Bet The Levels
Bet The Levels was a band formed in the western suburbs of Chicago in 2012 by Dan Skretteburg, Brendyn Wirtz, Sam Donner, and Tyler Dalora. The bands sound stemmed from punk roots and bands ranging from the Ramones, Green Day, Weezer, and many more. They played many notable venues in the western suburbs that hosted punk and pop punk shows in the 2010s such as Pub Yahoo and The Waiting Room.
History of the Band
The band formed in 2012. Dan Skretteburg had previously been in other small bands but for the most part, all the members were just getting started. After playing a few shows, Dan assumed the role of lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Brendyn played lead guitar and backing vocals, while Tyler was on bass while Sam was on drums.
In 2014, the original lineup released their debut album, Don’t Punch The Driver, on Bandcamp. It was produced by Brendyn. Songs from the album were played in concert regularly. Songs such as “Converse Man” and “GE Days” were fan favorites and played at almost every show. After the release of Don’t Punch The Driver, Tyler and Sam left the band and were replaced with Mason Brewner on bass guitar and Jake Herlihey in drums. By this time, Bet The Levels played a fair amount of shows in the Western Suburbs and developed a small but loyal fanbase. Their EP, Josh’s Nightmare, was released in 2015 and featured better production as much of it was recorded at Morley House Studios. Songs like “Cavaties At Midnight” became concert favorites and the video on YouTube got a few hundred views.
Despite new music written by Skretteburg, Bet The Levels split up in 2017 due to tensions and musical differences with Brendyn Wirtz focusing on his other projects (Bad Jokes and Paper Towels) as did Mason Brewner (The Deathstrokes) and Dan Skretteburg (solo material).
In August 2018, the band reunited and played a final show at The Waiting Room in Naperville.
In 2019, Dan Skretteburg would work with fellow musician and friend, EDRE, to work on recording and releasing the material he had been writing, including some meant for Bet The Levels, and perhaps forming a new band.
Discography
Albums/EP’s
- Don’t Punch The Driver (2014)
- Josh’s Nightmare (2015)
Videos
- Cavities At Midnight (2015)