Mavis Staples, Shemekia Copeland, Johnny Lang, Dark Star Orchestra, Kesha to Play @ Aurora’s RiverEdge
STEVE MILLER WITH PETER FRAMPTON AND KESHA
Other major acts unveiled today for downtown Aurora’s popular outdoor summer concert venue were the Grateful Dead concert experience Dark Star Orchestra (June 24), classic rock’s Steve Miller Band with Peter Frampton (July 20), hot artists of today like Kesha and the Creepies (July 21) and the Led Zeppelin tribute spectacular Get the Led Out (August 25).Online ticket sales for all shows start today at 2 p.m. at RiverEdgeAurora.com.
Phone and in-person sales start Monday, April 5 at 10 a.m. Call the RiverEdge box office, 630.896.6666, or stop by in-person at RiverEdge’s satellite box office, the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.The RiverEdge box office will also be open on-site on event days for day-of sales, beginning at noon. All tickets are general admission. Ticket fees not included.In addition to Chicagoland’s coolest summer concerts, RiverEdge is also ground zero for the city of Aurora’s free 4th of July Celebration. Bring the family for patriotic anthems played by the American Legion Band, top 40 hits and classic songs from the Fox Valley Orchestra, and a spectacular fireworks display high above the beautiful Fox River. The evening also includes a Guinness World Record attempt for the most people head banging to “Bohemian Rhapsody” to conclude Aurora’s 25th anniversary Wayne’s World celebration.Other events at RiverEdge this summer include the ColorVibe 5K Race (May 28), Two Brothers Summer Festival (June 2 and 3), the Chicagoland Tour de Cure cycling event for the American Diabetes Association (June 11), the Sacred Heart Festival (June 18), the Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival (July 29 and 30) and Fiestas Patrias (September 16).Following is more information on the RiverEdge 2017 summer concert line-up, with more acts and events soon to be announced. For the latest updates, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com, call 630.896.6666, or follow RiverEdge Park on Facebook and Twitter.
21st Annual Blues on the Fox Festival with Shemekia Copeland, Mavis Staples,
Guy King Band, Devon Allman Band, Elvin Bishop and Jonny Lang
Friday and Saturday, June 16 and 17
Friday: Gates open at 6 p.m. Shemekia Copeland at 7 p.m., Mavis Staples at 9 p.m.
Saturday: Gates open at 2 p.m. Guy King Band at 3 p.m., Devon Allman Band at
5 p.m., Elvin Bishop at 7 p.m. and Jonny Lang at 9 p.m.
Tickets, each day: $10 through May 31, $20 starting June 1For 21 years, blues musicians from across the world have gathered in Aurora to play their hearts out to blues-loving crowds in the thousands, and this year’s Blues on the Fox Festival is sure to get your head swaying and feet grooving.Friday night’s all-ladies lineup kicks off the Blues on the Fox with three-time Grammy nominee and international blues favorite Shemekia Copeland, followed by Chicago’s own living legend, the incomparable Mavis Staples.Come back Saturday afternoon for Chicago’s Guy King Band’s classic jazz sound of yesteryear fused with a fresh spin, followed by Devon Allman, the son of musical royalty who delivers a thoroughly unique blend of blues and rock that is all his own. Rock on Saturday night with Blues Hall of Famer, Rock and Roll of Famer and Grammy nominee Elvin Bishop, climaxing with the legendary Jonny Lang shredding his brand of blues, gospel, pop, R&B, rock and soul.
Saturday, June 24
Gates open 5:30 p.m., concert at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $20 through May 31, $30 starting June 1They’re not just a Grateful Dead tribute band; they’re the Grateful Dead tribute band. Formed here in Chicago, Dark Star Orchestra has been faithfully performing the jam band’s most loved songs and little known gems for 20 years, and from time to time, Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir have even joined them on stage.As if sounding like the Grateful Dead wasn’t enough, DSO even goes so far as to recreate the Dead’s original set lists in some instances. Other times, they create their own from the Dead’s massive catalog of songs. If you were born too late to experience the Grateful Dead in their prime or want to relive that long, strange trip, Dark Star Orchestra will bring back many incredible memories and create plenty of new ones.
American Legion Band: 6:15 p.m.
Admission: Free
RiverEdge Park always boasts one of the biggest celebrations in all of Chicagoland. Bring your friends and family to celebrate with Aurora’s patriotic American Legion Band playing incredible American standards, followed by the Fox Valley Orchestra playing from Top 40 hits to classics to your favorite movie scores.
Before the fireworks, Aurora’s 25th anniversary Wayne’s World celebration ends with a Guinness world record attempt for the most people head banging to “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Finally, the evening ends in a breathtaking, jaw-dropping fireworks extravaganza that will make you realize Aurora isn’t named the City of Lights for nothing.
6 p.m. to 9 p.m., providing round trip transportation to 13 convenient locations throughout the city. Shuttle service resumes after the fireworks display until
11 p.m.
Steve Miller Band with Peter Frampton
Thursday, July 20
Gates open at 6 p.m., Frampton starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $45 through May 31, $55 starting June 1Steve Miller and his band will delve into their deep catalogue of hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s under the summer sky at RiverEdge, playing an endless flow of smash hits like “The Joker,” “Livin’ in the USA,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love” and “Abracadabra.”Joining the Steve Miller Band is special guest Peter Frampton, one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history for his seminal album Frampton Comes Alive!
Gates open at 6:30 p.m., concert at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $40 through May 31, $50 starting June 1
Kesha has taken the world by storm since the release of her debut album Animal in 2010. That year she was declared Billboard’s Hot 100 Artist and her smash debut single, “TiK ToK,” was named Billboard’s #1 Hot 100 Song.Kesha has had eight consecutive Top 10 hits, including four #1 singles: “TiK ToK,” “Your Love Is My Drug,” “We R Who We R,” and “Timber,” a multi-platinum award winning collaboration with Pitbull. As a songwriter she penned all of her own music as well as songs for artists including Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, The Veronicas and Miley Cyrus. She is an animal rights crusader as the Humane Society International’s first Global Ambassador and a passionate advocate for equality being honored with the 2016 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award. Kesha has branched out into TV, film, and fashion becoming a global cultural icon and winning Billboard Magazine’s 2016 Trailblazer Award.
Tickets: $5 through May 31, $15 starting June 1Since 2015, Get the Led Out has been rocking audiences at RiverEdge Park. The songs you know and love will be played to perfection and as you remember them.But don’t worry, these incredible rockers never repeat a show. Using six guys instead of four, Get the Led Out does something even Led Zeppelin couldn’t do: perform their songs live as they were heard on the studio albums. From the first Led Zeppelin release to In Through the Out Door, their music is powerful, explosive, authentic and flat out amazing.With more than 6,000 fans coming out to the park last year for this band, RiverEdge expects yet another sell out. So get your tickets now for a musical experience you’ll never forget.
About RiverEdge Park
RiverEdge Park, renamed Thomas J. Weisner RiverEdge Park in 2016 in honor of former Aurora Mayor Thomas Weisner, debuted in 2013. It is a general admission outdoor summer concert venue with a capacity of up to 8,500, boasting state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting, a warm community feel and gorgeous views on the banks of the Fox River. The venue is anchored by the contemporary John C. Dunham performance pavilion.
RiverEdge is easy to get to from Chicago via Metra’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) line. Paid public parking is available in the Metra lot, with additional private lots surrounding the park and in downtown Aurora.
Concessions at RiverEdge boast a diverse menu and bar featuring domestic and craft beers, wine, sodas, bottled water and more, plus festival food tent vendors selling everything from hot dogs to funnel cakes.
Guests are encouraged to bring folding and bag chairs. Outside food is welcome in the Park as well, with restrictions. Only soft collapsible coolers no larger than 12″ W x 12″ T x 12″ L are allowed. Coolers, as well as any other personal items, must be placed under or in front of your chair and must not take up room on either side. No outside beverages are allowed in, with the exception of two sealed bottles of unflavored water per person. All coolers are subject to inspection. One cooler per patron.
Events take place rain or shine, unless conditions endanger the safety of artists and the public. Concertgoers are advised to follow RiverEdge Park on Facebook and Twitter for all concert updates, or call the RiverEdge Park Weather Line, 630.723.2480, to check status if inclement weather is pending.
RiverEdge Park is managed and programmed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees operations for Aurora’s historic Paramount Theatre. The RiverEdge Park 2017 Season is sponsored by the Dunham Fund, Superior Beverage and the City of Aurora.
For tickets and information, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com or call 630.896.6666.
