Lou Gramm of Foreigner w/Seventh Rize

Sometimes a bad situation can be the impetus for a career change. In the case of ex-Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm, that’s exactly what happened.

Gramm fronted Foreigner, one of the most successful bands of the 1970’s and 1980’s when he was lead vocalist on dozens of hit songs, including “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Urgent,” “Double Vision,” “Juke Box Hero,” “Head Games” and “That Was Yesterday.” He also co-wrote most of the songs for the band, who achieved two of their biggest hits with “Waiting for a Girl Like You” which spent 10 weeks at No. 2 on the 1981-82 American Hot 100, and “I Want to Know What Love Is” which was a No. 1 hit internationally in 1985... [Read more]

Cypress Hill is notable for being the first Latino hip-hop superstars, with a new funk that became extraordinary influential in ‘90s hip-hop. DJ Muggs crafted the sound, and B Real, with his pinched, nasal voice, was responsible for the rhetoric that made them famous. The group began pioneering a fusion of Latin and hip-hop slang, developing their own style by the time Mellow Man Ace left the group in 1988. Renaming themselves Cypress Hill after a local street, the group continued to perform around L.A., eventually signing with Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1991. With its big beats, B Real’s exaggerated nasal whine, and cartoonish violence, the group’s eponymous debut became a sensation in early 1992, several months after its initial release. The singles “How I Could Just Kill a Man” and “The Phuncky Feel One” became underground hits, earned them many fans among the alternative rock community. Cypress Hill followed the album with Black Sunday in the summer of 1993, and while it sounded remarkably similar to the debut, it nevertheless became a hit, entering the album charts at number one and spawning the crossover hit “Insane in the Brain.” Cypress Hill will be live, at Dos Amigos on May 18th.

Chapter 6 is a professional A Cappella ensemble from Illinois. Comprised of six vocalists and one arranger, Chapter 6 is the only vocal ensemble to win both The International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella (2001) and the prestigious National Harmony Sweepstakes (2004). Chapter 6 has appeared with The National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, and was featured on “American Idol: Season 7” in conjunction with band mate Luke Menard’s Top 16 run.

When Maria and Pedro Ortiz started their small catering business more than 15 years ago, it was out of a real necessity to provide for their family after job losses and what was then a declining economy in the area. The now well-known Casa Ortiz is the result. Cooking and preparing meals for large groups had always been a hobby for this family, each having their own strong individual talents that would eventually lend itself to their now thriving business. Pedro was great on the grill, making brisket and Bar-B-Q; Maria had a flair for pasta and potato salad, one item she has always been well known for. Now, this devout Christian family all participates in various areas of the business, their daughters Gracie, Patty, and Jessica all have a hand in the day-to-day operations of the catering business itself and also the restaurant, which started off as a small location with only five tables. The Casa Ortiz location has now widely expanded and has been open more than 6 years.