photo by James Warden

Welcome to the DragKing web page.

We hope you enjoy your visit.


DragKing is a Chicago based music collective that has been performing and recording music since the winter of 1989/1990. If you would like to find any of our recordings please contact our friend and patron Mark Ferguson of Hard Boiled. This page will try to introduce you to the band and each of it's members. It will also try to explain some of the philosophies and ideas of DragKing.

What Does DragKing sound like?
DragKing at first listen would have to be called "indie" rock. The kind of stuff you hear on college radio stations. Non-commercial to say the least. DragKing is anti-pop music. We tread a fine line between more traditional "songs" and noise. DragKing is in an interesting nitch. The pure noise camp finds DragKing to be too "structured" and song oriented. While the "college rock" crowd finds DragKing to be too noisy. In many ways, like most bands, DragKing is the sum of each of it's members influences. These influences are wide ranging. Everything from dub, to free jazz, to noise, to punk, to funk--Guru Ted E.
But don't take our word for it. You can read what others have written, positive and negative, on our Reviews page.
And, of course, you can check out what DragKing sounds like yourself on another page about Indie Authenticity Crisis, our most recent full length release.

DragKing Live
The new DragKing performance ensemble has been playing out in the Chicagoland area. For more information about upcoming shows you can check out our news page. Please write to us if you know of opportunities to share our music.

DragKing is a "political band"
DragKing believes that music does carry a message. DragKing wants to take responsibility for the message its music conveys. What is DragKing's message? That's not easy to sum up in a few sentences but it's basically one of empowerment and self determination. Please feel free to check out the political part of the main DragKing web page for more debate--Guru Ted E.


The DragKing Collective
DragKing used to be more of a traditional "band". Recently though we've evolved into more of a collective. There are more frequent contributors, and there are other collaborators who join us for one project or another. We get together in various configurations to explore the different sounds that different lineups bring. Some of the more frequent participants have written some of their ideas below:

(Click on the photographs to check out each person's page)

Birdman Stelios

Sluggo's photo... Sluggo

Guru Ted E. Gray Guru Ted E. Gray

Wardo's rotating skull Mark Wardo

The Cubby One is here! DJ Chubby Flea

L.V. Where are you? LV

our new lead guitarist Jen


Lazo is broken:( Mark Lazo

a.p. harris is dead a.p. harris

Alex Martin

Other musicians who have collaborated in some way with DragKing include Mr. Duke Lee, Nobuyoshi Stowe, Craig White (formerly of Repulse Kava), Cole Iler, Carla Bruce Lee, and James Warden. For more links to our friends check out the following URL: http://www.dragking.org/DKnews.html#friends .


back to main DragKing page.