Buckle up, kids, it was a long weekend.

On Friday night, the band set up poolside at the Panther Creek Country Club in conjunction with their 25th Anniversary Celebration. In spite of predictions calling for rain all week, by 6:00 pm, the skies were completely clear as far as the eye can see. By the second set however, a very dark and ominous system of clouds appeared in the west. Two songs in we felt a couple of raindrops and in just under two minutes it escalated into a torrential downpour. Like a group of seasoned sailors on the high seas, the band quickly shut down the show and re-located our equipment underneath a nearby pavilion while the crowd at Panther Creek relocated to another pavilion across the way. At this point we very likely could have called it a night and spent the remainder of our time drying and taking inventory of our equipment. However, Fun DMC is cut from a tradition of entertainers who live by the mantra “the show must go on.” And so, much like those Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey performers sifting through the train wreckage at the end of Cecil B DeMille’s definitive circus epic, the band rose like Lazarus and brought “The Greatest Show On Earth” back to life. Armed only with a single Shure SM57 and Fender Strat, the band went on to close out the night with a stripped down, yet charming set and gave the residents of Panther Creek the show of their lives. Residents moved from the safety of the pavilion to the patio and spent the rest of the night dancing in the rain as the band performed another 75 minutes of material.

Saturday night found the band in Athens Community Park for the Menard County American Legion Post 129 Salute To America Fourth Of July Celebration. Though we were one member short (Albert was performing with Take 10) the four piece version of Fun DMC was able to push through and give the townspeople of Athens a show that would have made our forefathers proud, (our forefathers being Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Steve Perry of course). Opening the show with a Hendrix-inspired rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the band entertained the eventually hula hoops and Polaroid pictures filled the dance floor and fireworks filled the night sky.

On Sunday afternoon, following a late night of vocal gymnastics, Katey Kamerad stopped by the Reynolds home to entertain a group of four-year-old princesses for Audrey Grace’s birthday party. Dressed in princess garb herself, Katey sang several modern Disney classics with a half-dozen young ladies who were completely captivated.

On Monday evening, Fun DMC returned to Jacksonville for their Fourth of July Blast in Nichols Park. Once again, donning their signature patriotic Star-Spangled attire, the band launched into a 2 hour set of mashup and medley fury. Special shout outs to Boyd Music for providing production and to that small concession stand that looks like a giant lemon for making great shake ups and funnel cakes. The show drew to a close and the sky was lit up by a dazzling display of fireworks, one of the most beautiful we’d seen all weekend.

We have a couple of weeks off but stay tuned – you never know where we might pop up next.