Local band plans charity performance for mental health

ISLAND LAKE – The Generations, a Chicago-based band founded by musician and philanthropist Rob Stepen, will host a charity performance Friday, March 28, at Sideouts Sports Tavern in Island Lake to benefit a local chapter of NAMI.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

The event follows the October release of The Generations' debut album “Alternate View,” a project originating in 1985 when Chicago musician Stepen recorded two tracks but was unable to listen to them due to not owning a reel-to-reel player.

Rediscovered in his attic in 2023, the tapes were restored and rerecorded with the help of producer Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago and then mastered by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service and pressed into vinyl at Jack White’s Third Man Records.

The event not only marks the culmination of Stepen’s long musical journey, but also serves a meaningful cause with all proceeds benefiting local nonprofits.

The evening will include an introduction to the charity from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and a performance by The Generations from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Sideouts Sports Tavern, 4018 W. Roberts Road in Island Lake.

Tickets cost $10 in advance at www.3dsideouts.com and $12 at the door.