Rock ‘n’ roll heaven
Band that pays tribute to dear-departed legends to play outdoor concert
By Eileen O. Daday http://www.dailyherald.com/index.asp
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006
The rock ’n’ roll tribute band, Johnny Star and the Meteors, will return by popular demand to Schaumburg’s Prairie
Arts Center. But this time they will recreate hits from the ’50s and ’60s outdoors, giving fans room to really
let their hair down.
They are featured as part of Schaumburg’s Summer Breeze concert series, set to start at 7 p.m. Saturday on the
outdoor stage set up on the municipal center grounds. Admission is free.
“We presented them as part of our season inside the Prairie Center last year, and the audience was really into
it,” says Betsy Armistead, cultural services director. “They’re a great group, very high energy and a real crowd-pleaser.”
The band aims to create its version of a “rock ’n’ roll heaven,” by paying tribute to some of the legendary performers
of the 1950s and ’60s who have passed away.
Consequently, it begins its musical tribute by recreating the 1959 concert that featured the ill-fated Buddy Holly
and Richie Valens, with their hits, “That’ll Be The Day,” “Rave On” and “Maybe Baby” by Holly; and “C’Mon, Let’s
Go,” “Oh, Donna” and “La Bamba,” by Valens.
Later the band pays tribute to such stars as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Ricky Nelson from the ’50s, as well
as the Beatles, Rolling Stones and the Kinks from the ’60s.
Johnny Star and the Meteors bill the group as something of a time machine, taking fans back to “a galaxy far away,
where rock ’n’ roll has been preserved exactly as it was in the 1950s and 1960s.”
The band will perform a two-hour concert amid the scenic backdrop of the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center, which
includes its walking paths, pond and fountain surrounded by weeping willow trees and swans.
“It truly is a lovely setting,” Armistead said. “Some people have even gone so far as to refer to the setting as
Ravinia West.”
The village began hosting the outdoor concert series 20 years ago, and over time local families have started making
the summer evening performances part of a local tradition. Typically, Armistead says, the concerts draw between
1,500 to 2,000 people.
There are no fixed seats, so patrons bring lawn chairs and blankets, as well as picnic dinners.
“We’ve noticed a proliferation of small, portable tables as well,” Armistead adds. “All the better for creating
a special ambiance.”
They do not allow pets at the concert because the event draws so many families with small children. But they do
offer popcorn and ice cream vendors on site for guests looking for some extra goodies.
