NEWSLETTER
If you’ve spent anytime in a Wrigleyville bar or on #CubsTwitter, chances are you’ve already heard some songs from Danny Rocket and/or The Bleacher Bum Band. But if you haven’t, today’s your lucky day.
The Bleacher Bum Band is a Cubs-themed rock n’ roll group and they just put on a brand new album full of awesome and often hilarious Cubs/baseball rock songs with names like “The Ballad of John Baker,” which is about the infamous day the backup catcher got the win, and “Rob Manfred Hates Baseball,” which I’m guessing you can figure out on your own.
And since Danny is a friend of mine (we hosted Outside the Ivy on NBC Sports Chicago together with our very own Bears writer Luis Medina a couple years ago) and also a *crazy* talented musician and song writer, I was absolutely stoked to share his latest project. And I’m sure you’re going to love it, too. I mean just look at the track list (with some details on each song):
Track List
1. Florida Man – A rocker celebrating the Cubs incredible 1st baseman and philanthropist Anthony Rizzo
2. Coming Back to Wrigley – Written in 2016 after the Cubs won the World Series as an anthem for the returning champions.
3. No Fighting in the Bleachers – After Danny Rockett filmed a viral bleacher fight in September of 2018, this song was composed as a warning to all bleacher combatants.
4. Cup Snake Guy – The cautionary tale of a young man from the suburbs who finds his true calling in life building cup snakes in the bleachers at Wrigley Field.
5. Harry Lives on in the Taps – A rockabilly fantasy jam about Harry Caray having an idea in 1986 to recycle the bleacher trough pee back into Budweiser beer to save money.
6. The Ballad of John Baker – The story of Danny Rockett’s drunken night in 2014 at the Friendly Confines while John Baker the Cubs backup catcher got the win.
7. Rob Manfred Hates Baseball – Rob Manfred likes lots of things. But there’s one thing he hates. Baseball.
8. One Out Closer to a Beer – Inspired by one of John Lackey’s memorable phrases, this bluesy number cheers the Cubs to victory after last call for alcohol.
9. Ash in the Ivy – Family and friends of the dead bring cremains to Wrigley Field to spend eternity at the confines in this funky funereal tune.
Of course, Danny isn’t the only member of the band or friend of mine, so I do want to give a quick shoutout to everyone who was involved:
Band members and instrumentation.
Danny Rockett: Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Percussion, Jaw Harp
Bleacher Jeff: Guitar, Vocals
Alžan Pelesić: Bass, Vocals
Darko Kurjak: Drums
Gary Damico: Keyboards, Vocals
Alyssa Robbins: Vocals
Will Baker: Trombone (The Ballad of John Baker)
Johnny Onomatopoeia: Bongos (Florida Man)
Katie Day: Piano (Rob Manfred Hates Baseball)
“Bleacher Bum Band” is available for stream, download and purchase at Bandcamp (this is the best way to support musicians financially). But you can also get it on Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, and (soon-to-be) Apple Music.
And if you happen to like their music enough (I know you will), there are actually a few tickets remaining for Bleacher Bum Band’s Opening Day Concert at Gman Tavern (right outside Wrigley Field) on April 1st, which go on sale to the public on 3/26/21 at this link. And as if all of that weren’t enough, half of the proceeds from the concert will go to benefit Lakeview Food Pantry! How can you not love these guys?
