Hometown rock band set to turn out the lights with final three shows

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, August 5, 2026

On Saturday night, the Quincy riverfront will be rockin’ as the Boat Club hosts the annual party featuring the last Gem City performance of Hannibal’s home-grown act NOWAKE.

Founder and guitarist Sean McHargue has made the decision after nearly two decades that it’s time for the last curtain to drop on the band.

“This November would mark 19 years since the band’s inception in 2007,” McHargue said. “I have so many memories as the band evolved over time. But as anyone in a band knows, it is a major time commitment and labor-of-love. It takes so much time to practice and gel as a group, write the original songs and choose the covers, to book the shows, design and stock the merch, run the many social media pages, upgrade the equipment, maintain vehicles and a band trailer. And that’s all while balancing work and family lives.”

McHargue said he’s grateful for the sacrifices his family has made that have allowed the band to carry on as long as it has.

“I can’t express how lucky I have been to have a spouse and children that have made my ‘little hobby’ a reality, and who have tolerated the band being in our basement all these years,” he said. “I know that opening our home to this has not been without challenges at times and I’m blessed to have such a supportive wife and kids.”

McHarge said the last few months have started to weigh heavier on him, leading to the decision to switch off the amps for possibly the last time.

“if I am being completely honest, that feeling of ‘it’s all worth it’ started to fade somewhere along the line,” he continued. “The payoff of performances had become just as much work as everything leading up to them. I began to catch myself noticing (a) little thought snowballing in my mind: ‘I’m not enjoying this anymore.'”

In nearly two decades on the scene, NOWAKE has released three studio EPs, two separate singles, and several music videos. Along with McHargue, the band’s current line-up consists of vocalist Mark Kempker, guitarist Jeremy Summers, Jon Sidell on bass, and Mark “Wink” VanWinkle behind the drums. McHargue said he has every confidence fans will see all of those players on stages again.

“It’s no mystery that all four of the other guys are incredible musicians,” he said. “They could all go on to play integral roles in music in a variety of ways. I know Wink has put so much into his craft and is such a great drummer, he may have to sift through a lot of offers from bands needing his services very soon. Jon is an outstanding bassist and is already performing in another band. Plus, the man makes a mean sandwich at his restaurant, Sidell’s, in Quincy.

“Jeremy has a lot to bring to the table as a lead guitarist, so the sky is the limit for him. And Kemp? What can I say for my cousin? The man wears many hats and manages to accomplish so much. I’m hoping that this may lighten his load a bit, but knowing him, he’ll find something else to put in place of the band. His vocals have always been a great fit for this band and I can’t think of anyone else who could have been better for us.”

NOWAKE had been front and center at some incredible performances over the years, from playing in a battle of the bands at Busch Stadium in St. Louis to opening shows for iconic bands like Great White and Warrant at the annual Hannibal BBQ and Adema in Quincy.

But one of the banner shows for the band has always been their self-hosted Epic Music Showcase at Pops Club in Hannibal. The show serves as a fundraiser for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, an effort dear to the heart of McHargue and others in the band.

“Kemp and I have been building this show annually since 2013,” McHargue said. “Since relocating to the Hannibal Pops Club in 2019, we have been proud to donate the proceeds to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

“We believe strongly in the work that NFFF does for families that suffer line-of-duty deaths in the fire service,” he added. “Kemp retired as a training officer for Hannibal Fire Department, Wink retired as an HFD assistant chief, and I am currently a captain there. This cause is very near and dear to us.”

Over the years, the Showcase has featured headliners like Royal Bliss, American Hitmen, and September Mourning among many others. This year’s show, set for Sept. 12, will be headlined by NOWAKE themselves, serving as the hometown farewell for the band. The rest of this year’s line-up includes Stay North, Avenge the Fallen, 6 Strings Down, and Nongrata.

Even as he closes this chapter on his life on stage, McHargue said he’ll carry the work the band has done for the rest of his life, and with pride.

“This band has proven to be a lot of things for myself and the other members over time,” he said. “I know that Kemp, Wink, and I have utilized it as a way to decompress from the stresses of emergency services at times. Whether it’s writing a song to get through something that’s haunting us or just rocking out to one of our favorite hard rock covers, it has helped with our mental well-being.

“And our music will remain on all streaming services,” he continued. “We hope people continue to throw our tunes in their playlists and rock out to the catalog. I love that (newest single) ‘Echoes’ has seen so much success on Spotify, and I hope it continues to be a song people rock out to. The music video for ‘Echoes’ and several other NOWAKE songs can be found on the band’s YouTube channel. All other social media accounts will remain active for the foreseeable future.”

After the Boat Club show on Saturday and the September showcase, NOWAKE will close out the year, and ostensibly the band’s run, with an Oct. 1 performance at the Lamoine Valley ABATE TriState Motorcycle Rally in Fort Madison, Iowa.

“We got to perform about a year ago for this group in Dallas City, IL and we’re hoping to have a blast and send this thing off right,” McHargue said.

While McHargue feels confident that he’s making the right decision for himself, he expressed his gratitude for all the members of NOWAKE in all its incarnations and encourages everyone to keep supporting local music throughout the region.

“I want to say thank you to Kemp, Wink, Jeremy, and Jon for their blood, sweat, and tears over the years,” he said. “It’s not easy to maintain something like this, and to have the final chapter end on such a successful and amicable note is a very sweet thing. I wish nothing but success for those guys and I’m grateful for them.

“And I would be remiss if I didn’t personally thank all the former band members that lent their time and talents to help push the NOWAKE machine over the years,” he added, thanking AJ Allen, Michael Allen, Seth Fenton, Michael Gilbert, Ryan Brown, Alan Ward, Ben Spurgeon, Austin Birkhead, and Ryan Gilmore for their respective times in the band.

“Finally, go support your local and regional music scenes,” McHargue said. “There are so many talented bands, grinding it out like we did for years and putting on great shows. It really does mean the world to them, just like it always has for us.”