James Manno is currently recording an ambitious solo indie folk, blues, and country project and releasing it as a 3 EP trilogy.  "Diablerie: The Tarnation of Sam Hill", "Let It Burn", and "Bridges and Tunnels" will be expected to be released early in 2023. James also will be releasing his single "World on Fire" in 2023.  

 

James is an energetic lead guitar player who played for the Chicago rock band, Man Called Noon.  He is frontman for his dork funk band James Manno and the B.O.T's which started in Chicago as a house band for the Double Door's weekly comedy show, What's Behind Door Number 3 hosted by Rob Wilson. James has played numerous clubs, bars, festivals, and concert venues throughout Chicago including House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, Martyrs, Subterranean, Double Door, Uncommon Ground, Elbo Room, Red Line Tap, Rib Fest, Fulton Market Festival, Taste of River North, Millennium Park, Second City, iO, Bootleggers, Cubby Bear, Sandlot, and Logan Auditorium.  In 2018, Man Called Noon played the Red Gorilla Fest at SXSW in Austin, Texas. James' lead guitar can be heard on Man Called Noon's "Everybody Move" EP.

 

Before joining the bands , James recorded a concept album turned theatrical stage production in 2012 called "Happiness: The Pursuit and Other Tragedies."

 

James started performing at a young age in school plays. He went to Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts to get a BFA in Performance Theatre. After graduating, he was cast as CB in Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead at Studio Theater in Washington, D.C.

 

Upon moving to Chicago in 2008, he joined the sketch comedy group, Brown Line to the Loop. A couple years later he would go on to co-found the sketch comedy group AWESOMONSTER and act as musical director/writer/performer. They performed in the Chicago Sketchfest. Their shows included "Look Who's Coming to Murder", "The Last and Therefore Best Sketch Comedy Show", "The Iron Prince of A Team", and "The Game Show of Hell." A few years later, the sketch group would go on to record their weekly live podcast "AWSM Radio" where they would interview local artists and musicians and have them play humiliating games. 

 

Meanwhile, James found a niche in the late-night Chicago comedy scene as house band leader to comedy shows using the late-night talk show and variety show formats.  He performed 50 episodes of "Tonight It's Live with Tom Bambara" every week at the Oracle Theater.  He then lead the house band for the "What's Behind Door Number 3" comedy show at Double Door. 

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James currently records accompaniment music for musical theater productions. His specialty while in the Chicago Comedy scene has been recording theme songs, jingles, and musical scores for podcasts, live theater performances, webisodes, animated shorts, tech reviews, game shows, and commercials.  

 

He also found opportunities to DJ and perform music private shows for weddings and corporate events. 

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