Elk Grove Village sets headliners for summer concert series
Peter Cetera, LeAnn Rimes, Foreigner and Michael McDonald are the headline acts who will be performing at Elk Grove Village's 8th Annual Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series next July, officials announced Tuesday.
Concert promoters Kitty and Murray Weiner of Elk Grove-based Entertainment Management Group began putting together the lineup when last July's concerts concluded, and secured the final performer last week, said Mayor Craig Johnson.
"We think this is a mix of country and rock 'n' roll, old and new," Johnson said. "Whether you're 6 or 65 or 105, you have music you can enjoy."
Cetera, the former Chicago frontman whose went on to a solo career, kicks off the concert series Monday, July 4, as part of the Lions Club's annual festival and fireworks at Lions Park, 200 Rev. Morrison Blvd.
Rimes, a country and pop singer, performs Tuesday, July 12, at the Village Green, which is located between the Charles J. Zettek Municipal Complex, at 901 Wellington Ave., and the Elk Grove Library, at 1001 Wellington Ave.
The village's 60th anniversary concert Sunday, July 17, is headlined by classic rockers Foreigner, who will perform at Lions Park.
McDonald, formerly of The Doobie Brothers and with a solo career of his own, concludes the concert series Tuesday, July 26, at the Village Green.
All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. and are free to attend.
The village plans to spend a total of $500,000 on next year's concerts and two associated fireworks shows on July 4 and July 17. The money will also pay for fencing, banners and insurance, Johnson said.
The village board Tuesday night approved a $380,000 contract with Entertainment Management Group to manage and operate the four shows and pay performers' fees. The village is covering $330,000 - a $20,000 increase from last year - and the park district is contributing $50,000 - an amount that has remained steady over the years.
The village funds come from a 1 percent hotel- motel tax that previously helped fund the now-defunct Tour of Elk Grove bike race, tobacco license fees charged to businesses who sell those products, and a portion of video gambling revenues.
The park district's contribution comes from general revenues.
Corporate sponsors also help pay for costs related to the concerts.
There's a lot of things taken into account as the lineup is assembled, Johnson said, such as the cost of a particular performer, and whether Elk Grove's location fits within that performer's July schedule.
"They gotta be traveling from maybe Los Angeles to New York and have a few days off in-between and they stop in the Chicago area," Johnson said.
"It is a nightmare to try to put all of this together. ...(But) I think people will be very happy with this lineup."
A total of 75,000 people attended last year's five summer concerts.