Naperville going a little bit Nashville
Naperville will turn a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll today when award-winning musician J. Juliano brings his Little Nashville act back to the Riverwalk for the Children's Lunch-Hour program.
The performance starts at noon near the Grand Pavilion and is part of the park district's free summer entertainment series.
This isn't Juliano's first time performing on the Riverwalk.
"We did an acoustic show last year, but it was a really foul day weather-wise," he said.
He's looking forward to the return engagement -- and some better weather.
Little Nashville came together in 2006 and had its first full concert tour last summer -- performing on about 30 dates. This summer, the group has 60 concerts on its slate.
Juliano says the idea for Little Nashville started with his son, who as a youngster wanted to listen to the same songs over and over.
Juliano's wife also had to listen to the songs and said she wanted to find something she liked, too.
To help that cause, Juliano decided to whip up some songs that would appeal to both his wife and son.
He recorded versions of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the "Hokey Pokey" to modern country sounds and progressions. His wife loved it and started passing the music around to friends, and they all loved it, too. From there, Little Nashville was born.
Juliano believes the secret to entertaining both kids and parents rests in the arrangements of the music.
He said Little Nashville's musical production is aimed at adults, while the content is aimed at kids. The key, according to Juliano, is staying true to today's sound of country-rock music.
The best part of performing with Little Nashville, he said, is getting feedback from the crowd.
"It's actually looking down, and there is that moment of these kids looking at you and waiting on you to guide them through the show," he said.
His favorite song is "Green Light," which Juliano describes as a musical game of red light-green light.
He said he's happiest bringing families together with his music.
"We want families out there to do the hokey pokey with their kids," he said.
Today, Little Nashville will perform an acoustic set. Juliano will be joined on-stage with Little Nashville's other vocalist, Lisa Perry, and the normal cast of costumed characters the group employs.
To learn more about Little Nashville, call (815) 347-3221 or visit its Web site at littlenashvillemusic.com.
If you go
What: Little Nashville performs for Naperville Park District's Lunch-Hour Entertainment series
Where: Riverwalk near the Grand Pavilion
When: Noon today
Cost: Free
Info: www.napervilleparks.org or (630) 848-5000.