Bloomington-Normal's only rockabilly band has a new album.
Moonlight Madness is an entirely original effort from Union Avenue, a trio fronted by Christopher Myers on lead vocals and guitar.
Myers and bassist Steve Knecht started the band a few years ago. And last fall, Francis Lucente, a retired band director from Varna, joined them on drums.
The band has gained momentum touring to various rockabilly festivals and swing clubs. They’ll soon embark on their first European tour.
As for the Twin Cities’ rockabilly scene, they’re it.
“I don’t know if it’s gonna happen here,” said Myers. “We go to these festivals in Wisconsin, Austin, Nashville — the scene’s there. So, we kind go where the scene’s at. It would be great if there was a rockabilly scene here in Bloomington. There’s just not.”
Rockabilly emulates 1950s Americana. And even in songs written in 2025, Union Avenue leans all the way in. The instrumentation — Myers and Knecht play vintage stringed instruments — rhythms and lyrics don’t stray too far from classic rock and roll.
Knecht often starts with a lyric.
“I’ll wake up at 2 o’clock in the morning with some little lyric and try to write it down or hum it into my phone,” he said.
“I’m either the opposite or it comes together at the same time,” said Myers. “Normally, there’s a melody and I’m singing the melody with random words. Then I’m like, 'OK, what do I want this song to be about?'”
Often, it's about cars or babes — as songs were seven decades ago — with titles like Hod Rod Queen, Shuffle My Baby and Treat You Right on the 10-track record. The former was made into a fully produced music video at Harvest Moon Drive-In in Gibson City.
“I love that place,” Myers said. “We reached out to them to see if they’d be open to something like that and they said absolutely.”
The band was a bit “in over their heads” the night of filming, managing lights, actors [including Ottawa-based pinup model Goldie Frocks], classic cars — and keeping every hint of 2025 out of the shot.
While Union Avenue’s first record and music video were created with period recording equipment, the band used some modern technology this time around. Their four-track EP was initially released only on vinyl. Moonlight Madness is out tomorrow on CD, Apple and Spotify — to be released later on 180g vinyl.
The album was recorded at Boonville Studios in Danvers and produced, mixed and mastered by Marc Boon, Glenn Beccue and Douglas Reynolds.
“We’re a rockabilly band through and through,” Myers said. “We started doing hardcore rockabilly.”
In its purest form, rockabilly combines blues, gospel and country music, incorporating acoustic and electric guitar and upright bass. Union Avenue already was deviating by adding drums to the mix — and Myers and Knecht say Lucente’s presence since last October has been a game changer. They decided to follow their noses while making Moonlight Madness.
“About half of the songs are rockabilly. The other half aren’t,” Myers said. “We’re not sure what they are. But we know that they sound great and that’s all that matters.”
“Going forward, I think we’ve leaned things from both records,” said Knecht. “We want to keep the original intent, but with a little bit of modern polish.”
But the best way to listen to Union Avenue, they say, is live.
“You can’t capture that lightning in a bottle,” Knecht said.
Union Avenue's Moonlight Madness is out June 14 on CD, Apple and Spotify. Vinyl will be available soon. The band plays live at Connie Link Amphitheatre on July 24. unionavenuerockabilly.com.
