Music

Untitled Document Blame it on the summer solstice or whatever you want, but the entertainment schedule this week in the Springfield area is borderline manic. Being the serious and conscientious columnist that I am, I feel bound by duty to my community to attempt to announce each and every exciting event. However, because of the […]

Untitled Document This e-mail appeared this week in my inbox among the typical calendar items, right between a chicken fry and a book sale: “The Lee Boys will be playing Marly’s, June 18th for free. Check them out on MySpace.” Holy cow! The Lee Boys are an awesome nationally known sacred steel band, hitting many […]

Untitled Document Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, it’s time once again for the SOHO Music Festival, or what I like to call “the Little Fest That Could.” From humble beginnings as the dream of Eric Welch and Tara McKenzie, the downtown charity music festival is now in its fourth year and looking stronger […]

Untitled Document Perhaps you’re wondering: What in the name of some Mississippi crossroads does the blues have to do with Taylorville, Ill., the quiet little seat of Christian County. The locals down there in charge of a first-time festival are doing it right by booking awesome blues acts to complement a national and local barbecue […]

Untitled Document The Yellowjackets is one of those bands — the kind with a small but almost rabid following. During the nearly 30 years the core of the progressive instrumental jazz band has been together, the group has won a couple of Grammys and has been nominated for several more and has remained in the […]

Untitled Document A few years ago the Springfield Parks Foundation, in cooperation with the Springfield Park District, began producing “Music in the Parks,” featuring live music by area bands once a month, May-September, in various city parks. Local sound guru Ric Major — a stalwart of the central-Illinois music scene since the 1970s and owner/operator […]

Untitled Document I caught up with Chicago singer/songwriter Stolie last week just as she was downloading material onto Sonicbids (an online promotional site for musicians). Before that she was updating her MySpace page, and next she was to work on memorizing words and music for a Bon Jovi medley that she was set to debut […]

Untitled Document What do free jazz and cool country have in common? For our purposes, nothing much except time and place: Performers of the two musical genres make appearances in central Illinois during the next week. For once can we please leave the “It’s free because no one will buy it” jokes at home and […]

Untitled Document They say that when it rains it pours — or perhaps it’s an April-shower thing. Whatever the saying, there is a regular deluge of live music in Springfield this weekend, so get on your boots or pull on your highwaters and wade in deep. Let’s begin our cruise at the best place to […]

Untitled Document Let’s start at the Brewhaus, the downtown bar that was cool when downtown wasn’t. Beginning on Thursday, Mike Parkes and company celebrate five years of Jonah with five nights of live music during what’s billed as Jonah Fest. The Damwell Betters come to play on April 17, demonstrating why they are Springfield’s reigning […]

Untitled Document It might seem like a long way from the life of an ancient Celtic bard to that of a modern-day performer, but to musician and storyteller Daniel Marcotte it was a natural progression. From his upbringing in Schaumburg, Ill., near Chicago, through his college work in ancient music and societies and continuing into […]

Untitled Document It is my great pleasure to announce the inaugural show of the Bedrock 66 Live! music series, sponsored in part by WUIS (91.9 FM), the public radio station at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Because of generous corporate donations to help defray the costs of entertainment and extra effort from WUIS staff […]