Band Spotlight

Known as the “Ambassador of the Blues” and also as a resident of Springfield, Mr. Armstrong gets all the credit for being an excellent and constantly touring guitar player with sharp songwriting skills, an all-around good guy of the blues. With a lifetime of recordings and performances behind him, James is set to release his […]

Based out of Denver, Colorado, these guys get around while spreading the great sounds of swing music and traditional jazz. Bandleader Joe Smith has a couple more groups in Denver (the Joe Smith Orchestra and The Red Hot Rhythm Rocket), but it’s the Pickles that really hit the road. Right now the octet has a […]

Our Moscow-born, central Illinois-college educated and Los Angeles-residing singer-songwriter friend has a new album out. And with Nick Baker along to join in making music, Marina V is heading cross-country in support of Born to the Stars. The album includes collaborations with several diverse artists and is number 10 for the prolific writer as she […]

Hey, these guys were good when they started and just keep getting better and better in live performance and on record. The celebration on Sunday presents both sides of the band with a live performance of the latest CD, Helpless, Hopeless, & Moving On, with Micah Walk opening the show. Bandmates Shane Bumgarner (banjo, vocals), […]

From local awards (including decades worth of “Best of Springfield” honors in Illinois Times) to opening for Willie Nelson at the Illinois State Fair, Tom Irwin has been around for a while but still manages to stay busy. His upcoming shows include a run to Nashville next week for the Americana Festival, two performance on […]

Gracia Harrison vaulted to national prominence with her astounding appearance on the third season of “The Voice.” Although she didn’t win it all, her relationship with Blake Shelton and the ensuing publicity ensured her a way to continue with a career in music. Long before her “The Voice” performance, Gracia had dedicated her life to […]

A delightfully talented trio of young women, Harpeth Rising is an amazing string band with intensely good harmonies, intricate instrumental work and singer-songwriter songs. Jordana Greenberg (violin, lead vocals), Michelle Younger (banjo, vocals) and Maria Di Meglio (cello, vocals) bring classically trained musicianship to folk and new-grass styles of music, bridging a gap between the […]

Heads up, folks! Here comes the best from the west, as Cathy Lemons (vocals) and Phil Berkowitz (vocals, harmonica) bring The Lucky Losers in from San Francisco by way of a Midwest tour. Known as the top male/female-fronted blues band from the Bay Area, the duo is joined by a killer (as they say) band […]

Named after a country blacktop heading south out of town that could tell some tales if it could, this band is full of authentic local country musicians that could (and do) tell some tales of their own, but prefer to let their music do the talking. Melanie Finley (vocals, guitar, tambourine) fronts the modern country […]

This Texas quartet (they’re really from New Braunfels, but people just say Austin) got their name from an incident on the first night they met. While floating together down the Guadalupe River, they bonded by harmonizing and singing songs through the night. The next day, folks were talking about the “midnight river choir” mysteriously heard […]

A Springfield-area native and now Clearwater, Florida, resident, this talented and engaging guitarist, singer and songwriter in the Americana vein released his first full-length album on July 5. After years of performing and writing songs, Josh finally got into the studio and recorded a great sounding record of outstanding songs entitled, Mercy on the Strange. […]

Although The Brotherhood originally started out as the same blues band under various names, members eventually evolved into their current group, playing music that covers many genres, all reflecting the varied tastes and influences of its members. When Jason McKenzie (vocals, guitar), Jake Baxter (lead guitar, vocals), Kyle Busby (harmonica), John Huemann (bass), Chuck Davidson […]