Plain White T’s Coming to Benedictine University

from Benedictine University

The Plain White T’s went from playing clubs in Chicago in the late 1990s to record deals, the Grammy awards and international success. They have made their mark on the music world and continue to gain fans and Billboard hits.

Now they are coming home to Chicago to play at Benedictine University. In support of their third album release, “The Wonders of the Younger,” the band will perform at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex as part of the University’s BenFest 2011 festivities on Saturday, August 27.

This is a great opportunity for local fans to see them perform live in an informal setting, close to home and at a reasonable price.

Gates open at 6 p.m. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. with a performance by Kingfish. Tickets are $40 for reserved seats, $30 for general admission and $15 for students. Tickets go on sale April 15.

The Plain White T’s were founded in 1997, 10 years before their Grammy-nominated single “Hey There Delilah” put them on the musical map. Lead singer Tom Higgenson, who lives in Elmhurst, played drums in various high school bands when he met bassist Ken Fletcher. The two became friends and launched their own band with Dave Tirio taking over on drums.

Higgenson was nearly killed in a car accident on I-88 in the summer of 1999. But the event was a catharsis for the singer-songwriter, whose newly-found dedication led to the group’s self-released “Come on Over” in 2001 and a record deal with Fearless Records in 2002 that generated their first studio album, “Stop.”

Lineup changes plagued the band during the next three years, but by 2005 the band’s roster solidified with Higgenson on vocals, Willowbrook High School graduate Tirio and Austin, Texas product Tim Lopez on guitars, Bucktown resident De'Mar Hamilton on drums and Chicagoan Mike Retondo on bass.

“Hey There Delilah” was the group’s breakout hit, gaining steam in late 2006 and early 2007 until topping the charts in 10 countries by summer 2007. It was the first drumless song to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in years. In 2008, the band released “Big Bad World,” a return-to-roots effort.

“Rhythm of Love,” the first single off their most recent album, made its debut at No. 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart.

For more information, go to www.ben.edu/benfest.