Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest: Lucero

Lucero, the small batch bourbon of American rock bands, captivates largely via the cigarette rasp and storytelling of Ben Nichols. The Memphis men come off like a Replacements with more tattoos and pickup trucks, and though on record they've been adding in the brassy horns that are part of their geographical DNA, a dingy stage remains their native territory. They team with the rootsy psych-pop of the Sadies as part of the 2015 Chicago Bluegrass & Blues Fest, though the two acts are neither.