This past weekend, Fun DMC served up three of its most diverse shows in recent memory. Before we get to that, however, we should probably talk about the very special guest who accompanied each night. There has always been a little bit of flex among the Fun DMC lineup, which has allowed our members to occasionally be absent from a show should the need arise. This has been made possible through occasional fill-in musicians and vocalists. As current Fun DMC lead female vocalist, Katey Kamerad, was traveling with her staff from Music Therapy Connections for a conference, we found ourselves in need of someone to fill those shoes for three back-to-back shows. Now for our readers who have not had the opportunity to see Fun DMC live, I would like to first explain that this position is a tall order to fill. In addition to being an excellent live vocalist, like all other Fun DMC slots it requires a certain amount of energy, stage presence, and chemistry all the while being able to switch on a moments notice from soulful vocals to rap to harmonies straight up power vocal belting. That said, we could not have been more right than reaching out to Liz Christofilakos from one of our favorite bands, The Mix.

Liz has an incredible range both vocally and stylistically, her stage presence is all sorts of fun, and she is an incredible team player. Again, dropping in with Fun DMC is no simple task. It requires forgetting everything you ever knew about popular music and adapting to our brand of mind-bending mashups and extended medleys. Liz was so at ease with Fun DMC that there were times I completely forgot that she was a special guest. After a couple of rehearsals, Liz got her first experience on the Fun DMC stage at one of the more unique venues in Central Illinois.

Sweet Sixteen

If you head out west of Springfield to New Berlin, IL and then go just a little further off the beaten path, you will find a completely restored barn known as Maple Lawn Barn. The rustic, multi-level venue has hosted several weddings, special events, and last Thursday night, a Sweet Sixteen for Miss Chloe Allen. In spite of a slightly chilly November evening, the members of Fun DMC quickly warmed up the only way they know how – rocking out. In addition to a rapid-fire two hour set, the band also managed to pull off the Mannequin Challenge along with Miss Allen and her guests.

Panther Creek Country Club

Friday night found the band back in their patriotic Stars & Stripes suits for a Veteran’s Day celebration at Panther Creek Country Club in Chatham, IL. One of the more elegant venues we’ve had the pleasure of playing, the members of Fun DMC danced the night away in an intimate setting among neighborhood residents as well as some special guests. Rachel and the staff at Panther Creek could not have been more accommodating and their bar staff created one of the most delightful red, white, and blue vodka shake-ups this author has ever tasted. The band wrapped up their show and, with a little bit of help from Billy Cooper (also from The Mix), the circus was packed away.

Jake’s Bar Mitzvah

On Saturday, road weary but not finished, the band once more loaded into Talon’s jeep and began the trek to the Parke Regency Hotel in Bloomington, IL for a Bar Mitzvah celebration for the Levin family. Leading up to the event, the band had been asked if we could learn Hava Nagila during the Hora, a circle dance during which guests of Bar Mitzvah raise the guest of honor in the air on a chair. I must admit that I was never more nervous than the moment I started singing this song (due mostly in part to the fact that I was singing in Hebrew). However, from the moment I hit the first chord and the band began singing, the entire room immediately circled up and joined in. After about 12 minutes of continually speeding up the song at each repetition, I was finally given the signal to wrap and we ended the first set with a roaring round of applause. The rest of the evening was just as hyped including a Gangnam Style dance off between our own Dr. Albert Capati and about a dozen other teenagers. It was a beautiful celebration and we could not have been more honored to have been a part of it. The evening drew to a close and the band made short work of the tear down.

I-55 South seemed to stretch eternally as evening wore on into morning. Around 3:00 AM, group messages started popping up that everyone had made it safely back to their respective homes. After three consecutive shows together, I guess there was a bit of sadness in saying good-bye. Or maybe were all just really glad to be home and wanted to share it with our friends. But don’t worry, friends. We’ll be back together soon.