100 gecs tree
{{Short description|Tree in Illinois, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
The 100 gecs tree (also nicknamed Gecca) is a ponderosa pine located in Des Plaines, Illinois, in the United States.{{cite web |last1=Richards |first1=M. T. |title=Hyperpop band 100 gecs just wants to get under your skin |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-100-gecs-concert-chicago-20230418-itu3uyol4jcbzbmo2osqzymu5e-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=April 18, 2023 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426043730/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-100-gecs-concert-chicago-20230418-itu3uyol4jcbzbmo2osqzymu5e-story.html |url-status=live }} It was featured in the cover art for the 2019 album 1000 gecs by the American musical duo 100 gecs; the tree has since become a popular attraction for fans.{{cite web |last1=Sturm |first1=Verity |title=This little tree in Des Plaines is the center of a nationwide hyperpop pilgrimage for gecs love |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-100-gecs-tree-des-plaines-20200806-cjurifmtbjektie4jlu7yn3gom-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=August 10, 2020 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-date=August 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200829121742/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-100-gecs-tree-des-plaines-20200806-cjurifmtbjektie4jlu7yn3gom-story.html |url-status=live }}
History
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| footer = The cover art for 1000 gecs (2019) and 1000 Gecs and the Tree of Clues (2020)
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The American duo 100 gecs released their debut album 1000 gecs in 2019. The album's cover art featured the duo from nearby Chicago with heads bowed towards the tree and facing away from the camera.{{cite web |last1=Angell |first1=Jack |title=The brilliant pop anarchy of 100 gecs |url=https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/04/100-gecs-1000-gecs-interview |website=The Fader |date=September 4, 2019 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190914164724/https://www.thefader.com/2019/09/04/100-gecs-1000-gecs-interview |url-status=live }} The coordinates of the tree were later identified on Google Maps, leading to numerous fans of the band making "pilgrimages" to the tree.
=Fan pilgrimage=
As of 2020, the tree was listed as a 4.9-star "place of worship" with hundreds of reviews{{cite web |last1=Barry |first1=Lauren |title=Album Art Puts Des Plaines Tree On The Map |url=https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/album-art-puts-des-plaines-tree-on-the-map/ |website=Journal & Topics |access-date=July 17, 2023 |date=September 4, 2020 |archive-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717052218/https://www.journal-topics.com/articles/album-art-puts-des-plaines-tree-on-the-map/ |url-status=live }} on Google Maps and an "art museum" on Yelp. Fans who visited the tree often left offerings, including Monster Energy cans, cigarettes, pregnancy tests, a plunger, and "other pop culture detritus". Connections were drawn between the tree and the American Football House, both musical pilgrimage sites and "mundane things in the middle of Illinois".
Controversy
The tree is located on private property as part of an office complex in Des Plaines owned by a subsidiary of Acuity Brands.{{cite web |last1=Siegel |first1=Evan |title=Pilgrimage to Gecca |url=https://theface.com/culture/100-gecs-tree-fans-pilgrimage |website=The Face |access-date=July 17, 2023 |date=August 5, 2020 |archive-date=October 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003192805/https://theface.com/culture/100-gecs-tree-fans-pilgrimage |url-status=live }} Security guards for the complex have asked visitors to expedite their visits and not leave any items behind. An online rumor circulated that the tree might be cut down by the complex's maintenance team due to frustration at the number of fans intruding on the property and littering but this was denied by a facilities manager for the property.
See also
References
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Category:Tourist attractions in Cook County, Illinois
Category:Individual trees in Illinois