stellar ROAD

"It had been more than five years since Stellar Road fans had an album full of fresh songs to listen to – the band’s latest effort, “Self Titled,” proves to be well worth the wait."

“I headlined the Metro.”

Stellar Road frontman belts one out during the band’s biggest show to date: Soldier Field, 30,000 fans. Yeah, top that.
Not a bad way to start a rock resume. Especially since Metro happens to reign as the indie-rock mecca of Chicago, christened by most local, start-up rock bands as the city’s great “unattainable dream stage.” Talk about street cred for the little guy: It’s kind of like sending Joe College to get the Bears’ coveted quarterback slot (unless your name is Rex Grossman), although that might be stretching it.

But wait. Try this on for size: “I played Soldier Field.”

Yeah. Um … insert “president of the United States” and “George H.W.’s kid” into the quarterback scenario, and maybe we’d have a deal. Maybe. Throw in a little “we opened up for Nickelback and Bon Jovi,” and I give up. Chance-in-a-lifetime metaphors wouldn’t have a chance in hell even if the sky suddenly opened up and started raining Goldschlager.

Unattainable is an understatement for any band considering Soldier Field as their stage … except the Rolling Stones and U2, right? Wrong.

Jack Daly, lead singer of the Chicago-based Stellar Road, and his band mates played for a standing crowd of more than 250 on Sept. 1. The concert, hosted by Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, raised nearly $1,200 to benefit Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camp for Terminally Ill Children.

Taking the stage in front of 300 people is an easy task for Stellar Road. Their show on July 21, however, was just a little bit different for the band, which features Jack and Michael Daly of Orland Park.

Most people were inside the stadium, fighting for a spot right along the edge of the seating area so that they could see the band and still be out of the rain.

Performing as one of the opening acts for Bon Jovi's Soldier Field show Friday in Chicago proved to be quite the stellar event for Orland Park's Stellar Road. The five-member band performed a nearly 40-minute set of original acoustic-roots rock tunes before fellow opener Nickelback's show.

Congratulations to the boys of Stellar Road! The regional acoustic-driven jam band will experience life in the big leagues of rock ‘n' roll this evening when they step onstage in front of tens of thousands of music fans at Soldier Field to play a 30-minute set of their original songs prior to a set by Bon Jovi tour mates Nickelback.

Jack Daly talked to the Sun-Times about the band's big break.

It's not every day an unsigned rock band from the south suburbs gets to open for an act that's sold more than 100 million albums. But for Stellar Road, Friday will be one fine day. The acoustic roots-rock quintet will perform for 50,000 fans at Soldier Field in Chicago after winning a contest to open for Bon Jovi.