A King Falcon Interview and Dazzling Show from Des Rocs

Interview and article by Greta B. Wogsland

On Tuesday, April 14th, rock and rollers from the Chicago area and beyond left the humid thunderstorm outside, and filed into the Bottom Lounge in the west loop. In this intimate venue, they created their own electric thunderstorm. Anticipation grew for the lineup; King Falcon, ROMES, and the headliner, Des Rocs.

At seven fifteen, King Falcon took the stage. The three man band set the tone for the rest of the concert, they got the room moving. Straight out of Queens with Mike Ruben on vocals and guitar, Joe Conserva on bass, and Dip Chakraborty on drums, they delivered a headbanging, foot tapping, exhilarating thirty minute set. They performed songs from their album Plastic Crown, as well as other E.P s. Prior to the show, King Falcon agreed to an interview:

What should a listener know about you guys?

Joe: “We’re a group, not a groove face, but like we're here for high energy performances.”

How did you guys come to be?

Mike: “Okay, so I started the band in, like, 2019, 2020-ish. I met these guys about three years ago.

So I had like a band I grew up with and they didn't want a tour so much. So, like with the band, and Joe actually had booked us to play a gig. So I called him to cancel the gig.

Joe: And then.. Yeah, I suggested instead of canceling the gig, I just fill in.

Mike: So I found a basis and then we needed a drummer. So literally went to an open mic night and everybody kind of sucked apart from one guy and it was dead. I sucked the mess.

He sucked less. And the funny thing about that is that Dib had just moved to the U.S. from India. And it was like kind of one of the first gigs that he had played in the U.S. And I never go to open mics because I can't stand open mics because they usually suck.”

How would you describe yourself/What has influenced you?

Mike: So I think that all of our influences come from elsewhere, and when you put those things together and it sounding like those bands, you know, like for me, it was all classic rock, it was Zeppelin, it was Floyd, my favorite band is Steely Dan, you know, which is like, I think I'm the only person under 50 that likes Steely Dan, but I'm in the top .1% of listeners and reliable Dan fan. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, it's not like those comparisons bother me because I think they're accurate, but they're not bands that I listen to. if that makes any sense. 

The performance that followed broke any silence in the venue, and left the audience excited for what was to come.

The next opener was ROMES. A brother duo band out of Toronto consisting of Jacob and Nicolas Bitove. Their sound could be described as punk, electronic, and exciting. To my left there was a fan jumping and shouting every lyric towards the stage until the singer pointed and said, “I see you!”. Which is one of the special joys of being in such an intimate venue. Some of their hits such as “chillthefuckout” and “Raining the fire”. ROMES gets their distinct sound from their use of a synthesizer in addition to drums, voice, and guitar. Throughout the set, they frequently switched between the guitar, and the analog synthesizer. 

The stage goes red, the intensely familiar “O Fortuna” begins to play, as each band member slowly emerges one by one through the smoke machine, and picks up their designated instrument. Once Des entered, the crowd lost it, as their cheers drowned out the opera that scored the whole scene. Then they broke out into their first song. Des Rocs is witty, expressive, and trails across the stage like a shooting star. He frequently introduced his songs playfully. Early in the show his banter was as follows, “I’m thirsty, I think I could use some. . .” and the audience began to cheer before he could finish his sentence. “Juice” Then he began to play his new song, “The Juice”, as the whole crowd jumped around. 

Des Rocs, also known as Danny Rocco, is from New York City, and is often joined on stage by fellow musicians William Tully and Eric Mendelsohn. His sound is very much rock and roll, and is easy to move to. Often during the show, Des would bend over his guitar, and every muscle in his face would melt into a profound expression, like a theater mask, as he strummed each chord.

Halfway through his set, Des began to introduce a new song he had never sung live before. To the audience’s surprise he announced the release of his newest album To Hell and Back, scheduled to release on June 12, 2026. Des Rocs is a true performer, and never seemed to wear out. His expressions, spins, and overall performance remained utterly captivating for the entire concert. It was as if his one mission was to get the whole room to move: he absolutely succeeded.