Band Spotlight | Thursday, March 1,2012

Guitar Town

The first Guitar Town event held in 2008 featured 13 of central Illinois’ favorite guitar players playing, songs they liked for fellow guitarists. With a backline of Mark LeVault on bass and Bob

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, March 1,2012

Skibbereen mixes in the green

By Tom Irwin

In Springfield, our recent Celtic legacy has a vibrant history, including bands The Emerald Underground, Exorna and Fake McCoys, groups like St. Andrew’s Society and Ogilvy Studio, plus events s

Band Spotlight | Thursday, February 23,2012

The Aspect: Beatle Band

By Tom Irwin

Originally conceived as a way to bring several styles of popular music under one umbrella, Bill McKenzie’s concept group, The Aspect, continues the tradition by again taking on the Beatles as su

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 23,2012

End-of-February fun

By Tom Irwin

My, oh my, looks like we’re in for a jam-packed weekend of music goodies. Here we go with a whoop and a holler.First up is my quick report on recent adventures that took me through Kansas, Texas

Band Spotlight | Thursday, February 16,2012

Josh Catalano and The Dirty Thoughts

By Tom Irwin

How many bands can one guy have? For Josh Catalano, the answer may be in the infinite stars above. From the long gone days of Mugshot and currently of the Damwell Betters and Lazer Dudes, the prolific

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 16,2012

Doings around town and elsewhere

By Tom Irwin

Continuing my travels this week, I’m writing in Flagstaff, Ariz. and then heading to Pagosa Springs, Colo. Adventures abound from powerful poetry readings at the Mineshaft Tavern in Madrid, N.M.

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 9,2012

Weekend news for you

By Tom Irwin

I’m writing from the road over the next few weeks, sending you this missive from the home of New Mexico scholar and poet Kendall McCook, now located in Fort Worth, Texas. From Kansas last week t

Band Spotlight | Thursday, February 9,2012

Dog Of Panic

By Tom Irwin

In a Macomb dorm room circa 2008, a struggling college student dreamed of leaving the academic world behind to write and play music. Dog of Panic began when Dan Rohde wrote 15 songs in that lonely roo

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, February 2,2012

From Springfield to Memphis

By Tom Irwin

In the last few columns I’ve mentioned the amazing and wonderful fact that three area blues organizations selected three Springfield-based blues bands as representatives to the International Blu

Band Spotlight | Thursday, February 2,2012

Bleu Edmondson

By Tom Irwin

Here’s a music business story with a happy twist and one that continues an upward spiral. Rather than the usual tale of playing music from the cradle, Bleu Edmondson first picked up a guitar and