Jonny Lyons & the Pride at the Timber Lake Playhouse -- May 25.
Saturday, May 25, 7 p.m.
Timber Lake Playhouse, 8215 Black Oak Road, Mt. Carroll IL
Combining Influences of rock 'n' roll, country, blues, soul, surf rock, and rockabilly, the Midwestern tribute artists of Jonny Lyons & the Pride will play a special May 25 concert event at Mt. Carroll's Timber Lake Playhouse, their exhilarating stage show designed to take audiences on a journey back in time to the golden era of '50s, '60s, and '70s music and showmanship.
As stated at JLyonsMusic.com, Lyons was "born of a rock and roll front man and a musical theater queen with a knack for harmonies," and was consequently "bound to be a musical child. At about two years old, Jonathan was already entertaining his family with his singing. Even when singing a terribly out-of-order rendition of the ABCs, there was still passion and confidence behind the performance. At around age 10, he took up drum lessons and began playing with a local band by the name of Blackout, which would later be known as The Smoking Revolvers, and even later as Plume. This gave him a taste of the live music scene where he felt at home, but there was always a burning desire to take the stage as a front man.
"For some time, Jonathan's singing was confined to campfires and small family gatherings, but at age 14, Jonathan took the stage for the very first time as The Man In Black - Johnny Cash. Alongside his father, who was performing as jumpsuit-era Elvis Presley, Jonathan threw on a cheap wig, grabbed a prop guitar and got up on stage and gave his very first 'Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.' Though the first show went over remarkably well with the audience, there was plenty of room for improvement, and Jonathan didn't waste any time taking up guitar lessons, growing out his hair, and studying film. Not before long, Jonathan had a well-polished Johnny Cash act and secured the lead in an established Johnny Cash/June Carter tribute band known as June's Got the Cash. With the Cash tribute mastered, he would later move onto add to his repertoire a '50s Elvis tribute. With only his second Elvis competition, Jonathan was taking home trophies for Fan Favorite and 2nd place.
"With success in the tribute world, Jonathan had a desire to begin doing his own thing. After his first break-up, Jonathan began writing, recording, and releasing his own music. With the absence of a band, he went on to record each individual part of his original tunes spanning six different instruments. Within a short while, Jonathan put together his dream five-piece show band, Jonny Lyons & the Pride who have been entertaining folks all over the Midwest ever since. Today, Jonathan travels all over North America captivating his audiences with a whole lot of stage presence and a touch from the past."
The May 25 concert with Jonny Lyons & the Pride will be help in conjunction with the Mt. Carroll venue's TLPalooza, a celebration of the theatre's 63rd year of operation featuring access to the TLP Beer Garden, a 1 to 3 p.m. performance with folk singer/songwriter Marques Morel, guided tours of the theatre and the back lot, food, and games for the kids. The TLPalooza begins at noon, the Jonny Lyons & the Pride concert ($25-30) starts at 7 p.m., and more information and tickets are available by calling (815)244-2035 and visiting TimberLakePlayhouse.org.
