Article Contributed by Dan Ward
Published on 2026-04-18
Chicago Farmer | Kalamazoo, MI | photos by Dan Ward
Spring in the Midwest is a special time. The first green leaves appear, heavy winter clothes give way to lighter spring fashion, and people no longer worry about traveling to see a favorite band. Tonight, Cody Diekhoff, aka Chicago Farmer, has ventured out to Kalamazoo to play his first concert at Bell’s Brewery. Along with The Field Notes, the Farmer has brought Michigan native and fellow rocker Myron Elkins for some rollicking fun music.
Myron and his band take the stage first and hit the ground running. The group is out promoting their debut album Factories, Farms & Amphetamines, with a sound reminiscent of the ’70s golden era of rock. They kick off the set with “What’s Chasing You.”
Myron plays a mean guitar and has a voice that spans from sweetly hopeful to gritty and painful. The band follows with “Hope Dealer,” “Red Ball,” and “The Judge,” allowing Billy Gunther to stretch out his prowess on guitar with flawless solos while Avry Whitaker fills out the chords on rhythm guitar.
The band is very tight. Each song is performed with emotion and great skill. The set continues with “Hobo Blue,” “Nashville Nights,” and “Winning,” each filled with expert riffs and heartfelt vocal work. Ricky Ford lays down clean and funky bass lines that rock the room. Local favorite Ricky LaDuke is a drumming machine, always a pleasure to see him on stage.
The band finishes the set with two songs from their newest album. “Machine” is a heavy-hitting funky tune that gets the room dancing. Still, the big new song has to be “Nashville Money.” Driving bass and drums push the song along while poignant lyrics capture the spirit of a young artist’s dream. This might be the one that elevates a one-time welder from Otsego to Nashville celebrity. Keep your eyes on Myron.
Myron has the crowd warmed up and feeling great. Now Chicago Farmer and The Field Notes are ready to bring their one-of-a-kind music to Kalamazoo. It has been a long time—13 years, in fact—since Chicago Farmer has been at Bell’s. Back in 2013, Chicago Farmer was a one-man act in the support role. Those years have brought a lot of changes. The Field Notes have added depth to Chicago Farmer’s sound. Years of experience have given Cody lots of new thoughts to base his music on, along with a loyal fan base who travel wherever the band plays. The good folks next to me have traveled from Charlevoix just to see the show.
The band seems extra energized tonight. Cody Diekhoff incorporates his down-home self-deprecation into the act. Tonight, however, he is positively beaming as though the night is a personal victory. The room is full of the band’s fans, and as he takes the stage the cheer goes up.
The band starts off with fan favorite “Indiana Line,” a song full of imagery and that special relationship with people who live on a border: here I am on home turf, over there is a wholly different state. They transition into the slower and touching “Dirtiest Uniforms,” with all the rich harmonies the band can muster. This song is a perennial hit.
Cody Jensen, the band’s multi-talented mandolin, fiddle, and keyboard player, makes the keyboard sing on “Sorry You’re Sick.” Painfully haunting, the song explores our desire to help. Tonight he has been getting a workout as he transitions from instrument to instrument. He plays each like a master, always with the biggest of smiles.
Jaik Willis gets to unleash his blues background on “Battle Cry” with raw emotion that is palpable in the air tonight. Jaik looks like a wonderful mixture of cowboy, troubadour, pirate, and hippie. He fits all those descriptions in some respects, but when he is playing, he is in another world as magical guitar lines burst from his fingertips.
“Peshtigo,” a song about America’s deadliest fire, has become a real high-water mark for the band. Fans old and new are drawn to the passion that ignites the stage, and Cody conveys the pain of that horrific night as if it were his own. We are all transported to the conflagration and stand transfixed by the devastation the song portrays.
The Farmer loves to tell stories both in song and directly with the fans. Tunes like “Big House, Small House,” “$20 Bill,” and “I’m Still Here” allow him to both sing to and connect with the audience, drawing us all into his orb of Midwestern lore. The first set closes with “Mattress” as the room sings along.
Cody and the band are ready to leave the stage when suddenly they realize they will not make the hard stop time and fit in all the music they want to deliver, so they hastily return. Cody realizes he has the wrong harmonica for the next song and slips off stage. This is just the opening Jaik, Cody, and Charlie need to break into a little jazz jam. Unrehearsed and spontaneous, the jam is great and shows yet another side of the band and the depth of talent within the group.
Mr. Charlie Harris is arguably one of the most talented bassists around. Always there and always just the right amount of bottom end. He has no fear and often steps up to provide support. On stage, the bass seems to tower over the diminutive Charlie. His hands glide across the fretboard and warm sonorous tones fill the room. Charlie portrays a happiness we should all strive to achieve as he and his bass dance across the stage.
“Horse Shoe,” “Man Without a Heart,” and “Romeoville” have folks moving, grooving, and singing along. Drummer Frank Kurtz is spot on tonight, as he has been every time you see the band play. Frank has an intense-yet-laid-back style in which he intently watches all the members of the band while his hands move around the kit with ease.
After “Romeoville,” Cody makes some changes to the setlist to accommodate a fan favorite and some special tunes he has planned. The band gives the fans what they crave: a round of “$15 Beers.” Everyone knows the words and loves to sing along. Now the band runs down the road with “Tina Hart’s Mustang.” This reflective tale lets us all know it wasn’t the vehicle—it was all Tina’s heart.
They follow up with “Great River Road,” an homage to Cody’s grandparents and enduring love—just the type of relationship we all need, and a song we all love. Next the band hams up their own version of “Truck Drivin’ Man.” The song is a smash with the audience, and as it ends the crowd wastes no time cheering for an encore. The band is under a time crunch, but you must give the fans something. They know just the tune: “Village.”
This has been a banner night for Bell’s and Chicago Farmer and The Field Notes. The fans love both the venue and the band. We are hopeful this becomes a tradition, and it won’t be another 13 years before we have Chicago Farmer turning up the heat at Bell’s once again.
