Gorilla Tuesday: Indie Grit, Electric Riffs, and the Thrill of Live Music

Gorilla Tuesday is an indie rock band blending folk-punk energy with electric riffs, drawing comparisons to Flipturn, Modest Mouse, and Wilco. Led by vocalist and songwriter Jimmy Brown, the band’s lineup includes Matt Shack (guitar), Steve Trifilio (bass), and Mick Smith (drums). Their journey started in 2023, growing from jam sessions into a dynamic live act, with upcoming shows in Chicago, Ohio, and beyond. For them, nothing beats the rush of performing live and hearing fans sing their songs back. Stay tuned for more music, bigger shows, and a wild ride ahead!

Q. What is your name/name of band/band members’ names.

We are Gorilla Tuesday! I am Jimmy Brown – I do vocals and acoustic, along with most of the songwriting. We also have Matt Shack on electric guitar and Steve Trifilio on the bass. Our newest member is our drummer, Mick Smith! Mick joined the band after we played with his other act, Runner and Bobby during the summer. Our old drummer Gabe Madson moved back to Minnesota in August.

Q. Where did the inspiration for your band’s name come from?

We came up with the name in late May of 2023. We had our first show (a living room performance at my apartment) coming up in a couple weeks. Names like The Men to Blame, Catholic Takeout, and Double Lung Transplant were thrown around, but none really stuck. When I was at my office job, texting the band group chat, I looked at the coffee mug I had stolen from my first internship. It had a funny lookin’ monkey on it, with the mug’s handle as the “arm” of the monkey, grabbing the lip of the cup. I was like “monkey something…monkey…gorilla…Gorilla Tuesday!” I texted the name to the chat and Shack replied with an “lmao”. I put it on the poster, saying we can change it later. Here we are today!

Q. Can you tell us a bit about the origin your music/band?

The band really sprouted simultaneously with my bassist Steve’s band, North Coast. Steve was the one who set up the first jam sesh, having met Gabe through a Hinge match’s recommendation. In March 2023, I happened to be out with Matt and Steve near “The O” around Loyola. They were chatting about music. My brother Billy was nearby – he knew I had been learning guitar for a couple years. He was like “When are you gonna have Jimmy jam with y’all?” and Steve said something along the lines of “that’d be chill, we’re actually meeting this drummer guy at his house in like a week”. Thus we became both North Coast and Gorilla Tuesday after a few seshes, spread over a few months.

Q. How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard your music before?

I try and use the descriptions/identifiers that other people give me after shows. Its difficult to identify by ourselves. Gorilla Tuesday makes indie rock, with a folk punky edge in some songs. Think americana meets some nice hard electric riffs. We’ve had comparisons ranging from Flipturn, Vampire Weekend, and Pinegrove, to Modest Mouse, The Mountain Goats, and Wilco.

Q. Do you have any upcoming shows or tours planned that fans should look out for?

We heading out with Runner and Bobby to Kent State, OH the last weekend of March, with possible stops in Indianapolis and Denison. Gtues is planning to hit up The Madwater Saloon in Dixon IL in April! We also are working on a big Chicago headliner show in May, though I can’t give any more details on that.

Q. What is your take on social media and how it influences an artist’s career?

Social media has tons of power. I don’t think we’re super effective at harnessing that power quite yet, but I’m hoping to get a bit better about it. To me, there’s not much use in bemoaning its necessity in modern music promotion. I don’t think it’s going away. I’m super happy with our relationship to our fans in the Chicago area and our really great draw due to their dedication. However, I do know that the next step up in the industry will probably require us to get bigger in the internet space. I just have to hope the social media zeitgeist’s great and terrible eye gazes on whatever new release we’re putting out haha.

Q. What are some of your favorite venues to perform at and why?

We played the old DIY Bookclub space a handful of times, and are super excited to play their new one eventually. I highly recommend seeing a show there, its pretty dope. Other than that, we have had great experiences at Cobra Lounge, G-Man Tavern, and Sleeping Village, where we got to play at a celebration show for the kickbutt band Beach Bunny last March.

Q, If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

My favorite album of all time personally is The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse. However, I think my answer to this question in particular is Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You by Big Thief. It’s the longest no-skip album I’ve ever heard!

Q. What do you think is the most rewarding part of being an artist?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is the actual playing of a show. I love the energy live music brings. There’s no better feeling than singing your song and hearing the audience sing it back to you. I listen to our recorded tracks a bunch too, and that feels great to have put your art out into the world, but live performance still takes the cake. I totally buzz when I’m chatting with peeople at the merch table.

Q. If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I would collaborate with Modest Mouse. They are hands down my favorite band and a massive portion of the reason I picked up the guitar. Other than that, my favorite director, David Lynch. RIP!

Q. If your music could be the soundtrack to any movie or TV show, which one would you choose?

This is a real tough one. I don’t watch much TV, so I’m gonna go with a movie. It’s tough to think of many genres our stuff could fit – maybe a rom-com like Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Option two, I’ll choose whatever the next Knives Out sequel is.

Q. Where do you see yourself/band and your music in the next five years?

I am planning on playing to even bigger and more enthusiastic crowds, putting out even more great music, and working with even more cool and unique artists! Why plan on anything else?