Marklund to host band battle
Fans can say, "I saw them when they just started out," about the bands competing at Marklund's "Battle of the Bands" Music Fest which takes place from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Marklund's Mill Creek Campus, 1 S. 450 Wyatt Drive, Geneva. All music is family-friendly. Marklund is a nonprofit network of services providing a full-life experience for infants, children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Music Fest is a free outdoor festival held for the public, clients, employees, families, friends, and Mill Creek neighbors. The fest celebrates the high caliber of talent in Kane County, providing local bands in two divisions - under 18 and 18 and older - the chance to compete for a 15-hour recording session at a professional studio - JPL Records, Cary. The two winning bands will be determined by a panel of three judges.
Audience members should bring their own lawn chairs. Marklund will serve hot dogs, brats, popcorn, and soft drinks, thanks to the generosity of Pepsi, Meijer, and Pepperidge Farm. Also Hix Brothers Music of Aurora and Batavia has provided gifts for second and third-place bands.
For information, call Vicki Krystof at (630) 593-5482. Marklund is also seeking music-loving volunteers to work the food booth and to accompany Marklund residents out to the Music Fest. To volunteer, contact Cathy Nikrandt at (630) 593-5468.
The under-18 bands are:
• Rocket Boots: Based in St. Charles, all band members are juniors at St. Charles North High School. The group performs a mix of originals and cover songs in the style of ska/experimental/acoustic. Members are: Alex Waskelo, Jac Hill, Nick Sanders-Mud, Chaz Topacio, Craig Meister, Nikita Schulzhenko, Sully Beiber, Ryan Haske.
• Anxiety: This three member band plays hard rock. Together for two years, the band members are: Jake Kramer, Chet Wells, and David Lawrence.
• 90 Pieces: Based in St. Charles, this alternative rock band consists of members Margaret Zimmer, Katie Bogle, Katie Jo, Nick Delmuro, Robby Allen. They won 2nd place recently at the 2008 Geneva Battle of the Bands.
The 18-and-older bands are:
• Sitticus: Based in Aurora, the band consists of Vinnie Pacione on bass and vocals, Lane Wright on drums, and Jack Mack on guitar and vocals. It's a cover and original band whose main genre is rock, jam and blues. remember the name, how to spell it, and what it means
• James Drive: A straightforward rock band, James Drive performs some covers but is by no means a cover band. With three decades difference in age, members are Darwin Rybandt, Nick Gross, Ryan Rybandt, and Tim Tracz. They've been together since the summer of 2006. Influenced by Godsmack, Floyd and Big Headtodd, they like to put their own spin on things. They say they're "a generation gap for the ears."
• Human Discourse
While much has changed since Marklund's founding in 1954, its mission remains the same: provide quality, compassionate care for people with disabilities. Marklund's services encompass the full realm of human needs, including loving medical care, homelike residential facilities, state-of-the-art habilitative therapies, quality educational and day services and exceptional community-based programs.
Marklund's main campus in Geneva consists of six 16-bed residential homes for adults with severe and profound developmental disabilities, as well as an educational and training center that provides for the intensive medical, social, emotional and physical needs of the residents.
In Bloomingdale, Ill., the Marklund Philip Center for Children encompasses the Children's Home, a skilled pediatric nursing facility for infants, children and medically fragile adults; the Day School, an education program for children ages 3 to 21; early intervention for infants and toddlers age birth to three; and Marklund's respite program. For information about Marklund, call Vicki Krystof at (630) 593-5482 or visit www.marklund.org.