​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]

Click HERE to get tickets through Eventbrite
Date: August 14, 2021
Time: Gates open at 4pm, Show at 5pm
Location: Hannibal POPS Club
12957 US Highway 61
New London, MO 63459
Bands: Inner Outlines, Etched in Embers, NOWAKE, Kingdom Collapse, The Lonely Ones
Charity: National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
Food and drink for sale day of show / 21+ must provide valid ID to purchase alcohol
Official event shirts available / Contact Midwest Music Mayhem to purchase
Click HERE to be directed to official Facebook event page

To help raise money for the cause (National Fallen Firefighters Foundation), we have Official Epic Music Showcase 2020 shirts for sale for $15 each ($18 for plus size). Sizes available: Adult small thru 3XL. Shipping available when using PayPal or Venmo. Please click the "contact" tab to snag some of these while supplies last!
The front features all four bands that will take the stage on August 22nd at the Hannibal POPS Club: Sixes High, Outrun the Fall, NOWAKE and the American Hitmen. The back features all the outstanding sponsors who make this show a reality PLUS the NFFF logo to show that you support their mission when you wear this shirt out and about. 
Help us help the families of fallen firefighters by purchasing some EMS2020 shirts today! All remaining inventory will be for sale at the merch table at the Hannibal POPS Club on August 22nd. First come, first serve!

We just want to let everyone know that EPIC MUSIC SHOWCASE 2020 is absolutely still a GO for August 22nd at the Hannibal POPS Club. It is a gun range, so there is PLENTY of room for social distancing and wearing a mask in encouraged for all attending. We take safety very seriously and want to ensure the safest rock show we can put on ALL WHILE raising money for National Fallen Firefighters Foundation! That group represents families of fallen firefighters... You know, the FRONTLINE workers battling it out on every medical and fire call through out this pandemic. Let's show them some love and help raise money for their brothers and sisters who are no longer with us and raise up their families!
Get your tickets NOW by clicking HERE or going through the Facebook Event Page HERE. We're selling adult small thru 3XL EMS2020 event shirts to raise even more for the cause. Message us to get yours now while supplies last! Also, the POPS Club members will be serving food and drinks, so come HUNGRY!
See you all AUGUST 22nd at HANNIBAL POPS CLUB! Gates open at 5pm and show starts at 6pm.
Lineup: Sixes High, Outrun the Fall, NOWAKE and headliners the American Hitmen