Mr. Blotto was formed in 1991 as an off-night musical
vehicle for its members. After a brief run as an opening act word of
their dynamic sound began to spread. The members of Mr. Blotto found
themselves playing to packed houses. In response to repeated fan requests
for tapes of shows and the surprise popularity of a series of bootlegs,
Mr. Blotto released their debut CD, Parking Karma in August of 1992.
Parking Karma draws upon the Blues and Country influences of the band.
It was popular to a degree that even shocked the band. Clubs began filling
to capacity earlier in the night, and more and more owners called for
bookings. The band began to play larger venues. A fifth member was added
to play keyboards.
This busy playing schedule and added sonic dimension led to the release
in July of 1994 of their second CD, Bad Hair Day. Propelled by the constant
jukebox and radio play of songs like "Kiss Me in the Morning"
and "Sail Away Virginia, the CD propelled the band to new heights.
Early on, Mr.Blotto began archiving their performances by taping each
show from their soundboard. Fans heard these tapes, and began to copy
them and make their own recordings of the group for themselves. Before
long, Mr. Blotto bootlegs were crossing the nation.
With over one thousand shows under their belt, and thirty thousand CDs
sold, it's easy to see why this is the top drawing Chicago Band year
after year. The live shows are very fresh, dynamic and entertaining.
The audience is invited to participate in a number of ways, from Jeopardy
question requests to an improvisational rap session based upon what
the audience is doing at the time. Needless to say each night is unique
and that explains why fans and newcomers alike see this band on consecutive
nights.
In July of 1998 came the release of the third CD, Ancient Face. This
album continues the musical development of the band. It features 13
songs and clocks in at over 70 minutes. While the original Blues and
Folk influences remain obvious, this album takes the instrumental solos
even further.
In January of 2000, the band released a live CD of their October 1999
show at the Vic Theatre in Chicago. No re-mixing was done, it came straight
from the soundboard, just the way Blotto fans like it. It contained
material from the 3 CDs and new songs not yet recorded. It quickly sold
out. The band now releases a new live CD a couple times a year, and
is in the final stages of mix down on their fourth studio CD and as
usual the fans say it can't happen quickly enough...
