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BackForward / Adam Cartwright
- Naperville, IL
- Cover Band
- Travels nationwide
- Contact for rates
Overview
BackForward is available as a solo acoustic, duo, trio or 4-piece rock band. We primarily play radio hits from the 80s-90s-current. We also play a bit of 1960s-70's classic rock and some country and original music. Based in Naperville, IL - we play all over Chicagoland and are willing to travel further depending on the event. Looking forward to playing for you!
25 Reviews
We had Adam for our Fall house party. What a blessing and we a so grateful to have found him. He has been exactly what one might expect and want from a true professional entertainer! He’s vocals are outstanding, guitar, timing and blending in with the party guests and hosts make him my 100% top recommendation. BOOK HIM, and have a peace of mind that your party is well taken care off. Also, he’s great about choosing the right music.
1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Classic Rock Band, Guitarist, One Man Band, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Had so much fun at your event! Thanks to you, your family and all your guests for a Fantastic Fall Party!
I hired BackForward for a backyard party. Had them play for 4 hours and they sounded great!
Rock Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks for having us Brad - such a great time for everyone. We're looking forward to your your next rockin' party!
Adam was amazing! Played all night, great music! The cops were even called. Haha.
Our wedding guests loved BackForward. They were very organized, easy to work with, and helped us customize the evening to meet our needs. They are very flexible, approachable, and offer affordable pricing. We enjoyed having a mixture of solo guitar, DJ, and 4 piece band and they nailed every aspect of the evening.
Cover Band, DJ, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much for a great evening of fun. Congrats on your marriage – what a great couple!
We had the band up for a private event in Middleton, WI. They were wonderful in the planning process, brought lights and all the guests complimented us on what a great job they did. Super personable and enjoyed the set list! The rain did not stop us from dancing and enjoying the music all night.
Would recommend them!!!!
Adam arrived promptly, was prepared with a playlist, and just did an overall incredible job for us. Thank you, Adam. Will definitely reach out again for another opportunity!
One Man Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much – Great to meet you all and spend the day together.
Looking forward to next time!
Thanks Adam, Paul, & Jerry for a wonder experience.
Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thank you Kevin, so nice to meet you and your crew!
Loved having this group play in our backyard for a family event. Everyone enjoyed their playlist. We will definitely have them back!
Cover Band, 1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Alternative Band, Classic Rock Band, Rock & Roll Singer, Rock Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much - we had a great time at your party. Looking forward to next time!
Adam is such a cool guy and great guitar/singer. He brought his bass player Jerry who was terrific and a super nice guy. I hired Adam for a graduation party and they were a hit. We loved how he personalized songs to the graduate and family. We all loved the playlist he put together. I’ve hired tons of musicians over the years and would definitely recommend Adam for events. Great guy, great music fun times.
Doug
1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Alternative Band, Classic Rock Band, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much for having us at your party! Really great family and friends. Looking forward to next time!
Adam Cartwright and the gang were a standup group of individuals. A rainy day washed our the event but BackForward easily adjusted inside and provided us all with an amazing time.
Adam is great to work with, he showed up early and kept our members entertained!
Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thank you so much!
It was fun spending a great evening with you and your guests.
Will definitely hire him again in the future :)
Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much, was great to meet everyone!
Performance was Amazing!
My 40th went so smoothly relaxed and So fun thanks to Adam!
Super responsive, very organized and came on time! We enjoyed His performance as well as we will ask him to come more to our venues!
You will not be disappointed!
1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Alternative Band, Classic Rock Band, Corporate Entertainment, DJ, Guitarist, One Man Band, Party Band, Pop Music, Rock & Roll Singer, Rock Band, Singer/Songwriter, Singing Guitarist, Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so Much!
Great to meet you, your family and friends. Looking forward to seeing you again.
We were very pleased to have Adam play solo acoustic at our Tiki night. He has a great voice, excellent performer. He even got some of our guests involved in the show singing with him, and made it really fun. Communication before and after the event was very timely and responsive. I like the fact that he offers solo, due and full band options as well as DJ & lighting. We will definitely have him play our venue again.
DJ, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much to all your staff and guests - looking forward to working together again!
Sounded great, easy to work with, will definitely book again!
Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thank you very much! Was great to meet your group and work with your team. Looking forward to next time!
Adam was great to work with. We hired him as a DJ/solo performance for an outside event celebrating Halloween with families. He was in constant contact before the event to plan with us tha music we were interested and he put together some great sets. I would hire him again for any event.
DJ
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much for inviting me to be part of your eevent Amy. Was great to meet your team and celebrate Halloween together!
Can't say enough great things about our experience with Adam. He was a pleasure to work with form start to finish and really made my wife's birthday a night to remember. Next time I need a DJ / MC / Live Entertainer I am booking Adam. Thank you again.
1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, DJ, Guitarist, One Man Band, Pop Music, Singer/Songwriter, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thank You, was so great to meet you and your wonderful family and friends. Looking forward to next time!
I hired Backforward as a duo and they were fabulous. We had a 1980s themed party and they accommodated the theme. Adam even stayed a bit after to DJ 80s tunes for us! I would hire this band again in a heart beat.
1980s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Singing Guitarist, Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks Deanna, we had so much fun at your awesome 80s party!
Adam was a great photographer for my branding/headshot photoshoot at the Chicago Riverwalk. He took the time to understand my target market and purpose of the shoot and ensure that the photo reflected that. I also appreciate how he provided the high-quality photos in a timely manner. Highly recommended.
Adam was awesome! We booked him for our birthday party for my daughters and he kept the party going. He even incorporated some Taylor swift and allowed people to do a little karaoke. I would definitely hire him again in the future.
We were blown away by Adam’s professionalism, attention to detail, musical talent and fun factor at our recent party! The cherry on top was his ability to take great quality professional photos! Adam was a great MC who took my DJ playlist inspiration and ran with it to create the perfect playlist for our party. And we can’t forget the Taylor Swift meets Coachella rendition of Happy Birthday which flowed into Jack & Diane. Such a fantastic addition to the event!
Guitarist, One Man Band, Photographer, Pop Music, Singing Guitarist, Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks so much for having me at your awesome party! Was great fun to meet you and your guests.
We’ve been out to listen to BackForward several times, because we know it will always be a fun time! They play familiar songs that get the crowd energized and joining in. The band makes an effort to interact with the audience, talking with them, finding their preferences so they can play some favorites, and even using audience names in their songs!
1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Guitarist, Pop Music, Rock & Roll Singer, Rock Band, Singing Guitarist
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks Reilly, always great to see you!
I’ve booked BackForward to play at the bar I work at in Villa Park on a half dozen dates and have seen them at a couple local backyard parties, and these guys are great! They can play as a full band or break down as a duo or trio, depending on the situation, and put on a fantastic show every time. Their repertoire is stacked with popular radio hits from the 70’s through the 2000’s that always have the crowd singing and dancing! HIGHLY recommend them for consideration as a live entertainment option for your bar or next event!
1980s Era Entertainment, 1990s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Alternative Band, Classic Rock Band, Corporate Entertainment, Guitarist, Multi-Instrumentalist, One Man Band, Party Band, Pop Music, Rock & Roll Singer, Rock Band, Singer/Songwriter, Singing Guitarist, Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks Dave, Always great to work with you, looking forward to the next time at your bar!
I hired BackForward after seeing them play at a local outdoor patio at a restaurant. Their sound was really good, so I hired them to play my private party. Everything went great and the songs were really good.
Cover Band
I’ve seen BackForward play at least 20 times and they’ve always been great! We hired them for a backyard party and everyone had a great time! They do a great job of engaging with the audience and making everyone feel a part of the evening. The music they play is familiar and fun to sing along to.
1980s Era Entertainment, Acoustic Band, Guitarist, Multi-Instrumentalist, Party Band, Rock & Roll Singer, Rock Band, Singing Guitarist, Cover Band
Response from BackForward / Adam Cartwright:
Thanks John, always great to see you!
Booking Info
Price Range: Contact for rates
Gig Length: 30 - 240 minutes
Languages: English
What to Expect
Our setlist is up to 4 hours long with radio hits primarily from the 80's-90's to 2000's+ current hits including Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, New Order, Gin Blossoms, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Don Henley, Poison, etc. We also do some classic rock from the 1960s-70s (Pink Floyd, Lynryd Skynrd, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones etc), as well as a bit of modern country (Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts) and some original music.
We perform as these options:
– Solo (Guitar / Singer)
– Duo (Guitar / Singer + Bass / Singer + Drum Tracks)
– Trio (Guitar / Singer + Bass / Singer + Live Drums / Singer)
– 4-Piece Full Band (Guitar / Singer + Bass / Singer + Drums / Singer + Keyboards / Piano)
We bring all of our own equipment and will setup prior to event start time.
We're looking forward to making your event / location fun!
About
BackForward is a rock band based in Naperville, IL. We perform all over the Chicagoland area in bars, restaurants, private events and concerts. All of the musicians have been playing in bands for many years and have all done in excess of 100 gigs at many locations, private parties and events. Whether solo, duo, trio or 4-piece band we will play up to 4 hours with radio hits of famous bands from around the world. The 4-piece offers guitar, bass, keyboards / piano + drums with multi singers on lead vocals and harmony vocals. We play songs from the 1960s-current, with most of the set from the 1980s-current hits. Looking forward to working with you!
Additional Booking Notes
Equipment we provide:
– Bose Sound System
– Microphones
– Guitar
– Bass
– Keyboard / Piano
– Drums
Will need power supplied.
Services Offered
Set List
1. Lets Dance (David Bowie)
2. Slide (Goo Goo Dolls)
3. Kids Arent All Right (offspring)
4. Take On Me (A-Ha)
5. How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths)
6. Hey Jealousy (Gin Blossoms)
7. Rain King (Counting Crows)
8. Stand by me – Every breath you take (Ben E. King / The Police)
9. Jack N Diane (John Cougar Mellencamp)
10. Wagon Wheel (Darius Rucker / Old Crow Medicine Show
11. Wonderwall (Oasis)
12. Alex Chilton (The Replacements)
13. Never Let Me Down (Depeche Mode)
14. Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order)
15. This Must Be The Place (Talking Heads)
17. Rockin Free World (Neil Young)
18. Just What I Needed (The Cars)
19. Gimme Shelter (Rolling Stones)
20. The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby)
21. Jane Says (Janes Addiction)
22. Rebel Yell (Billy Idol)
23. Dancing in the dark (Bruce Springsteen)
25. Everybody Want To Rule The World (Tears For Fears)
26. Even Flow (Pearl Jam)
27. Nutshell - (Alice In Chains)
28. Every Rose has its thorn (Poison)
29. Careless Whisper (George Michael)
30. Boys of Summer (Don Henley)
31. Man in the box (Alice In Chains)
32. Disarm (Smashing Pumpkins)
33. My hero (Foo Fighters)
34. Working For The Weekend (Loverboy)
35. Who can it be now (Men At Work)
36. Just like Heaven (The Cure)
37. Elderly Woman Behind The Counter (Pearl Jam)
38. Can’t you see (Marshall Tucker)
39. What Hurts (Rascal Flatts)
40. Hash Pipe 2 (Weezer)
41. Kryptonite (3 Doors Down)
42. Somebody To Shove (Soul Asylum)
43. All Summer Long / Sweet Home Alabama (Kid Rock / Lynyrd Skynyrd)
44. Brown eyed girl (Van Morrison)
45. Wish you were here (Pink Floyd)
46. Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd)
47. Hungry Like The Wolf (Duran Duran)
48. Dont You Forget About Me (Simple Minds)
51. Good Things (BoDeans)
55. All along the watchtower (Bob Dylan / Jimi Hendrix)
56. Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty)
57. God gave me you (Blake Shelton)
58. Something Like That (Tim McGraw)
59. Anywhere with you (Jake Owen)
60. Days Like This (Van Morrison)
61. Hello (Adele)
62. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley)
63. Wont Back Down (Tom Petty)
64. Losing My Religion (REM)
65. Turn The Page (Bob Seger)
66. Fire Away (Chris Stapleton)
67. Drink A Beer (Luke Bryan)
68. Joey (Concrete Blonde)
69. Low (Cracker)
70. Wonderful Tonight (Eric Clapton)
71. Cant Help Falling In Love (Elvis)
72. Love Song (The Cure)
73. One Of Us (Joan Osbourne
74. Tangled Up In Blue (Bob Dylan)
75. Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
76. Cheers Theme (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)
77. Do They Know Its Christmas (Band Aid)
78. Building A Mystery (Sarah McLaclan)
79. My Hear Cant Tell You No (Rod Stewart)
80. Have I Told You Lately? (Van Morrison)
81. The Rest Of The Dream (John Hiatt)
82. If I Had A Boat (Lyle Lovett)
(10) BackForward Originals
+ Requests
Influences & Inspiration
Primarily influenced by 1980-s, 90's - current rock artists.
80's rock / pop, 90's Alternative, grunge. 60's-70's classic rock + a bit of country.
Setup Requirements
Electricity needed to power equipment