Five Friends Rock the Suburbs, Live a Dream

What do you get when you pull together five middle-aged men, a few instruments, an urge to have a little fun and live out a smalltown rock star dream?

You get Firechicken, a Mokena-based band that's been together for two years, jamming their way across the Southland, churning up a string of fans in their wake.

The band, made up of members Brian Cummins, vocals, Paul Kornmuller, guitar and vocals, Mark Lisowski, drums, Tim Sliazas, bass, and Nick Lisowski, keyboard, guitar and sound tech, will take the stage at Tommy Nevin's in Frankfort Saturday, July 21, playing covers from the '50s to present day.

“We don't play the typical band stuff,” Mark said. “We play a lot of stuff, people will like one of our songs.”

Though the band has been playing gigs for the past two years, they were quick to point out that they're not in it for the fame or fortune—although they wouldn't mind it, either. Instead they guys said that the band is just for fun, something to do with their friends and a way to enjoy the music they play.

“Really, we're just looking to pay the babysitter,” Cummins said with a laugh. “We genuinely like each other, so it's fun to get to together with the guys. That being said, if somebody wanted to sponsor us, we'd be open to the idea.”

Though in it for the fun, the band has had some success, landing a gig in Las Vegas last year at a corporate event. Cummins stressed though that it, “was as lowkey as Vegas can be.”

“We played at the Green Valley Ranch,” Mark said. “We got hired for a couple days, played for three or four hours and it was a blast.”

Most recently the band rocked Mokena on the Fourth of July at the Scarth Lane block party.

“The first song, there were a few kids dancing around,” Sliazas said. “Then by the sixth song, we had a couple dancing in front of the stage, and then by the seventh, eighth song, we had people coming out of their pools. It was great.”

Firechicken will appear at Tommy Nevins in Frankfort Saturday, July 21, hitting the stage at 9 p.m. There is no cover charge. For more information about the band, visit its Facebook page.