Yes, fair citizens of central Illinois and other creatures making a beeline for the Illinois State Fair, the time is upon us. Once again Springfield buzzes with underlined excitement, all the hotels fill up, the roads become busier (especially around the north end and the fairgrounds), all the flies within a 200-mile radius come to […]
Music
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Julie Schurr
Singer-songwriters belong to a special group of performers, those who not only entertain, but also edify and enlighten, espousing their personal beliefs to a hopefully appreciative audience. For Julie Schurr the all-original, self-described “indierockbitchfolk” songs she performs in a brilliant voice supported by her acoustic guitar, inform listeners of the world of lesbian music in […]
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Zydeco a-go-go
Few types of American folk music are as full of zest and zing as the Louisiana-based sounds of Zydeco. Built around the accordion with often just a rub board or washboard accompaniment, the simple chordal arrangements are overlaid with complex rhythms and melodic stylings to form a type of music indigent to southern Louisiana and […]
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Reggie Britton and the Sofa Kings
What do you get when you take a fired-up blues band of veteran rockers, add a tastefully sweet horn section of exceptionally talented players, then top it off with a vibrant, soulful front man entertainer? A really good band called Reggie Britton and the Sofa Kings, that’s what. In the beginning, Britton, drummer and vocalist […]
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Jeff Sable and the Sable Band
From humble beginnings in southern Illinois as a rockin’ country cover band, Sable now charts on the record listings and performs at major festivals while making the march toward music stardom. Known best locally as the house band at Fast Eddie’s near Alton, the group, fronted by Jeff Sable on guitar and vocals, keeps climbing […]
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End of July jewels
Here we are nearing the end of July 2010 with a good forecast for upcoming live music. As August begins we head into the Decatur Celebration and then the Illinois State Fair as major music fronts, with occasional scattered area county fairs, plus pop-up shows all over town worthy of attendance. This Thursday heralds the […]
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Yvonne Gage
Since her appearance on the music world stage at a young age, Yvonne Gage has set high standards for vocalists in the world of jazz and R&B. Signed early on by RFC/Atlantic Records and later by CIM/CBS Records, Gage primarily focused on the European dance music market where her distinctive voice propelled many a Euro-dance […]
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Chris Miller’s in town
Let me take you all back a few years (how about roughly 25 or so?) to revisit an interesting time in Springfield’s live music history when several unique music venues operated in the area. Most near and dear to my heart were Crow’s Mill School and the Romany Club. Crow’s Mill, on Toronto Road, is […]
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Dan Rivero Trio
Nary a band around can compete with the flexibility and diversity of the Dan Rivero Trio set list. For more than 15 years, Rivero as drummer, booker and organizer (and namesake as well) has steered his group through every kind of gig scenario one could imagine. With the variety of material available to the well-schooled […]
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Supe’s on
I met Michael Granda, known to the world as “Supe du Jour,” in 1990 while playing around 2:30 a.m. at Bruce’s Tavern. Supe, bassist for and a founding member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils (celebrating 40 years as a band in 2011), had a beer tent gig for the duration of the Illinois State Fair […]
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Michael Charles
You can count his 24 recording releases, four Grammy nods or countless performances since starting guitar at age five, but it all adds up to a great career of fantastic music for Australian bluesman Michael Charles. Twenty years ago Buddy Guy invited the Aussie to the U.S. to play at his Legends bar in Chicago […]
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More than a Taste
Add last week’s big Capital City Celebration with music on the street corners and fireworks in the rain to the upcoming Taste of Downtown with music in the streets and food in tents (with no rain please) and we’re getting to be a regular happening place. It’s just all so exciting I can hardly stand […]
