Lemont High School Graduate In Running To Open for Metallica

LEMONT, IL -- Lemont High School graduate Greg Gromek and his bandmates from Black Bear Rodeo are in the running to open for Metallica on their summer tour. Black Bear Rodeo was one of ten Chicago bands selected by WLUP for Metallica's nationwide "Hit the Stage" contest. Fans can vote now to advance two Chicago-area bands -- including Black Bear Rodeo -- to the final round of ten bands on Metallica.com. Voting ends Wednesday.

“This is a life changing opportunity and a huge accomplishment for any local talent,” band member Justin Neese said. “It’s always been our dream to tour and play in a big stage. Metallica is a legend and we want to play alongside a legend.”

Bandmates Neese (guitar and vocals), Anthony Perez (drummer), Gromek (keyboard) and Josh Mitchell (bass) all grew up playing rock 'n roll grew up. Neese and Perez met each other at Oak Lawn Community High School. Gromek went to Lemont High School and Mitchell attended Reavis High School in Burbank.

Veterans of Oak Lawn’s Battle of the Bands’ competitions back in the day, the musicians hooked up two years. Black Bear Rodeo is also involved with the Oak Lawn Arts Commission.

“We’re an original band,” Neese said. “We did do a few covers on our [2015] album ‘Garble,’” Neese said. “We just released an EP in February with three original songs, ‘Girl X,’ ‘California’ and ‘Piggy Piggy.’”

Black Bear Rodeo worked with renowned recording engineer Steve Albini for their EP BUNK. Albini is famously known for engineering Nirvana’s "In utero", the Pixies "Surfer Rosa" and Cloud Nothings "Attack On Memory.” BUNK was recorded at two big Chicago studios Treehouse Records and "Electrical Audio" with Albini as producer and engineer. The band’s full length album "GARBLE" was recorded in Million Yen studios with Andy Gerber.

The selected band will open five dates of Metallica’s upcoming tour. Voting on the Loop ends Wednesday. Fans can only vote once.