Press Releases

Last updated 9/28/1999.

PANDEMONIUM PREVAILS!, taken from the March 1999 edition of Backstage Pass magazine

Written by Chris Bonney

We all have a perception of the rock and roll veteran: The Stones, Kiss, Bonnie Raitt. Rockers that forged on regardless of trends or the aging process. These timeless performers continue to fill venues with fans who have an affinity for the musical yesteryear. Conjuring up images and memories of backseat rendezvous' and mischievous fun of days gone by. There is another type of rock and roll veteran, however. An unsung hero of sorts. It's the band that keeps it real for the real people of the world, of the community. The band that had what it took in the day to make it big, but for reasons unknown couldn't quite grasp the golden ring. A band that can still conjure up a youthful memory just as well as the heavy-hitters mentioned previously.

Pandemonium, a band out the western suburbs, is just that band. Trends have come and gone, but they continue to stay true to their rock and roll roots year after year with great results!

Pandemonium is an incarnation of musicians that have seen their share of musical successes around the Chicago area. This band features players from former Chicago favorites Whyterock, Menagerie, and Hangover. Each player in the band has twenty years of playing experience or more and that is an element that really shows in their live performances. In early December, they put on a scorching show at Two Rivers Sports Bar in Bolingbrook. They worked the capacity crowd into a frenzy, encouraging them to sing along and live the rock and roll tradition through them first hand. True veterans flaunting their stuff. Even though no one in the band is a stranger to this kind of response the guys still put on a show and move around on stage like it's their first show and they're doing everything they can to entertain. It's a great musical experience.

Ron Sily, drummer, explains "It's in our blood. We just keep doing it." Ray Hagen, vocals, sums it up nicely, "Whether we're playing to one person or one thousand, we still give 100% on stage."

When asked why they choose to play all cover songs from the 70's and 80's as opposed to original tunes, Ron continues, "Unless you have a huge following that has heard your tunes before, they go 'That was cool! What was it?'" Pandemonium has chosen to showcase the songs that they grew op on and apparently so have alot of other folks.

Jay LaSalle, guitarist, explains, "We're 35 year old guys playing the stuff we played in high school: UFO, Nugent, Doobie Brothers, Molly Hatchet." Staying true to their heritage has really paid off for the band. Classic rock has shown a resurgence in Chicago radio and Pandemonium has shown a resurgence in their following. "There are 3 or 4 radio stations in Chicago that play classic rock right now" Jay enthuses. "Our following is growing because this kind of music is huge." Pandemonium has also found that it's not just the thirty-something crowd that is into the type of music they play. It's not surprising for them to have 22 year-olds in a club getting into them as much as the 40 year old person next to them. "Good songs are good songs," Jay reinforces. Ron Silay adds, "When they yell 'Freebird' we don't know if they're kidding or not!"

When the guys in Pandemonium: Ray Hagen, vocals; Jay LaSalle, guitar; Scott Leonard, keyboards/guitar; Roy Sommerfeld, bass and Ron Silay, drums aren't rocking out they are busy with day jobs and living a normal life. "We only play about once a month. With everything going on it's hard to do more", Ron states matter of factly. Playing once a month allows plenty of promotion time for the band and it allows each member to get the most from the gigging experience. "It's a lot of fun now," Ray Hagen chimes in, "we went through a lot of crap early on. It's good to have the hindsight and to jam with good friends." Scott Leonard contributes "We've all done the thing where you try to be a rock star and now we're just doing it for grins." The fun that this band has definitely shows in their live performances. Do what you can to see this band live. They are more than worth the price of admission. Not only do you get a great show, but they are very nice guys and show a great deal of respect for their fans. Pandemonium is a band of rock and roll veterans at their finest.

Associated Press - October 3, 1997
BERWYN - Excitement races through the streets as word spreads like wild fire about tonight's show at Uncle Snorkey's. Scalpers are making a fortune as the city's most valuable ticket is a very scarce commodity. Young, hot women are lining up back stage just to see if they can catch a glimpse of the famous guitarist Jay LaSalle. Hopefully these young ladies will not be taken advantage of as has been rumored in the past. Treat yourself to the greatest show on earth. Don't miss this one!!

Associated Press - November 14, 1997
ADDISON - It’s time once again for the phenomenon that is Pandemonium to take its show on the road. Addison will be the latest city to experience the fever. Opening tonight’s show will be Liz Berg doing a set of all original material. Liz will demonstrate her creativity and spirituality in her solo debut. Then, it’s back to the all classic attack of Pandemonium. Come see for yourself what all the fuss is about.

Associated Press - December 9, 1997
HANOVER PARK - Back again by popular demand, the quality quintet known as Pandemonium re-invades Lee B's in Hanover Park. Expect more of the same driving precision that has become this bands MO. Countless hits from rocks grandest decades are reproduced to the joy of all. Opening Saturday's show is Rhythm Method, a rockin' act offering classic cuts and the diversity of a female vocalist. This band appears to be the perfect compliment to an already tasty main course. Come for appetizers - stay for dinner.

Associated Press - March 4, 1998
SCHAUMBURG - After a short sabbatical, Pandemonium returns to the stage with more passion than ever. The boys took February off to celebrate the marriage of guitarist Jay LaSalle to his lovely bride Lori, but still managed to finetune their chops with a cameo set at the wedding reception. Be prepared for a high energy assault at Jackhammer here in Schaumburg. The caged lions are about to be freed.

Associated Press - May 22, 1998
CHICAGO - At long last, the city dwellers of Chicago will have their musical dreams fulfilled. The Pandemonium tour hits full stride as it sweeps through Wrigleyville at Slugger's in Chicago on Friday, May 29. After a day at the ballpark, come spend the evening savoring rock covers from premier bands of the 70's and 80's. Pandemonium is guaranteed to provide pennant fever for music loyalists. Let's play ball!

Associated Press - September 9, 1998
ORLAND PARK - Pandemonium's unrelenting determination has finally paid dividends for their south side faithful. A long awaited show has been added to the calendar for Saturday, September 19th, at Sluggers World Class Sports Bar here in Orland Park. Kicking things off are Great Red Shark, a band that combines catchy, original music with tasty covers from The Kinks to the Rolling Stones. Then, it's on to the main attraction where Pandemonium brings out more excitement than the Mark McGuire home run derby. Be there for Pandemonium's next grand slam!

When I must leave you...

Tragedy has struck the Pandemonium camp as bass player Roy's brother, Richard Sommerfeld, was killed in an auto accident early September 21. Our thoughts and prayers are with Roy and his family as they mourn the loss of Rick, a great guy who will be missed by all of us. Rick was at many a Pandemonium show, and always helped us out with advice and equipment breakdowns and loading whenever possible. Our friend, we'll miss you...

Sweet Melissa...

...was displaying her many talents (much to the dismay of the Pandemonium wives in attendance) at JJ Kelley's in south suburban Lansing as the Pandemonium band warmed up the crowd for local favorites The Strange on September 18th. Thanks to everyone at JJ Kelley's for making us feel welcome, especially the sound guy and Jamie the waitress! Special thanks to The Strange for allowing us full use of the stage for our opening slot. Highlights include: the aforementioned birthday girl Melissa (dancer, stripper, wrestler, bouncer, etc), Melissa's mom(?!), the catfight out in the beer garden, Barb threatening to kick some Melissa ass, Ray trying to explain that "it's only rock n roll", etc. Memorable moments include: the bridge in "Jesus is Just Alright", to which Roy would describe as "as close to complete train wreck as I've been in all my years in this band!" Ouch! Besides that, a pretty fun show...

Born to be Wild...

Get well wishes go out to Scott's wife Chris, who broke her arm in a motorcycle accident over Labor Day weekend. Scott also was involved in the incident, but aside from some road rash and a sprained shoulder, no serious damage was done. All things considered, they're both very lucky...the bikes weren't however....Chris' was totaled! Ugh!

"I hope I pass the audition..."

No problem, Ringo! A full house was present at the roadhouse known as Penny Road Pub for new drummer Dwayne Pliska's first show. Special thanks to the guys in Holland for letting us have the full stage to open the night for them, especially Mike Batio for signing one of our old Nitro CD's! Thanks to Barb Levy for handling the video chores (and for running out of tape before the wheels fell off!). Highlights include: Craig the soung guy, "Rock and Roll All Nite", "Save My Life", Jay holding his own in the shadow of Mike Batio (guitar wizard), Mark the other video guy (you're not gonna f*** me are ya?). Memorable moments include: "Asbestos" Hagen, intro to "Jailbreak", intro to "Sweet Emotion", "Won't Get Fooled" ending...Welcome to the NFL, Dwayne!

A New Chapter Begins...

It is with great sadness that we announce drummer Ron Silay has left Pandemonium. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his years of solid drumming and great friendship. Pandemonium has tapped Dwayne Pliska for drum duties; Dwayne will be splitting time with Pandemonium and his current rock outfit, the Great Red Shark.

Elwood Summerfest...

Thanks to all the fine folks at the Elwood Park District, especially Kim Lake, for putting on a super Summerfest out in suburban Elwood on June 26th. We had a great time, and the rain held off long enough for us to crank out 3 crazy sets of hot rock n roll. Special thanks to Marty at Ultimate Sound and Lighting for spinning the dials to make us sound good in the heat and humidity. Highlights include: dancing biker chicks, outrageous song requests (we'll have to work on that AC/DC stuff!), the guy buying us all the beers at the end of the night, Ray's attempts to get back on stage (the stairs are right over here, dude!), Free Bird (in the right key please!), etc.

Clam Bake at BASH...

Definitely a "hot" one at Bash in Bolingbrook on June 5th as the Pandemonium band blazed its way through a 75-minute set opening for our good friends in ARRA. The evening got warmer as the nightclub's air conditioning died, and the bodies kept pouring in (especially those in the "good-looking female" department). Thanks to Nick and his staff for having us at his new club, which boasts one of the best (and loudest) sound & light systems in the area. Highlights include: ARRA's drummer Rob allowing us full use of the drum riser, awesome stage sound and monitors, Carrie the waitress, Carl the sound guy, the ABN-AMRO crowd who limoed to the show, birthday Mike, and more!

Happy Birthday Ray...

Thanks to all the folks who came out to wish Ray a happy 17th anniversary of his 21st birthday at Carlos Murphy's on May 8th. A good time was had by all as the Pandemonium band kicked things off with an unusual "unplugged" set, followed by 2 sets of electric jams. Although the setting was somewhat small and cramped, we adapted and turned the bar area into a typical rock club! Thanks to Bob and all the staff at Carlos'.

Saturday Nitro...

Special thanks to Rick and all the staff at Ringside Sports Bar for welcoming Pandemonium back to their rockin' stage on April 24th. Thanks to Rhythm Method for starting out the night right with an hour of quality rock n roll. Highlights include: keyboardist Jim Brandolino guesting on "Break On Through...", the return of Carolyn the lap dancer, Cheryl the birthday waitress, Ray's mystery message lady, Beth and dancing friends, BarbChic, "Cheap Sunglasses", etc.

Break on through...

After a 3-month hiatus, Pandemonium returned with 2 searing sets of classics at Two Rivers Sports Bar in Bolingbrook on March 27th. Thanks to the Great Red Shark for warming the crowd for us, and to all the staff at Two Rivers including Pedro, Laura, Karen and others. Special thanks to Jim Brandolino for joining the band for his maiden voyage behind the keyboards, performing a rockin version of the Doors classic "Break On Through to the Other Side". Other highlights include: Kings of the Nightime World drummer Randy Banks guesting on "You Really Got Me" and "Cold Gin", "Joliet" Kim Lake, Diana the photographer, The Loft video guy, Sherrie requesting (and getting) "Love To Love", the guys who bought shots at the end of the night, Roy's loud crowd, etc.

You may kiss the bride...

Congrats to longtime Pandemaniacs Paul Ahaus and Susan Stupec as they tie the knot on April 10th. Best wishes from all of us in the Pandemonium band!

Pandemonium Prevails...

Be sure to pick up the March edition of Backstage Pass magazine, as Tony Shark was gracious enough to make us one of his cover stories. Thanks to Tony, author Chris Bonney and the staff at BP for a great write-up, which can be read by clicking on Press Releases. Check out the Afternight website for details on Backstage Pass...

It's a boy, Mrs Walker, it's a boy...

A son, a son, a son! Congratulations to Jay and Lori for the birth of the latest Pandemaniac, Matthew Jeffrey Laczynski on January 25. Statistics follow: 7 lbs 9 oz, 20.5", 2:51 pm. Both mom and baby are doing fine.

A Lofty Performance...

...was made by the Pando boys as we blew the roof off the converted barn known as The Loft in Mt Prospect on January 14th while jamming in front the cameras for "The Tom Bonick Concert Series" TCI Cable TV show, Weds @10 pm on channel 35. Special thanks to Tom Bonick, Ironwood Entertainment and all the staff associated with The Loft for making our appearance an exciting and enjoyable one for all involved. We're not sure when our performance will be televised, but keep an eye on these pages and we'll let you know as soon as the information becomes available. Thanks to all the Pandemaniacs who made the trip, including the ABN-AMRO, OCC, and Jack Carl contingents....a raucous group indeed! You all make it very easy for us to rock as hard as we do; we feed off of your energy. Afterwards, we were told that our show was the most rowdy of all the bands so far! Memorable moments include: Scott's Rice Krispie amp setup (snap, crackle, pop!), Roy's interview (Classic rock that really rocks!), Jay's pick-flipping antics, solid vocals on "Open Invitation", the upstairs/downstairs crowd battle in "R & R All Nite", Roy's stage presence (the guy told us to move!), Ron having to play quiet (easy on those cans, man!), but solid as ever!

Two For the Show....

A wild time at Two Rivers Sports Bar was had by all as the boys in Rust Bucket returned the favor and opened for us on Saturday, December 5th. Special thanks to Pedro, Lorie and the staff at Two Rivers for making us feel right at home in the back room. Highlights included: the rental PA board from Music City, the "Georgia Peaches" known as Sue and Ginger, Randy ("Cold Gin") and Duane ("You Really Got Me") doing some guest drumming, Ray jamming with his old Menagerie buddies on "Lights Out". A tearful farewell goes out to our friend Zoe, who heads back home to Greece. Best of luck, baby! Keep in touch with us right here....

Rockin' the House in Barrington....

Thanks to Rick and all the boys in Rust Bucket for allowing us to open the show at Barrington Rock House on Saturday, October 24th. A great night of classic rock ensued as we ripped through a quick 50 minute "best of" set before turning over the reigns to the Bucket. Special thanks to Lorrie Olsen, who surprised the band with a huge banner of the Pandemonium logo that will now grace each stage we play. You're the coolest, honey!

Congratulations to Patty and Mike....

That was the rallying cry as the wedding from nearby Diplomat West crashed the Pandemonium party at All-Stars in Elmhurst on October 10th. Susie, Bridget, Kristen and a variety of other beautiful bridesmaids stormed the stage much to the dismay of disapproving band wives, but much harmless fun was had by all (except the one lady who just didn't quite make it up the stairs....ouch!) Special thanks to the crew at All-Stars, especially Renee the waitress, and thanks to Premium Blend, the band we split the show with. Other memorable moments were: John the drunk impersonating Mike the groom (and then attempting to sing Stealin....not!), Roy's $4.99 cable and low battery, Ron's break in "Rock and Roll", Scott rocking on tables and chairs, Jay's overall brilliance, great vocals from Ray, Randy from Cool Beans guesting on "You Really Got Me", "Lights Out" for an encore....crazy! Extra special thanks to Roy's brother Rick for helping with the loadout while Roy was entertaining Willowbrook's finest law enforcement officials....bummer!

Happy Birthday, Marsha!

A good time was had by all as Ray threw a big bash for wife Marsha's birthday on Oct 3rd, including the 3 D's: dining, dancing and drinking! Music provided by Pliska's Party All Nite DJ service allowed the Pandemonium boys and girls to cut quite a rug at the local VFW hall. Nice job Ray!

Grand Slam....

We didn't have Sammy there, but everybody else seemed to show up as we cleared the bases at Sluggers World Class Sports Bar in Orland Park on Saturday, September 19th. Thanks to Nick, Debbie and the whole staff at Sluggers for hosting us, and to the boys in Great Red Shark for another stellar opening set. Special thanks to everybody who came out for a very memorable show. Highlights include: band babes Lori, Kathy and Barb; the crew from Schiff-Hardin; Debbie the bartender, Aimee and friends, the dart room dancers, Boudreau, Lisa Lisa, the Brandolino party, Bro' Rick, Eves and Shelly, guest vocalists (insert names here!), the "Piano Man" drunks, "Rock and Roll" and "Jailbreak" debuts, and overall pumping, sweating, leaping, moving and crunchin! It was indeed a hot one!

Get a room....

Sometimes the boys in the band are just as entertained as hopefully the audience is. Such was the case at Ringside Sports Bar on August 8th, courtesy of the amourous couple directly in front of the stage. They didn't leave a lot to the imagination as they took the term "lap dance" to new heights. Many thanks to Rick, Sam and the staff at Ringside for having us and helping us celebrate Jay's birthday in style. Everyone seemed to have a great time, especially us! Special thanks to Liz Berg for contributing another awesome opening set. Highlights include: the Eminence debut, low-flying TV sets, Roy's stage presence, Tricia, Lisa the birthday girl and friends, Scott's sister traveling in from Minnesota to see the show, Papa John, Janie, The Duchess, "Burnin For You", "Jesus...", "Save My Life", and more.

Jukebox Saturday Night....

At least that's what it turned out to be at Paps Ultimate Bar & Grill on July 25th. The set list for the second half of the show was basically ripped to shreds as the band buckled under the pressure and responded to the VERY interactive crowd's requests: "Free Bird", "Bad Moon Rising", "Proud Mary", "Pinball Wizard", even some "Rock Bottom" were attempted. It may not have been pretty, but it sure was fun! Many thanks to Ted, Jim, Butch and the whole staff at Paps for allowing us to entertain the troops for a few hours. Highlights include: the Lithuanian bombshell waitresses, "Cat Scratch Fever" done right, "Lights Out", the uttered gibberish in "Godzilla", Ray's wild keyboard ride in "Bargain", the guy that bought a round for the band, the guy that loved Guinness and Woodpecker Cider (and shared that love!). Kudos to Ron for playing the whole night without "being able to hear anything". Jay gets the gold star for bringing the most people, including Lori, Tommy, Jimmy (Rula, Zoe), Karen, Paul & Sue, the Halaps, and more. Good to see Marsha, Kathy, Ron & Terril, and all the other folks who came out to rock with us at Paps.

And baby makes three....

Congrats to Jay and Lori as they are expecting their first baby in February '99. Gee, that didn't take long....can we handle another LaSalle in the world?

High Speed Dirt....

Congrats to Scott for completing his first parachuting experience, a tandem jump out at Skydive Chicago on July 21. Exiting from the plane at 13,000 ft, Scott experienced 60 seconds of freefall at over 120 mph and gracefully floated down from 5500 ft. Talk about sensory overload....it was wild!

Roadhouse Rockin....

Another successful venture in Hanover Park at our favorite Lake St roadhouse, Lee B's, on June 27. Thanks to Dwayne and the boys from Great Red Shark for kicking off the jams with a great opening set. Thanks also to the folks who contributed equipment to allow us to run our own PA for this show. Don't know how we did it, but I keep hearing that it sounded pretty good! Gotta love that old Peavey powered mixer (it keeps going and going and going....). Memorable moments include: Scott locking his keys in his car to screw up any chance of a relaxing afternoon, "Road Rage" Ray on I-290, the voloptuous Big D, "s***mitts", Woody singing the opening verses of "Stealin", Scott's stuck keyboard on "The Reaper". A good time had by all in what may be the last appearance at a great place to play. Good luck to Lee, Eric and all at Lee B's as rumours of a closing were flying at night's end. We'll miss ya!

Keep smiling, keep shinin...

...that's what friends are for, or so the song goes. Muchos Gracias to our friends in opening band Rhythm Method, who came up BIG this past weekend in providing the PA system when our previous sound man (not Paul!) canceled out on us two days before the Funseekers show this past weekend. What was looking to be the gig from hell turned out to be a lot of fun, as we had many people hang out from the earlier evening comedy show to hear both bands light it up. Thanks to Barry, Dianne, Suzanne, and the staff at Funseekers for having us back again. Rythm Method got things going with a tight set of danceable tunes, with Rikki leading the way. We followed them with a 2-hour+ marathon set (no breaks for fear of losing the crowd - they actually said they'd leave if we stopped - how rude!), including "Stealin" for an encore. We were frickin' beat afterwards, but it was well worth it for this boisterous crowd that had a great time. Highlights include: Rikki guesting on vocals with Ray on "Fool for the City" and "Jesus is Just Alright", Roy on "Godzilla", Jay's overall brilliance on guitar, Ray serenading the ladies up front ala Joe Elliot, the return of the never-ending bridge in "Jesus...", the wastoids from Minnesota (especially the girl that just "wanted to touch" RM's drummer Jeff at the end of the night), the bighaired babe yelling for 80's music, etc.

Bulls defeated, crowd depleted....

As many working bands have or will find out, when you play on the same night as a major Chicago sporting event, it can be both a boon and a detriment. For us at Slugger's near Wrigley Field on May 29, it was definitely the latter. A packed house was there to see MJ and the Bullies finally oust those yahoo Indiana Pacers and move on to the NBA finals. As the closing seconds wound down in a tightly contested matchup, we eagerly anticipated a Bulls win, hoping to rock the back room filled to the gills with happy sports fans. Unfortunately, moments after MJ slipped and fell to the court and the Pacers stole game 6, the place took only minutes to clear of disappointed Bulls fans. As Ron put it, it was "as if there was a collie in there herding them out". We were a bit put out, but carried on in true Pandemonium fashion, rocking with 2 blistering sets. Many thanks to the boys from Jack Carl Futures for attending, as well as some of our tried-and-true Pandemaniacs for making the trip up to the North Side. Highlights of the evening included: great sound mix by our bud Paul Windsor, debut of the acoustic guitar on a few tunes, guest appearance by Great Red Shark's Dwayne Pliska on drums for "You Really Got Me" (as well as a number of guest vocalists that stormed the stage), and a wasted blonde dancing barefoot in the floor swamp of beer, booze, sweat etc! Lowlights would include: Ron's never-ending bridge in "Jesus...", Scott's butchering of the "Roll Over Beethoven" intro, expensive beer, lame parking, stinking garbage cans by the stage, and bathroom atrocities (including Jay getting "leg splash" by some drunk yahoo in the john - yech!).

Man overboard....

Sometimes you just have to feel sorry for sound guys, right? Poor Joe had his hands full at Pete's Bar and Grill as he tried to muster up a decent mix for us. Rumour has it that he had the instruction manual out, trying to figure out where the hell that low hum was coming from....had to be Roy's bass rig, right? What about the bass echo from the DJ in the room next door where we were really supposed to playing? Or, was it the bass drum mic? Ah, we'll never know...we just seemed to chew him up and spit him out as we rocked the main barroom at Pete's. Victims of a bachelor party booked in the music room, we had to set up "in the arcade", as Ron put it, in the back of the bar by the pinball and dart machines. While the conditions were not the greatest (linoleum floors do not go well with boots - too much sliding!, lack of lighting, cramped quarters, etc), we still delivered 3 solid sets to the Pandemonium faithful. Highlights included the successful debut of 4 new(?) tunes: "No More No More" by Aerosmith, The Who's "Bargain", "Day of the Eagle" by Robin Trower, and "Shooting Star" from Bad Company. Also, guest appearances by Roy's friend Stacy on guitar for some 3rd set pyrotechnics on "Godzilla" and "Lights Out", as well as Cool Beans' drummer Randy Banks joining in for a raucous "You Really Got Me" and "Roll On Down the Highway". Thanks boys!

When you're driving down the highway at night....

Quite the experience at Jackhammer a couple weeks back. We definitely think this place wants to take over as the new Thirsty Whale. The "Attack of the Multiple Band Night" is back in style at this Schaumburg location. While we might've been a little out of our element getting mixed with a Pantera-like Stage 7, Metallica tribute Damaged Justice, and Ozzy tribute Blizzard of Ozz, we took full advantage of our alotted 45 minute time slot. Highlights included: swinging guitars, great sound, big stage, Ray ordering drinks in the middle of "American Band", Jay's wild ride in "Lights Out", Rich from Damaged Justice yelping some background vocals, and getting all those metalheads in the crowd to join in on "R & R All Night". Special thanks to Dan the sound guy, and to all the Pandemaniacs who made the trip out west.
Unfortunately, things went a little sour at the end of the night as Jay forgot his ART MIDI pedal at the club (please contact us if you have it), and Scott got busted on the way home for DUI (those damn Goldschlagers!) Take it from one who knows: please be careful out there when you're partying, and try to make every attempt to monitor your alcohol/whatever intake. Not preaching here, just know that it doesn't take much to be over .08; I didn't think it would ever happen to me, but it did. As ZZ Top says, "You might be taken to the jailhouse and fined, you've been arrested for drivin' while blind..."

Here comes the bride....

Pandemonium will be taking the month of February off to celebrate the joining of our very own Jay LaSalle and the lovely Lori in holy matrimony. The big day will turn into an even bigger night as Pandemonium is expected to relieve the scheduled entertainment of their duties and delight the faithful in a few classic selections. Would you expect nothing less? Best wishes to the happy couple, and send your notes of encouragement to the future Mrs LaSalle.

Jammin' January....

Thanks to all the Pandemaniacs who witnessed the 1998 Jammin' January Winter Tour stops in Hanover Park and Blue Island. Much appreciation to our friends in the Cool Beans for opening for us at Bungalow Joe's, and to the UpRights for allowing us to start their show out at JD Batts. Highlights of the BJ's show include: Jenny the "R & R All Night" singer, Angela the bartender, big nacho plates, the blonde in the leopard top, the couple at the end of the bar (get a room!), the "Roller" screamer (I wanna sample that!), and Jay doing shots with Zoe! Highlights of the JD Batts show include: the "meet and greet" at Dwayne's, Lori stepping up big time and bringing a large and loud Pandemaniac contingent, band wives grooving on the dance floor, many Goldschlager shots, Kerry the UpRights' biggest fan, and Roy's friend Rick playing harp with the UpRights. A good time had by all!

Fun Sought and Had....

Hope everybody had a rockin' holiday season and a great New Year! We here with Pandemonium had a great time with Barry and all the staff at Funseekers to finish off New Year's weekend in raucous fashion. Special thanks to the Pandemaniacs who shook off their hangovers and joined us for some rock and roll mayhem in Elmhurst. Another stellar performance by Liz Berg and her trio kicked off the festivities (thanks Liz!). Highlights of the evening included Ray's "Closer To Home", Ron's break in "Won't Get Fooled Again", Ray ordering a round for the house when he has absolutely no money, Jay using Scott's V to finish out the first set, Jågermeister Roy, and the reemergence of Scott's black Spandex (nice pants!).

Wow! Something about heading back to Lee B's always gets us going. A "slay" ride was definitely in effect! Special thanks go out to Lee, Eric and everybody at Lee B's for having us back again. Also, kudos to opening act Rhythm Method for supplying a killer set to start out the night. Highlights included RM's hot female vocalist Ricky (or is it Rikki?) joining Ray on "Jesus is Just Alright", numerous dancers (more than usual at a Pandemonium show), sound man Marty joining on guitar for "Stealin"...a hot one indeed!

Thanks to all the Pandemaniacs that braved the elements and joined us for a night to remember at the Fuzzy Navel. Highlights of the evening included Ray's newfound dancing partner(s), a scary guest vocalist that wouldn't leave the stage (Bouncer!), very tall Foster's beers, surprise guest Scott Wilson (ex WhyteRock bassist) joining the band for "Stealin", Cool Beans' Tom Hora and Randy Banks also joining the band on a couple of tunes, Kelly the waitress, "Roll Over Beethoven", and the smoke machine that ate Addison! Very special thanks to our opening act Liz Berg, who wowed the crowd with her acoustic blend of originals and covers in her 'watering hole' debut.