Cosmic Country Showcase ft. Thair • CRUD • Jason Balla (Dehd) • Case Oats • Dandy Freling

Thu 01/25/24
8:00PM
18+
music
$12 ADV // $15 DOS

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1:1 Square 9:16 Portrait

The Cosmic Country Showcase returns to Cactus Club early in 2024! It’s the only show where you can find budding talent singing a duet two-person horse costume while a Sasquatch steals the spotlight with an unexpected country twist on Bob Seger’s “Night Moves.”

It’s a special night this time around because guitarist Sean Thompson joins the band, coming all the way from Nashville! Renowned for his “weird ears” and captivating phased-out style he was a driving creative force behind Promised Land Sound and is one of the most sought-after players in Music City USA. You would find him touring with the likes of Steve Gunn, Erin Rae, and Emily Nenni. His newest self-titled album has him, Teddy & The Rough Riders, and modern pedal-steel genius Spencer Cullum backing some of the grooviest country sounds that choogle along with every passing tune.

Guiding the audience through this cosmic spectacle are the host Andrew Sa and the anti-host, chaos queen, Mary Williamson. We’ll travel with them through a wild night of strange and exciting music and comedy. So, come dressed for the adventure and immerse yourself in the boundless frontier of the Cosmic Country!

Show Lineup

Cosmic Country Showcase

(Chicago, IL)
Genre: Americana

This quarterly cult-hit is an homage to country variety shows like Grand Ole Opry with an extraterrestrial-psychedelic twist. A diverse group of guest vocalists, who you may not otherwise find singing country classics, sing some covers with an all-star band. Some of the best names in, alt-comedy, drag performers, and other variety acts are showcased followed by a set from an original cosmic-country headliner. 

Originally started as a way for creators Dorian Gehring (Foxhall Studios) and Sullivan Davis to start a covers night, the show quickly evolved into an intergalactic revue. A cast was formed, and the night soon had duets with a two-person horse costume, giant raccoons teaching an audience how to dance, fully dressed set of multi-colored cacti, and even more alien events. Shows saw original sets from folks like Dougie Poole, Cassandra Jenkins, Sam Evian & Hannah Cohen, and cover sets from Lillie West (Lala Lala), Tasha, Jeff Tweedy, Tenci, and Hawk Colman the memorable Hideout door person working the event. The comedic talent was insane, original sets from Megan Stalter, Alex Grelle, and Brenden Scannell, also a memorable drag performance from Irregular Girl. The house band had several iterations, but there formed a core line-up of Sima Cunningham (Ohmme), Sullivan Davis, Dorian Gehring, Liam Kazar (Tweedy), and Spencer Tweedy.

Dandy L. Freling

(Milwaukee)
Genre: Americana

A Boot Stompin’ Finger Pickin’ Folkie

A highway-kind traveler combining a touch of the high and lonesome hollers of the Appalachian hill people with the low-down, dusty grooves of the cosmic cowboys, Dandy has created a unique songwriter banquet sure to satisfy the hunger of any weary passerby. A boot stompin’ finger picker with remnant hollers of the greats of our past – Don’t be afraid to stop awhile, and fill up your plate, there’s plenty to go around.