- This event has passed.
Third Coast Blues Collective with Stephen Hull & Andrew Gelles
March 27 - 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Third Coast Blues Collective is a loosely affiliated family of musicians bound by long friendships, shared history, and deep mutual respect. Drawing from the well of blues and roots traditions, the Collective brings together seasoned players who listen as hard as they play, trading stories, grooves, and grit on stage. Every performance is a living conversation. Grounded in the blues and branching into soul, Americana, and roots rock, Third Coast Blues Collective delivers music that feels worn in, well loved, and joyfully alive.
Artist bios:
Stephen Hull
Born in 1999 in Racine, Wisconsin, Stephen Hull discovered the blues at age 14 — drawn in by late-night radio blues during car rides with his father. What began as self-taught guitar lessons quickly turned into a lifelong passion. By 15, he was already gigging at local clubs and open jams.
In 2018 he formed The Stephen Hull Experience and began making waves across southeastern Wisconsin and the Chicago blues scene. With a guitar sound rooted in the traditions of Albert King, B.B. King, and Elmore James, Hull blends Texas- and Chicago-style blues with soul and funk — backed by his strong vocals and magnetic stage presence.
Over the past few years, Stephen’s rise has been meteoric. The Stephen Hull Experience has played in major national and international blues festivals and earned recognition in respected publications. In 2024 he was honored with a 2nd-place finish at the prestigious International Blues Challenge — taking home “Best Guitarist” honors.
Whether channeling classic blues standards or performing his original compositions, Hull delivers performances that are raw, soulful, and deeply rooted — yet fresh and forward-looking. For anyone who cares about where the blues go next, The Stephen Hull Experience is one to watch.
Andrew Gelles
Andrew Gelles, aka Sleepy Andy, is a guitarist/singer/songwriter hailing from Milwaukee WI. Music took root early as his father played Rock n Roll in their family home. Andy picked up the guitar around age 11, and by his mid-teens, the sounds of the Blues had taken hold. Muddy, Jimi, and the 3 Kings among others had laid down the path Andy would follow. Andy calls his music “funky, blue sounds”: a mix of rock, r&b, blues and music with a groove. His guitar playing can reimagine the six string legends of the past, while still having a sound, feel and voice all his own.
Matt Liban
Matt Liban began playing drums at just eight years old and hit the professional stage by eighteen. Thousands of gigs and countless miles later, he has become one of the most respected and versatile drummers in the Milwaukee music scene. With hundreds of musical collaborations both live and in the studio, Matt brings decades of groove, experience, and musical intuition to every performance. Now at 55, he jokes that he’s finally starting to figure out how to play—but his track record says otherwise.
Over the years, Matt has performed, recorded, or toured with an impressive roster of artists, including The 5 Card Studs, the Jim Liban Blues Combo, Willy Porter, Greg Koch, Jon Paris, Happenstance, The Blues Disciples, Reverend Raven and the Chain Smoking Altar Boys, Billy Flynn, Steve Cohen, Ian Spanic, Chief, Sammy Llanas (of the BoDeans), John Brim, “Snaker” Dave Ray, Hubert Sumlin, George Thorogood, Hudson, David Todoran, Peggy James, Tom Green, Jamie Breiwick, Wade Fernandez, The Jimmys, and the Altered Five Blues Band.
Whether driving a band with raw power or laying back with subtle finesse, Matt’s drumming is always musical, always authentic, and always unmistakably his own.
Kurt Koenig
A stalwart of the Milwaukee blues scene, Kurt Koenig’s musical journey began with piano lessons as a child. His father’s collection of boogie-woogie 78s sparked Kurt’s lifelong love of the blues. Throughout high school and college, he played in various informal settings while transitioning from keyboards to bass, In the mid-1980s. Kurt co-founded The Complainers with guitarist Perry Weber, currently known as lead guitarist for popular Madison-based band The Jimmys. His extensive career also includes stints with Billy Flynn, The Rolling Cohens, Leroy Airmaster, the Milwaukee Slim Blues Band, and the Jim Liban Combo; and opportunities to share the stage with blues legends like Sam Lay, Little Smokey Smothers, “Snaker” Dave Ray and Hubert Sumlin. In 2013, Kurt formed the Third Coast Blues Collective with Matt Liban and Jim Liban (who continues to thrive but is retired from active performance). Kurt, Matt and friends have been performing regularly with great success ever since.
Please note all ticket sales are final.
Please have ticket ready upon arrival.
