The inaugural Villa Fest, held Aug. 22 in Villa Park’s Ardmore Business District, featured several live music acts. Those acts included the Rhythm Rockets, who delivered an entertaining afternoon performance. Dave Downer, a 1980 Willowbrook High School graduate, formed the Rhythm Rockets in 1996. His daughter, Shea Downer, who is a senior at Willowbrook, is the group’s lead vocalist. She is pictured with her father during the group’s performance in the Rugaard Gazebo. The Rhythm Rockets’ repertoire features postwar jazz, as well as rhythm and blues music, from the 1940s and 1950s. The group includes three saxophones, along with drums, acoustic bass and guitar.
