The North 41 aims high
Video hitmakers play Lyons on July 4th
By Steve Metsch
The band playing at Lyons’ annual Party in the Park on the Fourth of July is known around the world thanks to their recent video going viral.
The North 41 gave a funky feel to Metallica’s hard-rocking “Enter Sandman,” and posted it on-line. Soon, it became a huge hit.
The changes they made obviously struck a chord with listeners. And, the video has gone viral with more than 3 million views on Facebook as of Monday, guitarist Patrick Walsh said.
“We totally wanted to re-invent the song and make it in our own style. We’re not a metal band at all. We’re a funk band.
“We thought it would be cool to take something that no one would ever think to make funky and do it that way. It turned out well, I guess,” Walsh said.
Visit https://youtu.be/QWZGx4H59vUfor a listen
As a result, yhe band saw its number of listeners skyrocket on Spotify. So, have sales of its first album, “Dancing & Praying.”
“The response was insane. Tons of people are reaching out, asking us to play all over the nation and the world. The result was great. We’re thrilled,” Walsh said.
He and his bandmates have been playing music together for about a decade. They all attended Lyons Township School, and they graduated together in 2009.
The band played local places like Tavern On La Grange back then. The band’s name has since changed, but the core has not.
Walsh and Frank Minella both play lead guitar. “We have a dual lead guitar situation going on, kind of like the Allman Brothers,” Walsh said.
Mike Campo is the drummer. Riley Pettrone is the lead singer.
“The bass player and keyboard player that we usually play with varies. We kind of use hired guns for those two roles,” Walsh said.
The goal is to “take it from a fun, high school band into the professional realm and expand from that,” Walsh said.
“Over the last couple years, we’ve taken it to a professional level. We’ve released an album, some singles, and are playing downtown and all over the Midwest,” Walsh said. “We’ll take this as far as we can.”
According to the band’s web site, The North 41 plays a festival in Detroit on July 7; at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, on July 13; in Kettering, Ohio on July 14; in Madison, Wis., on Aug. 2; and at Marty Fest in Chicago on Aug. 12.
This will be their first-ever gig in Lyons, playing from 6:30 p.m. until the fireworks begin around 9:30 p.m. on July 4 in Veterans Park beside the Village Hall.
You may hear some new songs as a to-be-titled album is due out in September.
Walsh said that while each band member now has a part-time job – he, for example, teaches music downtown – the plan is for the band to become their main jobs.
While The North 41 may be known worldwide, its name has a definite Chicago flavor.
“We’re all living in Chicago and (U.S. Route) 41 is Lake Shore Drive,” Walsh said. “The North 41 is an homage to Lake Shore Drive. We love that road. It’s beautiful.”
Desplaines Valley News
Email Steve Metsch at [email protected]
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