August 27th, 2025
Dear Boogie Nation, The funk monster is loose in Greenbay! The funk monster might just have four paws and hibernate during the winter, a bear of the blue and orange variety. On Friday, the boys from Ili-noise (plus Destiny and me, the bravest Chicago girls), drove back up to Wisconsin to the very heart of enemy territory. We boogied in the shadow of a giant green G, welcomed despite Greenbay’s rivalry with our local team. Sneezy is a Wisconsin band, if only in spirit. Near the end of their Friday set at Badger State Brewing Company, the crowd started yelling, “WE WANT THE CHEESE!” Fans were requesting, demanding really, to hear “Fat Girlfriend.” This favorite Sneezy song that doesn’t only reference the state and cultural food of Wisconsin, but specifically shouts out “GREENBAY, the Packers just won!” So much for loyalty to da Bears.
At the merch booth, I got to talk to a fan named Colin. He illuminated for me, a non-sports chick, the way this rivalry plays out. His story is similar to many I’ve heard: me and my girlfriend wandered into a bar, years ago, and instantly fell in love with the band playing. We’ve followed Sneezy ever since. It’s a typical Boogie Nation tale. Come for the funny cheese lyrics, and stay for the mind-blowing musicianship. Love at first Sneeze. Colin ended, however, with a comment uniquely Greenbay: “If you’re a band from the suburbs of Chicago, and you come up here to play, you gotta hit a certain standard. If you don’t, you’re just a band from Chicago. And f*** you, cuz f*** the Bears.” Sneezy hit the standard, exceeded the standard, and has clearly shattered the anti-Chicago Bears prejudice over years of playing in Wisconsin. During “Fat Girlfriend” on Friday, not only did the crowd scream along, but Vern’s Cheese supplied a super-accurate stage prop from the sampling station they’d set up at the brewery. Fresh curds for the cheese-eating anthem. When I went to get myself a cheese sample mid-show, our new friends from Vern’s admitted that they’d “never had this much trouble selling cheese” at the brewery. He kept trailing off, he said, because the infectious music and energetic stage presence had him turning his head away from the curious customers. Love at first Sneeze, even on the clock.
Our special guest got cheesy, too. During the encore at Badger State Brewing, Jack’s mom took the mic to remind us that shredded cheese is the best kind of cheese. Well, for a guitar solo, anyway. She’d attended our last show, at the Vibin’ in the Pines festival, so her cameo was the cherry on top of a double scoop of Sneezy. If you’ve ever looked at Jack’s pants and wondered what kind of store would sell that variety of colors and silhouettes, rest assured that it doesn’t exist. His best dancin’ pants are a mother-son collab, designed by Jack and sewn by his mom, Jill. By the time we drove home Friday night, we were all officially Cheeseheads. Destiny made sure we got home with a bounty, as the Vern’s guys gave us three full bags of the good stuff. She and Jack melted the majority of the cheese on a frozen pizza that we shared before Saturday’s gig. It rocked. After all-day drives and constantly changing states, the Saturday show in Mundelein, Illinois was a treat almost as good as that gooey pizza. At Sundance Saloon, Sneezy came home. Family and friends packed the outdoor venue to celebrate the musicians they’ve watched grow up. Our special guest, Brett’s dad, harmonica battled it out with his son. He said from the stage how excited he is for the whole world to hear this band. Brett and Jack have been playing music together since the 2nd grade, an age where you’re not quite making all the choices for yourself. The hometown pride at Sundance Saloon wasn’t some fluke of musical talent. It was the result of nurturing young people’s sense of play and cooperation, and the joy that comes from believing in the next generation’s vision.
The living room was supercharged with love on Saturday. I watched Tom spin around smiling, Lutter improvise on guitar giggling, and Koz rip solos and jokes into the microphone. Danny and Destiny stuck their tongues out at each other like siblings in a sandbox. Every Sneezy show feels like a chill kick-back with friends, but this one was a celebration of family, of the kind of love that evolves over decades. This supercharge of love made for a once in a lifetime moment for one couple. During “We Movin’ up,” the sound guy Brian came up to sing a verse. As he sang “I’m gonna make you proud for the rest of our lives,” he invited his girlfriend Ali on stage. To the screams of Sneezy fans, he got on one knee and proposed. He popped the question in the funkiest way possible, and we got to share in this couple’s courage to become family forever.
The Sneezy living room feels as cozy as a hand-me-down rug under the glow of a lava lamp. In this room, moms make stage clothes and dads play harmonies. In here, couples sing their favorite lyrics to each other on their special day. In here, you hear your new favorite song with your new favorite people. In here, we boogie. Together. The living room comes to Rhode Island next, at Rhythm and Roots festival. Come thru! There’s room for you and all your favorites. Love ya, P.S. I’m so grateful you’re reading my little letters home. Entering code ACHOO10 on our online merch store will get you 10% off your order as a thank you. If you wanna get more involved in the Sneezy universe, SEND PICS! If you post you in your merch to Boogie Nation Facebook group or as a reply to this email, we’ll add your lovely face to our website. |
August 20th, 2025
Dear Boogie Nation,
I rarely know what state I’m in anymore. Thank you for reading last week, if you did, about my triumph with Shaqueille O’Neal at Elements Fest. Austin Lutter did me the favor of pointing out that we didn’t stay our first night in New Jersey with Aunt Loretta, we stayed in Pennsylvania. In the morning, we drove to New Jersey for the gig. Some journalist I am! Take it as a truth of tour life, I can only tell what state I’m in by the fluctuating cigarette prices (Mom, I’m quitting, I swear).
It’s actually quite hard to forget which state you’re in when you’re in Wisconsin. Sneezy played last week in the only state where they’re that excited to hear “Fat Girlfriend.” In Wisconsin, cigarette prices are ok but the people are excellent. We were overwhelmed with hospitality and a crowd ready to party.
The hospitality at Summer Sounds Music Series in Cedarburg, Wisconsin was outstanding. After a sweaty load-in under the afternoon sun, the band got to enjoy an air-conditioned airstream trailer loaded with snacks and vintage toys. Flooding from the torrential rain had threatened to cancel the event. The sun came out, however, just in time for a walk beside a rushing river. Danny brought the keyboard and sang to the trees.
At Summer Sounds, many kids came up to my booth. A blunt nine year old boy posed this question to me: “Did you guys want to be here, or were you paid to be here?” I wanted to answer him: “Both. These are professional musicians, so both.” Everyone you’re about to see on stage makes some kind of sacrifice to be here, and you can’t put gas in the van without getting paid. We wanna be here, we wanna play here so badly that we have to get paid.
But I didn’t have time to explain the paradox of the working artist to three soda-addled brains who had plenty of running around and firefly catching to do. Not to mention a Sneezy set to listen to.
Summer Sounds was outside on a lawn, so many families had picnic blankets and chairs set up a good distance from the mainstage. My favorite part of the run of Sneezy shows I’ve been able to witness is watching the band draw people into their orbit. On Friday in Cedarburg, new fans of all ages got sucked into the Sneezy gravity and couldn’t help but dance. The crowd abandoned their chairs long before “Fat Girlfriend” hit them right in the hometown pride.
I was dancing with the volunteers under the merch booth, as the funk was infectious. During and after the set, we sold a record amount of Feed the Funk vinyls. The crowd loved the music and needed to take it home.
We stayed the night longtime fan Nate and his family in his beautiful house in the woods. He built us a fire to relax by despite the rain, and everyone in Sneezy is grateful for puppy cuddle time. Shoutout to their dogs Dually and Sephora.
If Sneezy stays the night, stay aware: the band will magnet to the piano in your home. We had the pleasure of having music class with 10-year-old Phoenix on Saturday morning. And before you picture Danny, Tom and Brett teaching her about the keys, rhythm, and singing– know that this class was led by Phoenix herself. She taught us her original song about wanting a new pet cat, telling everyone where to sit and correcting their reading of her handwritten sheet music. I invited in her in the van immediately. Always need someone around who can boss around the boys.
We drove deeper into the woods and started vibing with the, well, with the pines at Vibin’ in the Pines music festival. I grazed all day like a cow in our barn turned green room. Shoutout to Randy who kept us all fed and even helped me light the merch table. Vibes stayed high in Rosholt despite the river of mud that everyone paddled uphill to perform or party.
Saturday night, Sneezy was doing more than singin’ in the rain and stompin’ in the mud. The evening set brought their funk and style and stage bits to a new set of fans who I know I’ll see at the booth again. Shoutout to whoever brought that bubble gun, the place looked flooded with fairies at one point. Destiny looked like Glinda with a saxophone.
After tearing down at Vibin’ in the Pines, we had to load our cheese-stuffed selves into the van to get home before sunrise. What might surprise you is that Brett is not only a rockstar on the mic, but also the rockstar night driver, volunteering to do the late-late shift. Half the band fell asleep horizontally while a few of us tried to sleep sitting straight up. The whole band rolled home at 5AM, with two more shows played and at least two more sore neck muscles. Worth it.
Sneezy is heading back to Wisconsin this Friday to play at Badger State Brewing in Green Bay, and then doing a hometown show at Sundance Saloon in Mundelein on Saturday. Will we see you there?
Love ya,
Abbi from the Merch Booth
August 13th, 2025
August 8th, 2025
Dear Boogie Nation,
Your favorite funk band went on an Appalachian adventure last week. Sneezy breezed into Asheville as the after party for Widespread Panic. By the end of their stay, this funky family proved that the afters (and the after afters, then the after after afters) is always where the real magic happens.
Thursday night, Danny Buckets on the keys played with Josh Blakeʼs Jukebox at Asheville Music Hall. He brought the Sneezy special sauce playing shirtless.
Friday, Sneezy took the same stage for a two-hour set. Staff at Asheville Music Hall hustled for us hard, handing out all 300 wristbands provided. Had to be more in the room because no one could resist the groove. The human humidity in the hall was so thick during the Sandwich medley my own phone camera malfunctioned. The heat only intensified when special guest Susan Bauer (aka Dannyʼs mom) rapped a fresh verse for “Put the Dough In.” Sneezy invites you into the living room at every show. In Asheville, however, itʼs a family reunion. The band might hail from the midwest, but theyʼre welcomed like hometown heroes from Asheville’s passionate fans.
Saturday, Destiny blew her saxophone into the storm at One World West with Hype Machine. Brett, Austin, and Danny got in on the action, improvising, rapping and riffing until the bar closed. The weekend in Asheville was coming to an end, so we scraped the last bit of jam out of the jar, assuming weʼd drive home in the morning.
Assumption incorrect. Our trusty sprinter van Bad Girl loved the mountains a little less than we did. Due to her engine stalling out, Sneezy was stranded in Asheville for the next week waiting for repairs.
Stranded is the incorrect word. Vibing, exploring, feeding the funk, grooving the groove are more accurate. We kept building castles in Ashevilleʼs sandbox, hosted by the bandʼs manager Brian Good. The band found time to tourist around a bit, but mostly found stages to rock. From jams to karaoke to stand-up comedy, everyone in the Sneezy crew let Asheville know we were still down to get funky.
With Bad Girl bandaged up by Thursday, Asheville weekend turned week came to a close. The crew drove carefully to West Virginia, helped along the way by fans Shrimp and Marissa. Thereʼs always time for a hike and a dive bar when Sneezyʼs around.
Friday afternoon, Sneezy played Charleston, West Virginia for Live on the Levee. Sixty minutes of Sneezy blasted the downtown with psychedelic vibes. During “Feed the Funk,” the sun broke through the clouds for the first time all day. We always knew the band was feeding some comic force, and Charleston felt the heat.
Huntington, West Virginia was the last stop on the stranded in the mountains tour. Sneezy played with The Settlement and Dale Blankenship at a private party. Under the stars and disco balls, the band played for over two hours, a set of old favorites and tracks from “Feed the Funk.”
After twelve days on the road, Bad Girl rumbled back to Illinois with no issues. Sneezyʼs back at it again in just a few days, looking forward to more festivals and funkiness. If youʼd like to support us by covering lodging or van repairs, please check out the online store!
Love ya,
Abbi from the merch booth