It’s nearly mid-October in central Illinois, a time when the squirrels get busy, the festivals wind down and the seasonal changes in our live music locations are noticeable. What doesn’t change is the quantity and quality of our entertainment options, so let’s go jump in a proverbial pile of leaves to see what rolls around.
Our first mention has to be the 2024 STC Rocky Horror Show going into its final weekend this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Directed by Mary Young and Courtney Wick and starring Kylan Davis, Ellen Tuttle, Ryan Cour and David Allen, along with many others in the cast, including Jim Leach as Eddie/Dr. Scott and Albert Capaldi as the narrator, this annual presentation has definitely become a social highlight of the local scene. From what I’ve heard, this year’s show is exceptionally wonderful. From a quick look at available tickets (7:30 p.m. showtime, nightly) you might want to hurry, as seats for this RHS production are going fast and it usually sells out. Don’t forget to come in costume, purchase your prop bags and get to doing the Time Warp, again.
Along with Rocky and Frank-N-Furter appearances, Thursday also offers several other delightful options for music aficionados so I hope you’re reading this issue on Thursday afternoon, hot off the press. Rogers and Nienhaus are back at the Curve Inn and if you’ve never seen these two veterans of the rock music scene (both were members of the Byrds touring group in the 1970s) you must, and if you have seen them, you know exactly why I would say you must.
Robert Sampson (“Lefty Preacher” to some) lands at the Mother Road Diner on South Sixth Street (just across Sixth from the Curve, actually) bringing his brilliant brand of the blues to the table, while Thursday Night Live drops into Motorheads with this month’s lineup including Riley Ramsey, SoulSircus (Christine Parisella, David Shaw, Michael McNiff Justin Lowe, Andy Peterson and Joe Marshall) and Joe Cooke’s Heavy Gun (Joe Cooke, Pat Rolens, Joe Phegley, Jim Engel and Ed McCann) as the ever-changing cast of characters for this local showcase opportunity.
Downtown at The Pharmacy Art Gallery, Jose Gobbo (with fellow musicians) continues his monthly tribute to jazz greats by honoring the work of João Gilberto, a Brazilian guitarist, singer and composer who was a pioneer of bossa nova in the late 1950s.
For more international sounds, experience One Hundred Strings: Traditional Music of India as played on the veena (seven strings) and the santoor (93 strings) by Indian American Nirmala Rajasekar and Indian Sandeep Chaterjee. These renowned musicians, joined by Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi on the Mridangam drum and Ramdas Palsule on the Tabla drums, perform at the UIS Studio Theatre during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri, as celebrated across the world.
As one of the last events of the year with outdoor music, the Fall Harvest Festival at Lincoln Memorial Garden always seems a bit bittersweet, but entirely endearing. The 2024 music lineup on the bucolic stage across the road from the main LMG grounds includes Tater Tots Rock, Ben Bedford, Tom Irwin and Amy Battles, then Devin C. Williams with Amanda Scrubbs on Saturday and Joel Gragg, Fairweather Friends and The Deep Hollow on Sunday.
In the special mention category, Lyman Ellerman, singer and songwriter from Riverton now of Nashville, Tenn., makes an appearance at the Backroom Lounge in his hometown on Friday night. Good news follows Lyman, as he’s got a cut called “Let Me Roll” on the one-and-only Whitey Morgan’s latest record. Congrats, my friend.
Until next week, please check out our listings for more good stuff.
This article appears in Finding a way forward.
