Guilty
Band Story
Phil Circle & Guilty: Chicago’s Shape-Shifting Rock Innovators
"If the United States has anything to offer to the world stage of music, music like this is it."
— In The Mix Magazine
"Modern Jam Heroes"
— Chicagogigs.com
Chicago’s music scene has always been a breeding ground for fearless innovation, and few artists embody that spirit more fiercely than Phil Circle and his genre-bending band, Guilty.
Founded by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Phil Circle in 1995 after years of relentless solo performances, Guilty is a band with a thousand faces — and every one of them rocks.
Guilty has been called "first-rate" by the Illinois Entertainer, and for good reason. They aren't just a band; they're an experience. With special guests constantly rotating in and out of the lineup, every Guilty show feels more like a living, breathing jam session than a rehearsed performance. Even their tightest setlists are known to spiral off into wild, improvisational adventures.
Phil Circle is a ringmaster, surrounding himself with some of Chicago's most inventive and fearless musicians, including:
Lem Roby (Jack Salamander)
Jeff "Doctor" Gilmore (Noonday Darkness)
Inderjeet Sidhu (member of all three bands)
Vince Buoncore (Guilty founding drummer)
Tony DiMartino (drummer from Ulele)
Their ever-evolving, "multiple personality" lineup has made Guilty impossible to pigeonhole — and that's exactly how they like it.
Live and Loud
Fans know the secret: no two Guilty shows are ever the same. Old songs get reborn, new songs explode without warning, and every night feels like a battle cry against mediocrity. With brisk sales of four previous albums — now bundled into a single killer compilation — and downloadable recordings available at philcircle.com, Guilty’s legacy is reaching well beyond Chicago.
They’ve rocked every kind of venue you can imagine, from gritty clubs to major stages, and their relentless originality has won them fans worldwide. Emails pour in from across the globe, celebrating the band's fearless sound and virtuosic musicianship.
The Man Behind the Madness
When he’s not leading Guilty, Phil Circle is crafting magic as a solo artist, armed only with an acoustic guitar and a soul that bleeds rock and roll. His live solo version of The Who’s "Won’t Get Fooled Again" has been hailed as "a hidden gem" by critics, and Redstreak simply called Circle "gutsy."
The Wednesday Journal/Landmark hailed him a "visionary," while In The Mix Magazine said of his songwriting:
"Thirteen songs, all from the master class... Can’t name favorites when they’re all this good."
A New Frontier: Ruby Harris Collaboration
Phil Circle isn’t done pushing boundaries. He recently teamed up with Ruby Harris, a violinist called "the world’s greatest blues violinist" and "the next Johnny Frigo."
Ruby, who studied under avant-garde legend John Cage and has graced stages from Lincoln Center to the White House, found an instant musical kinship with Circle. Together, they captured lightning in a bottle during a live show at The Gateway, producing a CD that Harris himself declared was "a new kind of music."
A New Frontier: Ruby Harris Collaboration
Phil Circle isn’t done pushing boundaries. He recently teamed up with Ruby Harris, a violinist called "the world’s greatest blues violinist" and "the next Johnny Frigo."
Ruby, who studied under avant-garde legend John Cage and has graced stages from Lincoln Center to the White House, found an instant musical kinship with Circle. Together, they captured lightning in a bottle during a live show at The Gateway, producing a CD that Harris himself declared was "a new kind of music."
The Future Is Guilt-Free
Today, Guilty, Phil Circle, and Ruby Harris proudly fly the flag of Guilt By Association Records and are presented by Grassroots Music & Productions.
If you want the purest form of Chicago's unfiltered, unrelenting, soul-shaking rock spirit, Phil Circle & Guilty are your ticket.
Grab a beer. Find a dirty club.
Let the music take over.
"If the United States has anything to offer to the world stage of music, music like this is it."
— In The Mix Magazine
"Modern Jam Heroes"
— Chicagogigs.com
Chicago’s music scene has always been a breeding ground for fearless innovation, and few artists embody that spirit more fiercely than Phil Circle and his genre-bending band, Guilty.
Founded by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Phil Circle in 1995 after years of relentless solo performances, Guilty is a band with a thousand faces — and every one of them rocks.
Guilty has been called "first-rate" by the Illinois Entertainer, and for good reason. They aren't just a band; they're an experience. With special guests constantly rotating in and out of the lineup, every Guilty show feels more like a living, breathing jam session than a rehearsed performance. Even their tightest setlists are known to spiral off into wild, improvisational adventures.
Phil Circle is a ringmaster, surrounding himself with some of Chicago's most inventive and fearless musicians, including:
Lem Roby (Jack Salamander)
Jeff "Doctor" Gilmore (Noonday Darkness)
Inderjeet Sidhu (member of all three bands)
Vince Buoncore (Guilty founding drummer)
Tony DiMartino (drummer from Ulele)
Their ever-evolving, "multiple personality" lineup has made Guilty impossible to pigeonhole — and that's exactly how they like it.
Live and Loud
Fans know the secret: no two Guilty shows are ever the same. Old songs get reborn, new songs explode without warning, and every night feels like a battle cry against mediocrity. With brisk sales of four previous albums — now bundled into a single killer compilation — and downloadable recordings available at philcircle.com, Guilty’s legacy is reaching well beyond Chicago.
They’ve rocked every kind of venue you can imagine, from gritty clubs to major stages, and their relentless originality has won them fans worldwide. Emails pour in from across the globe, celebrating the band's fearless sound and virtuosic musicianship.
The Man Behind the Madness
When he’s not leading Guilty, Phil Circle is crafting magic as a solo artist, armed only with an acoustic guitar and a soul that bleeds rock and roll. His live solo version of The Who’s "Won’t Get Fooled Again" has been hailed as "a hidden gem" by critics, and Redstreak simply called Circle "gutsy."
The Wednesday Journal/Landmark hailed him a "visionary," while In The Mix Magazine said of his songwriting:
"Thirteen songs, all from the master class... Can’t name favorites when they’re all this good."
A New Frontier: Ruby Harris Collaboration
Phil Circle isn’t done pushing boundaries. He recently teamed up with Ruby Harris, a violinist called "the world’s greatest blues violinist" and "the next Johnny Frigo."
Ruby, who studied under avant-garde legend John Cage and has graced stages from Lincoln Center to the White House, found an instant musical kinship with Circle. Together, they captured lightning in a bottle during a live show at The Gateway, producing a CD that Harris himself declared was "a new kind of music."
A New Frontier: Ruby Harris Collaboration
Phil Circle isn’t done pushing boundaries. He recently teamed up with Ruby Harris, a violinist called "the world’s greatest blues violinist" and "the next Johnny Frigo."
Ruby, who studied under avant-garde legend John Cage and has graced stages from Lincoln Center to the White House, found an instant musical kinship with Circle. Together, they captured lightning in a bottle during a live show at The Gateway, producing a CD that Harris himself declared was "a new kind of music."
The Future Is Guilt-Free
Today, Guilty, Phil Circle, and Ruby Harris proudly fly the flag of Guilt By Association Records and are presented by Grassroots Music & Productions.
If you want the purest form of Chicago's unfiltered, unrelenting, soul-shaking rock spirit, Phil Circle & Guilty are your ticket.
Grab a beer. Find a dirty club.
Let the music take over.
Band Members
Phil Circle, Lem Roby (Jack Salamander), Jeff "Doctor" Gilmore (Noonday Darkness), Inderjeet Sidhu (member of all three bands), Vince Buoncore (Guilty founding drummer), Tony DiMartino (drummer from Ulele)
Phil Circle, Lem Roby (Jack Salamander), Jeff "Doctor" Gilmore (Noonday Darkness), Inderjeet Sidhu (member of all three bands), Vince Buoncore (Guilty founding drummer), Tony DiMartino (drummer from Ulele)
Location: AMERICA NORTH: USA: Illinois (IL)
Genre: Rock