Now here we go, approaching mid-September already like this year’s in a hurry or something. Maybe we’re just making up for lost pandemic time, but whatever the case may be, here we are ready to see and hear what the week has to offer in music entertainment on the Springfield scene. First and foremost, let’s […]
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
September music rising
Here we go on our adventures in music-making for the second full weekend of September for 2022. I suppose we are officially into the fall season now following Labor Day (I put away almost all of my white outfits), but there’s still plenty of time and fine temperatures to enjoy outdoor activities, especially those involving […]
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Labor Day Weekend music
Well, we made it to Labor Day 2022 and the holiday weekend attached fairly unscathed from the bustling summer music schedule. Now let’s move forward with eyes and ears wide open to catch all the bountiful music bursting onto our local scene with verve and gusto, plus some good, old-fashioned fun in the sun. This […]
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Blues and beyond
Now that the 2022 Illinois State Fair is in the rearview mirror, we can turn our attention back to the local scene without interruption from the large, but fairly pleasant, north-end ruckus. I spy the most consistently popular downtown festival, plenty of offshoots from the fest and an assortment of music-making goodies going on around […]
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Fair enough
Good day, fellow travelers and a hearty welcome to you as we pass on through more time and space to discover what’s going on in the Springfield music scene. This week the live tunes landscape continues to be dominated by the happenings at the Illinois State Fair, but there’s a fair amount of fine stuff […]
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Fair times
Here we go again into the wondrous world of the Illinois State Fair. If there’s another singular annual event that impacts Springfield and surrounding areas more, I am at a loss to even venture a guess as to what it could be. From temporary one-way roads to parking in yards, late night action to early […]
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Enter into August music
August always (except those last two years…) is beside itself with an abundance of live music-making happening. Between all the events at the Illinois State Fair, plus the normal bookings at regular bars and the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ at the end of the month, it’s just nearly unbelievable all the gigs going on. […]
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Downhome, Rumble Down and more
Now that was a mostly fun and seemingly speedy ride through the muggy month of July for 2022. Here we are hitting old “Jewel-Eyes” last weekend with lots of doings, so let’s take a look at the upcoming days ahead and see what’s out there to hear. We have a couple of festivals going on […]
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Tooter, Van Orman and The Beatles
Away we go, searching for the music that matters and what matters in music, and what’s the matter with that, I ask? Why absolutely nothing, of course. Let’s see what this week holds for our collective consciousness of local live music. We’re going straight to Sunday when a spectacular collection of past and present Springfield […]
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Mid-July music muster
Here we come a-wandering into the 2022 full-fledged summertime with an assortment of music happenings from an assortment of venues and artists. From music theater to open mics, sweet corn tunes to canine rescue singing, beer garden blasts to family fun concerts, we are in the glory days of live music in mid-July. Let’s see […]
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July is a-jumping
Hi there, all you happy people, and welcome to another edition of “Now Playing,” your portal to local, live music, as this mortal likes to see it anyway. Here’s hoping everyone had a fine Fourth as we go on blasting through the “Jewel-Eye” days like who knows what. I do believe we will start with […]
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Fourth (and other days) of July music
June was a flash, and now here we are rolling into July 2022, blasting our way to Independence Day weekend, otherwise known as Fourth of July time. Always ready to create and enjoy a celebration, Americans will put on a party, and that means live music is front and center, as it should be, in […]
