Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 23,2010

Tret Fure

In an amazing career that spans four decades, Tret Fure began singing professionally at 16, worked with Spencer Davis at 19, soon after signed with MCA/UNI Records and released her major label debut i

Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 16,2010

Alabaster Brown

By Tom Irwin

St. Louis-based band Alabaster Brown spent a good deal of 2010 traveling the country, especially in the Midwest and up and down the East Coast with festival stops at Springjam at Camp Zoe in Salem, Mo

Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 9,2010

Alejandro Escovedo

By Tom Irwin

Considered one of the most prolific and profound artists in the Americana genre, Alejandro Escovedo quite simply is legendary. From his early days with punk/country/rockers Rank & File in the 1980

Band Spotlight | Thursday, September 2,2010

Tom Irwin and the Notorious Hired Hands

By Tom Irwin

The Hired Hands moniker originated from an offhand comment by local music guy Sean Burns about the shifting musicians in Tom Irwin’s groups of the early 2000s. With the added descriptive adjecti

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 26,2010

KFD

By Tom Irwin

About five months ago, Mike Williams, former guitarist in the Lost Boys and Misspent Youth, devised a strategy to form a band. He invited fellow central Illinois music “vets” Kortney Leath

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 19,2010

Greg Ginn & Gary Piazza

By Tom Irwin

Look who’s coming to Norb Andy’s. It’s none other than Greg Ginn, founder of Black Flag, one of the most influential and important American punk bands. Ginn, chief songwriter and org

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 12,2010

Julie Schurr

By Tom Irwin

Singer-songwriters belong to a special group of performers, those who not only entertain, but also edify and enlighten, espousing their personal beliefs to a hopefully appreciative audience. For Julie

Band Spotlight | Thursday, August 5,2010

Reggie Britton and the Sofa Kings

By Tom Irwin

What do you get when you take a fired-up blues band of veteran rockers, add a tastefully sweet horn section of exceptionally talented players, then top it off with a vibrant, soulful front man enterta

Band Spotlight | Thursday, July 29,2010

Jeff Sable and the Sable Band

By Tom Irwin

From humble beginnings in southern Illinois as a rockin’ country cover band, Sable now charts on the record listings and performs at major festivals while making the march toward music stardom.

Band Spotlight | Thursday, July 22,2010

Yvonne Gage

By Tom Irwin

Since her appearance on the music world stage at a young age, Yvonne Gage has set high standards for vocalists in the world of jazz and R&B. Signed early on by RFC/Atlantic Records and later by CI