Melanie at Dawes Park, Tues. July 26

Legendary folk singer Melanie will present her first Chicago-area performance in more than 30 years with a free show at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, at Evanston's Dawes Park, Sheridan Road at Church Street. This performance is sponsored by First Bank & Trust.

Best known for her hit songs "Brand New Key," "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)," and "What Have They Done to My Song Ma," Melanie gained prominence at age 22 for her rain-soaked performance at the Woodstock Festival. She reached #1 on the Billboard chart in 1972 with "Brand New Key," which was recently reintroduced to new audiences through a commercial for computer printers.

Melanie was named Top Female Vocalist in 1992 by Billboard, and along the way she has appeared twice at the Isle of Wight Festival (1970 and 2010) in addition to becoming the first performer ever to sing solo at the United Nations General Assembly, the New York Metropolitan Opera, Sydney Opera House, and the Royal Albert Hall.

She has over 30 albums to her credit and has been writing and performing continuously for more than 40 years, though her performances in recent years have been increasingly infrequent. Don't miss this rare chance to hear a living legend!