Gina Glocksen said she felt pretty special being the first to perform for a new series of free acoustic Unplug at the District concerts that began Thursday outside of Oakbrook Center’s food area.
“I remember coming here to this mall with my family as a kid, and it was a pretty big deal,” said Glocksen, who teamed up with Kyle Gansel from her Gina Glocksen Band for the acoustic performance of many well-known songs.
The concert series will continue from 5:30 -7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 20 at the food court area called The District.
“It think this is a great idea to have these performances here,” Glocksen said. “It’s nice for people who want to unwind after being at work all day, and it’s nice for people who want to take a few minutes to relax and enjoy some music while they’re just here shopping.”
Suzanne Beres, Oakbrook Center’s senior marketing manager, said the concert series was added as “a way to showcase the new district we have at the center and to close out summer in a low-key, acoustic atmosphere.”
Rebecca Singer of Naperville was surprised to run across Glocksen’s performance while shopping, but was glad she did.
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“I don’t know that I would ever stay for two full hours of a performance here, but it was nice to take a break, get something to drink and listen and watch for a little bit,” Singer said.
“I might come back on a Thursday to do some more shopping and check out another performance.”
Peter Silver of Downers Grove also was surprised to see the live performance.
“I wish I could stay longer tonight; she’s very good,” Silver said. “They do a lot of different events at this mall, and it’s a good way to give people a little extra reason to come out.”
Upcoming performances
Aug. 23: Guitarra Azul, with Latin, jazz and world favorites
Aug. 30: Hi Infidelity performing classic rock to 80s hits
Sept. 6: The Mix Unplugged with party hits of the 50s to today
Sept. 13: 7th Heaven, a popular Chicago-area cover band
Sept. 20: Bratwurst Brothers performing polkas, German traditional music and American hits of the 70s and 80s for an Oktoberfest party.
