Sister Hazel, a band founded in 1993 and originating in Gainesville, Florida, will bring its brand of music, with elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock, and Southern rock to Clarendon Hills on Sept. 8 for the village’s largest event this year in celebration of its Centennial.
The free concert, which officials say is mainly for Clarendon Hills residents, will begin at 7:15 p.m. at Prospect Park and last 90 minutes. It will be followed by a drone light show.
Village residents will be able to pick up wristbands, starting Sept 1 at Village Hall that will allow them into a reserved area closest to the stage, starting at 4 p.m. on the day of the concert. All concert attendees are welcome to bring their own chairs and/or blankets, as the venue will not have any seating provided.
“We’re calling it a Ravinia-style concert,” said Suzanne Austin, chair of the village’s Centennial Committee, referring to the popular Highland Park concert venue.
Austin said Sister Hazel was the choice of the Committee, after considerable discussion.
“We went back and forth with who was going to be in the area at that time so that they might be available for our concert and also what we could afford,” Austin said. “We feel really good about Sister Hazel because their music covers lots of genres, which was as big key. We wanted something that appealed to a lot of our residents and a lot of different ages.”
The Village Board approved $28,000 to be spent on the concert, and there is one major sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous, also contributing to the costs, Austin said.
“We have the weekly Dancin’ in the Street concerts during the summer,” she said. “We get some great bands for that, but it’s basically all local bands, and we wanted something bigger for this concert, something extra special, as this probably is our final major event for the Centennial.”
Sister Hazel was labeled as “one of the Top 100 Most Influential Independent Performers of the last 15 years” by Performing Songwriter Magazine.
The band’s most well-known song, “All for You,” topped the adult alternative charts during the summer of 1997, a success that sparked the album on which it’s included to platinum status for its sales of more than 1 million copies.
Since that time, Sister Hazel has made a name for itself not only in rock and alternative music, but also in country music with four consecutive Billboard Top Country Albums Chart entries. The band has performed concerts all over the country and was a pioneer in the themed cruise industry by co-founding “The Rock Boat” and annually hosting events like the “Hazelnut Hang,” and “Camp Hazelnut” which focus on creating unique experiences and interacting with the fans, according to information from the band.
In addition to the events and touring, Sister Hazel gives back with “Lyrics For Life.” Founded by singer Ken Block, the charity unites musicians and celebrities for concerts and auctions to benefit cancer research and patient-care charities.
Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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