Tweed Funk Official Site

We have put together our best summer to-date with 22 festival/outdoor concerts and some great club dates in 4 different states!  Here is a partial listing of our festivals/concert dates please see our Tour Dates for all upcoming shows.

• UW Madison Memorial Union Terrace Concert
• Willow River Blues and Brews Festival
• Chicago Blues Festival - WCBS Stage
• Chill on the Hill Concert
• Victorian Village Concert
• Monroe Balloon and Blues Festival
• Summerfest - 6 pm Johnson Controls Mid-Gate Stage
• Geneva Ridge Concert
• Victorian Village Concert
• Traverse City Area Blues Festival
• Jazz in the Park Concert
• Wisconsin State Fair - Budweiser Pavilion
• Shorewood Summer Sounds Concert
• Wisconsin State Fair - Charcoal Grill Stage
• Music at the Market Summer Concert Series
• Boundary Waters Blues Festival
• Windhover Center for the Arts Concert
• Byron Crossroads Blues Festival
• Marquette Area Blues Festival

Tweed Funk has a big spring ahead kicking off on March 14th, 2013 with a show at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago.  Also in March is the Grafton Blues Association Blues Bash at Shank Hall and the Slippery Noodle in Indianapolis.  In April we make our debut at the Gas Lamp in Des Moines, Iowa - a Red Dog Promotions Show.

Tweed Funk's latest CD has been in the Top 20 on the Roots Music Report Top 50 Blues Albums Chart for over 2 Months!  The CD has now spent 4 months on the Chart with excellent airplay on over 160+ stations around the world.  Additionally, the CD has been #1 on the Roots Music Report State of Wisconsin Chart for 4 Months.  

The national/international, regional, and local reviews/press keep rolling in for Tweed Funk's new CD, Love Is.  Check out the latest reviews by some of the biggest national magazines in our genre including Blues Revue, Vintage Guitar, and Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine!  Also great reviews from Milwaukee Magazine, Icon Fetch (mainstream blog), Blues411, Blues Bytes, and many more!

Tweed Funk's latest CD, Love Is, not only is achieving success on the blues charts, but is hitting the charts on college radio and non-commercial AAA formats.  The mix of soul, blues, and funk appeals to a wide-ranging audience that is embracing the new CD. 

Tweed Funk's CD hits #34 on the Roots Music Report Blues Internet Chart for the week of June 8, 2012.  The CD has been hot down south on Smokestack Lightnin where it finished at #3 for the month of June right behind The Mannish Boys and Joe Bonamassa and followed up a strong June showing hit #12 for July; Love Is has spent 3 weeks on KZSU 90.1 FM Stanford Radio's Top 10 Overall Chart reaching #4, and was the #1 Blues Album for the Month of July; Love Is made the Top 25 on 10 Stations reporting to the Living Blues Charts in May; and the tune Dancemaker has spent 7 Weeks on the Wildman Steve Radio Top 65 list hitting #3.

Formed in the fall of 2010, Tweed Funk has quickly gained recognition nationally with the release of their debut CD, ‘Bringin It’. The band brings an edge to the music of their forefathers by wrapping together blues, soul, and funk in show band style. Tweed Funk has performed at some of the top venues including: International Blues Challenge - Memphis; Buddy Guy's Legends; Purdue University Opening for Buddy Guy; Slippery Noodle Inn; House of Blues – Chicago; Prairie Dog Blues Festival; Paramount Blues Festival; Blues on the Chippewa Festival; Waukesha BluesFest;  BB’s Jazz, Blues, and Soups; River City Blues Society; Summerfest; Wisconsin State Fair; and Famous Dave’s Bluesfest. Additionally, the band toured in the Midwest/South in support of their CD release.

Tweed Funk won the 2012 WAMI for R&B/Soul Artist of the Year.  For 2013 frontman Smokey took home the WAMI for Male Vocalist of the Year and Bassist Eric Madunic for Bass Player of the Year.  Additionally, Tweed Funk was nominated in 2013 for R&B/Soul Artist of the Year and Kevin Klemme for Brass/Reeds Player of the Year.  In 2011 the band was nominated for a WAMI for New Artist of the Year.  Frontman Smokey was nominated for a 2012 WAMI for Best Male Vocalist. Tweed Funk represented the Grafton Blues Association at the 2012 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. The band's debut CD, Bringin It, has been played on 150+ different stations worldwide and received great reviews in 10 different countries. Tweed Funk has been a Chicago Blues Guide Hot Pick of the Week on 5 different occasions.

Fronted by Smokey's sweet, soulful vocals, audiences can quickly hear how Smokey was a pick to hit the Billboard Soul Top 20 back in the 70’s on Curtis Mayfield’s CurTom Records with the band Love’s Children.  JD Optekar’s tasteful guitar lines and roots-rock vocals lend versatility to the band.  Eric's passion for Memphis-style soul in the tradition of Donald "Duck" Dunn can be heard in his bass playing.  The other part of the successful backbone of the band is Nick Lang on drums whose passion for jazz and blues is on display in his superb pocket-playing style.  Add in a hot 2-piece horn section of Jon Lovas and Kevin Klemme and you have a full Memphis style soul-drenched show band!