Here’s a happy “howdy” to all, as we move on through the last weekend of March in 2025, headed headlong toward April. And that means our version of “plein air” live music performances are in the foreseeable future, on the horizon and within our grasp as the warmer weather approaches on a consistent basis. Let’s see what we have here in the present before jumping into those cool times in the hot summer so near and dear to us.
For our first mention, let’s give a “hearty handclasp” to Daron Walker, our calendar editor in charge of the live music listings. If you’ve been reading and watching, as our faithful readers surely do, I’m positive the substantial increase in the number of acts listed has caught your watchful eye. This is due to the diligence of Walker in searching out and kindly verifying those venues, artists and others involved in booking shows, but who do not necessarily list them in the proper places. So as we take off our hats (real or imagined) to Daron, let’s also do better ourselves at using the easy and efficient calendar submission system on our Illinois Times website. This would also be a good time to remind readers that online, you can peer into the future for upcoming dates and plan weeks or even months ahead to see your favorite artist (or possibly avoid one not on the favored list), which in the past days of print only, was simply a vague dream and not a delightful reality.
A good deal of this increase comes from venues outside the Springfield city limits and that takes us to what got me going on this in the first place, encouraging visits to experience different places and people. I see in Decatur on Thursday at Door 4 Brewing Co., there’s a music group called the Drunken Goblins that, at least for the moniker only, deserves a viewing. On Friday, I spy TyJon Charlie rolling in at a joint called Dud’s in Benld (there’s incredible live music history in Benld if you look up the Coliseum Ballroom), our friend Billy Galt doing his blues in Macon at the CrowBarn, while Hippies of the Heartland deliver the goods at Da Burg in Warrensburg and Salmon Creek floats into Cobetto’s Tap in Taylor Springs.
Saturday, look for our pal Silas Tockey at Doc’s Just Off 66 in Girard, Robbie Mitchell, Devin C. Williams and Cody Lee doing a songwriter night at Y-Zoe’s in Taylorville, the aptly and humorously named, Blondarosa Band dropping into the Irish Circle in Wapella, The Remedy bringing the cure to Coghlan’s Hideout in Bulpitt and Wood ‘N’ Nickel Society paying the price at Shepp’s in New Berlin. How’s that for a romp around central Illinois for live music on the move?
Now let’s give some love to the home turf with a mention of these fine folks on Friday night, including The Cocktails making their 2025 debut at Weebles, Wolf Crick Boys, Matt F. Basler and The Muscles in concert at Gin Mill downtown and Ricarda Rosalina lighting up VFW Post 755.
Saturday presents us with The Ex-Bombers exploding at Buzz Bomb, Jeff Young and the Bad Grandpas being good at Mowie’s, Dan Wilson and Larry Watson doing the duo at Mother Road Diner and the Tangents flowering at Bloom Wine Bar.
Sunday always has a good deal of small-town happenings as well as plenty within our city boundaries as well. And you know where to find all those and more – right there in those ever-growing, all-knowing and forever showing, IT live music listings. See you in April.
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2025.
