The Absentees

The Absentees formed in late 2002 as a rock cover band and replaced drummers in early 2003. Since early 2003, The Absentees have been playing with the same lineup. The band is an eclectic mix of 5 different people coming from different backgrounds with different personalities and varied musical tastes and experiences. The variety of the music preferences is reflected in the wide range of covers the band performs, ranging from Chuck Berry to The Killers and all genres of rock in between. The band has no official agent and is a hardworking band that has been self-promoted, pulling itself up by the bootstraps in order to make a name for itself in the greater Chicago area. The Absentees are unlike alot of cover bands in that they will play charities and fundraisers for free, and take requests from the crowd. The band loves to be interactive with the crowd and strives to make them feel apart of their show. In 2005, The Absentees were voted Runner-up for Best Alternative Rock band in SNL magazine's Best of the Burbs contest. In 2006 voting, The Absentees won the Best Alternative rock band category, and lead singer Mike Hart placed 5th as Best Frontman. The band loves to play clubs, festivals, weddings or parties. In 2006, The Absentees played the Main Stage on July 4th at the Taste of Lombard festival. In July-August 2006, The Absentees were 1 of 4 bands asked to perform in the Nike and NRGSports co-sponsored "Nike Run Hit Remix Battle of The Bands Contest", a testament to the good reputation and fan base the band has steadily been building.