In a twist of fate, a ponderosa pine in Des Plaines, Illinois, became the unlikely shrine for music fans of the duo 100 Gecs. This tree, known as Gecca, is featured on the cover of their debut album, 1000 Gecs, released in 2019. The album's cover art shows the duo standing in front of the tree, with their heads bowed down, creating a visually striking image.
After the album's release, fans identified the tree's location using Google Maps. This led to a surge of visitors making their way to pay homage to Gecca. By 2020, the tree was humorously rated as a 4.9-star “place of worship” on Google Maps, with dozens of enthusiastic reviews. It even earned the title of an “art museum” on Yelp, demonstrating the odd reverence fans held for this piece of nature.
Visitors often brought offerings, which ranged from Monster Energy drinks to more bizarre items like pregnancy tests and plungers. These gifts served as tokens of appreciation, blending music culture with everyday life. The tree has since drawn comparisons to the American Football House, another site where music fans gather, highlighting the juxtaposition of mundane locations transformed into pilgrimage sites by devoted followers.
However, the saga of Gecca isn't without controversy. The tree stands on private property belonging to an office complex, leading to security concerns. Guards have occasionally asked fans to make their visits brief and refrain from leaving items behind. Rumors even swirled online about the potential for the tree to be cut down due to complaints about littering and crowd intrusions. Fortunately, a facilities manager stepped in to dispel these fears, assuring fans the tree was safe.
This mix of admiration, odd offerings, and property disputes illustrates the absurdity of a tree becoming a cultural landmark. It raises questions about the nature of fandom and how ordinary objects can take on monumental significance in our lives.
