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newlenoxpatriot.com Life & Arts<br />
the New Lenox Patriot | September 14, 2017 | 21<br />
Village closes out another successful summer of Triple Play concerts<br />
Laurie Fanelli<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
Barenaked Ladies frontman, Ed Robertson, smiling out at the crowd Sept. 2 during the<br />
final Triple Play concert of the summer. Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media<br />
A little bit of rain wasn’t<br />
going to prevent New Lenox<br />
residents from enjoying the<br />
fourth and final concert of<br />
the 2017 Triple Play series.<br />
Ponchos, raincoats and umbrellas<br />
popped up across<br />
the Village Commons as<br />
the many hits of Living Colour<br />
and Barenaked Ladies<br />
poured out from the stage.<br />
The Sept. 2 concert perfectly<br />
capped off the 9th<br />
Annual Triple Play season,<br />
which previously hosted the<br />
likes of Richard Marx, the<br />
BoDeans, Gin Blossoms and<br />
Collective Soul throughout<br />
the summer.<br />
“This year has been outstanding,”<br />
said Mayor Tim<br />
Baldermann at the event.<br />
“We’re really excited about<br />
the 2017 season, and I’m<br />
sorry it has to come to a<br />
close. It’s been so much<br />
fun.”<br />
The Triple Play series has<br />
become a tradition for many<br />
residents who enjoy coming<br />
out to the concerts with family<br />
and friends.<br />
“We’re a growing community,<br />
the fastest-growing<br />
community in Will County,<br />
but we like to keep that<br />
small, hometown feel,” Baldermann<br />
said. “The way<br />
people describe the Triple<br />
Play is a big block party, and<br />
we love that atmosphere.”<br />
New Lenox resident<br />
Tom Van Ness attends the<br />
event every year with Paul<br />
Stephenson, also of New<br />
Lenox), Steve Harris, of<br />
Lockport, and other friends.<br />
“It’s a nice time,” Van<br />
Ness said. “It gives you<br />
something to do, and the<br />
bands are always excellent.<br />
There’s never any problems<br />
and everyone always has a<br />
nice time.”<br />
While many residents<br />
are Triple Play fans regardless<br />
of what bands are in the<br />
lineup, other concert-goers<br />
like 10-year-old, New Lenox<br />
resident Vincent Milo camp<br />
out the front row to see their<br />
favorite artists. Milo – who<br />
was in attendance with his<br />
dad, Chris Milo, and cousin,<br />
Jordane Neal – couldn’t wait<br />
to see Living Colour hit the<br />
stage, but he was especially<br />
excited to hear Barenaked<br />
Ladies perform his favorite<br />
song, “One Week.”<br />
“I like it because it kind<br />
of makes me laugh a little,<br />
and I’m really into rock and<br />
roll,” he said. “It just pumps<br />
me up.”<br />
Milo was even more<br />
pumped up after the show as<br />
he left with a variety of oneof-a-kind<br />
souvenirs including<br />
drum sticks and a setlist<br />
from Living Colour.<br />
“Cult of Personality,”<br />
“Who’s That?” and “Middle<br />
Man” were all highlights of<br />
Living Colour’s set – during<br />
which lead singer, Corey<br />
Glover, climbed the scaffolding<br />
on the Commons<br />
stage – but “Desperate People”<br />
struck the perfect chord<br />
to compliment the weather.<br />
“I hear you laughing in<br />
the rain,” Glover sang on the<br />
Vivid track as drops drizzled<br />
down from the clouds above.<br />
Earlier in the night, a New<br />
Lenox band, On the Off<br />
Chance, got fans moving as<br />
the show’s opener. Drummer,<br />
Jason Parks, described<br />
the experience as a “dream<br />
come true.”<br />
“[Barenaked Ladies] has<br />
been an influence for me<br />
since the early 1990s when<br />
they released their first album<br />
so I was a fan from the<br />
beginning,” he said. “This<br />
was awesome. Especially<br />
being able to play for the<br />
hometown crowd. We know<br />
a lot of people here, so it’s<br />
been really special.”<br />
Barenaked Ladies’ closed<br />
things out with a set full of<br />
the next level musicianship<br />
and sharp improvisational<br />
humor that has had fans<br />
singing and laughing along<br />
for generations. A standout<br />
moment came early in their<br />
performance as frontman,<br />
Ed Robertson, dropped an<br />
improvised rap – created just<br />
for the occasion – about his<br />
love of Living Colour and<br />
the proper usage of a fake<br />
ID.<br />
Baldermann and Village<br />
staff will begin working on<br />
next year’s Triple Play series<br />
in November and December.<br />
There is no set theme for<br />
2018 – only “great music”<br />
as always – and while everyone<br />
is excited about the 2018<br />
lineup, New Lenox residents<br />
continue to be the true rockstars<br />
of the event each and<br />
every year.<br />
“We are so grateful to our<br />
residents,” Baldermann said.<br />
“For nine years now, they’ve<br />
come out to enjoy this and<br />
make it a highlight of the<br />
summer.”<br />
Living Colour members Corey Glover (left) and Doug<br />
Wimbish of Living Colour perform.<br />
New Lenox residents Jordan Neal (left to right), Chris Milo<br />
and Vincent Milo camped out to stand in the front row to<br />
see Living Colour and Barenaked Ladies.<br />
Barenaked Ladies fans Austin (left) and Lille Weingartner<br />
showing their love for the band.
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