4-10-2008 -> WHERE YOU BEEN?!?!

Last year was a quiet one for the band, hence not much activity on the website. We played a few gigs, but our main project was recording our new album back in the friendly environs of Electrical Audio. While all the tracks are finished, we are currently in the process of re-mixing the disc which will hopefully be available later this year.

In the meantime, we have our annual International Pop Overthrow showcase coming up in a couple of weeks at Abbey Pub. Check out he Live Performances page for details. No other shows coming up, but once we have the new record completed, you can bet on a CD Release Party shortly thereafter.

One very notable event from last year: our lead singer and drummer, Moj, is now a proud father to a beautiful baby girl who was born last September!

5-13-2006 -> LOADS OF NEW CONTENT, GIGS ADDED

You've probably seen the updated home page, but if you haven't check it out and enjoy a video clip us performing "Silence" (which originally appeared on No Place I'd Rather Be) at last month's Abbey Pub show. Want to see more videos? Visit our MySpace page and click on Videos to see more Abbey Pub clips.

Also, we've added over 300 photos from performances over the past year. Appropriately enough, check them all out on the Photos page. There are even some "animated" photos interspersed for giggles.

Last but not least, we have a busy summer schedule with no less than five shows recently added and more to come. Have a look at the Live Performances page and make plans to come out and dig on some of the live rock and roll.

4-26-2006 -> ABBEY PUB IPO SHOW AN UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS, HIDEOUT NEXT UP

Thanks to all our good friends who came out to see the show last night. We played a couple of very old Rolls tunes, a couple of more recent songs and we ended the short set with a rousing rendition of VU's "What Goes On". It was great to see Superfan Kirk and his lovely bride Mary Pat who were visiting from New Jersey and promised to move back within two months. We were also thrilled to meet Di from WLUW who will be playing a track from TPwA on her Razor & Di radio program tomorrow between 11am and 2pm. Tune in and check it out!

In other news, our next show will be at the Hideout! We are very excited to play there, not only because it's such a cool bar known for great music, but also because we'll be participating in our very first Pussy Galore showcase & dance party with DJ Mother Hubbard and the Triple Threat Dancers. Sounds kinky. More details as they become available, but for now everything we know is on the Live Performances page.

4-17-2006 -> THE ROLLS RETURN TO IPO

Just a short update to mention that we have actually been invited back to play at IPO again this year, so we'll be doing the showcase thing next Tuesday night at 8pm. Just a quick 20 minute set or so, but stick around to see Nine Fifty and all the other bands. It's a nice opportunity to hear a sampling of decent to very good local bands and hey, if you don't like one band, just remember their set will be over in less than 20 minutes! Details on the Live Performances page.

12-9-2005 -> WHERE YOU BEEN???

Hey all, sorry for the looooong lapse in updates, but now that wintertime is here, it's officially Rolls season. We're very excited to announce that we'll be celebrating the New Year in style at Schuba's with Quiet Kid and Tuffy UK on Thursday, January 5, 2006. It's been a long while since we've played a proper electric show so make plans now to come and check us out. More info on the Live Performances page.

6-20-2005 -> JOIN US AT THE STEVE LEVY SHOW, TPwA AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

Check your email; if you're on our mailing list, you're invited to be a part of the live studio audience when The Rolls take the stage at the Steve Levy Show this Friday night. It should be a lot of fun; after we play a few songs, we'll take part in a Q&A session with Mr. Levy and we'll all get to see firsthand how they put together a cable access talk show. If you can't make it, the show will be broadcast at least once (maybe twice) sometime in July on Channel 19 over the Comcast and RCN cable systems in Chicago. More details about airdates to come.

In other news, our latest CD, Trading Punches with Allah, is not only available from CDBaby, but it is now available from iTunes! Just search for "The Rolls" and download TPwA to your iPod.

6-6-2005 -> NEW ACOUSTIC LIVE RECORDINGS POSTED TO HOME PAGE

If you haven't already, head over to the Home page and listen to the mp3s from our recent show at Uncommon Ground. More shows in the works for later in the summer, so check back often!

5-22-2005 -> LAST NIGHT AT GUNTHER'S

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out for the big Gunther's show last night. We had a lot of fun playing some unabashed rock songs and working up a sweat. Special thanks goes out to Jason, Randy, John and everyone in Beatnik Turtle for being such gracious hosts. They were tight as a drum and whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their high energy horn-fueled pop. And speaking of horns, how about the four horn players performing the entire night without a single chart!?!?!?

As previously mentioned, the night was recorded to digital multitrack, so once we get the disc back from the engineer, we'll work on making some of the songs available right here on the website. Stay tuned!

5-20-2005 -> UNCOMMON GROUND SHOW RECAP AND DON'T FORGET THE RETURN OF THE ROLLS POWER TRIO TOMORROW NIGHT AT GUNTHER'S

Last night's show at Uncommon Ground was a blast. It's a very intimate setting and it seemed to bring out the best in our collective performances. We opened up the show with an impromptu version of "Rain" by The Beatles in an effort to satiate the gods. Actually, Moj was just being 'cheeky'. We also debuted several new songs including "Makin Use", "Fire It Home" and "Eclair". And just for grins we threw in a short cover of "Down on the Corner". Look for an mp3 or two to pop up on the website before long and another acoustic show later this year.

And of course, tomorrow night we continue our 'May Aberration Tour' with a Rolls power trio appearance at Gunther Murphy's with the good folks known as Beatnik Turtle. BT is recording a live album for the occassion and The Rolls show will be recorded, too. If you missed our last power trio show at the old Lyon's Den a year and a half ago, tomorrow's your chance to sample a Rolls flavor that harkens back to yesteryear.

5-12-2005 -> GEARING UP FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ACOUSTIC SHOW AND A LAST MINUTE ANNOUNCEMENT

Just got back from our acoustic rehearsal and we've readied quite a few rarely or never heard tunes for our upcoming Uncommon Ground show next Thursday, May 19. We're experimenting with some different instrumentation and looking very forward to this gig.

In other news, we were just asked to do a show with Beatnik Turtle at Gunther Murphy's on Saturday, May 21. We've enthusiastically accepted, although we unfortunately won't have Bev playing this show with us. So we will perform as a power trio and play some of the songs that Bev won't let us do normally! Beatnik Turtle set this show up to make a live recording, so our performance will be recorded, too. Come on out and yell something stupid!

Find details for both shows on the Live Performances page. See you there!

4-27-2005 -> IPO? DONE. NEXT UP, A VERY SPECIAL ACOUSTIC SHOW

Another International Pop Overthrow festival is in the books and if we're lucky, we'll be invited back next year even though Moj was confused and thought we were playing at MOBfest (or MODfest as the case may be). If you missed the show, we played some real golden oldies including an unrehearsed version of "The Beer Song". Fun stuff.

Coming up next month (May 19 to be exact), we're doing our first ever acoustic appearance at the coffeehouse with the best live music in Chicago: Uncommon Ground. This is a unique opportunity for us to play some material that doesn't normally get trotted out for our rock club gigs and we have some fun surprises in the works. Check out the Live Performances page for details and if you're thinking about going, consider making dinner reservations. You'll not only enjoy Uncommon Ground's outstanding cuisine, but you'll also be guaranteed a spot when the show begins.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, there is no Cubs game on May 19. Yes, we're relieved, too.

3-20-2005 -> THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SAW US GUNTHER'S

We had a great time playing at Gunther Murphy's on Friday night and just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out, especially our friends John and Paula who drove down all the way from Janesville! Photos will be posted later this week if all goes according to plan. Our next show is April 21 at the Beat Kitchen for International Pop Overthrow where we'll play 20 minutes worth of our finest material.

3-7-2005 -> INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW DATE FINALIZED, LIVE MP3 POSTED TO HOME PAGE, POSSIBLE UNCOMMON GROUND SHOW

We have been confirmed for a slot at the Chicago version of the International Pop Overthrow (IPO) festival at Beat Kitchen. Go to the Live Performances page for details. These 'showcase' performances are always fun because we're on and off the stage in twenty minutes so we end up playing a quick set of our five best rockers. Matt's other band, 9-Fifty, will be performing later in the evening along with six other bands.

The mp3 of our never before released song "Cynthia" has been posted to the home page since it takes a little hunting to find it on the Live Performances page. Give it a listen when you have a chance.

We are also working to book a performance at Uncommon Ground, a very cool coffeehouse with a remarkable commitment to live music. Naturally, a performance there would be considerably mellower than a typical show at a club like Gunther Murphy's and we are eager to showcase some songs that rarely or never get performed. If this sounds like the kind of Rolls performance you'd enjoy, please take a moment to send a brief email Uncommon Ground and let them know. Thanks!

1-31-2005 -> NEW MP3 POSTED FROM SHOW AT GUNTHER'S, NEW SHOWS ANNOUNCED FOR MARCH AND APRIL

What a great time we had playing at Gunther Murphy's last week. We reached into the back catalog for some old pop favorites, heard not one, but TWO short poems from Moj and had a lively discourse about the weather that evening. Be sure to click over to the Live Performances page where we've posted an MP3 from the show. We are also pleased to announce that we'll be going back to Gunther Murphy's in March for a Friday night performance. And finally, we have been invited to play the International Pop Overthrow festival in April. More details about that gig in a few weeks.

1-15-2005 -> THE ROLLS RETURN FOR A LIVE PERFORMANCE AT GUNTHER'S

At long last, we are back and ready to rock. Please join us next Thursday night at Gunther Murphy's (1638 W. Belmont) when we bring the rock back with some old favorites and a few new songs, too.

11-7-2003 -> POST MORTEM ON OUR FINAL SHOW OF THE YEAR

Last night was our final show for 2003 and what an unexpected night it was.  We usually load in at a club at least 2 hours before we go on and there's a maximum of 10 people hanging out having a drink.  We were quite surprised to find Lyon's Den absolutely PACKED when we arrived at 7pm last night.  Turns out they were giving away free Foster's beer from 7pm to 9:30pm.  If only we had known!  We performed our show (and our soundcheck for that matter) to a packed house and had a great time.  Certain songs that haven't seen the light of day for over 10 years were featured.  I'm talking about "See Jane" and "Nature Loves to Hide".  Not to mention the brand new titles, "Making the Most Out of a Mountain in the Road" and "Fire It Home".  We've come to the conclusion that only Moj and Matt truly appreciate "Mountain" so who knows if we'll ever play it again.  Oh, and a blistering version of "The Seeker" by The Who was thrown in for good measure.

With that, we're off on hiatus.  Keep checking back here for baby news and when things get settled down we'll book some new shows and get rolling again in the spring.  THANK YOU to everyone who came to see us this year!

10-2-2003 -> FINAL 2003 SHOW UPDATE, NEW REVIEW IN THE ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER, ROLLS HIATUS

Due to a conflict, the Final Show of the Year at Lyon's Den has been rescheduled for Thursday, November 6th.  Bev will be sitting out this show as she approaches her due date, so come and experience The Rolls as a power trio for the first time since 1997.  This will be a unique set featuring some new songs and some other tunes we haven't played for a long long time, so don't miss it.  If you do, you won't have another chance to enjoy The Rolls for at least another 6 months!  Check out the Live Performances page for details.

Also, the Illinois Entertainer finally got around to reviewing our "new" CD, Trading Punches with Allah.  Go to the Reviews page and link to the IE site directly to read the full text.

As alluded to earlier, we'll be taking some time off after our November 6th show.  Matt and his wife Denise are anticipating traveling to China in November or December to adopt their first baby and Bev is expecting to deliver her second child in February, thus the hiatus.  We're looking to be back in action in the spring of 2004 with some new shows and new tunes.  Be sure to check back often for news updates; we'll get some photos posted of our new family members and we'll also be updating this site with some mp3s and lyrics from old Rolls recordings. 

8-25-2003 -> FINAL SHOW OF THE YEAR ADDED AT LYON'S DEN, KIND WORDS FROM HALF MAD POET

Check out our Live Performances page for information on our upcoming Lyon's Den show.  This will be the final show of 2003 and we don't expect to be back until spring of 2004, so get your Rolls fix while you can.  Also, have a look at our Reviews page for some nice words from Anita of Half Mad Poet.

7-28-2003 -> NEW SHOW ADDED AT BEAT KITCHEN

Check out our Live Performances page for information on our upcoming Beat Kitchen show.  Mark your calendar!

7-19-2003 -> BIG NEWS, RADIO AIRPLAY ON WBEZ, UPCOMING SHOWS

Our organist, Bev, is pregnant with her second child!  She'll be taking some well-deserved time off beginning in October or November in anticipation of a February delivery date.  Congratulations Bev!

Thanks to the folks over at Chicago Public Radio for including us on Eight Forty Eight's Local Music Corner last month.  "Tally" was the featured song from our new CD.

We had a great show at Lyon's Den last week with our friends Half Mad Poet.  We really enjoyed playing there and we'll try to book another show with them in September or October.  Check back here for updates!

6-21-2003 -> UPCOMING SHOW AT LYON'S DEN

We just added a new show to our Live Performances page; we'll be opening up for our friends Half Mad Poet at Lyon's Den on July 9th.  It's a Wednesday night, but we're on at 9pm so we can have you home and in bed by 10, 10:30pm at the latest.

5-26-2003 -> WEBSITE BACK UP, CD RELEASE PARTY, NEW TPWA REVIEW IN SUN-TIMES

The website is back up!  It was never actually down, but due to internet ignorance, an old 'beta' version of the site was appearing for the past week or so.

Thank you to everyone who attended our CD Release Party earlier this month; we had a great time playing with our friends Three on the Tree and 9-Fifty and the Beat Kitchen staff was great and very accommodating.  Special thanks to Brendan for the great sound.  If you didn't get a copy of our new CD, you can pick it up at our next show (probably in July) or order it directly from CDBaby.com.  Check out some photos from the show here.

Finally, Jim DeRogatis gave us a brief review of the new CD in his weekly Sun-Times column.  Check it out here (we're the fourth band down).

5-8-2003 -> CD RELEASE PARTY TOMORROW, IPO, RADIO AIRPLAY ON WXRT

Our CD Release Party is tomorrow night at the Beat Kitchen!  We'll be playing every song from our new CD, "Trading Punches with Allah" as well as a number of other fun tunes.  Naturally, this is the first time we'll be offering the new CD and it's only $5.  If you can't make it to the show or if you want to use a credit card, you can order through CDBaby.com, but it's $8.99 through them, so come to the show!

We had a wet and wild 20 minute set at Schuba's last Wednesday for the International Pop Overthrow festival.  Our internationally flavored set featured "Night Tram Through Praha", "Sunday Morning in a Chinese Restaurant", "Ship to Zimbabwe" (brand new!), "Paris", and "(When I'm) Sitting Here on Mars".  I guess that last one was more interplanetary than international.  Thanks to David Bash for having us.

Also, many thanks to Richard Milne for finally playing one of our songs on WXRT.  We weren't on the weekly Local Anesthetic show, but he did feature "Wrecking Ball" from the new CD on the Local Anesthetic Capsule this past Monday night.  If anyone heard it, please send us an email to let us know what he said.  We were not informed beforehand, so we weren't able to get the word out.

See you tomorrow night!  Come early for cocktail hour as well as our friends Three on the Tree and 9-Fifty!

4-28-2003 -> IPO, CD RELEASE PARTY, RADIO AIRPLAY ON THE ZONE, WLUW, AND Q101:

Our International Pop Overthrow appearance at Schuba's is Wednesday at 8pm sharp.  We're only playing for 20 minutes, but if you need a quick Rolls fix, then stop by for a pint.  There are 9 other bands on the bill playing until midnight including The Bad Examples (yeah, I thought they broke up, too).

What we're REALLY excited about is our CD Release Party at the Beat Kitchen with our friends Three on the Tree and 9-Fifty.  If you check the Beat Kitchen website, please ignore the Calendar section as they are still trying to make updates after the change in booking agents.  Rest assured, the show is confirmed.

We send our many thanks out to James Van Osdol at 94.7FM The Zone for featuring us again on his Local Zone show last night.  He played "Sunday Morning in a Chinese Restaurant" and compared us (favorably) to Crowded House.

Also, a big round of thanks to Mike Gibson at 88.7FM WLUW for having us on his Radio Free Chicago show last Thursday.  Despite the confusing assignment of street numbers, we were all able to make it to the radio station by 7:15pm in time to play acoustic renditions of "Maine", "Gold", and "A Diner Named Starlight".  Mike also played "Tally" and "Tel Aviv" from our forthcoming album, then he interviewed us for about 15 minutes before handing over the wheel and letting us play Guest DJs until 8pm.  We spun some Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett, Tom Waits, and Hot Rod Circuit interspersed with readings of our various label rejection letters.  Fun fun.

Finally, just one more thank you to Chris Payne at Q101 for featuring us on his Local 101 show the Sunday before last (April 20th).  He played "Wrecking Ball" from the new CD and "pimped our thingy thing" (DJ talk for promoting our CD Release Party).

4-15-2003 -> CD RELEASE PARTY RESCHEDULED:

We have successfully rescheduled our CD Release Party for Friday, May 9th at the Beat Kitchen!  Check out the Live Performances page for details.  We're thrilled to be appearing with our friends Three on the Tree (featuring Drew Weir) and 9-Fifty (featuring John Castino and Tony O'Brien).  Mark your calendar and come out early for cocktail hour.

4-13-2003 -> CD RELEASE PARTY POSTPONED:

Due to a change in booking agents at Subterranean, our CD Release Party (originally slated for April 25th) has been postponed.  We are working hard to secure a date in May and we'll let you know just as soon as we have something ready.  In the meantime, if you just absolutely have to get your Rolls fix, we'll be playing a 20 minute set of internationally-themed tunes at our International Pop Overthrow Festival appearance on Wednesday, April 30th at Schuba's.  We'll be going on at 8pm sharp.

3-20-2003 -> WELCOME TO THE WEBSITE, RADIO AIRPLAY ON Q101:

Welcome to our new website!  Check back frequently for updates; we'll be adding mp3s from our past recordings, more photos, a complete live performance archive, and much more.  Be sure to send us any comments you have by using the form on the Contact Us page.  Thanks for visiting.

By the way, if you happen to up at midnight this coming Sunday, March 23rd, then tune in to James Van Osdol's Local Zone show on 94.7FM The Zone.  He'll be playing "Sunday Morning in a Chinese Restaurant" from our forthcoming CD, Trading Punches with Allah.