Touring for their eighth studio album, “Parallel Universe,” Chicago suburb-based quintet the Plain White T’s will perform 7 p.m. Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second Street. 

The band features frontman Tom Higgenson on lead vocals, Tim Lopez strumming lead guitar and vocals, Dave Trio playing rhythm guitar, De’Mar Hamilton on drums and Mike Retondo delivering a sturdy baseline.

The group formed in 1997 in Lombard, IL, a suburb of Chicago, as three high school friends jammed to the songs of Weezer, Pearl Jam, Green Day and Nirvana in Higgenson’s basement.

“We were big music dorks,” Higgenson said. “We would go downtown every weekend and hear bands play and say ‘I wanna do that.’”

Higgenson said the band is excited to be back in DeKalb. 

“When we first started touring in 2000, 2001, we played every show we could in the Chicago-area, midwest and Northern Illinois areas,” Higgenson said. “We’ve been to DeKalb; we had friend that went to Northern and we partied out there.”

Higgenson said the audience can expect a setlist fully stocked with Plain White T’s classics such as the Grammy-nominated “Hey There Delilah” and platinum-certified hits “1,2,3,4” and “Rhythm of Love.” There will also be classics such as “Our Time Now,” “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)” and “The Giving Tree” sprinkled in.

With throwbacks comprising nearly half the setlist, fans may be unfamiliar and less receptive to the band’s newest album, however, Higgenson said he’s not worried.

“I think the good news is that we have the hits,” Higgenson said. “We have the catalog of songs people know; I would hope we’ve earned people’s trust and they would listen to the new material. [Parallel Universe] is not the acoustic ballads we are famous for, but I believe it’s the best album we’ve ever made.”

“Parallel Universe,” released Aug. 24, sits at the intersection of heartbreak and catchy synthesized beats, according to an Aug. 27 Northern Star article. Higgenson said fans can expect to hear songs such as “Light Up the Room,” “Bonnie I Want You” and “Your Body,” among others.

“The show will be at least half of the new album live, with a batch of hits mixed in,” Higgenson said. “The set is non-stop songs; fans get really into the new album and the hits always go over well. Let’s have a good time, and let’s have some fun.”

Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now. For tickets and more information, visit www.egyptiantheatre.org or call 815-758-1215.