Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, November 1,2012

Venues make a comeback

Not long ago Springfield was sorely lacking in club venues capable of handling a few hundred folks to see national touring acts. Now within a few months, voila!, ask and ye shall receive, here you go,

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, October 25,2012

Halloweening and how

By Tom Irwin

Now, now my frantic friends, let this week bring out the inner Halloweener in you. But first, we have some sad and serious news to report in a joyous way.This Sunday, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Robbie’

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, October 18,2012

Call me Black Magic Johnson

By Tom Irwin

Reggie Britton is one of my best friends as well as one of the most admired and respected artists on my personal list. We met in the early ’90s when Reggie showed up at my Thursday night gig at

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, October 11,2012

Mix ’n’ matching

By Tom Irwin

First, let me thank Dan Usherwood of the Pleasant Plains Historical Society and all who helped make our first Clayville Folk Festival in 25 years a good beginning for many fests to come. Other than th

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, October 4,2012

Girl-a-Thon the third

By Tom Irwin

For the third year in a row I can, with a true sense of joy, announce another Girl-a-Thon.Once again organizer Gwen Harris has put together an incredible lineup of musicians, guests and sponsors to su

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 27,2012

Blues ambassador James Armstrong

By Tom Irwin

In this day and age of ubiquitous blues, finding a genuine and pertinent purveyor of the genre can be trying. Not to say all the variations of the I-IV-V performed in various instrumental configuratio

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 20,2012

Feeling like fall

By Tom Irwin

First I’d like to thank the folks at Penny Lane and all who helped organize the 18th annual Jerry Garcia Tribute at Douglas Park last Sunday. The Raouligans and I were honored to play along with

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 13,2012

Seven years of Black Sheep

By Tom Irwin

What started as a way for bands to just get a place to play turned into a seven-year success story as a home for all-ages music in Springfield. Snuggled into one long room on the east side of 11th Str

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, September 6,2012

A Brewhaus adieu

By Tom Irwin

In a heartbreaking time for me, after 18 and a half years of being booked at the Brewhaus every Sunday, my streak has come to an inglorious end. Management at the club wants to “shake things up&

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, August 30,2012

Rockhouse: Twenty years of rocking the house

By Tom Irwin

One of the most difficult things in the music industry is not so much playing the music (as hard as that can be), but keeping everything together, from booking, bandmates and business, to supporting a