The rave

School of Rock Elmhurst played two sets on Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 to kickstart the Summerfest weekend at The Rave, a historic venue dating back to the 1920's. With performances in The Rave Bar and The Rave Hall, School of Rock Elmhurst ended the day with a high as one of it's students made it to the Top 4 in the Shred Contest. 

Baily O'Connor, the Music Director at School of Rock Elmhurst, recaps some of the highlights from The Rave, noting two awesome displays of skill and stagecraft by one guitarist and keyboardist.

"I had told the guitarists before going on stage that I wanted to see some stage presence. I wanted them to sprint side to side! Get in each others' faces! Step on the monitors! In short, my rule was "act a fool". I said this more times than I could count, including right before this guitarist went on stage. In response he kept it short with "Don't worry. I have a plan." The House Band began playing Tell Me Something Good and the guitarists were rocking out. Moving within their own invisible boxes on stage but engaging with those around them nonetheless. However, I knew that a few steps back and forth surely could not have been his plan. Spoiler: it wasn't. As the outro of the piece kicked up, he decided to drop to his knees during the solo. Nice! Great stage presence! But then he moved to the edge of the stage and turned around. Neither myself nor the students on stage knew what was happening but it quickly became known when he decided to lay down into the first few rows of the audience. He continued his solo while crowd surfing. The cheers from the audience roared and photographers for School of Rock rushed to the stage to get the shot. It definitely set the standard for the guitarists for the remainder of the trip and was all Elmhurst could talk about moving forward!" - Baily O'Connor

This player is just one of the talented musicians in School of Rock Elmhurst's House Band. Entering into his second year of House Band, he has shown growth in skill and stagecraft while tackling some of music's most challenging tunes. 

"This year they did the Shred Contest a little differently. This year our shred nominee sent in his audition via video. We were told that semi-finalists would then be announced at The Rave on Wednesday before Summerfest. It was finally time to announce the 16 semi-finalists and they were invited to come on stage as their names were called. We were told it would be "in no particular order" so after every name, with bated breath, we waited for him to be called. The first kid was called, then the second, then third and so on and so forth. As I watched I realized I was familiar with a few of the shred semi-finalists and I KNEW he was able to hang with the big dogs so it was only a matter of time before his name was said. Then the fifteenth kid was announced which meant there was only one more spot available which meant one more shot for him to make it. Anxiety was high and the Elmhurst crowd could feel it. Then it happened, as if it was fresh out of a movie - "without further ado, our final semi-finalist... drumroll please!.... [Student Name] from Elmhurst, Illinois!" Lucky number 16 was called and he was entered into the live rounds of the 2025 Shred Contest. He made it all the way to the Final Four - a new Elmhurst record! His solos had the audience engaged through every round, showcasing his knowledge and dedication as a musician. Elmhurst is super proud!" - Baily O'Connor

This is the second celebration for this keyboardist this year, the first being a spot in AllStars! This player has earned a keyboardist spot in the AllStars 2025 Tour, performing across the Midwest with the rest of his bandmates in July. 

Summerfest 

House Band students across the world graced the stages of Summerfest, opening up for many notable musicians later on in the day. School of Rock Elmhurst played across four stages - Generac, Briggs Stratton, Uline and Aurora - at one of the biggest and most iconic music festivals worldwide. 

Students were split into two bands for the festival - Nightfall and Daybreak. Each band performed their own unique sets throughout Thursday and Friday, featuring a variety of tunes across different genres. With quick change overs between songs, a huge stage, and professional sound and staffing, students got a taste of what it's like to play in the big leagues. 

Nightfall and Daybreak brought some southern love to the Midwest with The Allman Brothers Band's "Black Hearted Women," but stayed true to their Chicagoland's roots with "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago. Other popular bands' tunes made an appearance as well, with tracks from Led Zeppelin, Cream, Abba, Dio and more, School of Rock Elmhurst certainly left an impression on festival attendees.