The Hannibal POPS Club members are getting the grounds ready. The sound and lighting crews will soon diverge. The bands will soon be closing in on the Highway 61 South address. The food will be bought. The drink trailer will be delivered. It all goes down this week so you can enjoy one incredible show!
Info:
Gates open at 4pm
The Black Moods kick things off at 5pm followed by NOWAKE and headliners Royal Bliss
Kids 12 and under get in free of charge
Eventbrite tickets are just $15 now thru Friday, Aug 18th. Price goes up to $20 cash day of show.
Official event shirts will be for sale on site along with each band's merchandise, so bring cash (some bands will have other payment options such as Venmo, PayPal, etc). EMS23 event shirt proceeds will be donated to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation along with the overall event proceeds.
Must be 21 or older and have proper ID to obtain a wristband for alcohol.
Bag (camping) chairs are welcome!
Parking is completely free and attendants will assist you with your parking location (north of the POPS Club grounds)

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Let's Get EPIC!
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Get to know Epic Music Showcase 2023 headliners, Royal Bliss!
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Since their formation, Royal Bliss has been a powerful force in rock music. After thriving as an independent band, signing with Capitol Records, relentless touring, starting an exciting new partnership with Kartel, and seeing two of their latest singles hit the Top 20 Active Rock charts, the band known for persevering & surviving is more than ready for wherever this next chapter will take them.
After the abrupt shock the pandemic brought for the self-confessed “road warriors”, Royal Bliss spent the past year reflecting on the last few decades together as a band and how, despite all of the odds stacked against them, they survived. They also recorded a new album aptly titled, SURVIVAL.
After they released their Capitol Records debut record “Life In-Between,” there isn’t much Royal Bliss hasn’t already accomplished —from signing with a major label in 2007, garnering over 100 million streams and 300,000+ monthly listeners on Spotify, charting on the Billboard Top 20(twice), hitting #1 in Billboard Heatseekers, touring with the likes of Kid Rock, Chevelle to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and having 10 singles break the top 50 on Active Rock radio. A band that prides themselves on their storytelling and ability to deftly blend classic rock with modern rock elements, Royal Bliss is a one-of-a-kind rock band and has the feverish fan following to prove it.
Royal Bliss has now released 6 full-length studio albums —“After The Chaos II(2006),” the Capitol Records debut “Life In Between(2009),” “Waiting Out The Storm(2012),” “Chasing The Sun(2014),” 2019’s self-titled record “Royal Bliss,” and now we see their latest release “Survival(2023),” put out on their own label Air Castle Records. But even with all of those achievements, the band’s biggest career highlight can be described in one word: Surviving. “Surviving the last couple years was a highlight in and of itself” Neal laughs, touching on the band’s commitment to persevering for the sake of their music.
Neal Middleton – Lead Vocal, Guitar. Taylor Richards – Guitars, Vocals. Jake Smith – Drums, Percussion. Brian Hennesy – Bass, Vocals.
Genre: Rock
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Get to know Epic Music Showcase 2023 performing artist, NOWAKE!
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NOWAKE started in 2007 in a Missouri basement. The band built up it's library of cover music and played bars and small venues for the first few years. Then, an evolution began to happen. The band's vision began to focus more on music writing and connecting to the fan base. Members came and went, but the goal never changed: write and perform high energy rock music and see just how far this thing can go.
So far, the band has had the privilege of sharing stages with Quiet Riot, Saul, Molly Hatchet, Warrant, The Veer Union, September Mourning, FireHouse, Discrepancies, The Lonely Ones, American Hitmen and many more.
The band has released 3 EPs to date: 2014's Getaway, 2017's An Act of Defiance and 2021's Wartooth.
In 2021, the band worked with videographer Freddy D'Angelo and released a music video for "Forgotten Melody" off the Wartooth EP.
No matter where you catch a NOWAKE show, one thing is for sure... You're going to get a high energy performance of truly inspired hard rock music!
The band consists of lead singer Mark Kempker, Guitarist and Backup Vocalist Sean McHargue, Bassist Ryan Gilmore, Drummer Mark VanWinkle and Lead Guitarist Jeremy Summers.
Genre: Hard Rock
Hometown: Hannibal, MO

Get to know Epic Music Showcase 2023 performers American Hitmen!
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From the battlefields in Iraq to the legendary stage of Radio City Music Hall, the American Hitmen have done it all. Brothers and Marine Corps Combat Veterans, Tim and Dan Cord, founded the band with fellow Marines and musicians in 2005. After serving 4 honorable years and 2 combat tours in Iraq, they decided to leave the Marine Corps to pursue a career in music in 2007.
In 2008, the brothers moved to Utah, where they fell into true harmony with the addition of drummer, Phil Snyder, and bassist, Dave Briggs.
In late 2009, the band was invited to be the first American rock band in 36 years to perform in Vietnam. At the Ho Chi Minh City Hard Rock Café, the American Hitmen brought a new and unfamiliar sound to the Vietnamese people, performing Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" with none other than Run DMC in front of a sold-out crowd, on the night of the Hard Rock grand opening.
In 2013, the band auditioned for and made it through 3 elimination rounds on Season 8 of America's Got Talent, finishing out their run with a pitch perfect live and televised performance at Radio City Music Hall. With their new found popularity, the band hit the North American tour circuit with a fury! Within the last 3 years, the American Hitmen have performed alongside some of the most internationally recognized musicians, such as Foo Fighters, Journey, Living Colour, Black Stone Cherry, the Charlie Daniels Band, Sheryl Crow, 3 Doors Down, Social Distortion and many more!
Spring of 2020, American Hitmen reformed as the core trio of Dan, Phil, Dave.
As of 2020, the American Hitmen have performed in 30 countries, on 4 continents, and in 43 US states, on both commercial and Armed Forces Entertainment tours. The Hitmen have gained a sizable and loyal international following as a result, leaving both civilian and military fans and venues begging for the band's hasty return to their side of the world!
The American Hitmen are definitely becoming the true definition of all things American and Rock ‘n' Roll.
Genre: Rock
Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

​Get to know Epic Music Showcase 2023 performers, The Black Moods!
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The Black Moods play raw, amplified rock & roll. A classic power trio for the modern world, they turn the genre's timeless ingredients — electric guitar, anthemic hooks, and percussive punch — into a sound that's both contemporary and climactic.

Born in the Arizona desert and reared on stages across North America, The Black Moods began building a national audience thanks to their relentless touring schedule, which found the Phoenix-based group sharing shows with acts like Whitesnake, Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms, and The Doors' Robbie Krieger. That audience rose to new heights with 2020's Sunshine, an album whose combination of guitar-driven muscle and melody helped The Black Moods earn four Top 30 singles — including the title track, which reached Number 16 — on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

The journey continues with Into the Night. Produced by Grammy Award nominee Johnny "K" Karkazis, Into the Night is an album that's felt as much as heard, rooted in the stomp of drummer Chico Diaz's kick drum, the pulse of Jordan Hoffman's bass, and the larger-than-life presence of frontman Josh Kennedy. The bandmates recorded the album during a four-month trip to the Ozarks, where they spent the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic working at a makeshift studio near Kennedy's hometown of Wheaton, Missouri. There, just a short drive from the childhood home where Kennedy strummed his first guitar, The Black Moods chased down their own silver linings, turning a challenging time into an opportunity to make cathartic, super-charged rock & roll.

Recording a full album inside a private residence required the band to get creative. Drums were tracked in the wide-open living room. Guitar amps were placed inside the walk-in closets. Day after day, The Black Moods spent their summer vacation immersed in the most dynamic and diverse project of their career, mixing hard-hitting rock & roll with electric blues, punky attitude, and plenty of anthemic choruses. For Kennedy — who'd grown up several miles away, listening not only to the classic sounds of Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, but also to the melodic jangle of '90s mainstays like Counting Crowes and Better Than Ezra — the album marked another chance to blend his influences from the past into a sound for the present. He'd come full circle, returning to the Ozarks — the place where he'd first fallen in love with music — to make his fiercest album to date.

The songs were every bit as inspired as the recording sessions that produced them. "Saturday Night" paid tribute to the wild, celebratory thrill of the weekend, while "On and On" pitted dance-rock drums against overdriven guitars. "She Gets Out" showcased a softer side of the band, with jangling acoustic guitars and tight vocal harmonies giving way to a singalong refrain, while "The Cure" concluded the album with bluesy, guttural grit. Somewhere along the way, The Black Moods even found time to collaborate with legendary producer/engineer Eddie Kramer (Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) during a virtual recording session, laying the groundwork for new material yet to come. Then, as summer gave way to the fall, they packed up their gear and headed west once again, where they racked up more career milestones — from performing a critically-acclaimed set at the Aftershock Festival to gracing the cover of the Phoenix New Times — during the months leading up to Into the Night's release.

The Black Moods have always loved the hours after sundown. That's when the crowds arrive, the clubs open their doors, and the show begins. With Into the Night, they stake their claim once again as modern rock heavyweights, mixing guitar-heavy fury with melodic finesse.

Genres: Hard Rock, Rock
Band Members: Chico Diaz, Jordan Hoffman, Josh Kennedy
Hometown: Tempe, Arizona

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3SMJIplWXJ4qwuuGRHZyJH?si=CbDjvHCAS5mFJO7VQgLQdA

The 11th Annual Epic Music Showcase will take place on August 19th, 2023 at the Hannibal POPS Club. Proceeds will got to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. 
The event will feature Citizen Soldier, American Hitmen, NOWAKE and a headliner to be named at a later date. Get your tickets now for just $15 thru Eventbrite by clicking here. 
If you would like to become an official event sponsor, our window is open until June 4. Click the "contact us" page to send your information and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!
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We are proud to present the finalized list of official EPIC sponsors for EMS21:
Kyle Mack Shelter Insurance, McBride Arms LLC, Mark Twain Casino, James O'Donnell Funeral Home, Homebank, Hampton's ChemDry, "That Guy" Service & Repair, Best Western on the River & Comfort Inn, Golden Eagle Distributing Co., Benson Financial Group, Heartland Autobody & Towing, Saul Equal Rising, Hannibal Overhead Door, Brad & Sara Kurz, Quincy Firefighters Local 63, Hannibal Fire Local 1211, McKenzie Family Dentistry, Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, Prestige Realty, LNK Fitness 24, Hannibal Realty, KZZK 105.9 The Grizz, and Continental Cement
We couldn't do this show without these folks right here. When considering where to spend your hard-earned dollars, please consider the businesses represented in this list. They go above and beyond and not only support this annual local music event but, in turn, help to donate to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and their mission. 
Now, it's time to do YOUR part! Snag some tickets to THE show of 2021 and help with the mission. For just $20 a ticket (advance), you get to enjoy the music of Inner Outlines, Etched in Embers, NOWAKE, Kingdom Collapse and The Lonely Ones in a family-friendly, outdoor environment with food and drink ready to be devoured. What more could you ask for? Oh, an official event t-shirt too you say? Well, we've got you covered there too. And did we mention that the profits from those very shirts also go to the cause? It just doesn't get any better than that. Is it August 14th yet!?
​Get your tickets to Epic Music Showcase '21 by clicking HERE. 

[Look for an announcement regarding the arrival of the official EMS21 event shirts in July. Note: Ticket price increases to $25 day of show at the gates]