Based in Chicago and Nashville, Kick The Cat is an internationally renowned fusion quartet. Musically, the band falls within the virtuosic lineage of classic fusion and prog ensembles like Return to Forever and Weather Report but draws on contemporary groove elements, electronics, and a healthy dose of humor. The result is a heady, yet approachable, combination of mind-bending rhythms, harmonies, and kaleidoscopic textures.

The band formed while in college in the late
1990s, performing one another’s unique and challenging compositions. At the time, the four musicians lived together and worked on their music while also individually making names for themselves in the Chicago music scene. Over the last twenty years Kick The
Cat has released three full-length albums of original material and has performed hundreds of shows, headlining and opening for national acts such as Umphrey’s McGee, Vital Information, Oz Noy, Jazz Mandolin Project, John Novello, Stu Hamm, and more. KTC has
long been noted as being one of the most engaging ensembles to emerge from Chicago’s richly varied scene.

Drummer Kris Myers is a founding member of
KTC (performing on the first two albums) but left the band in 2003 after being recruited by now-renowned jam band Umphrey’s McGee. He was temporarily replaced by Tom Hipskind (Hamilton, Brian Culbertson), but has rejoined the original lineup for the current
album and shows. Guitarist Chris Siebold is a well-known prodigy and in-demand session player in Chicago who has also performed regularly with Howard Levy and Garrison Keeler’s Prairie Home Companion. Keyboardist Vijay Tellis-Nayak has performed with many
greats including Marcus Miller and Jennifer Hudson and was featured in 2007’s Keyboard Magazine for KTC’s Scramble album as Unsigned Artist of the Month. He is also one of the owners and producers at Chicago’s Transient Sound Recording Studio. Bassist and
multi-instrumentalist Chris Clemente is one of the most sought after musicians and educators in Chicago and has performed with many greats including Jon Secada, Randy Brecker, and Kanye West

KTC’s new album Gurgle is a long-awaited
tour de force. Its varied style takes you from 70s-style fusion to Rio’s Carnival, from dub-step to RnB, and from Zappa to country, all the while telling a story in a humorous, ponderous, and delightfully irreverent tone.

Chris Clemente – Bass
Kris Myers – Drums
Chris Siebold – Guitar
Vijay Tellis-Nayak – Keyboards

Nelson Esposito Quintana (NEQ) is reviving and updating the rock
instrumental with a contemporary, fresh and heartfelt approach to
blending textures, sounds and themes inspired by many sources,
including but not limited to spaghetti westerns, prog rock, Brazilian,
gospel, funk and classical music. Any style is a welcome influence if it
serves the song.
Todd Nelson (guitar), Kyle Esposito (bass) and Manuel Quintana
(drums) write and record their original music in New York’s Hudson
Valley. They will be joined onstage by Ross Rice on keyboards.