Music

Untitled Document Few dreams in life are as fervently and desperately chased as those of the aspiring artist — but if there’s a reason to preserve those desires of artistic achievement, to keep struggling in the face of adversity, to persevere when everything screams to not, it is that faint possibility of vindication, the opportunity […]

Untitled Document What makes a good local live-music scene? To me it’s the combination of performers and audience. You can’t have one without the other. The other thing that makes a scene is commitment. An artist must commit to being the best he or she can be. An audience must commit to showing up and […]

Untitled Document Oh yes, laddies and lassies, it’s that special time of year in which we celebrate the Irish in all of us. This year St. Patrick’s Day falls on Monday, so anything this weekend up to and including March 17 is fair game for anyone caring to become a drunken blade or a inebriated […]

Untitled Document I once heard that mean old talk-show host Dr. Laura say, “Hope is not a good strategy.” I’ve never given much credence to anything that crotchety giver of advice had to say, though, and neither should you. Hope is a fine thing, especially when we’re talking about the band 56 Hope Road. The […]

Untitled Document Have you heard about the live-music series sponsored by WUIS (91.9 FM)? For those of you who still think the UIS “college radio station” only plays classical music and intellectual talking programs, well, you’re wrong. Even though a good percentage of the programming is dedicated to the aforementioned programming (we’re not complaining), the […]

Untitled Document Remember those music competitions held last year by the Illinois Central Blues Club? The club sponsored one for bands during the Blues & BBQs downtown festival and a later one at the Alamo for solo acts and duos. The winners represented our community at the Blues Foundation’s 24th annual International Blues Challenge, in […]

Untitled Document So what’s the rumble on the streets these days? Is it the newest of the new, the cutting edge of modern pop, the groundbreakers and world-shakers? Well, that may be the case somewhere, but here in Springfield the word that keeps drifting in is about Rewind, a classic-rock quintet with about 200 years […]

Untitled Document In a feeble attempt to answer the often-asked question of “Hey, what’s going on?” let’s check on upcoming shows and concerts in the area. This is not a complete schedule — nor is it meant to be. These picks reflect my tastes; that’s why they pay me the big bucks. Let’s start with […]

Untitled Document I know, I know — it still seems too early for Mardi Gras, but we’ve been through this all before. Keep thinking that way and you’ll miss the big shindig entirely. The ultimate way to do the Mardi Gras thing is always to get your wild self on down to the French Quarter […]

Untitled Document Honestly, folks, I really do try to keep my job as a music columnist separate from my work as a musician, but once in a while I’m involved in a show that deserves to be highlighted. This Saturday, Jan. 26, I’m playing with Sally Barris and Ben Bedford at the Old Berlin Schoolhouse […]

Untitled Document Nothing leaps from the listings this week and grabs my nose ring to lead me to a particular event, so why don’t we just take a stroll through the lovely fields of Springfield entertainment, plucking luscious blooms of talent wherever we desire? The Sandinista Jr. All Ages Open Mic at the Pizza Machine […]

Untitled Document Yeah, yeah, yeah — I’ve heard it all before and just heard it again the other night: “Boring ol’ Springfield.” “Nothing to do.” “Man, I wished I lived in a real town.” On and on droned the determined downers. You know I’ll be the first (but not the last) to say that this […]