Reggie’s 4th Annual Holiday Show
December 28th // Reggies // Chicago, IL
Photos and Words by Megan Leetz
December 28th, 2013 was a great Saturday, it was a bizarre forty five degrees in Chicago (which was definitely not unwelcome) and it was Reggie’s 4th Annual Holiday Show. When doors opened at 6, you could already tell by the relaxed and good vibes throughout the venue that it was going to be a night of hanging out with your friends while they jam out. Most of the performers were Chicagoland natives so it was great to see the local scene being supported.
First band of the night was Valaska, a four piece indie acoustic band that set a great tone for the rest of the performers. The band performed all originals off of a recent EP, the raw and emotional sound drew most of the crowd through their whole set.
Mighty Fox, an alternative band, was next to take the stage with only lead man, Mike Jansen, equipped with an acoustic guitar. Jansen joked with the crowd and made everyone feel engaged and the audience started singing along during the third song. Jansen played half acoustic-version originals such as their newest single, “Oceans,” and half covers that included Foo Fighters and Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.”
The room was slowly growing more and more crowded as William Beckett drew closer, Beckett’s guitarist, Mark Rose, also a singer/songwriter, performed next. Both wielding guitars, Rose and his buddy performed all original works, shared their personal experiences in Chicago and threw a couple jokes around. Rose closed out his set with a folky cover of Metallica’s “One” that came as a pleasant surprise to much of the crowd.
Of A Rocket to the Moon fame, Nick Santino also graced the crowd with some acoustic jams that night. Santino performed mostly originals with a couple ARTTM songs thrown in here and there, it was like having an open conversation while he was on stage as he would joke about how much he unintentionally talks about One Direction and has a constant inner monologue. Santino talked briefly about ARTTM’s fate this past year when they decided to call it quits. But the crowd was loving every second of Santino’s performance and it was a great addition to the night.
Finally, William Beckett took the stage with his friends on guitar, bass, and drums. Constant yelling from the crowd to the guys on stage made it clear that lots of friends and family were there and it felt that they were your close friends too. Beckett performed all original songs the hour and a half he took the stage, it was late but he wasn’t letting up one bit. The four piece’s humor in between songs kept the crowd entertained and laughing, there was even a “guitar off” with Mark Rose’s previous friend. Beckett and his bandmates were in such good spirits that it was hard to not have a smile on your face.
As the show grew to an end, the good vibes were still present in Reggie’s, the show had felt like going to an open mic to see all of your friends perform and just to have a good time. Reggie’s 4th Annual Holiday Show was definitely a success and was a great way to end the year.
