Common Shiner

Common Shiner is an indie rock/Folk band originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan and now based in Chicago, Illinois . Started in 2002 by songwriters Morgan Foster and Tim Haig while both were attending Calvin College, Common Shiner varies in style from blues to rock to folk and back again. The group started out as mostly a hobby, but has since been established as a more serious endeavor, making regular appearances at a wide range of venues throughout the Chicago, Illinois and Grand Rapids, Michigan areas. The band has also toured the East Coast several times. In July, 2007, they played at the South Haven, Michigan Harborfest in front of a crowd of over 5,000 people, their largest audience to date. The current band members, drummer Vijay Bangalore, keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter Michael James Brooks, and acoustic guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Morgan Foster, as well as former guitarist Andrew Huisjen and former bassist Zach Hache, all met as undergraduates at Calvin College. When Hache moved to Arizona for work, the band hired Bangalore's long-time friend Jake Chandler to take over on bass.