Ribfest brings three country stars for July 4
Three country acts - Love and Theft, The Henningsens and Brynn Marie - will headline Naperville's Ribfest celebration on July 4, organizers said Tuesday.
The country artists complete a Ribfest musical lineup that also includes the BoDeans on July 3; Roger Hodgson, former lead singer of Supertramp, on July 5; and three bands on July 6: George Thorogood and The Destroyers, Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat.
Musical entertainment on July 4 will begin in the early afternoon and last into the evening before fireworks are set off at dusk. Brynn Marie will play first, followed by Illinois natives The Henningsens and then Love and Theft.
"This is a great opportunity to see three great up-and-coming country bands that will provide five hours of continuous music," Ribfest Director Emy Trotz said in a news release. "Just how we wanted to celebrate America's birthday."
Following the three headliners, a group called The Voices will be the last to play before a 25-minute fireworks show over the festival's traditional location in Knoch Park near downtown Naperville.
The musical performances and fireworks are just part of the Naperville Exchange Club's 27th annual Ribfest, which will bring traveling rib vendors, children's entertainment, business booths and carnival games to town for four days to celebrate Independence Day.
One of the July 4 headliners - Love and Theft - is playing Ribfest for the second year in a row. The duo of singer-songwriters Stephen Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson gained popularity with the single "Runaway" and also is known for songs "Angel Eyes," "If You Ever Get Lonely" and "Amen." The new single, "Night That You'll Never Forget," is the first from a new album due later this year.
The Henningsons gained recognition for the debut hit "American Beautiful" and the group produced its first album with Arista Nashville by working with Grammy-winning producer Paul Worley.
Brynn Marie recently released the EP "Things Change" featuring the song "Band-Aid on a Bullet Hole." She has played shows on a tour with Pat Benatar and Cheap Trick and is performing this summer around the country.
Ticket prices for the four-day festival, which runs July 3-6, and exact times of headlining performances have yet to be announced.