Ukulele Moonshiners will play before White Sox game on Saturday

Joliet-area band returns for the White Sox’s Margaritaville Day and Hawaiian Shirt Giveaway.

The Ukulele Moonshiners are seen at a previous performance at Starved Rock State Park. Band members are (from left) Denis Kramer, Stan Ketcik, Ed Kocjan and Ron Alberico (kneeling).

White Sox park — The Ukulele Moonshiners will entertain White Sox fans on Saturday before the White Sox play the Texas Rangers at 1:10 p.m.

Band member Stan Ketcik of Minooka said the Ukulele Moonshiners would play from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Guaranteed Rate Field, gate 4 performance stage in honor of the White Sox’s Margaritaville Day and Hawaiian Shirt Giveaway.

Ketcik said the White Sox invited the Ukulele Moonshiners to perform in 2019, too. The first 20,000 fans in the stadium will get Hawaiian Shirts provided by Beggars Pizza as the band plays a “moving concert,” Ketcik said.

“We’ll sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ a few times while people are moving along,” Ketcik said. “A couple of parking attendants will probably say, ‘Hey, did we hear that one?’ A few people will be there for us but most people will be going by to get their free shirt. And we’re OK with that. We just like to have fun.”

In addition to Ketcik on ukulele and didgeridoo, the Ukulele Moonshiners are Ron Alberico of Lockport (ukulele, bongos, steel drum and slide guitar), Denis Kramer of Batavia (ukulele and kazoo) and Ed Kocjan of Channahon (bass and mandolin).

Ketcik said like many other bands, the Ukulele Moonshiners took time off during COVID. But they’ve since received plenty of requests to play for private parties and public events and have a full summer of gigs scheduled.

“We not only survived – we thrived,” Ketcik said. “It’s just a blessing to see people having fun again after COVID.”

And people do have fun at their concerts, partly because the Ukulele Moonshiners really promotes audience participation, Ketcik said.

“We get them to sing along with us,” Ketcik said. “We always get someone up on stage with a grass skirt and a coconut bra. We get them to play percussion along with the band. And we get them to smile.”

But it’s not just the music that provokes the smiles.

“We start every concert by asking everyone to turn to the left and the right and say, ‘I love you,’ to everybody. That really lights up the room,” Ketcik said. “Everyone gets a kick out of that. We spread love as we begin ... I’m a Sox fan and a Cubs fan. That’s a very unusual combination. Actually I’m a people fan. And White Sox and Cub fans love ukulele music. We’re an equal opportunity ukulele band.”

For tickets or more information about Saturday’s event, visit whitesox.com or call 312-674-1000 (office) or 866-SOX-GAME (tickets)

In addition, the Ukulele Moonshiners will perform at the following events:

• Music in the Garden – 7 to 8 p.m., June 21, Children’s Garden Project of Elwood, 801 N. Chicago St., Elwood. Free. Bring lawn chair and cooler. For more information, visit villageofelwood.com.

• Polka-Luau – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park & Theatre, 201 W. Jefferson St. Joliet. Part of the 48th annual Concerts on the Hill series. Also, “Beauty and the Beast” musical preview and Eddie Korosa, Jr. and the Boys and Girl from Illinois. For more information, visit

• Mammo-Palooza – Ukulele Moonshiners will play 2 to 3 p.m., St. Joe’s Park, 700 Theodore St, Joliet. For more information on the annual event, visit www.mammostrong.org.

For more information, visit ukulelemoonshiners.com.