Jeff Givens and The Mugshot Saints are a swampy-rock, bluesy-country band with original music crafted around ball-busting hooks and heart-wrenching lyrics; the equivalent of a musical 8-ball, without all the repercussions. Singer-songwriter and troubadour-gypsy Jeff (The Bourbon Cowboy) Givens, is your master of ceremonies, along with his lovely side-kick and conscience, vocalist Jennifer (Momma Jen) Botka to provide true 'Dolly 'n' Porter' banter along with their heartstring harmonies. Tearing it up, is the baddest band in all the land: Luke (Loop) Smith on stopwatch-dropping drums, bassist Johnny (The Rev. Johnny G) Gadeikis holds it down smooth and can marry couples after the show, too. The Mugshot Saints' musical director, producer and true North, Jason (Mista Bocka) Botka soars these songs on guitar and also serves as keeper-of-the-reigns on The Cowboy's crossroads, soul-selling Southern swagger (sometimes a full-time job).
The Saints have been busy barnstorming some of the best venues in the Chicagoland area for the last couple years (Metro, Schubas, Martyrs', Reggie's, Elbo Room, Frankie's Blue Room in Naperville, Chicago Street Pub in Joliet).
The band is putting the finishing touches on their third album, "Bleeding Ink". For it, The Saints returned to legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL to capture the vibe, ghosts and swamp palpable in the planks of this music mecca. They returned to home base: Skye Bleu Studios in Villa Park to sweeten up the vocals and add in the sugar tracks (Cowboy does love his sugar - you should see him fix coffee!) In addition to an incredible catalogue of original material ranging from Bourbon to heartbreak, strippers to Christmas, The Saints also cover a deep well of artists: the Stones, Tom Petty, CCR, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Bonnie Raitt, Springsteen, Allman Bros, Bowie, Waylon, Willie, Merle and many more. When you bring in Jeff Givens and the Mugshot Saints, you don't just get a night filled with amazing music, where you love each song more than the last, you get a full-on Show - complete with Holler n' Swallers, blue innuendo and the occasional cuss word. The certainty...? Once you see 'em, you won't forget 'em.