HENRY COUNTY, Ill.—Outdoor concert season is in full swing in Henry County, Ill., as this weekend will feature three area, family-friendly concerts.
Friday, June 2: Lilli Lewis is scheduled to perform at Ca d’Zan House Concerts in Cambridge at 7 p.m. The concert Friday will begin with a potluck dinner at 6 p.m., with the performance to follow. A donation of $15-25 is suggested and children are free.
Trained as an opera singer and classical pianist, Georgia-native Lewis has been a composer, producer and performer for over two decades. Lewis makes a living singing, using her lungs that she doesn’t take for granted. Lewis’ mother was told she wouldn’t survive due to lung trouble; now, unwilling to waste her gifts, she uses her voice to bring what she calls “sacred songs into profane spaces.” She’s given up trying to define her sound and hopes her audiences will leave her shows knowing two things: That they are brilliant as they are and that they have the ability to use that brilliance to make a better world. Lewis’ performance at last year’s Levitt AMP Galva Music Series was a highlight for many.
Saturday, June 3: For the third year in a row, Bishop Hill Heritage Association is hosting “Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute.” The band is one of the Midwest’s top ABBA tribute bands, with a repertoire of more than 30 of the Swedish’s group’s all-time hits, including “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” The concert will take place at the Village Park in Bishop Hill from 1-3 p.m.
Along with the two-hour concert, there will be a beer garden and beverage area between the village carpenter building and the blacksmith shop. The Village fire department will offer a food stand set up at the baseball diamond and Bishop Hill Old Settlers’ Association will have a hot dog stand by the Colony Store. The Bishop Hill Methodist Church will also hold a bake sale by the Steeple Building Museum. The event is free to attend.
Sunday, June 4: Two reggae bands will perform at this week’s Levitt AMP Galva Music Series concert held at Wiley Park. Gizzae will kick things off at 6 p.m., followed by Natty Nation at 7 p.m. Gizzae is described as a “band of the world,” with musicians hailing from the four corners of the earth. Gizzae has been playing for crowds across the country for over 35 years. Their musical experiences have collectively earned them Grammy Awards, Chicago Music Awards and they have opened for some of the biggest names in reggae.
Natty Nation, a Madison, Wis.-based group, have been playing for over 25-years. The group has followed its inner artistic continuum, and along the way, Natty Nation has burst through genres while retaining a distinct root reggae core.
“Our ultimate goal is to uplift as many people as possible through sound and vibration,” said Natty Nation frontman JAH Boogie.
A wide range of food vendors will be on site and there will be free activities for children and caricatures by “Draw Me Bill.” The concert is free to attend.
