AMERICAN IDOL WINNER LEE DEWYZE, 80'S ALT-ROCKERS 10,000 MANIACS TO PLAY UNDER THE STARS, JULY 5 AT AURORA'S RIVEREDGE PARK

  

American Idol season nine winner and Mount Prospect's own Lee DeWyze and 80's alt-rockers 10,000 Maniacs are paired for a special double bill, Saturday, July 5 at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway in downtown Aurora, one of Chicagoland's nicest, newest outdoor concert venues.

The park opens at 6 p.m. DeWyze performs at 7 p.m. 10,000 Maniacs take the stage at
9 p.m.
Tickets are only $12. To purchase, go to RiverEdgeAurora.com, call the RiverEdge box office, (630) 896-6666, or visit RiverEdge's satellite box office, the Paramount Theatre,
23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

The RiverEdge box office is also open at the park for day-of sales from Noon until show time.   

Lee DeWyze 

There's no doubt that winning American Idol season nine in 2010 rocketed Lee DeWyze's career. Not only did DeWyze demonstrate his versatility singing "Ain't No Sunshine," "It's a Beautiful Day" and "That's Life," four years later, people are still talking about his amazing rendition of "Hallelujah."

But that's nothing compared to what happened after the Mount Prospect native got to write and record his own music, peaking with his latest CD, Frames. Frames is filled with critically-acclaimed, emotionally-charged songs including the recent Top 40 charter "Fight," which was featured on The CW's Hart of Dixie. Likewise, DeWyze wrote an original song  "Blackbird" exclusively for AMC's hit series The Walking Dead, which aired in an episode last March.

For more information, visit leedewyzeofficial.com.

Lee DeWyze "Fight" Live In-Studio

10,000 Maniacs

 

10,000 Maniacs helped define the alternative college rock sound of the 80s. With hits like "Candy Everybody Wants" and "These Are the Days," 10,000 Maniacs sold millions of records and entertained millions more touring the world. 

Over 30 years from when they first took the stage, 10,000 Maniacs is still packing live shows that leave audiences buzzing. Violinist/vocalist Mary Ramsey, wife of 10,000 Maniac's original co-founder John Lombardo, is the new front woman for the band. Their latest folk-alt-rock album "Music from the Motion Picture" was released in February 2013. 

For more information, visit maniacs.com.

10,000 Maniacs "These Are Days"

  

About RiverEdge Park

 Chicago and Chicago's western suburbs have a beautiful, new outdoor concert venue to enjoy after last summer's grand opening of the new RiverEdge Park in downtown Aurora - Illinois' second largest city.   

In addition to Lee DeWyze and 10,000 Maniacs, national acts playing RiverEdge this summer include 18^th Annual Blues on the Fox headliners Jimmie Vaughan, Los Lonely Boys and Taj Mahal (June 27 & 28), Under the Sun Tour with Sugar Ray, Blues Traveler and Uncle Kracker (July 6), Lady Antebellum (August 7), Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland (August 29) and one more major concert TBA (August 10; announcement and ticket-on sale date is June 22).

Community festivals also will attract all ages to downtown Aurora including the ColorVibe 5K Race (June 15), Aurora's Fourth of July Celebration, the Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival (July 26 & 27) and the Fox Valley Irish Festival (August 2).   

RiverEdge Park is inspired by outdoor entertainment facilities in Chicago's Millennium Park and Northerly Island, and Milwaukee's Summerfest. Anchored by the striking John C. Dunham performance pavilion, RiverEdge features 30 acres of beautiful riverfront grounds, state-of-the-art acoustics and lighting, and a full array of concessions. RiverEdge has a capacity of 8,500.

Anyone who has been knows RiverEdge is clean, staffed with friendly people, and is easy to get to. RiverEdge Park is accessible via Metra's Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) line. Paid public parking is available in the Metra lot, additional private lots surrounding the park and in downtown Aurora just a few blocks from RiverEdge.

All events at RiverEdge are general admission. There will be limited bench seating on and event-by-event basis at RiverEdge in 2014. Guests are encouraged to bring folding bag chairs (shoulder height) or blankets. Some shows like Lady Antebellum and Jennifer Nettles will have standing room only in front of the stage with a designated area for chairs or blankets behind the sound tower. Visit RiverEdgeAurora.com for specifics about each performance.

Food and drink are available for purchase inside RiverEdge Park. No outside food or drink (except sealed water bottles) are allowed in the park. RiverEdge concessions offer a diversified menu from official food vendor Two Brothers Roundhouse, along with a bar featuring domestic and craft beers, wine, sodas, bottled water and more. A busy row of festival food vendors also set up tents to sell everything from hot dogs to funnel cakes. 

Events take place at RiverEdge rain or shine, unless conditions endanger the safety of artists and the public. Concertgoers are advised to call the RiverEdge Park Weather Line, (630) 723-2480, to check status if inclement weather is pending.

 The 2014 RiverEdge Season is sponsored by The Dunham Fund, City of Aurora and Paramount Arts Center Endowment (PACE).

 RiverEdge Park is managed and programmed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees operations for Aurora's historic Paramount Theatre. Under the guidance of President and CEO Tim Rater, ACCA has a proven track record of attracting audiences to downtown Aurora, with first-year attendance at RiverEdge estimated at 100,000, and annual attendance at the Paramount Theatre having grown from 55,000 in 2010, to more than 250,000 for the recent 2013-2014 season.

For more information, visit RiverEdgeAurora.com or call the RiverEdge box office, (630) 896-6666.