Glenn Kaiser

Glenn Kaiser has been a musician since the late '60's. In 1971, he joined the group that would later become Resurrection (Rez) Band. Glenn fronted the hard rock Rez Band for more than 25 years before setting out on his own to pursue other musical avenues. In 1999 he formed the blues rock trio Glenn Kaiser Band (GKB) with former Rez bassist Roy Montroy and drummer Ed Bialach. Glenn's solo career is centered around the blues, especially with handmade cigar box guitars and other "found object" instruments, but also with lapsteel, acoustic and electric guitars and harmonica.
His extensive discography - 35 recordings to date - includes projects of rock 'n' roll, R&B, worship, American roots and, the thread through it all, blues. In 2012, Glenn and blues harmonica great Joe Filisko recorded their live concert at the final Cornerstone Festival (Glenn Kaiser and Joe Filisko Live) and continue to share the stage when schedules allow. His 2011 project Cardboard Box was inspired by the plight of Chicago's homeless and the symbolic use of found-object instruments like cigar box guitars as trash-to-treasure. Its proceeds continue to benefit a northside homeless shelter, CCO.
Growing up in a poor family living hand-to-mouth in central Wisconsin, Glenn eventually gravitated to Milwaukee's local music scene where he fronted over a dozen bands, as well as writing and performing solo acoustic music, all before turning nineteen years of age. With his adolescence plagued by drug and alcohol abuse, Glenn got clean through following Jesus after a life-changing spiritual confrontation right around his eighteenth birthday. During this time his music got heavier and in many ways, deeper. His former song writing motif of celebrating drugs, sex and other vices gave way to lyrics about spiritual struggles: personal temptation, institutional sin, poverty, exploitation, racism, materialism and other issues that few musicians seemed willing to tackle.