Even In Blackouts (or EIB) is a largely acoustic rock/pop-punk band from Chicago, IL, conceived by John “Jughead” Pierson (formerly of Screeching Weasel) on a vacation in Italy and begun in earnest in 2002. Featuring literate, personal songwriting by Pierson and fronted by powerhouse vocalist Lizzie Eldredge, EIB is able to express the urgency of pop-punk through an intimate, unplugged performance. The band’s sound and atmosphere is equally suited to either a club stage or a living room, and the name Even In Blackouts refers directly to this freedom – no electricity required.

EIB established an unfussy version of its unique musical hybrid on early releases like Myths & Imaginary Magicians (2002) and Foreshadows On The Wall (2003). These included renditions of pop-punk staples like Screeching Weasel’s “Hey Suburbia” and Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” which helped the group connect with Pierson’s existing audience. Successive releases Zeitgeist’s Echo (2004) and Fall Of The House Of Even (2006) maintained some of that punk spirit while expanding the band’s sound and incorporating occasional electric parts.

In late 2008 Pierson announced EIB’s imminent breakup, and an apparent final album (Thresholds From The Basement) and performance followed in March of 2009. The band remained defunct for eight years, until the members reunited at a party and discussed the possibility of a fifth full-length album. That album, ROMANTICO!, arrived in 2019.

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