Yeah, I feel the same way as you do. How the heck did it get to be 2025 already? The last thing I remember was going to concerts promoted by Len Trumper at the Armory, and the next thing here we are fixing up the Armory, and it’s 50 years later. Oh well, all I […]
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 inSpecial Issues
BILL EVANS July 29, 1939-Oct. 15, 2024
Have guitar, will play, could perhaps be the calling card of Bill “Mr. Machine Gun” Evans, one of the Springfield area’s most renowned, respected and revered guitarists ever to pick on those six strings. William J. Evans was born in Topeka, Illinois, and along with his lifetime pursuit of music-making, worked at Springfield Memorial Hospital […]
Posted inMusic
Betwixt holidays and NYE
As far as entertainment factor times go, having Christmas on a Wednesday works very well to get the holiday behind us before the weekend appears, and this year that’s the case. The only problem comes with covering New Year’s Eve in the same issue as that night of all nights pops up next Tuesday. Let’s […]
Posted inMusic
Twas the weekend before Christmas music
Yo, ho, ho (plus another ho) and a bottle of Christmas cheer will get you here, there and nearly everywhere this weekend as we wind our way through the Yuletide season. With the big day on a Wednesday this year, our upcoming weekend of entertaining entertainment opportunities has been left unscathed from the actual celebrated […]
Posted inMusic
December-ing music
Hello, fellow music appreciators and participators, who are perhaps currently all decked out with lovely to-do lists accompanied by less and less time to accomplish said lists. As we approach mid-December, I invite you to join me in experiencing the wonders of the season as seen through our Springfield music scene and forget about those […]
Posted inMusic
December music doings
Well, it certainly feels like December out there as Old Man Winter (whoever they are) showed up this week to be too cool for words. I suppose we can call it a good thing to remind us the winter holiday season is upon us and with it a slew of extra music in both quantity […]
Posted inMusic
Thanks for giving music
Hey there, all you happy readers of Now Playing and Illinois Times, I’d like to say thank you, just for you being right here, right now, as part of our community. This week is Thanksgiving, of course, so I’m considering it a wonderful time and an excellent opportunity to say such things. We should also […]
Posted inMusic
Family music and more
Here we come a-wassailing, among the leaves so green – no, wait a second – it’s much too early for that song. Let’s please get through Thanksgiving first, which is nearly as late as it can be with another week remaining before Turkey Day happens. Then we can plunge into all the hoopla surrounding the […]
Posted inMusic
Fall into November music
No matter what season we are in, there’s always something and almost anything, plus nearly everything you need while never amounting to nothing week after week. So let’s go see what’s in the works out there. Thursdays are resurging, starting with the Thursday Night Live showcase at Motorheads, still going strong after several years. This […]
Posted inMusic
November to remember music
Here we go full bore into our November transition stage, from the usual outdoor spaces so popular in Springfield to indoor entertainment areas of the cooler season. Let’s see what’s up for this upcoming weekend in the here and now of the who and where. Many thanks to all who attended the Best of Springfield […]
Posted inMusic
October music rolls on
Entering our last full weekend of October, we’re finishing up some beer/music garden events for the season and finding plenty of alternative happenings. Let’s pound the pavement in search of whatever it is you’re looking for. First, we have sad news at the passing of two lifelong musicians in the area. Bassist and arranger Rob […]
Posted inMusic
Rockin’ in October
Come on in, my fellow travelers and let’s take a peek at some goings on within the wide and wonderful (mostly) world of the Springfield (Illinois) music scene for this week. We’ve been plugging the Thursdays pretty hard lately, and I hope you’ve made it out to see some of these available, pre-weekend shows. This […]
