards, who did another killer performance on the 'boards. We gave the crowd a show to remember, featuring some new songs from Whitesnake, Y&T, Jimi Hendrix, and UFO, as well as a veritable night of greatest hits from the last 30+ years. Before we packed up, we signed on for another return engagement on Saturday, October 20th. BTW...We recently found out about something VERY SPECIAL that is happening for the band very soon...but we can't tell yet because it's a BIG surprise. Stay tuned....
Coming up this weekend is a show we've been looking forward to. The new Papa T's in Midlo used to be known as Big Guys South. We played there last year and had a great time. The new owners have done the place over RIGHT and TIGHT!!! It's a beautiful venue for live music now, featuring a new stage, state-of-the-art sound and lights, and there's not a bad seat in the house!!! So we hope to see all our Southside friends out this Saturday, June 30th, when we tear it up in these GREAT new digs!!! Come early and stay late....and party in true GenHeX style!!
NEW VIDEO!!! We just uploaded some video clips filmed at 115 Bourbon Street this past May at the Fight Ataxia Fund Benefit. you can view the video HERE. We hope you like it. So, until next time.....
06/18/07 - This update will try and cover two shows that were very different yet strangely familiar! On June 1st, GenHeX once again took the stage in the 115 Bourbon Street Performance Hall to entertain for a charitable event. The Youth Ministry of St. Chrstina's Church held this event to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina living in Mississippi. Little did we know that it would turn into a full-blown concert!! It was Friday night, and the people were READY TO PARTY! And we did NOT let them down!! By midway through the second set, the house lights were down, the stage lights were flashing, and the band was CRANKING! The good people at Bourbon Street even had live video streaming from the stage to the two large TV monitors on either side of the stage. We were treated to a packed dance floor, and we even had women up dancing on stage with the band!!! This event actually raised over $13,000 dollars, more than a three-time improvement over the previous year!!! Many thanks to all who came out, and gave of themselves for this worthy cause!! YOU rock!!!
Paddywackers was THE place to be this past Saturday, June 16th! We came back and rocked 'em HARD!!! Many thanks to all who came out to party with us! We had family, we had Hex Kittens, we had fellow musicians, two guest vocalists....and a whole LOT of Rock!! We'll definitely be back to see our friends at Paddywackers this fall...watch the calender.
Next stop....Hot Shots in Warrenville!!! See you on June 23rd!!
05/27/07 - Well, we closed out the month with a couple AWESOME shows!! DelRocks on the 19th was a great time! We were joined once again by our good friend and fifth man PETE RENO on keyboards, and we were treated to a guest performance by our good friend Donna on vocals. Members of the great area band INSTANT RECALL stopped out to party with us, as did MANY old friends and new faces alike. The club is under new ownership, and is a great place to see live music and party. We look forward to getting back in there and rocking them again in the future.
Saturday the 26th found us in Antioch, rocking in the Memorial Day weekend at the Port of Blarney Island. WHAT A COOL VENUE!! The people there gave us a VERY warm reception, and were dancing and partying from the first song to the last!! Saw lots of familiar faces and met even more new ones!! Big props to BOB BIAGI, lead vocalist extraordinaire of INFINITY, and his lovely wife Carol for stopping out to see us, as well as everyone else that made the night one to remember!!! Props also to our good friend MARIO SALAZAR from Chicagosrock.com for coming out to do a Rock Report, and who ended up jamming with us to the delight of the crowd! GenHeX stands by the fact that we have the BEST fans and friends in the business, and we will ALWAYS work our asses off to give you the BEST time possible! Thanks to all of you, playing for you is the BEST TIME for us!
Hope to see some of you out at 115 Bourbon Street this Friday, June 1st, for our benefit performance for St. Christina's Katrina Relief Benefit, as well as our upcoming shows at Paddywackers (June 16th), Hot Shots (June 23rd), and our newly-added show on June 30th at the NEW Papa T's (formerly Big Guys South). Be sure to check our "Shows" page for the latest up-to-date show information.
05/14/07 - Writing this news update will be quite a daunting task. SO MUCH has been happening, it's hard to put it all in type. Since the last update, we've made return visits to Hot Shots (Warrenville), J.D. Muggs (Addison), and Omalley's (Alsip), made our debut performance at Murphy's (Mokena), and performed for the Fight Ataxia Fundraiser at 115 Bourbon Street. The show at Hot Shots was our third visit there, and the best and wildest one to date! The HeX Kittens were out in force to celebrate a birthday (congrats, Scouty!!), LOTS of old and new friends came out to party with us, and it was truly a night to remember!!! We even booked another date before we tore down!! J.D. Muggs was another CRAZY night....filled with GREAT people, some KILLER jams, and a whole lot of fun. Even Dean, the owner, got into the fun. Made a LOT of new fans and friends that night, and had an excellent time with many loyal HeX friends out to help us rock the night away! We'll be back rockin' Addison this fall, stay tuned for more details...We were joined at Omalley's by the Sons of Jorel, and it was totally OFF DA HOOK!! We believe a new record was set for whipped cream usage by bar patrons!! Between the Hexed Ones and the Kittens, it was one HELL of a night. The Kittens were out celebrating another birthday (congrats, D!!!) and rang in her new year as only they can!! The party lasted ALL night!! Murphy's is quickly becoming a "must play" venue in the Southwest 'burbs, and our debut was nothing short of a BLAST!! The bar was packed with lots of familiar faces along with MANY new ones! The crowd was totally into the music, and it was truly a magical night! We ended up playing almost 'til they locked the doors! A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone that came out to support us!!! Rounding out this installment is our afternoon show in the Performance Hall at Bourbon Street for the Fight Ataxia Fundraiser. Even though it was Mother's Day, the room was rockin!!! Thanks to Jonas Cepkauskas, organizer of the event, GenHeX was given a professional two-camera video shoot of the show. We'll be posting clips and more as soon as the editing is finished. Props to all our families and friends that came out to support this VERY worthwhile cause!!! Next up......DelRocks.....
04/01/07 - We have had an AWESOME month! Getting back out to Ringside was a lot of fun. Rick and his staff always take GREAT care of the band and the customers, and they know how to throw a party. Smoking ban and all, nothing dampened the fun of the evening. Many thanks to all that came out, including the ever-expanding lineup of the HeX Kittens, sporting cat ears and all!!! Props to Jana, Tammy, Cathy, Jim Devito and his lovely wife, and members from Pink Freud, along with MANY others, for coming out to party with us! Up next was a return trip to Groucho's, always a VERY cool place to play. Thanks to our old friends and all the new friends we made that night! You guys are DA BOMB! Big props to our good friend and fifth man, PETE RENO, for joining us for the Groucho's show!!
Rounding out the month of March was THE EVENT OF THE SPRING!!! Joining GenHeX on a SLAMMIN' TRIPLE-HEADLINER SHOW at Lot 4 were our good friends Slippery When Wet and The Leftovers! Well over 200 people PACKED the bar to the rafters to enjoy the hottest night of music the South Side has seen in a LONG time. There to document the evening was Mario Salazar from Chicagosrock.com. Check out live GenHeX video he recorded here. There are SO many people to mention, we'd run out of room. All we can say is THANK YOU!!!! To everyone that made March a banner month for the band, we owe you a BIG debt of gratitude!! Now on to April....
03/03/07 - Back to the South Side!!! What an amazing night at Sportstime! Although a few of the band members were fighting colds, the adrenaline took over and it was business as usual! The bar was packed, the crowd was AMAZING, and it was a hell of a night in Bridgeview. Many thanks to all who came out for the show, from as far away as Wisconsin!! There was a little of everything....birthday celebrating, old friends reuniting, a visit by our good friends (and GREAT band) Slippery When Wet, and three slamming sets of music by the band. We even pulled a few "never done before" songs out of our pockets, to rave reviews by the crowd. We believe we set the new record for number of people dancing on stage with the band, too!!! And the entire evening was captured on film, on video, and on audio!!! Many thanks to all who came out to join us for another evening of "Pure Rock and Roll Magic"!!! Next up...back to the NW 'Burbs at Ringside......
03/02/07 - THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM...How does one sum up ALL the amazing things, people, and activities that GenHeX has been blessed with so far in 2007??? We'll definitely try....but first we offer an apology for the lack of input here in the past few months. The band has been working almost non-stop, between shows, rehearsals, and writing some new original music (to debut in the near future) things have been a blur.
Our 2007 began at Paddywacker's in Burbank...what an UNBELIEVABLE start to the year!!! The bar was PACKED, the crowd was PARTYING, and the band SMOKED! We met so many new friends that are now coming out to join our loyal "crew" regularly at shows! We followed that up with a return to J.D. Muggs in Addison, always a GREAT TIME! Saw a lot of familiar faces and met plenty of new ones. Another CRAZY night in the western 'burbs!!! One week later, GenHeX made their debut performance at O'Malley's in Alsip. This great southside music venue is known for rockin' HARD, and GenHeX (along with very special guests POWERSLAVE) put the hammer down!! Pulling out all the stops, both bands were treated to a GREAT response from the crowd. We made even more new friends and fans, and booked a return date before we even packed up (we'll be seeing all of you on April 28th).. Next on the agenda was Tiger O'Stylies in Berwyn. THE NIGHT BEFORE THE BEARS SUPER BOWL!!!! THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THIS WINTER!!! And the hottest party in town! Many thanks to all our friends, old and new, that braved all these factors to come out and party with us! You guys ROCK! THEN......
THE NEXT FRONTIER....Wisconsin!! On February 17th, we did our DEBUT show across the border at Big Shotz in Kenosha. Thanks to Mark from Rock Solid Promotions for hooking this up. WHAT A GREAT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was a party and then some!!! We were treated to an unbelievable reception by people from both sides of the state line...some traveled well over 50 miles to make the show!! We met so many amazing new friends up there, and can't wait to get back out that way to party with y'all again! So, here we are heading into March, over 20 new songs in the list, an updated and expanded light show, a new on-line press kit, new t-shirts and merchandise due out in the next two weeks, and a whole lot of shows coming up!! For recent show pictures, please visit our Myspace page . Next up...back home to the South Side when we return to Sportstime! Til next time.....
10/14/06 - Making our second trip out to J.D. Muggs in Addison, we knew we were in for a good time (pictures will be added soon). Dean has great staff, and they are always ready to help get the party started. Steve, the bar manager, is a great guy, kinda old school like us, so he knows what makes for a fun evening, great music, great people, and a great place to pull it all together. Playing as our four-piece lineup, we cranked out a TON of killer guitar rock from the last 30 years. The place was jumping, and by the end of the night it was positively INSANE!! HUGE thanks to everyone who came out to party with us, you guys are amazing!!! Insider props to Craig from area original band Town Bicycle for showing support!! We will probably be putting together another show out there late winter, keep checking the SHOWS page for the latest up-to-date info! Next stop….Groucho’s for Greg’s Birthday and our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON’T MISS IT!!!!
10/07/06 - Bridgeview got a taste of the “Pure Rock and Roll Magic” when we brought our big show out to Sportstime!! And in keeping with the “Birthday Tour”, we were celebrating our own God of Thunder Ed’s birthday!!! Great job by Janice on the cake!!! Starting off the evening in hard rocking fashion were our good friends “Unleashed”, making their official debut. They had the crowd jammin’, with their classic hard rock/metal tunage. Big props to them for putting on a great first show. GenHeX took the stage about 11:30, and it was magic time…..two solid sets of our best and newest tunes. By the end of the night, we had a stage full of dancing women, and everyone else jamming in the aisles. What a great night!!! BIG PROPS to everyone that came out to see us. Special thanks to our friends The Leftovers (Carlo, Pete, and Luigi) and Wayne from What About Bob (with his lovely lady) for coming out to show some insider support and have some fun!!! There were MANY old friends in the house that night, and we made a TON of new ones as well....pictures will be posted shortly! We look forward to seeing you all again VERY soon!!!
10/01/06 - Generation HeX is all about rock and roll, but we’re also about being there for the people in our lives. Today we were able to be there for the family of Joel Mendoza, cousin of our very own lead singer, Angelo. Joel, a Chicago Firefighter who lost his life last year, left behind a wife and three small children. A truly AMAZING group of people organized what we feel is one of the BEST benefit events we’ve ever attended, let alone get to be a part of. GenHeX and What About Bob gave the crowd a full afternoon of musical entertainment that covered just about anything you’d ever want to hear!!! We urge our friends to check out What About Bob, they are a VERY tight band and great guys as well!!! It was a pleasure sharing the stage with you!!! Over 1000 people were in attendance, and everyone came away happy! The event made a great deal of money for the Mendoza family!! We’re VERY proud to have been a part of it! Thanks from the bottom of our hearts to everyone for their support of this worthwhile event!!! We will be putting pictures of this special event up soon.
09/23/06 - The weekend of Jimisix’ birthday found us once again across the border, rocking HARD for the large crowd of family and friends at the beautiful Northwoods! What an amazing facility! The place is a must-see. We were once again joined by our favorite keyboard player, Pete Reno, who rocked the house as always. So many people came out to help celebrate with Jimi and the band we can’t even begin to list everyone without the risk of missing someone. Many thanks do go out to Mary and Geo for the beautiful cake, to our MANY friends from all across the Chicago/NW Indiana area, and to Jeff, Shannon, Tom, and the entire staff of Northwoods for their hospitality and encouragement!! Big props to Gypsy for doing such a GREAT job with our sound, and as always to the best crew in the world, Mike and Art, for a continually professional job!!! And an insider tip-of-the-hat to fellow musicians Pete from The Leftovers and Mike from Slippery When Wet for showing your support. We couldn’t do this without ALL of you, and we thank you SO MUCH for everything you do!!!! Stay tuned for the pics.....
09/16/06 - We finished off our NW side “mini-tour” at the Algonquin Roadhouse, and it was a rockin’ time for all. In spite of many events going on out in the area, we had a good turnout of old friends and new faces to party with us, including our good friend St. David from the popular Chicagoland band The Saints. Doing the four-piece show, we covered a LOT of the best guitar rock to come out of the last quarter-century (including six new ones), and the crowd loved it (pics coming soon)!! Big thanks to our many loyal fans for taking the road trip, you guys are AWESOME!! Many thanks to Dave and the staff of the Roadhouse for treating us so well!! We’re planning on definitely getting back out that way in 2007! Stay tuned….
08/18/06 - Part two of our three-show NW ‘Burbs “mini-tour” found us headlining in the main room at the Penny Road Pub in a rare Friday night appearance. This club plays host to many national headliners and the top talent in the Midwest, and GenHeX is now among that elite group!! The night started off with some great music from Luna Blu, a band you should check out if you get the chance. We pulled out our four-piece power rock show, covering everything from AC/DC to Van Halen, and all points in between. By the end of the first set, we had EVERYONE up in the main room jamming their asses off, including the bands and their crowds from downstairs!!! The bartenders and security staff were very helpful and encouraging, and made us feel very welcome. Props to our Director of Visual Effects, Art, for another great job at the light board!! Many thanks to all our friends, both old and new, that came out to party with us!!! We hope to see you again next month, when we make our debut appearance at the Algonquin Roadhouse on September 16th. Be sure to check out the pics! During our first full month break this year (damn), we’ll be working on some new tunes, including some GenHeX ORIGINALS!! Stay tuned for details…..See you in September!!!
08/12/06 - ROAD TRIP!!! GenHeX made our first trip out to the NW suburbs, to perform at the Ringside Sports Bar! We could not have asked for a better welcome!!! Rick (the owner) and his staff made us feel TOTALLY at home and comfortable, and the crowd was simply AMAZING!! We even had people that came all the way from Tinley Park to see this show. We busted out the full five-piece show, and pulled out all the stops. The crowd was dancing and singing along ALL NIGHT!!! We pulled a few surprises out of the hat, including a little something by “The King” as a special request. Big props as always to our great crew of Mike and Art, for again making us look and sound our best! We made MANY new friends that night, and we thank everyone for coming out and making us feel SO welcome! We are currently in negotiations to book some return shows at Ringside (maybe in the VERY near future….??). Stay tuned for details. Be sure to check out the pictures. And, since there’s no rest for the wikked, we’re gearing up for next Friday’s show at the Penny Road Pub!
July/August Private Events - The band had a few opportunities to play to some VERY special people during the months of July and August. These private events were a GREAT way for the band to blow off some steam, bring the music to the masses (so to speak), and entertain family and friends that can’t normally make it out to the club shows. We played two private parties (for Jimisix’ family, and Road Manager Mike’s family) as well as a huge block party for our good friend Tom Vandermolen. A great time was had by all. We’ll post some pictures soon, so stay tuned… Many thanks to ALL for the VERY warm reception given to us at all three of these events!!!
07/20/06 - LOTS of new venues on the schedule for the end of summer/early fall months! Just added were two additional shows up North, at the Penny Road Pub (August 18th) and the Algonquin Roadhouse (September 16th). This makes a three-show mini-tour of the northwest 'burbs, including our August 12th show at Ringside Sports Bar. Also added was a gig at the beautiful Northwoods in St. John, IN (September 23rd). This show will be a birthday bash for our very own Jimisix. We will also be doing a few select private events for some very special people, and as such, we had to reschedule our date at Maddy's on August 5th. We're sorry for any inconvenience. We have many additional shows being booked throughout the remainder of the year, and we always suggest checking out the "Shows" page for the most up-to-date show information. As always, thank you all for your support and interest in the band. We couldn't do it without you!!!
07/15/06 - Generation HeX gave the P.R. a healthy dose of their "Pure Rock and Roll Magic", and the crowd was not only digging it, but yelling for more (three more, actually, lol)!! Angelo was in TOP form, as always, working the crowd like the pro he is! The band took all the old AND new friends on a musical journey through the history of rock and roll. Rock, funk, pop, and even some tasty metal were on the menu for the evening, and by the end of the night, everyone was "SOULED OUT"!!! Many thanks to Mary, Gloria, Chris B., and everyone at The P.R. for making us feel so welcome. Big props (in no particular order) to Sherry, Janice, Kerry, Tom V., Jimmy, Danny, Jack, Grace, Joey V., Ray, "Sully Erna", and a special thanks to our good friend Jose Rivera (Five Guys Named Moe) for coming out to party with us after another incredible "Moe SHOW"!! Thumbs up as well to Mike and Art, for another killer show. Check out the "Photos" page for show pics. Til next time...
07/08/06 - While driving out to our show at Bookies, we were pretty excited to hear a commercial for our show on X-Rock 103.9!!! We knew at that moment that it would be a great night, and we weren't disappointed. From the hospitality of Pete and his staff at Bookies, to all our friends partying it up with us, it was a totally fun evening. Summer shows are always tough due to vacations, outdoor fests, and everything else that keep people busy in the warm weather. Although the evening started out a little slow, things quickly warmed up. By the end of set two, it was business as usual. The band was cranking, the crowd was jamming, and a great time was had by all. BIG props to (in no particular order) Geo, Mary, Kerry, Rita, John, Jen, Vicki and friends, Crystal, Becky, Pete B, Rudy B, Braulio, and all our friends and fans for your support and encouragement!!! Mike and Art did there usual excellent job making us look and sound our best! Rest assured that we WILL be back at Bookies this fall, so keep an eye on the "Shows" page for the most up-to-date show information. Coming up next...The P.R. (formerly The Pump Room) on July 15th! See you there!!
06/24/06 - We always love playing in our own “backyard”, and this show was a perfect example of why we love our South Side friends!! MANY familiar faces were in attendance, family and friends, co-workers, former co-workers. You name it, they were represented!! Not only that, but we were treated to a visit by the “Miller Girls”, who gave away some VERY cool Cubs/Sox Rooftop tickets. Thanks, ladies!!! We also got plenty of opportunity to showcase our full-blown four-piece show to lots of new fans as well. Rock, funk, pop, you name it, and we did it. The crowd was a lot of fun, and we pulled out all the stops. Big props to everyone for making us feel so welcome and for their great response to what we do. We even pulled out a few requests, including “Stranglehold” (for Geo and Mar) and an off-the-cuff “Paranoid”. It’s sometimes hard to get people to come out in the summer with everything that’s usually going on, but we really do have the best fans in the business, and we work VERY hard to make sure you KNOW how much we appreciate your support. Don’t forget to check out all the great show “Photos”. Next week we get to be “real people” again, and are taking a much-needed holiday weekend off. But, in two weeks, GenHeX heads back over the state line to pound out the grooves at Bookies on Route 30 in Dyer, IN on July 8 th . After that, we make our first visit to the freshly remodeled P.R. (formerly The Pump Room) in Worth, on Saturday, July 15th. Catch ya on the road.....
06/17/06 - One thing is always true about this band, we LOVE a good road trip!! This week found us performing for the first time at J. D. Muggs in Addison. And, despite a sudden major thunderstorm AND a few local festivals, we played host to plenty of friends and fans that enjoyed a full night of our own four-piece “Rock and Roll Magic”, and a little bit of history, too! For the first time in over 25 years, our great friend and virtuoso bassist Brent Sullivan (My Sacrifice, MWC, NDX, Slauter Xstroyes) joined former Final Faze bandmate Jimisix and our very own Steady Eddie on stage for a SLAMMIN’ rendition of the Robin Trower classic, “Too Rollin’ Stoned”. Big thanks to ALL our old friends who came out from as far as Blue Island, Schaumburg, and the far north side of Chicago to hang with us! Another excellent job by our stage manager Mike, who did double duty on sound AND lights for the evening. Big props to Liz, Angel, Michelle, and Craig for making the evening EXTRA special. The staff of Muggs gets TWO thumbs up for their hospitality and support. Be sure to check out all the show “Photos”. Next up…Big Guys South in Midlothian on June 24th.
06/10/06 - GenHeX made a return visit to Maddy’s Irish Pub in Oak Forest, and we couldn’t have asked for a nicer “homecoming”! The staff and management of Maddy’s always treat us GREAT and make us feel very welcome. Doing the show as a five-piece, once again featuring Pete Reno on the keys, we showcased lots of new material. The dance floor (and the aisles, lol) were jumping, the fists were pounding in the air, and there was PLENTY of audience participation!! Lots of old friends turned out, as well a many new faces that are starting to turn up with greater regularity. Thank you to all for supporting us and enjoying what we do. Props to our good friends from My Sacrifice, who came out and showed their support. Our crew (Mike and Art) did a great job, as always. Thank you guys for all your hard work. Before we left, we booked two more shows at Maddy’s (August 5th and October 7th). Check out the “Photos” page and see if you’re in there. Next up….J.D. Muggs in Addison on June 17th .
05/26/06 - Generation HeX brought our “Pure Rock and Roll Magic” out to J.W. Hollstein’s in Tinley Park, and what a GREAT way to rock in the Memorial Day weekend!!! The band busted out 12 new songs, many of which came directly from requests on our message board. Did they go over?? One look at the “Photos” page will tell you! The dance floor was packed virtually all night long. The crowd was AMAZING, singing along with almost every song we played, and giving us a VERY warm reception every step of the way. Our good friend Pete Reno once again took the stage with the band as we took the show up a couple MORE notches on the energy scale. Many thanks to the staff of Hollstein’s for making us feel so welcome!!! There were SO MANY old friends and family who came out to support us that it’s now gotten almost impossible to thank them all by name, but you all know we love you and are totally grateful for your support and encouragement!! Big props as always to our hard-working crew (Michael, Art, and Geo) for another job well done! We’d like to thank all the new friends and fans we met that night for taking the time to check us out and party with us, and we hope to see you all again very soon. Our next show is Saturday, June 10th, when we make our return visit to Maddy’s Irish Pub in Oak Forest. This newly remodeled club is quickly building a reputation as a great venue for live music, and we’re really glad to get back there. So mark your calendars, and we’ll see you all in June!! Be sure to check out the “Shows” page for the latest show information and dates.
05/06/06 -
As Generation HeX crossed the state line
into Indiana, one thing came to
mind...not again! But, instead of battling
one of the few blizzards we had this past winter, we
were up against THE largest outdoor Cinco de Mayo party in
the
REGION! But, as we have been known to do, we just set up at The
Dizzy Lizard and took care of business. We're proud to say
that we had an excellent evening, and one
of the larger turnouts of the clubs
surrounding the big party! Playing as a four-piece, we
were able to mess around with the crowd a bit, even pulling a
few bizarre requests out of the hat. The crowd was made up of
some long-time band friends and lots of new faces, and we
REALLY appreciate you all being there. Big
thanks to our crew, George
and Art, who did a great job of making us look and sound good,
in spite of some power-related
issues LOL. The guys stepped it up a notch
as we were without our Road Manager, Mike, who was
taking care of some important family responsibilities. More
great photography from Art can be seen on the "Photos"
page. We'd also like to thank Mike,
Loretta, and the staff of The Dizzy Lizard
for treating us so well!! In a couple of
weeks, it's back to
the neighborhood, as we play a Friday night show at
J.W. Hollstein's Saloon in Tinley Park.
Hope to see our south-side friends at this
one....
04/29/06 -
ROAD TRIP!!
Generation HeX
made their return visit out to Hot Shots
Sports Bar in Warrenville, and it had all the makings of another
battle against the elements! LOL BUT, in spite of
driving in the rain, it turned into another great night of music,
dancing and good times! Big thanks to everyone who came out to
party with the band! Ron, Ralph, and the Hot Shots staff can
really throw a party, and it was another great time out in
Warrenville. Pete Reno, our invaluable fifth man on
keyboards, delivered yet another killer performance! There was
a lot of new friends and fans, and many familiar faces that came out
to party with us!!! Michael and Art, aka the
GenHex road crew, did another great job on sound/lights.
Art's excellence with a camera can be viewed on the 'Photos' page,
as he shot all the featured show pictures this week. This
Saturday, May 6th, we'll be back across the state line at The Dizzy
Lizard in Schererville, IN. Hope to see some of you there!
Breaking News: The band has started work on some great
new original material, some of which will probably start debuting
late summer. Stay tuned for clips and more details about
releases.......Thanks to all of you for your support and interest.
Until next time........
04/08/06 - Generation HeX made a return visit to Tommy's Place, and it was really a night to remember, full of surprises and celebration. The crowd was unbelievable, and as much fun to watch as the band. A belly dancing organization was on hand, and these ladies were a very talented and fun bunch! We got to help the lovely Mary (wife of George, our Director of Visual Effects) celebrate her birthday with family and friends. We gave her a surprise by pulling off an unrehearsed version of "Lady" by Styx just after she blew her candles out! We even urged their two beautiful (yet shy) daughters to come up and sing with the band onstage! Big thanks as always to our "fifth man", keyboardist Pete Reno, for another killer performance!! Much love goes out to our families, our old friends and all our new ones. You guys are the reason we do this, and the reason we CAN do this, so THANK YOU! Our next show takes us out to HOT SHOTS SPORTS BAR in Warrenville on April 29th. Be sure to check the "Shows" page for all the latest show information. ALSO, new pictures are up from a few recent shows, so check 'em out to see if you're in there. Until next time......
04/01/06 - Generation HeX took the stage for an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd on their first visit to Maddy's Irish Pub in Oak Forest. The former site of the Wild Olive proved to be THE place to be for hot rock music, cold drinks, and a VERY warm reception from the crowd of old and new friends alike. This newly remodeled club is excellent for performing AND great for the fans, with clear sight lines, good acoustics, and comfortable atmosphere. We showcased some new material, celebrated a birthday with the lovely Grace Pender, mother of our main man on the bass guitar, Greg, and gave our fans just what they expected, another night of Pure Rock and Roll Magic. The management of the club must have agreed, as we booked a return engagement for June 10th before we even finished packing up! Big thanks to Mike and the staff of Maddy's for making us feel so welcome, to all of our families, fans, and friends for supporting us like they do, and to all the people who joined the GenHeX mailing list (don't worry, we DON'T spam LOL). In other news, we've booked some more shows at some great new venues, see the SHOWS page for details. Pictures from Maddy's are now up as well. We'll see you at Tommy's Place on April 8th!
03/25/06 - GenHeX took a little road trip out to Villa Park, and it turned into a hell of a party!! The crowd at Danny's came ready to rock, and the guys didn't let them down all night! (Pictures now posted) Playing as a four-piece, the band was smoking, the crowd was dancing or singing along with EVERYTHING, and it was a great time! So much musical ground was covered, as the band went from rock, to blues, to pop, to the new Van Halen "mini-set". The band even pulled out a brand new version of one of the top five rock songs of ALL TIME, to a standing ovation from the crowd! From old friends celebrating birthdays, to new ones enjoying their first taste of the band, a good time was had by all. Thanks to everyone for supporting us, and we hope to see you again VERY soon! New shows have also been posted. IMPORTANT NOTE: We will be performing at the Joel Mendoza Memorial Benefit Fundraising event this October 1st at 115 Bourbon Street. Joel was a Chicago firefighter who lost his life last year, leaving a wife and three small children. Please help support this very important event. Log on to www.joelmendozamemorial.com for additional information. 'Til next time...
03/18/06 -
GenHeX was back where it all started last year,
playing to another great crowd at Groucho's! There were many
old friends and new faces in the crowd,
and the guys gave 'em a killer show to
remember. We showcased some great new tunes,
including a special request for our good friend Harold
Humphrey, who came out all the way from
Toledo, Ohio just to hear the band!
Everyone had a great time, singing along with the rock
classics and dancing their asses off to the funky stuff!
Rapidly
placing himself as our valuable "fifth man", Pete Reno was
featured throughout the evening on keys. He's a great friend
and musician, and adds another dimension
to the GenHeX sound. Look
for him to be joining us as much as possible, schedules
permitting. Big props, in no particular order: David from The
Saints (GREAT BAND); Harold, Mary and Brent; Art; Michael and
Slink; Tom V. and son; Big Don; the gang from MV Transit and
their guests; and especially our families, who support us
every way they can! Thanks to Jim and the
staff of Groucho's for always making us
feel so welcome. We've already begun working on
return dates in the fall, which will be posted as they're
finalized. Pictures will be posted just as soon as they're
available. Next week (Saturday, March 25th), the band heads
out to Danny's in Villa Park. The show
starts at 9PM, so don't be late! We've
also got four great upcoming shows in April (check
"Shows" page for details), and we're
quickly booking up the summer as well. A
BIG thank you from the band to everyone for
their continued interest and support.
Until next time....
02/13/06 - Generation HeX is starting to resemble the U.S. Postal Service..."Through wind, through snow, etc..."! For the second week in a row, we were treated to the only real winter weather of the week on a gig night. But, as always, we gave a little "heat" back to Mother Nature and the great friends and fans who came out to see us at Danny's in Villa Park. Many shouts to Danny, George, Christy (Brown Eyed Girl), and Liz (Cinnamon Girl)! To Art, our Honorary Director of Visual Effects for the evening, many thanks for a great job, and Happy Birthday!! Special thanks to our old friends and new fans for letting Generation HeX trip your musical trigger! At the end of the night, we booked a return engagement on the spot! We'll be back out rocking Villa Park on Saturday, March 25th. Don't forget, for all the info fit to print (as well as a lot of fun filler stuff), go to the "Contact Us" page to join the e-mail list. The first edition of "HeX'ed" will be coming out next month. It will have info on the band, as well as music related information from the Chicagoland area. Pictures from Dizzy Lizard and Danny's will be posted soon. Lastly, be sure to vote for GenHeX on www.nitelife.org as "Best Classic Rock Band" of 2005, and visit us at www.myspace.com/genhexband.
02/05/06 - Well, friends and fans, it looks like the GenHeX magic IS contagious! Thanks to the work of many great people, we finally made our Indiana debut at The Dizzy Lizard in Schererville. Despite the sheets of ice on the roads, it was 98 in the shade in the bar! So much was going on, it's almost hard to remember all of it. From the people getting crazy on the dance floor, the air guitarists, and the "singalongs" to the surprise song requests and the "confetti" shower of bar napkins, it was a memorable evening. And, we might note, it was Angelo's first show as a full-time member of the band. Only downside was that our gig camera went south on us early in the evening, so we're waiting for pictures from some of the fans, which will be posted as soon as we get them. BIG shouts out to Pete and Rudy Bambic and their crew, Mike and the staff of Dizzy's, Tom Lounges from the NW Indiana Times/Midwest Beat for the "showcase" feature article (see below), and especially to all the brave souls who defied the weather to come out and party with Generation HeX! Keep your eyes on the "Shows" page for more great shows on both sides of the border. Hope to see our Chicago area friends out at Danny's this Saturday, Feb. 11th.
02/04/06 - A special thanks to Tom Lounges for his Spotlight article. Please see below.........
Region band spans hard rock to pop
Spotlight | Generation Hex
BY TOM LOUNGES
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, February 4, 2006 12:13 AM CST
The meaning of the name Generation Hex is twofold.
The first part aptly reflects that their music spans the rock
generations from the old Motown and the hard rock '60s through
today's top stars like Velvet Revolver.
The band puts a heavy emphasis on '70s-arena rock
covers by Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Foghat and Ted Nugent, but
their live show also features a fair share of dance covers by the
Commodores, Wild Cherry, Stevie Wonder and others.
"Hex is partially a play on the term Generation X," said guitarist
Jim "Jimisix" Karones of Oak Lawn, a dyed-in-the-wool Baby Boomer
like the others in his group. "When we started this band (in early
2005), we wanted to be more than just another bar band. We wanted to
capture some of the 'magic' of seeing live rock 'n' roll shows back
in the day. So that magic is where 'Hex' came from."
Karones and his mates witnessed that old time magic, because they
were all part of the Chicagoland nightclub scene before surfing the
Internet, watching on-demand programming on home theater systems,
and playing Xbox began keeping people at home on the weekends.
Karones' first notable band, Final Faze, was a club staple in the
late 1970s and his follow-up group, Rumorz, performed at Chicagofest
'81.
"Those were great days," noted the string-bending vocalist.
"People came out to the clubs every night and seeing a band was an
event. We're trying to re-capture that same kind of magic with this
band."
The rest of the Hex-men are likewise survivors of the region bar
wars and enjoy banging out rock 'n' roll as much today as they did
back then.
Drummer Ed Nadess of Tinley Park and bassist Greg Pender of Orland
Park have been grooving together as a rhythm section since they,
too, were part of the Rumorz band with Karones. Prior to Rumorz,
Pender played with Papa St. John who regularly opened shows for a
fledgling young band named STYX during their early Wooden Nickel
Record days.
Lead vocalist Angelo Negrette of Blue Island came on board full time
just last month, replacing former frontman Jack Pender who has since
gone full time with the Creed tribute band My Sacrifice
and 80's Hair Metal tribute, High Gear.
"I've known Angelo for a long time," Karones noted. "He's worked out
great and like the rest of us, has been a part of the (Chicagoland)
music scene for a lot of years."
While the four old friends make up the nucleus of the Hex lineup,
for bigger shows they call in the sonic reinforcement of their
unofficial fifth member, keyboardist Pete Reno of New Lenox.
"Pete might be with us this Saturday at the Dizzy Lizard, I'm not
sure yet," Karones said. "This is the band's debut performance in
Northwest Indiana, so it's a pretty important show for us."
While they have enough cover material to perform several hour-plus
sets with no repeats, Generation Hex has focused their offstage
attention to writing original songs for their first album, to be
recorded later this year.
Karones recently wrapped up work on his own solo album, "Land Of
Dreams," which likewise should be available soon.
Keep up with the band, the album projects and upcoming live dates
online at www.generationhex.net.
The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. He can be
reached at beatboss@aol.com
If you go
Generation Hex
When: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. tonight
Where: Dizzy Lizard Lounge, 2157 U.S. 41, Schererville
Cost: $5 (21-and-over show)
FYI: (219) 322-3589
01/16/06 – Well, friends and fans, this news update is both bittersweet and exciting, all at the same time. Due to his increasing responsibilities with both My Sacrifice and High Gear, Jack will be leaving Generation HeX. We wish him all the success in the world, and thank him for helping us get the band off the ground. Be sure to check both these bands out if you get the chance!
Coming in as our new full-time frontman is Angelo Negrette. Besides working the mic and the crowd like the pro he is, he also doubles on percussion, guitar, bass, and keys. We’ve been updating and expanding the songlist to bring you more of the current and classic rock and danceable tunes you’ve come to expect from GenHeX. Be sure to drop us a note on the message board with your song requests. We DO read them and listen, to make sure we’re playing what YOU want to hear. We’re also writing some new original stuff that we will be busting out this summer. To add the icing on the cake, the phone has been ringing off-da-hook with clubs wanting to book Generation HeX. Check out the “Shows” page for all the latest updates, including our Indiana debut at Dizzy Lizard in Schererville on Saturday, Feb. 4th. Thanks to everyone for making this SO much fun!
01/08/06 – Last night, Generation HeX made our western suburbs debut at Hot Shots in Warrenville. What a GREAT time! Jack was enjoying a much deserved and delayed vacation. Stepping up to the mic was Angelo Negrette, who showed the crowd why he’s one of the top frontmen in the Chicago area. Our good friend, Pete Reno from Funhouse joined us on keys as well. Big props to Kathy Reno for shooting the pictures. Thanks to Ralph, Ron, and everyone at Hot Shots for making us feel so welcome. The dance floor was packed, the place was jumping, and even Jim the doorman was getting into it with some air guitar! To add the icing on the cake, NCTV17 Naperville sent the always amazing “Jammin’” Kay Cammon and film crew to shoot the band performance and interview us for the popular “Showbuzz” program to be aired soon. What a way to break into a new area, huh? Many thanks to all who made the cruise out there. As a heads up, we will be returning to Hot Shots on Saturday, April 29th, so mark your calendars!
12/17/05 - It may have been bitterly cold outside, but at Tommy's Place, things were definitely smoking! Between our regular set, and some interesting requests and sing-a-longs from the audience, a lot of musical ground was covered. Due to a scheduling conflict, we were without our keyboard player Kurt. BIG PROPS to our good friend, Pete Reno from the band Funhouse, for coming out and kicking butt! Many thanks to our old friends and new fans for braving the weather and the busy week before Christmas, to come out & support GenHex. On behalf of the whole Generation HeX "family", we wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season, and thank you all for making our first year out so much fun. Be sure to mark your calendars for January 7, 2006. We'll be making our first visit to Hot Shots in Warrenville, and we really want to show them how GenHeX'ers PARTY!!! Lot's of surprises are planned. New shows are being added regularly, so be sure to check out the "Shows" page for the latest info!
11/05/05 - WOW! Our second show in as many weeks found us at Sportstime Bar & Grill. Those people know how to party!!! So much was happening, it was hard to keep track. From people coming up to dance and sing with the band, to new songs covering everything from rock to blues to funk, all was done with the GenHeX touch. Another night of rock and roll magic, and further proof that we have the best fans in the business! Remember to mark your calendars for Saturday, December 17th. We will be rocking Tommy's Place in Blue Island. There's sure to be plenty of surprises and a lot of great music.....see ya there!
11/01/05 - We found out today that, due to a political miscommunication, we will not be able to perform at the Ironheart Crown Ultimate Fighting Tournament. Although we were bummed about losing this event, we are working very hard to reschedule an appropriate venue for our Indiana Debut. Keep checking back on the site for the latest on show information.
10/29/05 - "Generation HeX made their highly anticipated debut at Groucho's. A packed house made up of old friends and new fans gave the band an incredible response. The dance floor was packed, the crowd was loud and the Halloween costumes gave the whole evening a surreal atmosphere. Jess stepped in that night playing 'Director of Visual Effects' and put together a killer light show - the icing on the cake. Thanks to all of the GenHex'rs for making last night a night to remember, and to Groucho's for really knowing how to throw a party!
9/9/05 - "Generation HeX in the Main Event!!". To mark our Indiana debut, Generation HeX will be performing at the Ironheart Crown "Purgatory" Ultimate Fighting Championship post-fight party. This "ultimate" event will take place at the Hammond Civic Center, 5825 Sohl Avenue, Hammond, IN., on Saturday, November 19, 2005. Stay tuned to the "Shows" page for further details. This is one show you DON'T want to miss!
Log on to www.ironheartcrown.tv for additional information (to be updated soon).
8/28/05 - The band completed a new five-song demo with Tom Vandermolen at "Speed of Sound" Recording. MP3 clips will be uploaded soon. Many thanks to Tom for a job well done!
8/16/05 - Generation HeX is currently in the studio recording a new demo CD, and is in pre-production for a new concert video showcasing their killer live show. New press kits are being prepared for distribution, and they are working with agents and club owners to secure top-quality venues and bookings.