From seemingly out of nowhere, he comes. He lands on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and receives an encore for his first performance. A song is released to the nation’s country music radio stations and he finds himself on the charts sandwiched between heavyweights Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, and Alan Jackson. Now he […]
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 3-18-04
Hey there, all you beer-swilling, shot-swigging, music-loving barflies. What’s going on this week? Yes, the rest of you are also welcome to come out and enjoy the tunes, too. We never mean to exclude responsible imbibers or teetotalers from our music club travels. It’s just more fun to talk about the guzzlers. First and foremost, […]
Posted inMusic
Now playing 3-11-04
Things are greening up outside a bit, just in time for the annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. And to us in the nightlife (and daylife) business that means an excuse (like we need one) to hit the bars, down some suds, and catch tunes by the barrelful. As the luck o’ the Irish would […]
Posted inMusic
Tarbox Ramblers’ fired-up blues turn despair in joy
When the Tarbox Ramblers first escaped from Boston bars and ran into the national music scene several years ago, it was as if they were let out of a cage — wary at first, scary to see, and waiting to feel free enough to pounce. They won critical acclaim with a simply stunning self-titled debut, […]
Posted inMusic
Now Playing 3-4-04
Hey there, buckaroos! Let’s saddle up for a romp through the badlands of our bars and clubs, where the night never ends and the music never stops or, more than likely, the band starts late and the morning comes way too soon. Regardless, you only live once — so pack your bags and mosey on […]
Posted inMusic
Now playing 2-26-04
Time flies when you’re having fun — or so they say. And as we leap through February and land into March, I hope you’re having fun, ’cause time does fly whether the fun is there or not. Maybe this will help to expand your pleasure capacity while you’re spending your moments here on earth. It’s […]
Posted inMusic
Her Reputation precedes her, and it’s all good
At age 19, Elizabeth Elmore was in a band. Sounds like a lot of 19-year-olds in college at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, right? That’s where the similarity ends. Elmore’s group, Sarge, became a darling of the critics, getting write-ups in Rolling Stone, Spin, Playboy, and kudos from Greil Marcus, granddaddy critic of the […]
Posted inMusic
Now playing 2-19-04
Take a deep breath. Let’s dive deep to find the hidden treasures beneath the still waters of the capital city’s nightlife. Can you hope for a better way to start your weekend than a visit to Robbie’s and a listen to the swingin’ strains of Dick Garretson’s Little Big Band? I think not. Garretson’s name […]
Posted inMusic
Now playing 2-12-04
Good day, fair citizens of Illinois’ capital city, Mr. Lincoln’s hometown, and keepers of the best-kept secrets of the finest in Midwest entertainment. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. And as you should know, we do get our reasonable share of the good stuff. If you don’t believe me, pull your slumbering body out […]
Posted inMusic
A contrast in blues
Otis Taylor plays the blues. The hurtin’ blues, not happy, well-polished, barroom blues for the beer swigging, fun-loving crowd. He sings of lynchings, dying children, murder, race relations, social problems, and other incidents of life not always covered in the “I-got-the-blues-so-bad-but-not-that-bad” whitewashed versions popularized by rock bands parading as blues purveyors. After a brief stab […]
Posted inMusic
Now Playing 1-29-04
Now we can officially call it winter — sensuous silver shadows dance as the brilliant snow cascades through the moonlit air. Crystal reflections of soft sunlight dazzle the senses with untold beauty. Oh yeah, and iced-over windshields, salt-filled gray mounds of half-frozen slush, and the inconvenience of slippery traveling. Take the good with the bad; […]
Posted inMusic
That’ll be the day (on Saturday)
On Feb. 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens hired a small airplane to take them from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Moorhead, Minn., for the next gig in their “Winter Dance Party” tour. The plane made it about eight miles before crashing in a cornfield, killing everybody on board. The toll left […]
