This first weekend of August 2012 qualifies as one of those wonderful and infrequent times where there are just too many good things to do. The Decatur Celebration, now celebrating its 26th year of providing one of the largest and most interesting family street festivals in America, keeps rolling along. With good entertainment at varying […]
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
Illinois Times radio arrives
Yes, you read right. After 30 some years as a newspaper Illinois Times has it’s own radio program available directly from IT’s website. Never fear, the paper is still in print and online, but now you can listen to music artists performing in the area through the help of a new company based in Berkeley, […]
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Harmony Deep
With a combined musical experience of more than 75 years, Harmony Deep truly brings a deep and lasting sense of melody and harmony to all performances. Former Oohs Brian Curtis (vocals, keyboards) and Brian Cutright (vocals, bass), plus Sam Draper (vocals, guitar) of Royal Pain, each bring at least a quarter of a century of […]
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Low end highs
Several excellent goings on are going on this week and here are few of them. First a moment of silence, then a big hoot and holler, for Raoul Brotherman’s birth date on July 18. It’s perfectly acceptable to celebrate now and later, as the Round Mound of Sound always participated with lengthy rejoicing by calling […]
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Dream Team Ensemble
Dream Team Ensemble’s live music performance as described by Richard Gilman-Opalsky, UIS professor of political science and a creative music performer, is “an experimental tapestry of sound, a mostly-minimalist style in the post-John Cage tradition.” Now if that doesn’t help you out much, or even better if it does, come and experience these “sound paintings” […]
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Prairie State Heartache makes a break
As the old saying goes, “You never know until you try,” and how true it is. Prairie State Heartache, a Springfield rock band, just took the plunge, as they soon make the move to Savannah, Ga., with a new record in the can and eyes on the road. The band, featuring Jonathan Cour, Granville (Ben) […]
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Up in Arms
Formed nearly six months ago in the aftermath of the breakup of three Springfield rock bands, Up In Arms came together with the “common state of mind to bring the best music they can into the Midwest and relight the lost spark of Pop-Punk in the area,” and they’re on their way to accomplishing the […]
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Hot happenings
As the undeniable Don Van Vliet performing as Captain Beefheart once said in his song Ice Cream for Crow, “It’s so hot it looks like you got three beaks crow,” and these days I think I know what the inscrutable Captain meant. But despite the nearly unbearable heat, time continues and things go on, including […]
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John Paul Keith
A 2011 performer at the Bedrock 66 Live! concert series and a favorite among Springfield roots rock fans, John Paul Keith returns to the capital city for a big stage slot at the American Music Show. Keith tours constantly with several weeks in Europe on the books for September, consistently laying down guitar boogie-woogie and […]
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Kelli Scarr
Raised in Folsom, Calif., Kelli Scarr made her way to music school in Boston and eventually arrived in Brooklyn, N.Y. After 10 years of bands and music making, including an Emmy nomination for a film score, Scarr landed an opening solo slot on the musician Moby’s world tour. She has since done vocals on his […]
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Patchwork 2012 arrives
What a wonderful time it can be when wild notions become reality. For Robbie Kording and his idea for the Patchwork 2012 Springfield Music Compilation, now is that time. As I recently wrote in Now Playing, it’s been awhile since we’ve had a recorded compilation of the Springfield music scene, with Patchwork’s namesake coming out […]
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Support your local artist
If you dare say there’s nothing going on in Springfield these days, you just might be silly and wrong. Mid-June is one of the busiest times of the year for an intense and expansive variety of music, and a good bunch comes from your friends and neighbors. Nothing could show better how our original music […]
