District 97

Description

DISTRICT 97 is undoubtedly the world's most musically adventurous rock band to feature an American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist. Since 2008, this quintet from Chicago has melded an adventurous, uncompromising instrumental prowess with the look, sound, and stage presence of vocalist Leslie Hunt. Through world tours and a stream of studio and live releases, the band has garnered a worldwide fanbase; collaborating with the iconic late singer/bassist John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia, UK) and Mike Portnoy (drummer of Dream Theater/Transatlantic), while drawing praise from Bill Bruford (drummer of Yes/King Crimson/Genesis) and other rock luminaries along the way. DISTRICT 97 rehearses doggedly to refine their compositions, ensemble-playing, and stage presentation; their standards for excellence have only grown more rigorous with the passage of time. Their latest studio album SCREENS (released October 2019) and its accompanying live shows set a high watermark of composition and musicianship. The COVID-19 pandemic didn't stop the band from innovating. Their
Virtual Screening Tour, expansive LIVE SCREENPLAY 2CD set (released 2021), and the stunning Ghost Girl animated short film kept them at the top of the progressive rock heap. D97 is back onstage dazzling audiences and is preparing to unleash their fifth studio album in 2023.

Work Sample

"All's Well That Ends Well" is taken from District 97's 2015 release, In Vaults. Compositionally, the pitch material in the opening synthesizer arpeggios sets the stage for much of the development that occurs as the song progresses.
This piece highlights our penchant for running thy musical gamut: exploring stately, impressionistic piano themes, odd-time jazz fusion excursions, gospel-inflected rhythmic grooves, progressive metal unison lines, and electronica all within the span of an eight-minute piece.

The pieces demonstrate our passion for melding diverse musical traditions and advanced compositional techniques within an accessible form and presentation for a broad audience.

History

DISTRICT 97 is undoubtedly the most musically adventurous rock band in the world to feature an
American Idol Top 10 Female Finalist. Since 2008, this quintet from Chicago has melded an adventurous, uncompromising instrumental prowess with the look, sound, and stage presence of vocalist Leslie Hunt.
Through world tours and a stream of studio and live releases, the band has garnered a worldwide
fanbase; collaborating with the iconic late singer/bassist John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia, UK) and Mike Portnoy (drummer of Dream Theater/Transatlantic), while drawing praise from Bill Bruford (drummer of Yes/King Crimson/Genesis) and other rock luminaries along the way.

DISTRICT 97 rehearses doggedly to refine their compositions, ensemble-playing, and stage presentation; their standards for excellence have only grown more rigorous with the passage of time. Their latest studio album SCREENS (released October 2019) and its accompanying live shows set a high watermark of composition and musicianship. The COVID-19 pandemic didn't stop the band from innovating. Their
Virtual Screening Tour, expansive LIVE SCREENPLAY 2CD set (released 2021), and the stunning Ghost Girl animated short film kept them at the top of the current progressive rock heap.

Best of all, D97 is back onstage
dazzling audiences and is preparing to unleash their fifth studio album in 2023

Artistic Vision

A fusion of the skill, scope, and ambition of art music weeded to the aesthetic sensibility of modern rock.

Programs for Specific Audience(s) Expertise

We have experience articulating the concepts behind our music and have done so in masterclass settings for teenagers and college students. Additionally, we've given frequent interviews where we go into depth on our musical modus operandi.