Coach: All-Glenview band defies age and stays Artificially Hip

It all started at a pig roast.

Not many stories start with that opening line, but that is exactly where local band Artificially Hip got its start.

"We were helping to host a big multifamily neighborhood party pig roast, and a couple of our friends at the party thought they might play a few tunes," said band member (and proud pig roast host) Rich Carrigan. "We had hired a professional band, but between sets neighborhood buddies John Dale and Tom Fay asked if they could get up and play."

And that is how it all began.

Dale and Fay both had some musical experience and did well. Little did they know, audience members, neighbors and friends Bill Phelan and the aforementioned Carrigan were nursing musical interest as well.

All four knew each other and lived within a couple blocks in central Glenview, so when Phelan and Carrigan approached Dale and Fay about maybe getting together and jamming a bit, it was an easy do. The four met in Fay's basement in what became one of many jam sessions.

"There was some immediate chemistry," said Carrigan. "We all enjoyed playing together. At some point, after many practice sessions, we decided to play for a small backyard party just to see how we'd do performing in front of others and not in a basement.

"For me personally, it was the first time I ever sang in public," laughs Carrigan. "Prior to that, I was pretty much just singing in the shower."

The small backyard gathering went well, and it encouraged the group to keep playing and practicing. But it was all very part time, as they were raising families and working real jobs.

Before venturing out for any larger performances, they realized they needed some "additional weapons" if they were going to get a bit more serious.

Enter fellow neighbor, keyboard player and vocalist Pete Langas. He was happy to join the guys, who were all his friends anyway. The band of four was now a gang of five.

They secured their first real gig at Potato Creek Johnny's on Waukegan Road (since then Whiskey River, but currently temporarily closed).

"We came to the owner at the time and basically told him we will play for nothing, just give us some beer for free and we are good to go," Langas said. "We were just looking for a place to play and see how we do. The owner agreed, and afterward it was so successful he ended up giving us a couple hundred bucks and even let us drink the expensive beer!"

"Successful" would be an understatement. It was their very first public appearance and the place was packed! Family, friends, friends of friends, and innocent bystanders were all witness to the debut performance of Artificially Hip.

Hundreds crammed into the bar, and with only two bartenders on duty, getting a drink that night was harder than slamming a revolving door. The bar was totally unprepared for the large audience.

That first appearance at Potato Creek Johnny's was the watershed moment for the group, the one that kick-started the band members into believing they could be something more than just a backyard band.

They began to grow in many ways - in confidence, in ability, in sound, and in repertoire. They added to their ever-growing song list, which includes staples such as "Gimme Shelter" by the Stones, "Glory Days" by Springsteen, and "S.O.B." by Nathaniel Rateliff, which Langas dots perfectly with the exclamation mark in his vocals.

"We probably have close to a hundred songs we can do now," said Langas. "Every once in awhile we meet, take a vote, and add a few more songs. We call our music classic rock - and soon-to-be classic rock."

So Artificially Hip was off and running, but they were still missing something - another vocalist, and maybe a female voice at that. Enter Cat Rolfes, yet another Glenview neighbor and friend.

"Cat was performing with a few other bands at the time," said Carrigan, "but after practicing and doing a few gigs with our group, she decided to quit those bands and hop on with us full time. Cat's joining us really helped take the band to another level as far as sound and quality, and definitely added to the professionalism of the band."

So the ever-growing gang became five guys and a girl, and the group was off and running.

They did appearances at Grandpa's Place, the Glenview Golf Course, Ten-Ninety Brewing, Blocktoberfest in Glenview and the Valley Lo Streetfest.

But as much fun as the bar appearances have been, what they really enjoy is doing performances for charitable organizations.

"We don't do this for money, we do it for fun," Langas said. "The times we have been able to help out worthy organizations have been the most satisfying."

One of the group's most successful shows was at "Luke Strikes Back" for The Luke Gregory Foundation, which is named after Glenview student Luke Gregory, a neighborhood family friend who has bravely battled cancer since an eighth grade diagnosis some eight years back. (Luke is doing well and currently in college.)

So how did the name Artificially Hip come about for this gang of 50- and 60-somethings?

"I was on a beach in Lakeside, Michigan," recalls Carrigan, "and my brother-in-law Justin Kenny was with me. I mentioned to him that we were looking for a new name for the band (in the early days they went by Illi-Noise) and he asked me to tell him a little bit about the band. I said really, we are just a bunch of older guys playing some music. He thought for a few minutes and came up with Artificially Hip. Everyone in the group loved it and off we went."

For program and scorecard purposes here is their official lineup: Tom Fay, drums; Bill Phelan, bass; Cat Rolfes, vocals and guitar; Pete Langas, vocals and keyboard; Rich Carrigan, vocals and guitar; and John Dale, lead guitar.

The Artificially Hip gang will be back in action Saturday, July 29, for their first appearance at the Glenview Grind on Waukegan Road.

Following that they are scheduled for their yearly performance at the Glenview Golf Club on Saturday Aug. 26 - always one of their best-attended events.

For more information and updates on the band, follow Artificially Hip on Facebook.

• Jon Cohn of Glenview is a coach, retired PE teacher, sports official and prep sports fan. To contact him with comments or story ideas, email jcsportsandtees@aol.com.