East Garfield Park youth groups performing at Lollapalooza

Thursday, July 29, 2021
CHICAGO (WLS) -- After weeks of practice at Marillac St. Vincent's Family and Youth Center in East Garfield Park, it's almost showtime for a performance on the biggest stage of their lives.

"I have always to be a part of a drum line and this is the perfect opportunity to do so," said Isabel Vinaja who is part of the band.
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BandWith Chicago and Chicago West Community Music Center are taking their drum line and dance team to perform in front of tens of thousands of people at Lollapalooza on Sunday afternoon.

"It's really cool because I just never thought something like this would happen but I always hoped it would," said Seamus Palomino, a band member.

They got the call just last month.

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"The first response was just disbelief and excitement and then my second move was to call my instructors." Annie Palomino, the executive director of BandWith Chicago. "So I called them all the next day and said 'Are you up for this?"



Both organizations primarily work with young people from under-resourced communities, exposing them to music and dance.

"We need an escape to be free, to express ourselves in whatever way we want to do," Ajae Thomas, a dance team member
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Demya Jackson said she just wants to make her family proud by setting goals and achieving them.

"Most people didn't pursue their dreams, I want to do something else," she said.

The group young said they're more than prepared to put on an unforgettable show during their 10-minute set.



"I'm very brave because it's not going to be my family," Jackson said. "It's going to be thousands of other people that's going to be there that I don't even know."

Their performance is scheduled for Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on the Bud Light Selzer Stage.
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