n If you’ve got the winter blues and you can’t beat ’em, here’s a chance at least to join them. The River City Blues Club of Peoria, Bloomington’s Blues Blowtorch Society, and our very own Illinois Central Blues Club have combined to present the Winter Blues Fest at the Opera House in Exposition Gardens near […]
Tom Irwin
Tom Irwin, a sixth-generation Sangamon County resident, has played his songs and music for nearly 40 years in the central Illinois area with occasional forays across the country. He's contributed to Illinois Times since 2000 by writing Now Playing, a weekly music column, as well as features stories and other articles. He resides on the Irwin family farm in rural Pleasant Plains.
Posted inMusic
now playing 1-20-05
You know the best thing about the blues? Whatever mood you’re in, there’s a song to match it. It’s like surfing the tube to see the right TV show or finding those perfect shoes to go with an outfit. You can find blues to give you happy feet; blues to make you cry or laugh; […]
Posted inMusic
music notes 1-13-05
• It’s one more chance for the Last Chance Blues Band, as the popular local group winds up the music box again. New members Rick Hardin, Larry Harness, and Lincoln Eades join original members, Peter “Doc” Glatz, Ed Selinger, Gary Halford, Sherman Elliott, and Bob Kirk to reinvent to the former Illinois Times’ Best of […]
Posted inMusic
now playing 1-13-05
What is an Eddie from Ohio? In our little story, it’s a pop/rock/folk quartet from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The definitive tale behind the name goes like this: Back in 1991, when the newly formed group was doing the usual band-name search, Five Foot Seven was the bass player’s choice. No one else liked it. […]
Posted inMusic
now playing 1-6-05
You’ve heard of them, haven’t you, those “open mic” things that bars hold on off nights? Usually the management hires a popular host to pull in amateurs who play for free. You’ll probably see acoustic guitars and cases piled around the stage. Most people either hate open mics or love them to death. The open […]
Posted inMusic
music notes 1-6-05
• Prepare to rock as the band Low as I releases Shot Heard Around the World on Friday, Jan. 7. The band formerly known as Mindfold will be selling and signing the new CDs after an acoustic show at Samuel Music (3730 Wabash Ave.). The celebration continues around 10 p.m. the same night at Viele’s […]
Posted inMusic
music notes 12-30-04
n On New Year’s Eve, Café Kanichi-Wa (1117 S. Grand Ave. E) presents, exclusively for your entertainment pleasure, a wild and ferocious battle of the bands pitting Springfield Shaky against Perfunctory This Band for a fight to the finish from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Audience members are asked to drink to their chosen point of inebriation […]
Posted inMusic
now playing 12-30-04
How many times have I heard it — hell, how many times have I said it? — “Springfield sucks.” The notion keeps creeping, seeping into my brain, trying to poison it with the truth, that the Springfield music scene isn’t what it could be — and may never be. Some things you can do something […]
Posted inMusic
now playing 12-23-04
No one is saying Springfield seems a little peculiar at times, although I can certainly see where one could get the idea, but no one is saying so. So what if we are the capital of a proud and populous state and still have a miserable recycling program, underfunded public libraries, a poor mass-transit system, […]
Posted inMusic
music notes 12-23-04
• Capcitill Promotions invites you, the listening public, to a “Hoes Exposed” meet-and-greet at Two Olives and Pepper from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 28. What will you meet and greet at a such an event, you ask? Why, members of Springfield’s underground hip-hop scene, including such acts as ILL-Legitimate, Mohrer Les, Phat Head, Human Torch, […]
Posted inMusic
music notes 12-16-04
• On Wednesday, Dec. 22, celebrate the Winter Solstice and the fifth anniversary of Trout Lily Café — Illinois Times readers’ “Best of Springfield” pick for coffee. Proprietor Kate Hawkes says the business (218 S. Sixth St., 391-0101) is open all day as usual, but will add evening hours from 5 until 8 p.m. for […]
Posted inMusic
now playing 12-16-04
Dierks Bentley moved to Nashville from Phoenix when he was 19 with songs in his pockets and not much else. Bentley began making the rounds, trying to find a key to unlock the mysteries of country music stardom. He dug into the soul of the city and the music that gives it life. He hung […]
