Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, April 14,2011

The beat goes on

I’ll spare you all the drummer jokes that led off last year’s column introducing Drumfest, except for one, because we must have our fun. It’s just natural in the band world to pick o

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, April 7,2011

Assorted April outings

By Tom Irwin

No April Fooling this week. We’re back to the business of selling you, the avid reader and intrepid music listener, on the notion of getting out and experiencing live music with heartfelt passio

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 31,2011

April Tomfoolery again

By Tom Irwin

I had so much fun doing a column as an April Fool last year I’ve decided to make it an annual event. Part of the fun is in just getting the chance to be outrageous and the rest comes in he

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 24,2011

McMurtry meets the Bottle Rockets

By Tom Irwin

For Sunday, March 27, Sean Burns, along with colorful cohorts Bill Wheelhouse of WUIS and Todd Egizi of E & F Distributors, landed a big one, hooking eminent singer-songwriter James McMurtry with

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 17,2011

The pipes are calling

Tom and Beth Ogilvy, Springfield’s keepers of the Celtic culture

By Tom Irwin

In our contemporary world of instant change and constant flux, generational pastimes are a lost presence, seemingly passed by for the latest and greatest new thing, barely becoming rooted before being

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 10,2011

Greening up early

By Tom Irwin

The world may seem a little greener a little sooner than usual this season, but it isn’t because of the climate change issue. For those of you who follow the Irish calendar, it so happens for 20

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 3,2011

Happy birthday, Blues Club

By Tom Irwin

Congratulations and commendations are in order for the Illinois Central Blues Club as the local organization celebrates 25 years of delivering blues to the Springfield area. No other local group invol

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 24,2011

A few friendly folks

By Tom Irwin

This past weekend I spent a whirlwind couple of days in Memphis, Tenn., at the Folk Alliance International music conference. This is my fourth consecutive year of attending and my sixth conference ove

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 17,2011

Zydeco welcomes Mardi Gras

By Tom Irwin

Back in August of 2010 Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers dropped into town for a concert and fundraiser hosted by Tim Kodyra of Meatsmack to benefit Jimmy “the Meatman” Weinheoft.

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 10,2011

Lincoln and love

By Tom Irwin

I’m not really sure why, but let’s say the nearness of the dates drew me to attempt to vaguely tie the holidays of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday and St. Valentine’s Day together.