When the Route 66 International Mother Road Festival began back in 2002, some local folks surmised that perhaps a film festival connected to the street festival celebrating the famous highway would be a good idea. Now some 20 years later, the Route 66 Film Festival continues on after forging a path completely separate from the […]
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
A loss, the blues, lotsa music
What’s happening out there, all you crazy kids? Everything at once and nothing at all with a little something left in the middle would be a fine answer to a question of such nature. Let’s go see what’s going on in the Springfield region of live music-making. First, a moment of reflection on the life […]
Posted inMusic
Mid-October music
As we continue on into autumn, this time of year is most certainly right in the sweet spot. It’s pleasantly not too hot and not too cold, unless of course it rains, heats up or a cold snap rolls in, but otherwise, it’s perfect weather. This week, musician and studio owner John Blockyou releases a […]
Posted inMusic
Fall for the music
As we delve into the second weekend of October, reminders of seasonal changes are all around us. To music-goers in Springfield, that means we’re nearing the end of the year for our many outdoor beer/music garden spaces and popular open-air festivals. Let’s do our best to enjoy the sweet sounds under the skies, trees, tents […]
Posted inMusic
Enjoy music galore
Hello, all you happy people. Let’s dig right in to see what there is to see and to hear this week in our hip and happening music scene. Thursday pops out right away as an exceptional night of local live music. We can start with Rogers & Nienhaus at the Curve Inn, as these two […]
Posted inNews
Route 66 Mother Road Festival drives in
Just a few months ago, Springfield’s longest running, best attended and highest grossing homegrown festival, was nearly lost in the wind like the exhaust fumes from a classic hot rod car. With cooperation between the city of Springfield, concerned citizens and longtime participants in the event, the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival is now […]
Posted inMusic
September songs
Hello everybody, and welcome to the waning weeks of September 2021 as we enjoy the beginnings of the autumnal season. Our live music scene continues onward, bolstered now by the cooler evening temps (mostly) and plenty of stuff a-happening. First, let me apologize for getting ahead of myself last week when announcing the upcoming music […]
Posted inMusic
Music is a-buzzing
Hey there folks, saddle up for a big ride this weekend as there are more things happening than you could shake several sticks at, if you were ever so inclined to do such a thing. Let’s begin with the three-day celebration of 3Sixteen Wine Bar’s fourth anniversary featuring – what else – live music to […]
Posted inMusic
Music moves along
Good day, to anyone and everyone, anywhere and everywhere. Here I offer to you some meanderings, musings, ponderings and wonderings about our local music scene. First, condolences go to the family of Pat Tavine, as we commemorate a local bar owner, music booker, story-teller and all-around larger-than-life guy. We lost Pat on Aug. 19, and […]
Posted inMusic
Labor Day music making
Here we are, traveling on into September 2021, putting the warmer season slowly behind us as autumn approaches, readying ourselves for the fall festivals to replace the summertime fairs. Our constant of live music continues to tie all the cool events together, making for a good time to be had by all. There’s no doubt […]
Posted inMusic
Butch, Sam, Lovelorn and blues
Now that the 2021 Illinois State Fair is behind us, we can take a deep breath and continue on our adventures in local live music as before with much ado about a lot of things ahead. First comes a tribute to Robert “Butch” Emil Ramelow, a Springfield-area music icon who passed away May 23 after […]
Posted inMusic
More than fair
Greetings, fellow travelers, and welcome to our wonderful world of live music made right here in central Illinois. As we round the last lap of the Illinois State Fair, let’s see what’s happening on the fairgrounds and in town. There are plenty of opportunities to encounter music at the fair, from national touring shows at […]
