Kory and the Fireflies' show at the Black Hills Heritage Festival next week will be a sort of homecoming for the band.

The Sioux Falls band, led by Rapid City native Kory Van Sickle, hasn't played in Rapid City for quite a while.

"It's been a long time since we've played in Rapid City. We've played in Sturgis for the rally and Deadwood and some of the towns in the Hills," Van Sickle said. "Some of those events we've kind of played multiple times - Wild Bill Days, the rally - we've hit those, and for whatever reason, we've missed Rapid - it will be good to be back."

The band is promoting its most recent album, "Love To Give," and a new DVD, "Love to Give Concert," which was filmed at Ribfest '08 in Sioux Falls.

"We're still working that last record and just released the DVD. We'll just be supporting that. And we're starting to work on a new record," he said.

Ribfest draws a crowd of about 15,000 people, and Kory and the Fireflies has been a headline act at the annual concert for the past 10 years. The DVD marks a milestone for the band.

"We're celebrating 15 years. The Fireflies were established in '94, and we had our first show in October of '94. We've been playing

straight since then. We've never taken a hiatus or anything," he said.

Since the band began, it has played with more than 50 national acts, including Neil Young, Goo Goo Dolls, Sheryl Crow, Switchfoot and Willie Nelson. A recent single, "She's Coming Back Again," was heard nationally in advertisements for the TLC television network's "Trading Spaces."

A measure of stability has come with the band's success. Its current lineup has been in place for seven years.

"It's just a really good, solid group, great guys. They make it easy," Van Sickle said.

"March was 10 years I've been self-employed as an original musician, and that's almost unheard of."

Also with success has come the ability to give a little back.

"We've been doing a lot with charities and being as philanthropic as possible," he said. "We've raised nearly $100,000 in CD sales, money from performances and relationship connections."

Part of the profits from the band's performance at the heritage festival will go to a worthy cause, Van Sickle said.

If you go

Who: Kory and the Fireflies

What: Black Hills Heritage Festival

When: 10 p.m. Thursday, July 2

Where: Memorial Park band shell

Admission: Free

Black Hills Heritage Festival main stage schedule

Wednesday, July 1

4 p.m. - Unfinished Business

6:30 p.m. - Brandon Sprague Band

9:30 p.m. - Blues Bashers

Thursday, July 2

Noon - Old

1:30 p.m. - Assault from the Sea

3 p.m. - American Heavy Metal Weekend

4:30 p.m. - Kory and the Fireflies sound check

5:30 p.m. - Fairbanks Blue

7 p.m. - The Reddmen

10 p.m. - Kory and the Fireflies

Friday, July 3

Noon - Powwow

3:30 p.m. - James Van Nuys & Bob Fahey

5 p.m. - Groove Daddy

7 p.m. - Rooted Souls

10 p.m. - Roster McCabe

Saturday, July 4

9 a.m. - Citizens for Liberty rally

11 a.m. - Black Hills in Motion Cloggers

Noon - Hot Shots Divas and Angels

2 p.m. - Battle of the Bands

5:30 p.m. - Outlaws of Poker Flat

7 p.m. - Riff Raff

Dusk - Community fireworks show

10:30 p.m. - Wakefield

The festival will also include performances on an acoustic stage and activities in the children's/heritage tent.

Call Eric Lochridge at 394-8321 or e-mail eric.lochridge@rapidcityjournal.com.