Last year, the Elgin mayor, David Kaptain, proclaimed the Love on the Lawn Festival, a day filled with music, community and food, an Elgin holiday. WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose talks with the founders Mike Page and Tyrell Thornton ahead of this Saturday’s celebration.
YB
So, it's been 5 years, guys. Can you tell me how does it feel to start something so small and see where it's at right now?
MP
It feels incredible. I knew from the beginning we'd get here. I always believed in the community that they'd show up and show out. You know, it just takes time when you're building, you know. But it's beautiful now. This year we collaborated with the Boricua Fest, so it's even going to be bigger.
YB
Now tell me about how your partnership happened.
MP
Oh, with the Boricua Fest or, or me and Tyrell?
YB
You and Tyrell.
MP
We met in college, Iowa at at, at Kirkwood Community College. Yep, we both went there to play basketball. And then we both quit and and, and he made my first beat ever.
TT
We jumped right into the music.
MP
We jumped right into the music, and he made my first beat ever.
TT
Yeah, we've been rocking together the whole time, every day since college.
YB
How did things switch from basketball to music?
TT
He always wanted to do music. You know what I'm saying? I always wanted to make beats since before I even went to college. He always wanted to be an artist, and a rapper, and a writer, so we just put it together.
MP
Yep, We done been chasing this dream 20 years doing everything. And we just started doing shows in college. We start doing shows. We met some people who was doing shows, doing comedy shows, and it was a great experience, but we start working with them. We've been doing it ever since. We started in Iowa doing shows and concerts. Our first show, we lost every penny. But we kept going, though, we kept going.
YB
How important is it to you that people across the country are coming to Elgin, Mike, your hometown, to celebrate during this festival?
MP
That's bigger than life. That's how you know we got something that's gonna stick forever. We want people to come in and see how we vibe in Elgin, the energy and how, you know, we got kids from 5 to adults 65, 90. And this year we are celebrating the pillars of the community, so all three of our pillars are all of them 90 years old. One of them is my grandfather, Dave Covington, and Margaret Spivey, and Ernest Broadnax. He's awesome, though, you know what I'm saying? He's somebody that I'm just now learning a lot about, that's why I wanted to bring him out because in my community we should supposed to know about somebody like him that did so much and that start and started it off. He was the first, he was the first Black basketball player at ECC College.
YB
When you talk about the pillars and the older people, you mentioned in another interview they don't have to drive an hour, they can just come.
MP
Yeah, that's important because me growing up and, and seeing my elder community, you know, I never seen them really go down to Chicago that much to go to shows all the time. We are pretty much a tight-knit community, and so I wanted be the one that bring something to them, so they don't have to travel and go I mean, there's nothing wrong with going to Chicago, but we used to go to Bud Billiken Parade all the time, but why not have Chicago come to Elgin and people see how we get down?
YB
Tyrell, what part of Chicago are you from?
Speaker 3
West Chicago.
YB
How much did you know about Elgin before meeting Mike?
TT
I didn't know much at all. I knew it existed. That's about it.
MP
That's a good question.
TT
I’d never been there. I knew it was there though.
YB
I would like to know what your thoughts are about the city now and how close are you to the people in this community?
TT
I love Elgin. It’s like I'm from there now. Like they embraced me with open arms. Like granny house is my granny house. Like we all, they show me love every time I come through there. It's all love.
MP
It's like that.
YB
So, I also heard this festival being referred to as the largest family reunion. Why is it known as that?
Speaker 2
Oh, because it's, it's a lot of family units that come there. We start with family, and so I'm pushing for kids to come out. I'm pushing for the family to come out together. That's why we made it very affordable, probably the most affordable festival in Illinois because we want you to bring five, six, seven family members out and you can enjoy yourself.
YB
And now, I see that Mýa's coming. Talk more about this year's lineup.
TT
We got Mýa. We got six super dope house DJs that are going to be rocking all day starting at 2:00 p.m., 2:30. You know what I'm saying? And then Mýa just going to come and mellow everything out.
MP
Yeah.
TT
Give it that vibe.
MP
Give it that real 80s and 90s vibe, like early 2000s vibe.
YB
Thank you, guys, for taking the time to speak with me and I'm excited. And I hope to make it out. I think I've only come, I think I came to the one with Musiq Soulchild, me and my friend, but you guys take care.
MP
You too.
The audio file has the extended version of the interview.
