KC and The Sunshine Band, Rick Springfield among acts on 2022 Elk Grove concert bill
After a season that featured a record crowd for Mike Love and the Beach Boys, Elk Grove Village officials on Tuesday announced the 2022 lineup for the town's popular summer concert series, featuring KC and The Sunshine Band, Little River Band, Rick Springfield and Sheena Easton.
The Mid-Summer Classics Concert Series, now in its 13th year, will be held over the course of four weeks in July.
Here's a closer look at the schedule:
• Monday, July 4 - KC and The Sunshine Band, led by vocalist Harry Wayne Casey, will perform disco hits like "That's the Way (I Like It)," "Shake Your Booty" and "Get Down Tonight" during the Lions Club's annual festival at Rotary Green on Lions Drive near Elk Grove High School. The band is back on the Elk Grove concert bill after the pandemic led to the shelving of the 2020 concerts; the disco group canceled its 2021 tour.
• Tuesday, July 12 - Little River Band, the late 1970s soft rockers known for "Reminiscing," "Lonesome Loser" and "Lady," will play on the Village Green outside the Elk Grove municipal complex, 901 Wellington Ave.
• Thursday, July 21 - Rick Springfield, known for the 1981 No. 1 hit "Jessie's Girl," will help kick off Rotary Fest at Rotary Green. Officials from the local civic club and the village decided to move the annual fest from Father's Day for better weather and a boost from the concert series.
• Tuesday, July 26 - Sheena Easton, the 1980s Scottish singer-songwriter who popularized "Morning Train (Nine to Five)," will close out the concert series on the Village Green.
The shows will at 7:30 p.m., except the July 4 concert, which will start at 8 p.m.
"It's a great lineup. We're excited about it. It's not Stevie Nicks yet, but keep the faith it may be happening sooner than later," Mayor Craig Johnson said Tuesday night.
The board on Tuesday inked a $375,000 contract with Entertainment Management Group, the Elk Grove-based firm that books and manages the concerts. While the concerts are free to attend, the village funds them from a hotel tax, video gambling revenues, tobacco licensee fees and sponsorships. The Elk Grove Park District also makes a $50,000 contribution.
All in, it costs the village about $500,000 to put on the concerts, including staging, insurance and personnel such as police and public works.