Altgeld Forgotten

Altgeld Forgotten is three dudes who play too many video games. But not the video games you'd expect three dudes in a band to play. Altgeld Forgotten plays video game football. They like their fantasies firmly grounded in reality. Just like their music.

But seriously folks. Altgeld Forgotten (Altgeld for short) has been accused of being political and trying to change things with their music. This couldn't be further from the truth. The only cause they subscribe too is called "Getting it Off Your Chest through Song." If you're going to write a song, the least you could do is mean it. Rather than perform songs for the radio or the dollar, Altgeld plays to express frustration, anger, confusion, relief, etc. You know, emotions. They're not the most skilled musicians (working on it...), but they have their own voice. And that's gotta count for something.

Altgeld has been together for two years now after Steve decided he could learn the drums. That first year doesn't really count, because Steve couldn't play drums. But we've since played just about every dive in Chicago, been spit on in a barn outside Racine, and witnessed Police on a power trip in Springfield.

Where 9 out of 10 bands in this city are taking a desperate stab at some huge record contract, we're just trying to be heard. That sets us apart from most bands. We mean it. We're earnest. We don't resent people with record contracts, or bands trying to be successful. We just think that you can hear when a band is trying to fit a paradigm in order to be successful. And we're just trying to find our own way.

Or maybe we are just pretentious dicks who are kidding ourselves. But I don't think so.