At Epsilon, we consider ourselves a passionate group of people. That passion extends to many areas of work and play, and there may not be a better example than our company band, The Low Cost Alternative (LCA) Soundsystem. Yes, you heard that correctly – Epsilon has a company band.
Since 2008, talented musicians from all walks of life across the company (including our own President & COO Ric Elert) have come together to cover songs that our employees know and love. Whether it’s through internal music videos when we were all stuck at home (you’ll have to join to see those!) or playing at the Chicago House of Blues for company parties, The LCA Soundsystem brings an epic spirit that lifts us all up. And where possible, the band tries to lift the spirits of others in the communities we live and work in.
After two years of cancellations due to Covid, the annual Battle for Hope was held live once again at Cubby Bear in Chicago on Thursday, May 12. The Battle for Hope is an annual Chicago advertising industry battle of the bands. The Chicago ad community has been a longtime supporter of the Club, and this fundraising concert fosters spirited competition and camaraderie among Chicago’s ad & marketing agency talent.
The LCA Soundsystem fought to win it all, having captured first place twice before. Although they fell short of the top prize this year, they delivered a big fundraising win: over $12,000 in ticket sales and donations to Off The Street Club. Founded in 1900, Off The Street Club is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club. It has been the main philanthropic focus for the Chicago Advertising Federation for over 100 years and serves more than 3,000 kids in West Garfield Park.
“The Battle for Hope is an awesome opportunity for the band come together and play a live show at a historic venue, all in support of a great cause,” said Patrick Jaromin, LCA’s lead band member and VP of Software Engineering at Epsilon. “It was a blast. I was thrilled to play with the band again and we raised a pile of money to help out some kids in need.”
Ric Elert, guitarist for the LCA and Epsilon President and COO, said, “Our EPIC community unites us to reach our community engagement goals and make a difference to people in need. The Battle for Hope is special because it lets us use our passion for music to help kids right here in Chicago. We raised a lot of money for a great cause and had fun doing it so that’s a win for me.”
Other LCA members who competed this year included John Beavers, Marty Pacocha, Megan Sullivan, Courtney Kurzhals, Catherine Mcnamara, Adam Schaal, Mike Hauser, Paul McDonald, Brian Bielawski, Eric Perryman, Bryant Rosenwinkel and Tom Szidon.
Are you a lover of music and want to show off your vocals or musical talents? Do you just like to have a good time, and aren’t afraid of a good old fashioned music video? Come jam with the LCA Soundsystem—the only requirement is that you join the family! Check out our open positions and be a part of something epic.