Local Bands Team Up For Classic Rock Benefit Concert

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Chicago-based band The Generations is teaming up with The Wise Gus and Joey's Song to perform a "4 Decades of Classic Rock," show for a good cause on Friday.

This will be the third show that The Generations is raising money for Joey's Song, a nonprofit charity that focuses on supporting epilepsy research and support. Frontman Rob Stepen said he makes it a habit to raise money for nonprofit organizations at the band's shows and through his merchandise.

"It aligns perfectly with my belief in using my music and influence to support meaningful causes," Stepen said. "This came about when I was growing up, and my brother and sister also were influenced by our parents to really pay it forward and help people who are less fortunate."

There are still tickets available for Friday's show at the Des Plaines Theatre at 8 p.m.

The Generations released their debut album in October 2024, which includes two previously lost tracks Stepen recorded in the 1980s and forgot about for 38 years. It wasn't until two years ago, when Stepen decided to take a look in his attic, that the songs “Have You Seen My Heart” and “Your Way,” resurfaced.

"In this one box, it was like a musical Time Capsule," Stepen said. "I thought, 'How am I going to restore these? And how am I going to digitize them so I can listen to what I wrote back in the 80s?"

In his pursuit to remaster his songs, another musician friend, Jim Perkowitz, introduced Stepen to one of the greats, iconic producer Steve Albini. During his career and before he passed last spring, Albini worked with some huge names in music, including Nirvana, the Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin.

When Stepen told Albini about his issue, the producer agreed to help restore and digitize the songs.

Recording with Albini was an exhilarating and nostalgic experience, Stepen said. Albini was very methodical in his approach, mirroring what was done back in the 80s and recording on reel-to-reel tape.

Stepen recalled a time during a session when a band member made a mistake, and the group was prepared to go back and record the whole thing over again before Albini stopped them.

"He goes, 'Now, watch me.' And he took an exacto knife or a razor blade, and he cut out, like a rectangle of the mistake," Stepen recalled. "We were floored. I mean, my drummer still ha that rectangle."

The Generations are now in the process of recording their second studio album, which will include a tribute to Stepen's close friend Fred Glickstein, a founding member of the influential Chicago jazz-rock band The Flock, who passed away in 2023.

The song, titled "Heaven Bound," is an original The Flock song that Stepen re-recorded to honor his friend's memory. The Des Plaines show will be the first time an audience will hear The Generations perform the re-recorded version of the song.

"It is such a warm feeling in my heart that I could carry Freddy's legacy on," Stepen said. "Even though he is not here, people will hear the song that he wrote. It's just an honor for me and a privilege to carry that legacy on in his name."