Above / KC and The Sunshine Band will perform on the Navistar Main Stage at Ribfest on Thurs., July 4.
Naperville’s Ribfest has added “spectacular sound and sizzle” to its line-up on the Navistar Main Stage, organizers say. The iconic and ever-popular KC and The Sunshine Band will open for Flo Rida on July 4 at Knoch Park. Exact time of the performance will be announced closer to July 4.
“Every time we talked about the possibility of KC and The Sunshine Band, the vibe in the room got happy and everybody started moving and singing, albeit badly, a favorite KC and The Sunshine Band song,” says Pete Paulsen, Ribfest co-chair with Sandy Rocush. “That’s when you know you have a winner. Their catalog of music is impressively long, and fun.”
KC and The Sunshine Band, Flo Rida then fireworks sponsored by Meijer; plus, other performances on the South Stage will round out the fun for Independence Day, organizers say.
Brief Bio of KC and The Sunshine Band
KC and the Sunshine Band are still as widely popular today as they were when they first danced into the music scene 40 years ago. Harry Wayne Casey – KC for short – developed a unique fusion of R&B and funk, with a hint of a Latin percussion groove, giving the world an impressive string of hits like “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I like it),” and “Shake Your Booty.”
With sales of more than 100 million records, nine Grammy nominations, three Grammy Awards and an American Music Award, KC and the Sunshine Band was one of the most progressive bands of the 70’s and is credited with changing the sound of modern pop music. KC and the Sunshine Band play over 100 live shows annually, circling the country and playing dates regularly throughout Europe, Australia and South America. In 2008, KC celebrated 35 years entertaining us, writing songs, performing around the world and he has no intention of stopping. KC’s songs have stood the test of time and you can ask any one of the thousands of fans who spend the entire concert on their feet, dancing and shaking their booty.
Exchange Club of Naperville Ribfest 2019
This year’s lineup for Ribfest 2019 on the Navistar Main Stage includes Billy Idol with opening act Living Colour July ; Flo Rida, KC and The Sunshine Band, with fireworks by Meijer on Independence Day, July 4; and Brantley Gilbert, Randy Houser and Naperville native Joe Hanson on July 5. The July 6 headliner will be announced soon.
Tickets are available at ribfest.net. This year’s grand sponsors include ABC7 Chicago, Navistar, Meijer, Naperville Bank & Trust, a Wintrust Community Bank, Jewel- Osco, Nathan’s Famous Beef Franks, Pella, Gnarly Head, Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, Guaranteed Rate, Truly Spiked & Sparkling, Great Lakes Coca-Cola, Miller Lite, Euclid Beverage, D&J Amusements, Jeep, RAM, Groot Industries, and 95.9 The River.
Exchange Club of Naperville and Ribfest since 1988
Exchange, America’s Service Club, is a group of men and women working together to make our communities better places to live through programs of service in Americanism, Community Service, Youth Activities, and its national program—the Prevention of Child Abuse. Exchange Club of Naperville chartered in 1987. Mission-driven and volunteer run, Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest is a premier Midwestern 4th of July concert series and celebration. Ribfest, now in its 32nd year, now draws more than 150,000 visitors annually. Net proceeds from Ribfest directly support 50+ agencies that work tirelessly to eliminate child abuse and domestic violence in all forms. To date, Exchange has donated over $17.5 million to these agencies.
News and photos submitted by Mary Howenstine, Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Exchange Club of Naperville’s Ribfest 2019.
Editor’s Note / For 2019, the Naperville Municipal Band weekly Thursday evening concert in Central Park falls on Independence Day. On Thurs., July 4, the 90-minute concert titled “America’s Composers” will begin at 6PM, providing time for other festivities and to find a place to watch the City’s spectacular firework display at dusk.
Note also that one week earlier beginning at 7:30PM on Thurs., June 27, the fourth Naperville Municipal Band concert of the summer series will be dedicated to Independence Day as the “Prelude to a Celebration,” including the the band’s annual performance of the 1812 Overture, complete with cannons. All NMB concerts welcome the public free of admission charge.
