Everclear to headline Wood Dale’s Prairie Fest
Alternative rock band Everclear has been chosen to headline the musical entertainment at Wood Dale’s Prairie Fest this June.
The West Coast band, which drew a large crowd to the Vernon Hills Days festival last year, is scheduled to take the stage in Wood Dale at 9:15 p.m. Friday, June 27.
“Prairie Fest is evolving with the community. So we’re really excited for Everclear and to put Wood Dale on the map,” said Janelle Silva, the city’s director of Community Relations.
She said the committee members who choose talent for Prairie Fest range in age from the 40s into the 80s. Every one of them knew at least one Everclear song.
“Even the 80-year-olds,” said Silva, who sits on the committee.
It’s not that surprising. Metropolitan Chicago listeners make up Everclear’s second-largest Spotify audience, behind only Sydney, Australia.
Everclear will likely play its 1995 smash, “Santa Monica,” one of the band’s 12 Top 40 singles. The band had four albums certified Gold or Platinum.
Chicago rock and pop covers band Sucker Punch will open for Everclear at 6:30 p.m.
Prairie Fest runs from 6 p.m. Thursday, June 26, through 9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at Community Park, Mittel Drive and Wood Dale Road.
Starting the entertainment at 6 p.m. Thursday, iPOP plays rock, pop and hip-hop from the Motown era through the 1990s.
Praised by the Illinois Entertainer for its “perfect blend of vocal harmonies,” classic rock covers band ARRA closes out the first day from 8:15 to 10 p.m.
After Everclear brings down the house on Friday, Saturday brings a four-band lineup from 3 to 11 p.m., plus a fireworks show at dusk.
Everett Dean and the Lonesome Hearts opens with a set of oldies and rockabilly covers, followed by Cheap Foreign Cars — highlighting songs by Cheap Trick, Foreigner, and The Cars.
Saturday’s entertainment ends with Alt 101, which plays 1990s alternative rock by groups such as Smashing Pumpkins, Sublime and Foo Fighters; and Too Hype Crew, an energetic group of musicians and dancers who perform old-school hip-hop.
Sunday’s music starts at 5:15 p.m. with the Tom Petty tribute band, Petty Union. As it does annually, renowned covers band 7th heaven, now celebrating its 40th year, closes out Prairie Fest from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“They have quite the following,” Silva said of 7th heaven.
She says she is also excited about a nonmusical event, ZOWA wrestling, at 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Bringing costumes and personas into its temporary ring, ZOWA returns after last year’s performance was “a massive hit,” Silva said.
For details on Prairie Fest, visit the city of Wood Dale’s website at wooddale.com.