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Beach Boys coming to HerrinFesta Italiana

HERRIN - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, The Beach Boys, highlights the 2018 HerrinFesta Italiana presented by People's National Bank, May 19-28 in downtown Herrin.

Grammy Award winner Lee Brice, rock band Pop Evil, and a triple bill of Queensrÿche, Slaughter, and Kix are also booked. A Faith and Family night concert featuring Jordan Feliz and Natalie Grant will round out the 2018 schedule.

New this year at HerrinFesta Italiana will be a "weather guarantee" for cancelled concerts.

"We want to protect our concert guests' advance investment and give them peace of mind regarding their early ticket purchases." said HerrinFesta President Cris Trapani. "Although we've only had a couple of cancellations in the 27-year history of Festa, we know it was frustrating for our ticket buyers. It was frustrating for us too."

Please refer to "HerrinFesta Italiana Ticket Policy-2018", at HerrinFesta.com for details.

The entertainment begins on Thursday, May 24 with Pop Evil, a band that has shown a wide range of styles in the hard rock/metal genre in its first four albums. Hit singles the band has produced include "Footsteps," "Ways to Get High," and "Take It All" from a 2015 album called Up.

"Torn to Pieces," "Trenches," and "Deal with the Devil" were notable tracks from a 2013 compilation called Onyx.

A new self-titled album, Pop Evil, is just out with a featured first single called "Waking Lions."

On Friday, May 25, Lee Brice takes the HerrinFesta stage. Brice is a two-time Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, and Grammy Song of the Year nominee.

Number one singles for Brice include "A Woman Like You," "Hard to Love," "I Drive Your Truck," and "I Don't Dance." Other Top 10 hits include: "Love Like Crazy," "Parking Lot Party," "Drinking Class" and "That Don't Sound Like You." "Love Like Crazy" charted for 56 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Chart, setting a record for the longest charting song in that chart's history.

Brice is also a prolific songwriter, having helped pen tunes for Garth Brooks, Adam Gregory, Eli Young Band and Tim McGraw. Brice's latest album was released in November.

Saturday is always a big night at HerrinFesta and they don't get any bigger than The Beach Boys. There is not a more iconic American rock band.

The Beach Boys had 36 Top 40 hits (more than any other American rock band), including: "Surfin USA," "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," "California Girls," "Fun Fun Fun," "In My Room," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Do It Again," "Surfer Girl," "Barbara Ann," "Kokomo" and "Good Vibrations."

The band is still fronted by original member Mike Love and includes early touring member Bruce Johnston. The band has multiple Grammy Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beach Boys number 12 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Sunday, May 27, brings a trio of rock/metal bands to HerrinFesta. Kix, Slaughter, and Queensrÿche will perform.

Kix' 1988 album, Blow My Fuse, went platinum with the hit "Don't Close Your Eyes." It also included head-banging hit, "Cold Blood." Last year's Rock Your Face Off is Kix' first album release in 19 years. Steve Whiteman's distinctive lead vocals mark the Kix sound along with Jimmy Chalfant, Ronnie Younkins, Brian Forsythe, and Mark Schenker.

Slaughter's first album, Stick It to Ya, in 1990 went double platinum, including hits "Up All Night," "Spend My Life," "Mad About You" and "Fly to the Angels." This string of hits cemented the band as a staple in the arena rock genre.

Founding members lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist, Mark Slaughter, and bassist, Dana Strum, still front the band, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney and guitarist, Jeff Band.

Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. The heavy metal group's 1990 album Empire went triple-platinum with its No. 1 Rock chart hit "Silent Lucidity." Their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time.

Thirteen other albums have been released by Queensrÿche with cuts including: "Eyes of a Stranger," "Take Hold of the Flame," "Suite Sister Mary," "Prophecy," "Empire," and "Queen of the Reich."

Monday, May 28 is "Faith and Family Night" at HerrinFesta, in partnership with the Southern Illinois Worship Center. Christian artists Natalie Grant and Jordan Feliz will be featured.

Grant has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and has received the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year five times. She is back touring after successful surgery for thyroid cancer.

Some of her hit songs include: "Hurricane," "I Will Not Be Moved," and "Held." Feliz was named new artist of the year at the 2016 Dove Awards along with receiving nominations for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year for "The River." The single became a No. 1 hit on several Billboard charts.

His current single, "Witness," is currently climbing the charts. Feliz has a new album, Future, coming out March 23. A single called "Count That High," was just released.

HerrinFesta Italiana 2018 tickets went on sale March 15 at herrinfesta.com. For a limited time, discount $10 tickets will be available for seats, pit, and general admission ($5 for Faith and Family Night). Supporting acts will be announced later.