Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers a band to check out

By BRIDGET ORKFRITZ

I’m always trying to find new bands to listen to.

And since I listen to a pretty wide variety of music, it’s not hard to find something that catches my ear.

A few years ago, I was at a concert in Chicago. I don’t normally pay too much attention to the opener because I’m too excited to see the band I’ve come to see, but at this particular concert, the opener grabbed my attention and was even better than the band I had originally came to see. Who was the band? Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers.

The Sixers have been around for awhile, but I hadn’t heard of them before. They captivated the audience and had extremely excitable stage presence. The Sixers jam with an indie-rock sound that includes drums, guitar and bass, with tuba, tambourine, and even a keytar thrown in on a few tracks.

The Sixers perform a lot of covers including a medley of songs throughout the decades, starting from the ’50s and lead up to the present. I had the pleasure of seeing them a few more times because they ended up going on tour with my favorite band.

The Sixers’ latest release, “Glassjaw Boxer,” includes upbeat songs that can get stuck in your head for days.