Live music coming to Cougars’ stadium
The Kane County Cougars organization is more than just baseball — it’s dabbling in music, too.
The stadium that’s usually reserved for the Geneva-based minor league baseball team will play host to several music acts on July 8, including Wilco, a Chicago-based alternative rock band.
It marks the first time a big concert as ever been held at the stadium, now known as the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark.
Three years ago, the ballpark completed a $10.5 million renovation that added an upper deck and a level with about a dozen suites.
Adding music to the lineup is a great way to show off the stadium and put it to use when the Cougars aren’t playing, said General Manager Curtis Haug.
“It’s just something that over the years we’ve been trying to put together. We’ve got this beautiful ballpark, and we’ve got what we feel is a great place for a concert,” Haug said. “Hopefully this will open the doors for other acts in the future.”
The Congregation, an eight-piece soul outfit, and musician/composer Andrew Bird will open for Wilco.
The concert, which starts at 5:30 p.m., is part of FM radio WXRT 93.1’s 40th anniversary celebration. It will culminate with a fireworks display.
Tickets are $50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 7 at 10 a.m.
You can buy tickets online at eTix.com or by calling 800-514-ETIX, at the Fifth Third Bank Ballpark, or at The Vic Theatre box office, 3145 North Sheffield in Chicago, with no service charge. All tickets are general admission, which means you can watch the concert from the field or sit in stadium seating.
The Cougars’ 22nd season starts Monday, April 9, and ends on Labor Day.