By popular demand the BoDeans return to McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 Fawell Blvd., to open the 2022-2023 Season Saturday, Sept. 17. With chart topping songs like “Closer to Free,” “Fade Away,” “Only Love” and “Dreams” and their high energy performances, the BoDeans have solidified their place as one of the best roots rock, heartland rock and alternative rock live acts in the business.
The MAC’s Season Kick-Off Party precedes BoDeans at 6:30 p.m., and features samples from the MAC’s 2022 – 2023 dining partners, cash bar, silent auction and more.
Founded and led by original front man, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Kurt Neumann, the BoDeans emerged out of Waukesha, Wisc. in 1986 with their debut album, “Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams,” produced by T Bone Burnett. Following were “Outside Looking In” (1987), “Home” (1989), and “Black and White” (1991). Then, perhaps most notably, “Go Slow Down” (1993) yielded “Closer To Free,” which served as the theme song for the FOX smash hit television series “Party of Five” (1994-2000). Their sought-after discography led to numerous television and film placements. Meanwhile, they transformed into a proven live phenomenon by supporting the likes of U2, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tom Petty, The Pretenders, and David Bowie in addition to gracing the bills of Farm Aid, Summerfest, and ACL. Speaking to the group’s legacy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame permanently entrenched BoDeans in the Midwest Artists exhibit.
2017’s “Thirteen” arrived to widespread acclaim from The Chicago Tribune and Glide Magazine, which spotlighted the music’s “understated grace—an attribute that no doubt fuels the steadfast approach Kurt Neumann has employed of his thirty-plus years as a ‘BoDean’.” Along the way, NETFLIX’s “The Ranch” also utilized over 70 tunes from Neumann, and he launched his own podcast “Staring At The World.”
In the midst of the Global Pandemic, Neumann wrote and recorded what would become “4 The Last Time” in his Austin, Tex. studio. The album was released this past June. Says Neumann, “We have a classic guitar-driven Midwestern rock-pop sound. I wanted to make sure there was still some music out there with guitars on it. I feel like I’m getting better at this in my fifties. So, there are a lot of those big rock songs we’ve done for years.”
Tickets:
The MAC, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents the BoDeans in concert Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17. Concert tickets are $60-$80. Preceding the concert the MAC hosts their Season Kick-Off Party. Tickets are $30 per person. For tickets or additional information call 630.942.4000 or visit www.AtTheMAC.org. Box Office hours Tuesday – Sunday, noon – 6 p.m.
Subscriptions (purchases of three or more shows) continue to be available. Subscribers can save up to 20% and receive special perks and benefits including free exchanges, a Fast Pass Lane at concessions, invitations to VIP events, a 10% discount at the MAC gift shop and more. For more information call 630.9424000 or visit www.AtTheMAC.org.
About the MAC:
McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355 at 425 Fawell Blvd. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), an outdoor venue, the Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 2 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit www.AtTheMAC.org, @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville; Arts Midwest; The National Endowment for the Arts; the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; Follett, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.