Lake Zurich Band To Rock Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

The decision to form a cover band and play bars, clubs, private parties and charity benefits had already been made. What was tripping up these five musically inclined guys was what to call themselves.

“It’s harder than naming a child,” jokes Dan McNamara, a Lake Zurich resident and one of the band’s members.

After kicking ideas around for a while, the group came up with a mutually agreeable moniker: Triple Dawg Dare. The name doesn’t really refer to anything in particular, it just sounds right, he said.

That was in 2004.

Flash forward seven years and the band is still together, rehearsing weekly, playing venues in Lake Zurich and the surrounding area, occasionally straying as far south as Oak Forest and as far north as Waukegan.

The band will play a charity benefit concert at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, April 10, at Sundance Saloon, 300 Lakehurst Rd., Waukegan.  Proceeds will benefit the Baine family of Steger. 

Two of the Baine boys, Cody, 16 and Travis, 14, have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a terminal illness, said Mike Dunkleman, Triple Dawg Dare’s drummer. Dunkleman said the fundraiser was set up through Mo-Hawk Less Cancer, an organization set up by Kevin Oldham, a firefighter who recently lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Oldham, a firefighter and paramedic, selected the Baine family as the next beneficiary of his organization.  Cody and Travis’ father, Capt. Nathan Baine, is a paramedic and training officer for the Steger Fire Department.

“This is actually a really neat charity event,” said Dunkleman, adding that the band performed at a previous fundraising event for Oldham.

Oldham passed away about three weeks ago, he said.

“His parents have taken this over,” he said, referring to the efforts to hold charity benefits for other families in need.

The bill Sunday also will include a 3 p.m. performance by God and Collisions, a 6 p.m. show by Rule 22 and a 7:30 p.m. performance by voo doo cadillac (cq – lowercase).

Dunkleman said the band relishes the chance to donate their musical talents to a good cause, a sentiment echoed by McNamara.

“It’s just neat,” Dunkleman said. “Everybody’s really into it.”

In addition to Dunkleman and McNamara, the band includes founders Tom Mikucki and Greg Miller, who lives in Lake Zurich, along with singer Chris Rogus.

“We rehearse here in Lake Zurich and we consider it our home base,”  said Dunklemen. “We are a rock cover band. We cover just about all areas of rock and roll.”

He said the band’s repertoire covers decades of rock history, from Elvis to The Foo Fighters. The band rehearses in Miller’s Lake Zurich studio, adjourning to Dunkleman’s Gurnee home where there's a recording studio.

All five band members have other jobs.

“You’ve got to realize, it is a hobby for us,” said bass player McNamara, who owns McNamara Interactive, a Lake Zurich-based Web design and development company. “We do enjoy it and we’re pretty good at it.”

McNamara said the band tries to keep the playlist fresh and audience-friendly, mixing classic rock with more modern selections, such as Green Day and Nickelback. And the band does take requests.

“You’re always going to get the crazy folk who will scream out, ‘Free Bird!’” he said.

Dunkleman said the band’s concert schedule this summer includes one stop close to Lake Zurich. On July 29, Triple Dawg Dare will perform at Citizens Park in Hawthorn Woods.

Tickets for Sunday’s show at Sundance Saloon are $10. For more information, visit www.mohawklesscancer.com. For more about the band, visit www.tripledawgdare.com.