By Dave Miller

Who knew you could enjoy island music in Oak Park?

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I didn't, until it was happening. One moment I was in the middle of a lazy Sunday afternoon at home, the next I was at an outdoor concert in a park. The latter wasn't the plan until I saw a Facebook post by Meg Thomas advertising a Tropixplosion! gig just five minutes from my house in Scoville Park. Thomas is the drummer for the rock band The Wanton Looks. She also plays in numerous other groups, sometimes playing in two on the same day.

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Thomas packs a wallop for The Wanton Looks, earning the nickname "Meg-a-Bomb." While she has the power of a rocker, her playing travels beyond the genre. Thomas incorporates her varied musical experience in her rock drumming, confidently injecting interesting flourishes into The Wanton Looks. I couldn't resist seeing her talent in a different setting.

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I came to the concert as an admirer of Thomas, but left as a fan of the band. Tropixplosion! takes you out of your surroundings and puts you in a tropical mood with its Caribbean-flavored music. They covered some predictable tunes by artists such as Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett along with Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song),"  but other offerings were served with a twist. "One thing we like to do is take songs that aren't island songs and put an island spin on them," singer/guitarist Paul Willaert told a crowd of 300 or so. Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and Chip Taylor's "Angel of the Morning," which Juice Newton had a hit with in 1981, were two of the most inspired selections and performances.

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Thomas doesn't even sit behind a drum kit in Tropixplosion! That job is filled adeptly by Jeffrey Money. Thomas stood and played percussion, banging on bongos and congas. Bill Grant's steel drums helped create the band's signature sound, while Willaert and bassist Jeffrey Michael Bella added to the feel-good vibe.

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Even in this talented group of musicians, Thomas stood out. She went off on "Conga Thing" early in the set and later captured the attention of the crowd again with a 10-minute percussion solo on "Oye Como Va," the song written by Tito Puente and popularized by Santana. Money eventually took the rhythm reins from Thomas on the tune for a solo spotlight of his own which saw Willart watching him while laying on the stage.

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Tropixplosion! was at its best when putting its stamp on a surprising cover or playing music like "Conga Thing" and "Calypso Music." All that was missing was summer drinks. While Thomas is used to blowing the roof off rock clubs with The Wanton Looks, it had to be rewarding for her to look across the park and see hundreds of people enjoying the sounds of Tropixlosion! on a nice evening. A joyful scene unfolded near the end of the set when attendess of all ages formed a conga line that danced across the park. It's hard to beat that.

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The setlist: