Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, December 27,2012

New Year’s news

As I titled this end-of-the-year column I had no idea that the last two years I had come up with the same catchy words to name my final “Now Playing” of the year. I guess I started a tradi

Band Spotlight | Thursday, December 27,2012

China Ryder

By Tom Irwin

If what the world needs now is another Grateful Dead-style band doing a terrific take on the jam band genre, China Ryder is it. With former and current members of Perfunctory This Band, Brad Beneky (b

Band Spotlight | Thursday, December 20,2012

The Seething Coast

By Tom Irwin

In 2006 when “Springfield’s beloved indie pop band Resident Genius abruptly imploded at their peak,” The Seething Coast incarnated from the resulting tumult. Guitarists, singers and

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, December 20,2012

End of the world or end of the world ending?

By Tom Irwin

With nothing else worth discussing this week other than the much purported and often promulgated “end of the world” coming on Dec. 21, 2012, here we go. I reasoned that spending, as Bob Dy

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, December 13,2012

Hip-hop heroes

By Tom Irwin

I must admit to being rather ignorant of rap and hip-hop music styles. I’ve heard certain artists and felt the influence of the genre in contemporary music, but overall I’ve not listened d

Band Spotlight | Thursday, December 13,2012

Dizolver

By Tom Irwin

The music tandem team of Mark Packenham (bass, backing vocals) and Zac Broaddus (lead guitar, backing vocals) began working together in 2000, spanning a myriad of bands in their journey through the Sp

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, December 6,2012

December blues

By Tom Irwin

For whatever reason, Springfield likes having the blues, at least when it comes to seeing bands that play the genre. And this month, just in time to thwart any possible pre-holiday, lowdown blue feeli

Band Spotlight | Thursday, December 6,2012

Mulligan Munro

By Tom Irwin

With the full intent of blending Irish and American folk music in song, Mark Butler (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Don Wright (vocals, five-string banjo), Mark Hudson (vocals, upright bass) and Katie He

Band Spotlight | Thursday, November 29,2012

The Great Waltz

By Tom Irwin

Hailing from our neighboring city of Decatur, The Great Waltz calls its music “aggressive folk,” and began with Matt Skinner writing songs in his basement. The rest of the band, Josh Dimmi

Music - Tom Irwin | Thursday, November 29,2012

UIS music at UIS

By Tom Irwin

Most of the live music shows held at the University of Illinois Springfield, our still growing, four-year institution of higher learning on the southern outskirts of Springfield’s civilized worl