Band Spotlight

Since 1993, Martin McCormack (bass, vocals) and Brian FitzGerald (guitar, mandolin, vocals), known as the duo Switchback, have released several CDs of Celtic and Americana music and traveled a good deal of the Western world playing classic folk songs and original tunes filled with extraordinary vocal harmony. Based out of Chicago with deep Iowa roots, […]

Back in 2003, Suzie Stephens decided to get a group together to expand and expose her love of music and performance, creating Ultraviolet in the process. Born a fourth cousin (really) to Bill Monroe, known historically as the “Father of Bluegrass,” Suzy found exposure to all kinds of music as a child – from piano […]

Filled with years of experience of rocking bars all night long while playing in local bands such as Kicked to the Curb, Zack Fedor and the Backseat Drivers, Piston Broke, Porkpie and the Northend Allstars, Stone and Biscuit Band, Miss Conduct, The Mix and Pet Cemetery Road, Last Call’s band members come with well-earned and […]

A talented, hardworking artist of stature, this Peoria native plays steady all year, making a living making music, and he does it by making people feel good. A versatile, multi-instrumentalist on banjo, guitar (six and 12 strings, Dobro and high-strung), harmonica and mandolin, our man Barry does classic covers (Beatles, etc.), a treasure of Celtic […]

After nearly eight years of playing and racking up almost 1,000 shows, the Hipbone Sam Band is ceasing their seemingly ceaseless touring schedule with a final performance on New Year’s Day. During their tenure, the Hipbone Sam Band consisted of the “Let Me Hear Ya Say Yeah” dude himself, Kevin Hawkins (acoustic guitar, lead vocals), […]

Emerging from the remnants of several Springfield punk-pop-rock bands comes Andy Harmon, Alyssa Currie, Fred Malcom and Cory VanMeter to become a group self-described as, “pop, dusty, indie rock, power pop, punk” for starters. Doing the holiday walk at running speed, Attic Salt doubles the fun with two shows on Friday. First comes a set […]

Five longtime, local musicians by the names of Brian Moore (lead vocals, sax), Tim Bahn (piano, vocals), Mark Sanders (drums), Mike Lang (bass) and Manley Mallard (guitar) got together after Brian and Mike had a late-night discussion about their love of jump blues and invited others to join in the fun. The term refers to […]

As their promo blurb says, these guys “are guitar players. In fact, they are guitar players with the legendary band Little Feat,” and from there, the blurb goes on describing the incredible careers of these pillars of rock music. Paul joined the famed band in 1972 as the rhythm guitarist behind Lowell George then stepped […]

This marks the second annual reunion show with Hurricane Ruth and the Big Bad Blues Machine, but this one is special. Last January the BBBM lost “our brother in music” Tom Poludniak, a Springfield native and an extraordinary family man, creative person, soulful Hammond B3 player and visual artist. Donations will be accepted in Tom’s […]

On the trail of making marvelous music since 1988, Robert “Big Sandy” Williams brings the boys back to town one more time for a go around the stage. The 2016 tour takes the fellers across the U.S. and back again from Los Angeles to Brooklyn, Maine to New Mexico, Nashville to Springfield, and plenty of […]

This father and daughter singing and music-making team covers more ground in gigs played, recordings made and joy displayed than about any other combo in town. Al has been a stalwart in the area country scene for decades, and Kathy has done her share of fronting bands and doing shows since she was a preteen. […]

She’s been called “the voice of Chicago” and “one of Chicago’s most treasured voices” by respectable critics in the Windy City, and this charming, Americana-based singer-songwriter indeed lives up to the spectacular reviews. After 20 years with her terrific backing group Trigger Gospel, Anna Fermin can look back on an incredible run of five critically […]