The Empty Can Band, Aurora’s hometown rock and blues band will celebrate 20 Years at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 with a Livestream from The Venue through Facebook and YouTube. Proceeds from the show will go to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, www.pancan.org. This illness is very near and dear to the members of The Empty Can Band. In November 2010, the band’s original drummer, Paul Wegman, died from the disease. He was an amazing husband, father, and bandmate. He was taken at the early age of 52 and his loss shocked those who were involved in the band and left a void that could never be filled. There will be two power-packed live sets at The Venue, the best sound music room in the Fox Valley!
Hambone from Hambone’s Blues Party calls The Empty Can Band, “The best bar band in the land.” The Empty Can Band, with two original albums, has been performing for Fox Valley and Chicago audiences for 20 years. Performances have included headlining Aurora’s Downtown Alive, where they have opened for international touring acts Koko Taylor, The Outlaws, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees. They all have played at the local clubs including Two Brothers Roundhouse, Ballydoyle, The Shore Club, The Phoenix Club, and The Venue in Aurora. Their music is a crowd-pleasing mix of rock, blues and Americana, and covers several decades of music.
The Empty Can Band has enjoyed several members over the years. Founding members Rich Van Ham, Dave Glynn and John Mackniskas are still driving the band forward. JD Klatt, another founding member and bass player, left the band prior to Paul’s passing but has played with band several times since then on bass, keys, tuba and trombone. Jim ‘Chevy’ Chevalier replaced JD and had performed with Dave for several years in the Dave Glynn Band before the ECB was formed. Todd joined the band in 2010 and has been the heartbeat of the band providing drums and vocals since the loss of Paul. Ray Rehberg joined the band in 2010 and played with the band for about seven years providing tasty guitar and mandolin. Ray also gets called back on occasion as do the Empty Can Horns featuring Lori Klatt on saxophone, Theresa Muir on flute and Dale Muir on trumpet.
The performance can be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIlhDGNGVkQdMr3WrWTXNw. The performance can also be viewed on The Venue’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheVenueAurora. Read more about the show on their website themusicvenue.org.
— The Venue