By Ted Slowik
Chris and Allison Flood of
Lockport are both musicians who write and perform their own material, though
they choose to perform separately.
Both will appear on the Red
Betty IPA Stage at Hopstring Fest Aug. 23 at Silver Cross Field in
Joliet. Chris performs from 5:55
to 6:20 p.m., followed by Allison from 7:05 to 7:30 p.m. Chris also is managing
the lineup on the Red Betty IPA Stage, which showcases 10 acts this year.
This year’s festival is
headlined by the band Cracker, known for such hits as “Get Off This,”
“Low,” “Teen Angst,” “Happy Birthday To Me” and “Euro-Trash Girl.” Tickets for
the 12-hour celebration of live music, food and craft beer are $20 presale and
$30 at the door and available through hopstringfest.com.
This is the
second year Chris is managing the entertainment on one of Hopstring’s side
stages. He started Flood Management Group about four years ago and previously
worked with the artists John Condron and Alex Hoffer, booking gigs, securing
sponsorships and promoting them.
About two years
ago the Orland Park native decided to cut back on artist management to develop
his own songwriting and performing. “I love the management side but I love
being a musician as well. Writing is an outlet, and I enjoy the art,” he says.
“There are only so many hours in a day.”
Chris, 40, also
is a firefighter/paramedic in Lemont and Homer Glen. “One of the biggest things
I’ve learned from performing is confidence,” he says. “It’s helped me as a
firefighter/paramedic, to be able to walk in and help calm down a situation.”
He’s also performed previously at Hopstring Fest.
 |
| Zoran Orlic photo |
Allison, 34,
recently decided to resume her music career though she remains a full-time mom
to sons Gabe, 14 and Aiden, 4 and daughter Rowan, 2. She’s been singing since
she was a child and grew up in a musical family. She began performing while
attending Andrew High School in Tinley Park and in 2002 began singing with the
Joliet-based country rock band The Stone City Stragglers. The group performed
extensively, recorded three albums and disbanded in 2008.
“After that
there was nothing for me to do musically except by myself,” she says. She set
aside her songwriting and guitar playing for a time while raising her kids. “I
made a choice to pull back when we had children,” she says. Allison and Chris
married in 2011.
But since
deciding to resume her music career Allison has reconnected with artist friends
and made many new ones. She’s also been recording her solo studio debut, a
six-song EP of acoustic originals produced by John Condron and engineered by
Bill Aldridge at Third City Sound in Joliet. It’s due for a fall release by
Flipside Works.
“Opportunities
like getting signed to a record label don’t come along every day, so whether I
felt ready or not I decided it was time to go for it,” she says. “As a
songwriter, what you do is very precious and very personal. It’s a whole other
world than being an entertainer performing other people’s songs.”
If You Go
What:
Hopstring Fest
When:
Saturday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Where:
Silver Cross Field, 1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive, Joliet
Who: Local
talent and headline bands like Cracker
How much:
Tickets are $20 presale, $30 at the door
Learn more about Flipside Works at www.flipsideworks.com and Allison Flood at www.allisonfloodmusic.com.
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