Tom Irwin

As we fly on through October like autumn leaves in a fall breeze, the festivals are finished, but the fun of it all keeps on moving and grooving as we have gigs galore with plenty of upcoming excitement ahead. Let’s get to it. First off we offer some very exciting and welcome news as the […]

As we move away from a warm October and head into more seasonal weather, some cool events are still happening outside along with plenty of sweet shows going on behind closed doors. And it’s all up to you to go find the fun. This week starts with some sad news on the passing of Brian […]

My goodness, this is what we dream of for October weather with the reality being even better. Here’s hoping it holds on through this weekend full of fun, fests, fine times and who knows what, where and why as live music discoveries wait to be made if you choose to go find them. I have […]

Definitely in the class of defining weather months, October can lean any way the wind blows, but by the time it’s over we’re on our way to winter no matter what you want to think, wish, believe or deny. Let’s get going to see what’s in the forecast for our music meanderings. Thursdays always take […]

As our September comes to a close for weekend doings, fall is in the air and October rises to say howdy very soon. Shall we sneak a peek at this week to see what music we should seek? Okey dokey, if you say so. Understandably, one of my least favorite tasks in writing Now Playing […]

We’re showing definite signs of the summer slowdown as fall comes up fast with regular outdoor gigs disappearing and inside shows picking up speed, while the final flashes of the festival season roll on by. Let’s take a look. Thursdays hold on tight with Boone’s booking Skibbereen in the beer garden (weather permitting) for a […]

With Labor Day behind us, that means only four days of toil for you workers of the world, and that tells me maybe you can take the short week and make it into a big weekend of music. Let’s see what’s out there. Starting on Thursday, ‘cause that’s what we do, Motorheads presents Thursday Night […]

It’s here and so are we as the Labor Day holiday comes on Monday preceded by a full weekend of music adventures available for your entertainment pleasure. Often cited as the official, unofficial end-of-summer holiday, let’s take a moment to recognize the work of the workers of the world before we hit the streets in […]

As we roll on through the end of August, next weekend brings Labor Day and the unofficial finish to summer along for the ride. We will be falling into autumn soon enough, so let’s take a gander at what’s out there now as we wander through the aftermath of the State Fair looking for things […]

Here we go into the last weekend of the Illinois State Fair for 2026 with plenty left to experience, especially in our appointed subject of live music. There’s so much being played on the grounds, no one can actually take it all in, which is a pretty darn good thing. Add in several in-town goings […]

Entering into the 2026 Illinois State Fair, we can safely say that music rules on the fairgrounds. Lest we get too taken by the plethora (I allow myself to use that word once a year) of performances inherent and even incumbent to the fair, remember we also have a whole bunch of shows happening all […]

As we gear up for the first full weekend of August, the live music scene is in full throttle mode. With the pedal to the metal, the race is on to get to the Illinois State Fair, but first, let’s take a pit stop for upcoming shows happening in the here and now. Thursdays will […]