U.S. Maple was an American avant-garde rock band. The group was formed in 1995 at Chicago's Northern Illinois University by former members of Snailboy aka. Shorty and the Mercury Players. The band consists of Al Johnson (lead singer), Mark Shippy (guitarist), Pat Samson (drummer), and Todd Rittmann (guitarist) — who banded together with the intent of becoming the deconstructionists of rock and roll. The members from each band met at the corner of Grand and Western Avenues