Jazz Up Your Friday Night with The Claudettes!

Get ready to jazz up your night on Friday, February 21, 2025, at 8 p.m. with The Claudettes, an original Chicago band that delivers what the Minneapolis Star-Tribune calls, “A skewed cabaret band of Blues, Jazz, and Rockabilly…a sensibility that feels equal parts James Dean and David Lynch.”

Join Raue Center For The Arts in our onstage Blues lounge with a bar and dance floor for an evening of original music! Grounded in Blues and Jazz, yet pushing the boundaries of Rock, the Claudettes are writing the most riveting chapter of their story. With six albums on Forty Below Records and Yellow Dog Records, the Claudettes have earned international acclaim for their piano-powered “garage cabaret” sound, featuring Rachel Williams (vocals), Johnny Iguana (piano, vocals, songwriting), Zach Verdoorn (bass, guitar, vocals) and Michael Caskey (drums).

“We started out as a piano-drums instrumental duo,” explained Iguana, co-composer of the original score of the smash FX/Hulu series The Bear and winner of ten 2024 Emmys. “We expanded over time to include guitars and vocals. Rachel Williams joined us about two years ago and the band has risen in every way since that happened (and not just because she’s a six-foot-tall Texan). A new album is coming in 2025, along with a lot more touring. People can read and hear more at theclaudettes.com.”

As for the live show, Iguana explains that the Claudettes bring a rare combination of heart, soul, and impressive musicianship. “Rachel brings theatrical flair, costume changes, and magnetizing stage presence,” he said. “Zach, Michael, and I play some intricate and exciting passages on our instruments, but we always lead with the heart, and people come away moved by these songs and by this band. People who want to witness a fresh, unique spin on American roots music must come see this! I have played piano on many Grammy-nominated albums (featuring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, and more), and I have toured all over the world, but the Claudettes is the greatest band I’ve ever played with.”

Iguana went on to say that The Claudettes are a really special, one-of-a-kind live band because of their exciting instrumental solos. “We have our improvising moments within these compositions, but it’s the emotions that reach people. Across our show, the songs go from house-rockin’ to heartbreaking, and it all is honest stuff. We wear our hearts on our sleeves, and we tell funny jokes, too. ‘We’ll make you laugh and we’ll make you cry’ is quite the cliche, but it’s true in this case! It ends up as tremendous fun in the end, and people will be debating about what bands to compare us to. People cite the B-52′s, Amy Winehouse, Annie Lennox, Black Keys, White Stripes, Lake Street Dive...and yet, no one thing covers it.”

More can be seen, heard, and understood on https://linktr.ee/theclaudettesofficial.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please contact:

Raue Center For The Arts

26 N. Williams St.

Crystal Lake, IL 60014