Saturday, August 22, 2026 @ 7 pm
location: Raue Center’s Arts On The Green
210 McHenry Avenue, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Bourbon Country delivers a high-energy blend of country favorites and classic rock hits, creating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Formed in 2012, the band has built a strong following across Chicagoland and Wisconsin with standout vocals and a lineup of seasoned musicians from diverse musical backgrounds.
From the storytelling roots of Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks to the iconic sounds of the Eagles, Elton John, and beyond, Bourbon Country brings a crowd-pleasing mix of genres to every performance. With the added flair of live fiddle and occasional strings, their dynamic show guarantees something for everyone—familiar songs, powerful harmonies, and an unforgettable night of music.
Bourbon Country is very excited to be back on the outdoor stage for the Raue Center for the Arts, presenting an all-new country music show that covers decades of country music right up to today’s top hits. Fun songs, rockin’ songs, poignant songs, and the whole range of what country music does best.
Saturday, November 6 @ 8pm
location: Raue Center For The Arts’=
26N Williams Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Bourbon Country delivers a high-energy blend of country favorites and classic rock hits, creating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. Formed in 2012, the band has built a strong following across Chicagoland and Wisconsin with standout vocals and a lineup of seasoned musicians from diverse musical backgrounds.
From the storytelling roots of Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks to the iconic sounds of the Eagles, Elton John, and beyond, Bourbon Country brings a crowd-pleasing mix of genres to every performance. With the added flair of live fiddle and occasional strings, their dynamic show guarantees something for everyone—familiar songs, powerful harmonies, and an unforgettable night of music.
Bourbon Country comes back to the Raue Center stage with an all new show full of surprises and great classic songs. Their ability to seamlessly move from one genre to another always keep the audience guessing and loving it. While you certainly will recognize some of the most beloved classics throughout many styles of music, Bourbon Country will introduce you to a few special songs that they are sure you will love.
Bourbon Country Bio
The origin of Bourbon Country goes back to 2012, when Randy Leggee and Nathan Masey shared a common thread of music in churches and entertainment venues. After working out a plan for basing the band on Country music, Bourbon Country started entertaining fans and friends throughout Chicagoland and Wisconsin.
When Nathan moved to California, Warren Pohl joined Bourbon Country, bringing decades of successful band experience, and a plan to bring a classic rock genre to complement the country music. While continuing to deliver country hits from the past and present, Bourbon Country evolved over the past few years with the addition of seasoned music professionals, Jody Fields, Joe Pesz, Rich Prezioso, and Jim Seidel. Together, they have decades of successful individual and band experience from jazz, rock, country, and classical backgrounds. They have also
created one of the strongest vocal bands around.
In addition, Tom Vos and Alexi Hagedorn now join Bourbon Country on violin and cello whenever possible, adding a touch of class, and bringing the country vibe to the next level with Tom’s outstanding “fiddle” skills! Bourbon Country has influences varying widely from Johnny Cash and Garth Brooks to the Carpenters and everything in between. The core of Bourbon Country now includes the sounds of the Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Elton John, James Taylor, Van Morrison, America, and rounds out that lineup with music as diverse as songs from Adele, Jim Croce, Coldplay, Cat Stevens, Walker Hayes, Florida Georgia Line, and more.
As successful bands and artists do, Bourbon Country continues to expand its musical palette but always delivers the best in popular music from multiple styles. The blend works perfectly and allows Bourbon Country to ensure that everyone in the audience will hear great songs they know and love. Bourbon Country always delivers an exceptional experience!
Randy Leggee
Randy started Bourbon Country in 2012 with the concept of a 2 person acoustic country band highlighting the best of country music with an emphasis on vocals and harmonies. Having been in many bands over the years and active in various church musical groups, Randy has constantly reshaped and envisioned what audiences really wanted. He also started to realize that there were significant similarities between modern country music and the music he grew up with in the 60’s and 70’s. Bands like the Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, America, Guess Who, and individual artists like Elton John and Harry Chapin were major influences and crowd pleasers. Mixing these two genres together formed the next generation of Bourbon Country.
Randy has continued to excite audiences throughout Illinois and Wisconsin and partnered with various guest artists to make it the best experience possible for the audience.
Jody Fields
Jody Fields grew up listening to her dad play jazz classics on the piano, and her smooth Karen Carpenter-style voice lends itself particularly well to the genre. You can often find Jody crooning at local restaurants, where she sings old school classics with Bourbon Street Jazz Quartet.
Jody has a great ear for harmony and loves to sing background vocals on any project that she’s invited to. She also loves soft rock from the 70s and 80s (a.k.a. Yacht Rock) and her favorite project was a 10-piece band called Jody’s House, complete with horns and violin. Jody rings handbells at the First Congregational Church in Crystal Lake, and also gathers some of her musician friends for their annual Beatles Sunday every summer.
In February of 2025, Jody joined Pacific Sound Company, covering iconic artists from the West Coast such as Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, and Carly Simon. Jody’s natural voice and innate sense of rhythm and harmony add a beautiful dimension to whatever musical endeavor she participates in, but she is particularly thrilled to add her special touch to Bourbon Country’s rich vocal tradition.
Joe Pesz
Duke Ellington wrote the music to ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing’ in 1931 during a set break at Chicago’s Lincoln Tavern. My parents heard it as kids, along with Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and others, and it filled their house and my formative years. As a composer for film, stage, and radio, Joe began as a drummer in grade school because they’d overbooked the trombone section. Studies at Millikin University on scholarship, Northern IL University on a shoestring, with side adventures at the Rhode Island School of Design, Brown U., U Cal Sacramento, and the Second City provided wide-ranging opportunities and influences that are taking a lifetime to play out.
James Seidel
Jim picked up the bass when he was 10 years old, and he has never put it down since. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Jim performs a range of musical styles on his upright and electric basses. He is well-versed in playing jazz, country, Americana, rock, blues, and folk.
Rich Prezioso
Rich Prezioso is a guitarist and singer/songwriter from Cary, IL. For the last 30 years, he has toured nationally with his wife and partner, Jacquie Manning, as the folk/acoustic duo, Small Potatoes. He also works with the local bands Arranmore, The White Saddle Band, and the Leftovers, and as the guitarist for the Woodstock Community Choir. Rich has written for musical theater and also for TV and radio commercials in Chicago, writing jingles for Cap’n Crunch Cereal (he met the Cap’n), Gatorade, Domino’s Pizza, among others.
Special thanks to
Mark Rockwell (lighting consultant) and James Kita (audio/ video consultant)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tim Paul
Board President
John Jacobsen
Vice President
Jerry Trachsler
Treasurer
Luanne Flavin
Secretary
Mike H. Johnson
Stacey McInerney
Jack Minsley
Rich Naponelli
Michelle Nowland
Sandra Pierce
Steven Szalaj
Courtney Petrocci
John DaCosse
Regan Shepley
John Green
Bob Atkinson
Matt Turk
Paul Leech
Meredith Flowers
RAUE CENTER STAFF
Richard Kuranda
Raue Center CEO & Founding Artistic Director of Williams Street Repertory
Justin Wellington
Managing Director
Jenna Klaproth
Operations Manager
Meredith Schaefer-Flowers
Director of Marketing &
Institutional Advancement
Michele V. Knight
Marketing Manager
James Knight
Economic Development Manager
Rob Scharlow
Raue Center School for the Arts
Director of Education
Maribeth Ling
Front of House Manager
Chris Tumblin
Raue Center Director of Production
Lisa Giebler
Technical Director
Ryan Meadow
Raue Center Production Manager
Box Office Associates
Naomi Unverzagt
Nick Eversman
About Raue Center For The Arts
Raue Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of all through the arts. For 20 years, they have provided quality programming – striving to make it pertinent, available, and affordable to all. As a painstakingly restored, 1920s regional showcase theatre named for its benefactor—Lucile Raue—Raue Center has attracted the finest stars, Broadway shows, musicians and artists. Named on the League of Historic American Theatres, Raue Center is one of the finest examples of restored art and decor in the nation. The 750-seat theatre, located in historic downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, is a gathering place for our region’s citizens and has become a true destination.
For additional information follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit rauecenter.org.
