Praizapalooza: Outdoor concert to feature 
church bands, soloists

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The music will be playing on Saturday, rain or shine.

And all are invited to listen to it.

That’s the thought behind the first-ever Praizapalooza, a music fest featuring a variety of Christian bands from DeKalb and as far away as Indiana.

“So often we’re inside the church building, asking people to come in,” organizer James Butz said.

So he decided to take it outside.

At the Hopkins Park bandshell, prayers, lyrics and stories will be shared during the five-hour event, but mostly it will be music.

Music has been a major part of life for James Butz and his wife, Brenda.

The Butzes always have tunes going in their house. And when they’re facing a difficult time, song lyrics usually work their way into making the situation better, Brenda said.

James Butz has thrown the idea of a music fest around for years. He first imagined such a fest to include a church parking lot and a flatbed truck set up as a stage.

Then he drove past Hopkins Park one summer evening. The bandshell was being set up for a municipal band concert, a common sight and sound on summer Tuesdays.

“It would just be a cool venue,” he said he thought at the time.

So the Butzes – James is worship director and Brenda is secretary at First Church of the Nazarene in DeKalb – reached out to people they knew at other churches. A fellow church member also got in touch with bands, and the first response came in from an ensemble from Indiana.

From there, the phone calls and e-mails “poured in,” James said.

But what organizers are most delighted about is the amount of donations also pouring in, from individuals and churches, to cover expenses like renting out the park’s shelter and bandshell area.

To keep costs down, people are asked to bring a picnic lunch while they enjoy the music.

The Butzes say their taste in music is “eclectic,” and that’s why they’re happy the performers will be entertaining with a variety of sounds. A lot of it will be original music, James said, but there will be mostly contemporary pieces with some traditional hymns mixed in.

Two of the groups are young musicians: the ReBorn, Salvation Army’s junior praise band, and the Campus Missions International youth band.

And a guitar will be given away through a raffle drawing at the end of the day. The only stipulation is that the recipient must be 18 or younger, to encourage kids to get into music, James said.

Besides music, speakers and a comedian will fill out the day.

One speaker is Nathan Scott, executive director of Love INC of DeKalb and Sycamore, a clearinghouse that connects people in need with area churches. Also speaking is a state representative of Celebrate Recovery, a Christian-based recovery group for substance abusers at which meetings are held weekly at the Nazarene church.

“We picked the speakers because they give back to the community,” James said.

And Praizapalooza also will be a time to give back. Organizers have collected hats and gloves, which will be available at the event for anyone who needs them, he said. Any extras will be donated to a local shelter.

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If you go

What: Praizapalooza

When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Hopkins Park

Information: To help sponsor the event, contact James Butz at 815-901-3167 or hubbyjimmy@hotmail.com.