3 Doors Down playing Naperville's Ribfest
Get ready for some "Kryptonite" as 3 Doors Down takes the stage at Naperville's Ribfest this summer.
Organizers on Friday announced the Mississippi-based rock band will be the opening night headliner on Friday, July 1, for the 29th annual festival in Knoch Park.
Formed in 1995, 3 Doors Down's popularity was fueled by the song "Kryptonite" off their debut album "The Better Life." Their 2002 album "Away from the Sun" brought hits "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You." And just this month, the band released its sixth album "Us and the Night."
Ribfest organizers said they're excited to bring a band that's so current and will attract a younger rock-loving crowd.
"They've obviously got a lot of big hits back from the 1990s and early 2000s," said Ray Kinney, a member of the Exchange Club of Naperville, which plans the fest. "We think they've got a great following and will be a big hit for Ribfest in regard to the younger generation."
3 Doors Down is the first performer announced for this year's Ribfest, which is scheduled for July 1 through 4 near downtown Naperville.
Other performers to be announced in the coming weeks are sure to include acts for a country-themed night and bands to play during the day before fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Kinney said organizers always strive to step up the event's musical headliners because the bigger the band, the bigger the crowd and the bigger the pot of money raised for the club's mission: ending child abuse and domestic violence. In 28 years, the festival has raised $14.5 million for a long list of charities dedicated to the cause.
"It's become one of the area's largest festivals for the Fourth of July weekend and it's a big part of Naperville in terms of the money that's raised," Kinney said about Ribfest. "It's a great result out of a lot of volunteer work."
Ticket information will be available at ribfest.net.